[edit] Make that 2nd confirmed… a gentleman quit many years ago after I made fun of Sarah Palin.
I say confirmed, because I am sure I’ve lost people in the past due to my political content or other such opinionated writing*, but just didn’t know it. This gentleman took the time to write me a note. While I am not seeking permission to reproduce it, here is my response, simple and to the point.
“And what exactly would my bias be Joe? What side exactly have I taken?”
I don’t think he is even necessarily a Trump supporter, but like me, a hater of the political rancor on both sides. But it’s a free effing blog people. Turn it off or skip its occasional off-topic posts. You do know blogs are written by humans, right?
But much as I have done over the years with certain overly dogmatic gold bugs, I consider it a cleaning of the subscriber base when someone quits because I am irritating them. The irritation happens here in public, not in the weekly market report or updates, and it happens even though I weave market reasoning into my views on Trump, a character who himself is intimately woven with the markets (and hence, open to discussion and criticism therein). If you’re going to survive the rigors of this market, you’re going to need a skin that’s a little thicker than Saran Wrap.
So to me, speaking about Trump in this case is natural and if I don’t like what he’s doing I am going to write about it. The gentleman in question here noted “You have been turned off” and that is exactly what I’ve asked others to do if they do not like my views or at least cannot tolerate them. I am not going to sacrifice who I am for the ever loving buck. In other words, I know a newsletter writer is supposed to appeal across boundaries and much like a politician, play the room. Well sorry, that is not going to happen. I. am. me.
On the other side of the coin I have the utmost respect for people who read some of what I write, think “there he goes again…” and then are mentally flexible enough to filter it in favor of what’s really important, which in my view is most certainly not this political circus. I mean, we have a job to do and I am not compromising that job even one tiny little bit by making editorial comments in public, especially when they are so well tied in to the market climate.
NFTRH reports are flat out the best, most serious and focused market content and strategizing that I know of. Perfect? Nah, but damn good. Now, there’s some bias for you. But it’s true. I also happen to know the base is replete with people who will vote for Trump vs. a democrat, but they can take it. It’s got democrats too. I’ve stepped on their toes over the years too. I like to test people, both in real life and in online life. That is because I am always testing myself too.
So here’s a brain dump O/T post to end a market week where it appears things are starting to take shape. The precious metals are doing the right thing to the script and now we await the broad stock market. In that context I don’t really give a fuck what peoples’ politics are. We are going to be right with the market and that is the ultimate political statement in this realm.
Now off to find something for one of those Friday music posts.
* I live in MA and vote republican a majority of the time for everything from the dog catcher on up to the president, due to well… Massachusetts and the traditional Boston old boyz (and girlz) network. But I ain’t voting for no Trump. No way, no how.
