Stay ConnectedExpertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006.
Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
Air Date 7/13/2022
Today, we take a look at how the Supreme Court stripped abortion rights for half the country, what life will look like for those seeking abortions and what we can do both personally and politically to fight back.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Aimee Arrambide of Avow Texas with Abortion Resources - Burn It All Down - Air Date 6-29-22
Jessica Luther talks with Aimee Arrambide who provides information and abortion resources related to the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
Computer scientist and social media expert Dr. Jen Golbeck has been running a popular TikTok series educating people on how to be more secure while navigating abortion online.
Ch. 3: The Day 'Roe' Died - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-24-22
For the first time in this country's history, an unelected majority of Supreme Court justices have taken away a fundamental constitutional right.
Ch. 4: When Pregnancy becomes Crime - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-5-22
Writer and philosophy scholar at Cornell University, Kate Manne talks about her Substack article "Criminalizing Pregnant People: A Brief Retrospective."
We speak with two leading legal scholars. Kathryn "Kitty" Kolbert is co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights
Ch. 6: Just Doing The Job They Were Put On The Court To Do - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-25-22
Roe v Wade has been swept away and Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lays out the case for what Democrats need to do in response to the Dobbs decision
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: How The Supreme Court Killed Roe v. Wade - LegalEagle - Air Date 6-29-22
This is a sea change at the Supreme Court
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the importance of state judicial elections
TAKE ACTION!
Start Paying Attention to State Judicial Elections:
Ballotpedia: ALL State Judicial Elections 2022 (scroll down for state links & maps)
Quick Links: Texas (18 appellate | 6 supreme); Florida (28 appellate | 5 supreme); Ohio (28 appellate | 3 supreme); Lousiana (22 appellate | 1 supreme); Tennesee (24 appellate | 5 supreme) ...and more.
Your State-by-State Guide to the 2022 Supreme Court Elections (via Bolts Magazine)
Share BOTL's Twitter Thread on this Subject
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
State Judge Elections Are About to Become Decisive for Abortion Rights (via Slate - July 6, 2022)
We Need to Reclaim State Courts From Big Money and Hateful Agendas (via TRUTHOUT - May 2019)
The Politics of Judicial Elections, 2019–20 (via Brennan Center - Jan. 25, 2022)
Gerrymandering or Creating New Courts (Dec 2021)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A black and white photo showing a large crowd of people protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, amidst ominous dark clouds in the sky.
Credit: "2022.06.24 Roe v Wade Overturned - SCOTUS, Washington, DC USA 175 143207" by Ted Eytan, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Original Air Date: 6-6-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - The Dawn of Everything - Capitalism Culture - Hit and Run Work Ethic - Necropolitics - W.E.B. DuBois on Colonialism - Sacrifices of Cultural Assumptions
References: The Dawn of Everything (Affiliate Link!)
Daycare late fees no deterrent, study finds
Prosecutor: Driver In Hit-And-Run Death Left For Job Interview
What Is Necropolitics? The Political Calculation of Life and Death
When W. E. B. Du Bois Was Un-American
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 7/4/2022
Today, for this milestone episode, I attempted to squeeze in as many clever and interesting ideas as I could and ended up writing a starter guide to understand the United States. Plus, there are jingles!
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Political Structures of Our Country
Tracking the political eras that proceeded our current situation and looking at what may come next.
Jingle 1: Strawman
Ch. 2: Progressives and Progress
Looking at a progressive perspective of the last 20 years and the process of progress itself
Jingle 2: Defer to Authority
Ch. 3: Understanding Race, Gender, Privilege and Power
Understanding why our understanding of the world is often insufficiently complicated
Jingle 3: Just Asking Questions
Ch. 4: Progressives in Politics
Tracing the fissures on the political left from Bush to Biden
Jingle 4: Manipulating Data
Ch. 5: Republican Transformation
Tracing conservatism from mid-century Republicans to 21st-century insurrectionists
Jingle 5: Appeal to Emotion
Ch. 6: Foreign/Power
Looking at various forms of power and how they play out on the international stage
Jingle 6: Passive Voice
Ch. 7: The Progress Trap
The progress traps of new technology and why we're not defending against them
Jingle 7: Clickbait
Ch. 8: Structural Thinking and the Alternative
What happens when an individualist thinker is faced with problems that only structural thinking can handle?
Jingle 8: Conspiracy Theories
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Conclusion
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Jingles: Concept and Some Lyrics by Jay Tomlinson, Music and Most Lyrics by Jonathan Mann
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 6/19/2021
Today we take a look at the politics of obstruction in service to big donors' interests while sacrificing the ability to run a functioning democracy in the process.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: West Virginia's Robyn Kincaid on the maddening Joe Manchin - The BradCast - Air Date 6-9-21
Robyn Kincaid explains the mysteries of Manchin, the history of his family's political dynasty in the state, and key factors that may be at work in Manchin's inexplicable obstruction of Biden and the Democrats' agenda.
Ch. 2: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She's one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party.
Breaking down the conflict-averse nature of the Democratic Party.
Ch. 4: Breaking Down President Biden's $6 Trillion 2022 Budget - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-21
The president's budget attempts to incorporate plans on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare, and is likely to receive conservative backlash for raising the federal deficit.
Ch. 5: What Does Joe Manchin Want? John Nichols on Filibuster Reform - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-9-21
Congressional action could block voter law changes—but that requires filibuster reform, and Joe Manchin says he won't vote for filibuster reform. What does Joe Manchin want? John Nichols comments.
Ch. 6: Joe Manchin Gets Candid With Billionaire Donors in Leaked Audio - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-16-21
Sen. Joe Manchin reveals his thoughts on the filibuster in a leaked Zoom call with fundraisers.
Ch. 7: Does America Have a Chance At Democracy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-12-21
When a political party is more obsessed with identity than issues - America is in trouble. Can America function as a multi-racial, ethnic, religious democracy?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She's one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party.
Explaining Manchin's love of being the center of attention and those who love to use him as a shield against criticism
BONUS
Ch. 10: Curation Lesson #4
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Bo Burnham's "Inside"
TAKE ACTION!
Pressure Manchin & Sinema via No Excuses PAC | TW: NoExcuses_PAC
Pressure Manchin via West Virginia Can't Wait |TW: @WVCantWait
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image. Photo of Sen. Kristen Sinema (D-AZ) on the left and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the right. More than half of their images are overlaid with red, the rest with blue. A vector image of the U.S. Capitol is in the foreground, a rope is coiled around the dome being pulled at each end out of view.
Credit: Composite image designed by Amanda Hoffman
Image 1: "Kyrsten Sinema" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Image 2: "FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION" by Senate Democrats, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Original Air Date 7/5/2019
Today we take an unflinching look at Mitch McConnell and what a bad, bad man he is for basically all of the reasons.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Money Money Money Part 1 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19
Mitch fully embraces the 'evil' of raising money in politics, and truly believes money is free speech.
Ch. 2: Voting Machine Lobbyists Pay Mitch McConnell - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-13-19
Lobbyists for both major voting machine companies have started contributing to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election campaign as McConnell is blocking election security bills.
McConnell, a longtime opponent of campaign finance reform who battled the late Sen. McCain over the issue, made clear in December that the House proposal would never see floor time in the Senate.
Ch. 4: Money Money Money Part 2 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19
McCain and Mitch fought each other over money in politics for years. Mitch wasn't ever going to lose, McCain saw the corruption and tried to call it out.
Ch. 5: Mitch Is the Biggest Monster In Politics - The Majority Report with Sam Seder - Air Date 3-8-19
Mitch has been packing the courts, it is monopolization of our judiciary by far right extremists / conservatives.
McConnell sees what the progressives are doing, and is dedicated to stopping them at all costs.
Ch. 7: Darth Vader Has Arrived - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-13-19
Mitch fought endlessly to ensure corporate money in politics. Citizens United and Mitch McConnell completely overturned democracy and legalized corruption.
Mitch is manipulating our judicial system - Trumps court appointments are pushing terrorism on the people. Mitch is the most productive and destructive GOP in modern history.
Mitch blocked Merrick Garland under Obama, and now will indiscriminately fill any SCOTUS opening.
Ch. 10: Not A Happy Choice - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Eric Mennel - Air Date 6-20-19
Mitch rose to fame during the Obama administration, for refusing to work with Obama on anything, which paved the way for Trump
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Christians thrive on oppression - (Another) Heather
Ch. 12: The Christian Right's Persecution Boner - Ani from Florida
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on why it's safe to say that Mitch McConnell is an extortionist
TAKE ACTION! (Cut for time)
SEGMENT: Support the Fight to Oust McConnell in 2020 - Best of the Left Activism
Support End Citizens United
Support Indivisible Kentucky
Support the Ditch Mitch Fund
Support Steven Cox
Support Amy McGrath (if she announces)
Support Matt Jones (if he announces)
Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
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Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more
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Air Date 6/25/2022
Today we take a look at some of the takeaways from the hearings investigating the January 6th insurrection. Most notably: they knew, they knew, they knew, they knew from the very beginning that their fraud claims were nonsense and they pushed ahead anyway.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22
New York Times Congressional reporter Luke Broadwater says the effort to overturn the 2020 election results was a "sprawling and diffuse" one that involved local governments as well as White House insiders.
Ch. 2: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22
Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing the first primetime hearing of the J6 Select Committee. They then focus on Tucker Carlson's response to hearings.
Ch. 3: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22
HEATHER DIGBY offers important insights into today's hearing
Ch. 4: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22
Ch. 5: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22
Ch. 6: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22
Investigative reporter Trevor Aaronson is joined by Margot Williams, research editor for The Intercept, and Michael Loadenthal, founder and executive director of the Prosecution Project.
These retired Generals fought to defend Democracy abroad, now they are warning that America's Democracy needs to be defended from threats inside the country.
Six Republican members of Congress who supported Donald Trump's lies sought broad presidential pardons for their involvement in the campaign to discredit the election results
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Republican Speaker of the Arizona House "Rusty" Bowers described how he was pushed by Trump, John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani to call the Arizona Legislature back into session to investigate claimed illegal votes.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on turning anger into election action
TAKE ACTION:
Become a Poll Worker Where you Live
2022 Midterms Lay of the Land:
Remaining Midterm Primaries and Runoff Elections by Date (270toWin)
2022 Election Maps (270toWin)
Find SwingLeft Races in a Target State Near You
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Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Air Date 6/22/2022
Today we take a look at the complicated evolution of Pride Month in an era of much greater LGBTQ acceptance and the simultaneous resurgence of anti-LGBTQ energy that, in many ways, mirrors the arguments of 40 years ago.
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SHOW NOTES
Throughout the month of June, LGBTQ communities in the U.S. have been celebrating Pride in cities and states around the country. And corporate America has made itself a part of that, too, by increasingly tapping into Pride Month
Ch. 2: Anti-trans legislation - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 4-29-22
Ari discusses how this wave of law-making differs from so-called "moral panics" of past decades — and why that matters — with historian Jules Gill-Peterson, of Johns Hopkins University.
Ch. 3: Is Pride Too Commercialized? - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-15-22
Today, Pride Month gatherings are more likely to be described as parades than marches. And with rainbow flags adorning the storefronts of big corporations, it might be easy to think the struggle is over.
Ch. 4: Disney vs. Itself vs. The Right - Recode Media - Air Date 4-13-22
Within the past few months, Disney CEO Bob Chapek managed to piss off his shareholders, the LGBT community, and right-wing conservatives. Today we talk about how he did it, why it happened, and what's next.
Ch. 5: Don't Rainbow-Wash On My Parade - What A Day - Air Date 6-2-22
June is Pride Month, the unfortunate time when many corporations claim they support LGBTQ+ people, but also support politicians who actively work against LGBTQ+ rights. It's not a new phenomenon – even before June, for example, activists called out Disney
Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law is part of a nationwide push by Republicans to score political points by attacking gay and transgender students.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Chris Southcote-Want: It'll all come out in the rainbow wash - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-18-21
The impact of rainbow washing and why creating inclusive and equitable cultures is the responsibility of us all.
Ch. 8: State Farm Gives Up on LGBTQ Rights - Charlotte's Web Thoughts - Air Date 5-24-22
You may have been doom-scrolling yesterday and caught the latest hysteria of anti-LGBTQ extremists in the conservative movement.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the lessons we must relearn generation after generation
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 6/17/2022
Today we take a look at many intertwining realizations that are beginning to permeate society which include but are not limited to the dead-end mentality of infinite growth, the uselessness of growth past a certain point for wellbeing, and the deepening alienation being felt in response to consumerism in place of community.
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SHOW NOTES
"Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe"
Some economists have long argued that to really save ourselves from the climate crisis, we need a fundamental overhaul of the way our economies work.
Ch. 3: Degrowth: liberation from growthism - The Taxcast - Air Date 9-23-21
Naomi Fowler explores degrowth and how we liberate ourselves from 'growthism' with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel.
Standing Rock was just one in a long line of battles that Indigenous peoples have been fighting against the twin forces of colonialism and capitalism since first contact.
Ch. 5: Eco-Socialist Degrowth? w/ Paul Murphy - Rupture Radio - Air Date 5-2-22
Capitalist growth is destroying our life support systems.
We talked about why the notion of decoupling growth from intensive resource use is ultimately unconvincing.
Tim Jackson joins David to discuss consumption, growth, macroeconomics, the modern economy, and more.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: How We End Consumerism - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 6-4-21
How we end consumerism, explained.
We spoke with him about international capitalism during the pandemic and how to fundamentally move to a post-capitalist world
We continue our quest by looking into post-growth.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the climate legislation currently in negotiations and how to win a Rivian EV
TAKE ACTION!
LAST CHANCE FOR BOLD CLIMATE LEGISLATION: Demand the Full $555 Billion in Climate Investments in the Budget Reconciliation Package and get it passed ASAP!
SUPPORT Grassroots Climate Action: Enter the CCAN fundraiser raffle and win a Rivian Electric Truck (or a Tesla up to a Plaid Model S)!
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An illustration of a green Earth, with a small plant sprout growing out of it. Green arrows encircle the earth against a pale green abstract background.
Credit: Nature-Earth-Sustainability | License
Air Date 6/15/2022
Today we take a look at the many reasons why we are experiencing a housing crisis in the US and beyond but it mostly comes down to treating housing as a commodity to be profited from rather than a basic human need or, if you're feeling radical, a basic human right.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21
Why has it become so hard to buy a home in America? If you don't know, now you know.
Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21
Should corporations be allowed to buy houses and raise the housing price in your neighborhood?
Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22
The housing market has reached frightening heights which has people looking elsewhere for home buying.
Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21
Zohran Mamdani, New York State assemblyman, talks about how Austrian socialists in the 1920s and '30s pioneered an approach that offered better, cheaper, and safer homes for everyone.
What happens when the housing bubble bursts? It is easy to see when it has happened but spotting a collapse ahead of time is difficult.
Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22
Discussing the need for tenants to have a right to counsel in eviction proceedings
Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22
The Democratic Party has no plan to address the homeless crisis the United States is facing today. One way to fix it would be to provide public housing to people.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
George Clarke visits a council estate in Vienna and is shocked by what he finds.
Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21
Increasing housing prices, rent, construction costs, and short-term rental (STR) properties have created an environment that fewer and fewer people are able to thrive in.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on supporting affordable housing through the Build Back Better bill
TAKE ACTION!
Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package!
- Call your Senators and Reps at 202-224-3121 and use the NLIHC Call Script (and email them)
- Use NLIHC's Advocacy Toolkit to help spread the word
- Read and share the NLIHC's Inflation Fact Sheet
- Follow @NLIHC
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Resurrected budget package no slam dunk as negotiations heat up (June 6th via RollCall)
Affordable housing in the US is increasingly scarce, making renters ask: Where do we go? (March 14th via The Conversation)
Housing Investments in Build Back Better Would Address Pressing Unmet Needs (Feb. 10th via Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
A growing share of Americans say affordable housing is a major problem where they live (Jan. 18th via Pew Research Center)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An illustration of a simple green house with a "$" symbol incorporated into it. The vertical line of the symbol is also the shape of the chimney and the front door. Small dollar signs flow out of the chimney, getting smaller as they go up.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 6/11/2022
Today we take a look at the reasons why Democrats lost rural America and why it's important to make gains outside urban centers through working-class coalitions and a focus on the policy failures of unchecked Republicanism.
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SHOW NOTES
Democrats used to win elections in rural areas, but that seems like a distant memory now. This week, Zach is joined by Bill Hogseth, a political organizer from rural Wisconsin, to talk about the difference between making promises and delivering change
Ch. 2: Can Democrats Win in Rural America? - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-4-22
Maine state Sen. Chloe Maxmin tackles one of the most pressing problems confronting the modern Democratic Party: how to reverse its decades-long backslide in rural support. Maxmin and her co-author and campaign manager Canyon Woodward join Ryan Grim
Ch. 3: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22
Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections.
Ch. 4: Joe Shepherd of United Rural Democrats - The Rick Smith Show - Air Date 5-9-22
By working people. For working people. Welcome to The Rick Smith Show.
Ch. 5: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22
Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections.
Former OHIO Democratic party chair David Pepper On Why We Need to Focus on State Capitols to Save Democracy, and why we all need to do our part to lift it up.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of "What's the Matter with Kansas" and "Listen, Liberal", tells host Paul Jay that the Democratic Party serves the professional class and the top 10% and no longer cares about the poor or working class.
Ch. 8: The New Democrats w/ Lily Geismer - The Dig - Air Date 6-5-22
Dan's second episode with historian Lily Geismer, who he interviewed in 2019 about Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party. This interview is on Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the ignoring the middle class and poor open the door to right-wing populism of the worst sort
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a blue, dented, and rusted mailbox on a spike leaning against an old wooden fence. Its flag is down, indicating no mail. Thick, golden tall grass grows behind it against a blue sky.
Credit: "Rural America" by Kris Notaro, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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