November 5, 2024 • 8 mins
Wellingtonian Michael Hobbs says he couldn't pick a winner for the US presidential election - but says the mood is tense and hard to escape.
The former Blues player and Wellington College head boy is now in the private equity industry in Los Angeles, after studying an MBA at Stanford University.
He joined Nick Mills to discuss the mood in the US ahead of today's vote.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well, it's election time in the USA and we on
Wellington Mornings wanted to speak to some Wellingtonian, a well
known Wellingtonian that lives in America. So we went around
and we asked a few people and the name came
up of Michael Hobbes, ex Wellington College head boy, played
rugby at Super Super fifteen and Super twelve level and
(00:34):
obviously a member of the very famous Hobbes family, and
he apparently lives in the States. So we got his
number and we've rung him. Good morning, Michael, our.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Time, Hey, good morning, how are we doing doing well?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Tell us how long have you been living in the
States and what are you doing in the States.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yes, I'm moved to the States when I finished up
playing in twenty sixteen, so moved over from business school,
did my NBA up in the Bay are in San Francisco,
and now I work in private equity and I'm based
in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Now, let's not be quite so humble. You went to
Stanford University and got an MBA, so that's a pretty
pretty awesome achievement. It's not just like you went down
the road and went to university.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, I know, I'm still trying to figure out how
I got in, but I accepted before they before they
realized they'd made a mistake.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Once again, humble. Let's talk about what it feels like
to be living in America with this election right today.
I mean, what's the vibe is? What are you feeling?
What are you what are you seeing, what are you smelling?
What are you thinking?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean it's a pretty crazy time to be here,
to be fair like, it's very tense. I think that's
the best way to describe it. You know, it's pretty
hard to watch TV. You listen to the interviews, listen
to the rhetoric that's happening on the news. It's just yeah,
(02:14):
it's just very tense, very combative, and there's just like
a feeling of like unease heading into you know, election
day and sort of what's gonna what's going to transpire
from here.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
So you're based in la So that tells me that
it's pretty one sided down there, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah? Yeah, La La is you know, very very much
sort of like a democratic sort of home base.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So what are you getting anything of Kamala Harris at all.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah. So, yeah, a lot of a lot of Kamala.
You know, I live a little sort of south as
if further south you go towards like Orange County, you
start to get more sort of pro Trump pockets or
pro Republican pockets. But definitely, you know, the majority of
(03:08):
what you know, like I see and here here in
LA is very much like pro pro Democrat.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Okay, what are the biggest issues there right now? What
are they all talking about?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I mean a huge hot but in topic right now
is obviously women's rights and you know, the autonomy over
their body and their decisions regarding abortion. You know, that's
definitely something that is spoken about frequently right now. You know,
(03:42):
the economy, you know, comes up a lot, and we've
had you know, very you know strong inflation over the
last handful of years, which has led to fit people
really feeling it, you know, in the pocket. And so
you know, it's kind of it's gone between immigration and
(04:02):
securing the border, the economy and then and then women
right through.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
What do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Man? Yeah, honestly, like it's it's it's so hard to
tell you know if reading listening to podcasts, you know,
the polls a neck and neck with a handful of
of of swing states, and so it's it's so hard
(04:38):
to know, really, Like I think people the general feeling
is people think that Trump is going to win.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Are you concerned about are you concerned about your safety
of Trump doesn't when I kind of like, well, I'd
be concerned if you and my son living in l
a And and it was a close loss. I mean,
is that is that a concern that you find over
there or is that just me being living in New
Zealand and think of the worst of everything.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
No, I mean it definitely crosses your mind, right, you know,
like I learned most of my adult life in New Zealand,
so I still very much think like Ikili and and
some of you know, the things that happen over here,
you know, access to guns and all of that. You know,
it was still hard for me to wrap my head around.
And so yeah, I think if if Kamala, you know,
(05:30):
is you know, announced as the victor, like I don't
think it's going to be you know, like a seamless
transition or one without a fight and some pretty fiery
you know comments and whether that lead you know, there's
a very real chance that does lead to violence in
(05:50):
some fashion. What that looks like hopefully, you know, would
would not be anything major, but I don't think it's
out of the question that that there would be, you know,
definitely some action on the streets.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
What's your gut telling you You're you're feeling it, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah, I mean I don't know what's interesting right now?
Is it sort of feels like, you know, like it
it's pretty obviously like perfect is not on the menu, right,
Like it feels like a choice between who people think
is less bad, right, And it's just you know, like
(06:33):
obviously like being here in California, you know, like you
would feel just based on you know, like what I
hear here that that it would go you know, with
the Democrats, and you know, just given some of the
stuff that's said and you know, some of the things
that come out of you know, from a prison Trump's mouth,
like you just sometimes still like you just be amazing
(06:56):
that he would get re elected. But yeah, it's it's honestly,
it's just it's it's too hard to tell. And like
I said that, you know, listening to the news here
is kind of tough, just how like combative. You know,
the rhetoric is on both sides, so you know, I
have some I guess I call it a luxury right
(07:18):
now that I don't have a vote, so I don't
have to, you know, but go and sort of, you know,
decide myself.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
But who you're supporting, Michael, I mean, you kn't have
a vote, but who you're supporting or you don't want
to say, I get it if you don't want.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
To say, I understand, yeah, I yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
You don't want to say.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Yeah, I know. I think I would. I would like
to see I would like to see Kamara Harris when
I think I think this country is in a better
spot four years from now, issue wins.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Michael's been great talking to and thank you and please
be safe. I don't know why, but I just get
the gup feeling if you and I are right. I've
called Kamala right from the start. I just think that
the world, the world would be a better place with
her in charge in the next four years. So I'm
with you, but I'd be definitely concerned living in la
(08:20):
if it doesn't go if it does go that way,
But I really appreciate having an opportunity to talk to you.
Stay safe and appreciate all you've done for the world.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
No appreciate it. Thanks for having me on me.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well, it's election time in the USA and we on
Wellington Mornings wanted to speak to some Wellingtonian, a well
known Wellingtonian that lives in America. So we went around
and we asked a few people and the name came
up of Michael Hobbes, ex Wellington College head boy, played
rugby at Super Super fifteen and Super twelve level and
(00:34):
obviously a member of the very famous Hobbes family, and
he apparently lives in the States. So we got his
number and we've rung him. Good morning, Michael, our.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Time, Hey, good morning, how are we doing doing well?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Tell us how long have you been living in the
States and what are you doing in the States.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yes, I'm moved to the States when I finished up
playing in twenty sixteen, so moved over from business school,
did my NBA up in the Bay are in San Francisco,
and now I work in private equity and I'm based
in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Now, let's not be quite so humble. You went to
Stanford University and got an MBA, so that's a pretty
pretty awesome achievement. It's not just like you went down
the road and went to university.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, I know, I'm still trying to figure out how
I got in, but I accepted before they before they
realized they'd made a mistake.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Once again, humble. Let's talk about what it feels like
to be living in America with this election right today.
I mean, what's the vibe is? What are you feeling?
What are you what are you seeing, what are you smelling?
What are you thinking?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean it's a pretty crazy time to be here,
to be fair like, it's very tense. I think that's
the best way to describe it. You know, it's pretty
hard to watch TV. You listen to the interviews, listen
to the rhetoric that's happening on the news. It's just yeah,
(02:14):
it's just very tense, very combative, and there's just like
a feeling of like unease heading into you know, election
day and sort of what's gonna what's going to transpire
from here.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
So you're based in la So that tells me that
it's pretty one sided down there, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah? Yeah, La La is you know, very very much
sort of like a democratic sort of home base.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So what are you getting anything of Kamala Harris at all.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah. So, yeah, a lot of a lot of Kamala.
You know, I live a little sort of south as
if further south you go towards like Orange County, you
start to get more sort of pro Trump pockets or
pro Republican pockets. But definitely, you know, the majority of
(03:08):
what you know, like I see and here here in
LA is very much like pro pro Democrat.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Okay, what are the biggest issues there right now? What
are they all talking about?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I mean a huge hot but in topic right now
is obviously women's rights and you know, the autonomy over
their body and their decisions regarding abortion. You know, that's
definitely something that is spoken about frequently right now. You know,
(03:42):
the economy, you know, comes up a lot, and we've
had you know, very you know strong inflation over the
last handful of years, which has led to fit people
really feeling it, you know, in the pocket. And so
you know, it's kind of it's gone between immigration and
(04:02):
securing the border, the economy and then and then women
right through.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
What do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Man? Yeah, honestly, like it's it's it's so hard to
tell you know if reading listening to podcasts, you know,
the polls a neck and neck with a handful of
of of swing states, and so it's it's so hard
(04:38):
to know, really, Like I think people the general feeling
is people think that Trump is going to win.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Are you concerned about are you concerned about your safety
of Trump doesn't when I kind of like, well, I'd
be concerned if you and my son living in l
a And and it was a close loss. I mean,
is that is that a concern that you find over
there or is that just me being living in New
Zealand and think of the worst of everything.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
No, I mean it definitely crosses your mind, right, you know,
like I learned most of my adult life in New Zealand,
so I still very much think like Ikili and and
some of you know, the things that happen over here,
you know, access to guns and all of that. You know,
it was still hard for me to wrap my head around.
And so yeah, I think if if Kamala, you know,
(05:30):
is you know, announced as the victor, like I don't
think it's going to be you know, like a seamless
transition or one without a fight and some pretty fiery
you know comments and whether that lead you know, there's
a very real chance that does lead to violence in
(05:50):
some fashion. What that looks like hopefully, you know, would
would not be anything major, but I don't think it's
out of the question that that there would be, you know,
definitely some action on the streets.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
What's your gut telling you You're you're feeling it, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah, I mean I don't know what's interesting right now?
Is it sort of feels like, you know, like it
it's pretty obviously like perfect is not on the menu, right,
Like it feels like a choice between who people think
is less bad, right, And it's just you know, like
(06:33):
obviously like being here in California, you know, like you
would feel just based on you know, like what I
hear here that that it would go you know, with
the Democrats, and you know, just given some of the
stuff that's said and you know, some of the things
that come out of you know, from a prison Trump's mouth,
like you just sometimes still like you just be amazing
(06:56):
that he would get re elected. But yeah, it's it's honestly,
it's just it's it's too hard to tell. And like
I said that, you know, listening to the news here
is kind of tough, just how like combative. You know,
the rhetoric is on both sides, so you know, I
have some I guess I call it a luxury right
(07:18):
now that I don't have a vote, so I don't
have to, you know, but go and sort of, you know,
decide myself.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
But who you're supporting, Michael, I mean, you kn't have
a vote, but who you're supporting or you don't want
to say, I get it if you don't want.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
To say, I understand, yeah, I yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
You don't want to say.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Yeah, I know. I think I would. I would like
to see I would like to see Kamara Harris when
I think I think this country is in a better
spot four years from now, issue wins.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Michael's been great talking to and thank you and please
be safe. I don't know why, but I just get
the gup feeling if you and I are right. I've
called Kamala right from the start. I just think that
the world, the world would be a better place with
her in charge in the next four years. So I'm
with you, but I'd be definitely concerned living in la
(08:20):
if it doesn't go if it does go that way,
But I really appreciate having an opportunity to talk to you.
Stay safe and appreciate all you've done for the world.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
No appreciate it. Thanks for having me on me.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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