KSEV Mornings · October 19, 2026 · Hour 2
Early voting turnout, data centers and an AI Craig, why Europe isn’t helping in the Strait of Hormuz, JD Vance’s answer to a Gold Star husband, a Halloween birthday and diesel prices.
Monday’s second hour opened with Wayne Dolcefino declaring it time to go to the mattresses, because early voting has begun. Craig Coglianese and Wayne talked turnout, housing and health care costs, why France and the rest of Europe haven’t sent ships to the Strait of Hormuz, and JD Vance’s answer to a grieving husband. Craig also shared the story of being born on Halloween, and caller Mike made the case that diesel prices could cost Republicans the Senate.
Go to the mattresses
“We’re going to go to the mattresses this morning,” Wayne said, “and go vote.” He talked about the videos his firm has been doing on the Fort Bend County district attorney race and asked Fort Bend listeners to go online, listen to the recordings and judge for themselves: “Don’t take my word for it.” He was upfront that he is sometimes hired by political campaigns, “not often, but sometimes,” and he had a new motto from a critic online: “slime for hire.” Wayne said it “actually has a ring to it.”
Data centers and the race with China
Wayne said he shares concerns about how data centers get brought into towns. “You don’t surprise people with that,” he said. Communities need to hear the process, and the projects can’t wreck local water and utilities. But “this whole data centers are evil thing, I just think is just a dumb thing.” Craig called them inevitable, in part because of competition with China. “You can’t just tell people that don’t want it that they have to take it,” he said. “You need to have a conversation, but it’s necessary.”
Wayne then asked whether he could replace Craig with an AI version for the next segment. “Sure,” Craig said. “If you just want him to shut up for the whole segment, he can do that too.” Wayne: “I think that the less is more.”
Early voting turnout and the Black and Hispanic vote
“All this other stuff has been just pregame,” Wayne said. “This is the game now.” He’ll be watching turnout in Black communities, where he has heard mail-in ballot applications were down, and he said Black and Hispanic voters are culturally conservative. “We know everybody’s mad at Donald Trump,” he added, “but Donald Trump’s name’s not on the ballot.” Craig said there are people on the right and the left who believe their party is too extreme for them and would rather sit out than vote.
Housing, health care and mortgage rates
Wayne said Republicans need to at least try to show they’re fixing structural problems like the cost of getting into a house. “I do think healthcare is all screwed up,” he said, adding that he just learned his Medicare plan won’t be available next year. Craig said Democrats deserve the blame for rates: when Biden took office in 2021, mortgage rates were near a record low at 2.77%, and when he left they were over 7%. Wayne agreed most of the price increases came under Biden, but said that for his taste he hears too much from Trump that something is so because he says it is. “I think you have to bring people along,” he said. He also said growing wealth inequality is a real issue. “Do I think taxing billionaires is going to get us out of this mess? Of course not.”
Negotiate your salary
Craig said he knows too many people who accepted the first salary they were offered, and that a little conflict can be good, especially early in a career. He pointed to the reports of Gen Z bringing their parents to job interviews. Wayne, who runs his own firm, had a different view of raises: “Look, I don’t believe in wage increases personally for my staff.” His reasoning involved his own hourly rate. “I’m not like a $1,500 an hour good,” he said, before reconsidering: “I guess I am. I think I am.”
Wings Over Houston, and that rug
Wayne, broadcasting from his office, described Craig’s setup as a studio with really ugly colored rugs and “a cardboard $10 sign that says he works for AM700.” The show gave away two tickets to Wings Over Houston, which Craig called “awesome” and Wayne has never attended. Craig remembered running contests at WGN Radio in Chicago, where he would answer the losing calls with “I’m sorry, you’re not the winner” and hang up. “That’s pretty rude,” Wayne said. Congratulations to Jack, who won the tickets.
France, Europe and the Strait of Hormuz
Wayne came back to France, where energy prices are high like everywhere else. “Has France sent a single boat to help us patrol the Hormuz Strait?” he asked. Given the hundreds of billions the U.S. spends protecting Europe, he said, he doesn’t understand why those countries aren’t sending at least symbolic help. Craig said some European countries, including the UK and France, met to plan escorts for ships, but haven’t done it. “They met to talk about it, and then they broke for lunch, and they haven’t gotten back together yet.” Craig added that Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the world, and anyone who depends on gas from the strait should help keep it open.
JD Vance and a Gold Star husband
Craig brought up Vice President JD Vance’s exchange with a Gold Star husband whose wife was killed by a drone in the fight with Iran. Craig said Vance asked him to share any missteps with him privately and stressed protecting the military, and Craig thought it was “a really good answer.” Wayne said that once troops are in harm’s way, “you support the commander in chief,” and he believes criticism of the war has emboldened Iran. He also said Democrats aren’t explaining how they would make things more affordable, including “the price of gummy bears.”
Craig’s Halloween birthday
Wayne can’t make Wings Over Houston because it falls on Halloween weekend, a big deal at his house with the grandkids. October is also the month he got married and the month his son was born. Craig topped it: he was born on Halloween. His mother went to sleep the night before Halloween praying not to have him the next day, and her water broke when she woke up. The nurse who took her blood was dressed as Dracula. “That’s always reassuring,” Craig said. His two older sisters were mad because their grandmother made them trick-or-treat in coats. “That’s a story that will affect someone’s mental health forever,” Wayne said. “Yeah, they hated me,” Craig said. Wayne said his wife and kids have analyzed him, and “I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a little weird.” But he worries about the country. “We’ve gotten soft,” he said. Craig: “Life is just hard.”
Caller Mike on Kansas, Iowa and diesel prices
Mike said the Republican Senate candidates in Kansas and Iowa are basically neck and neck, and diesel prices are “astronomically high,” hitting farmers, truck drivers and food prices. He thinks Paxton will pull it out in Texas, but warned that losing seats elsewhere could cost the Senate and with it the judges and appointments. He backs taking out Iran’s nuclear capability but not combat troops in mainland Iran. Craig said reopening the strait could mean taking Kharg Island by force, and Mike agreed that might be the exception. Wayne closed by saying the MAGA coalition is splitting and Republicans need to acknowledge the pain and offer a plan, because “now’s the time to win elections.”
Hear Craig and Wayne live weekdays from 7–9 AM Central on AM 700 KSEV, The Voice of Texas. Visit the KSEV Mornings show page for live-listening controls and more episodes.
