The Professional Left Podcast with Driftglass and Blue Gal

Latest Episodes:

Ep 965: The Amnesia Machine Warms Up Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

The amnesia machine is already warming up as Republicans rehearse their "I was never really MAGA" speeches while Trump falsely claims Ilhan Omar staged her own chemical attack by a convicted felon Trump supporter. The episode tears apart the advice that Democrats should run against their own party to win over "average voters" who get their information from toxic sources that have been poisoning them against Democrats for decades with the Both Sides lie. As the Washington Post collapses and David Brooks gets rewarded with cushy jobs at The Atlantic and Yale, the media prepares its "both sides struggled with immigration" framing while Trump's FBI raids Georgia election offices to rig the 2026 midterms. The only path forward is relentless pressure and refusing to forgive or forget what Republicans have done, because expressions of GOP "concern" are just theater to test what polls better.

Cover Art: Amazing Stories 20th Anniversary Issue, 1946. https://amazingstories.com/2016/12/the-amazing-years/

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Website: proleftpod.com
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or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

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Ep 964: A Man Was Lynched Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are called what they really are—lynchings carried out by Trump's armed thugs who were then protected from investigation and sent back out on the streets. A direct line connects decades of right-wing hate radio promising to eliminate liberals to today's fascist violence, explaining why there will be no magical "national awakening" to save us. Never Trump pundits who now support "Defund ICE" after spending years attacking Democrats over "Defund the Police" get dismantled for their hypocrisy, with an explanation of why better messaging won't fix a problem caused by the right's massive propaganda machine. The only path forward is relentless pressure, cutting off money and legitimacy to Republicans, and refusing to forget what they've done when this is over.

Cover photo credit: The Library of Congress via PBS.

Links for this episode:

Driftglass and Bluegal on The Bill Show!

The New Republic: CBP Boss Says He Moved Agents Who Shot Alex Pretti to Avoid “Doxxing” https://newrepublic.com/post/205690/customs-border-protection-cbp-agent-alex-pretti-reassigned

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Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

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Ep 963: It's The End of the World [Order] As We Know It Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to 'The end of the world [order] as we know it' in which we defend anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, after discovering the pastor moonlights as an ICE official, calling out the shocking hypocrisy of a supposed man of God working for Trump's deportation machine.

Contrast this peaceful protest with ICE's actual fascist behavior—armed agents terrorizing churchgoers in Chicago and preventing clergy from providing religious services to detainees. We also tear apart Trump's deranged, lie-filled speeches at Davos and the White House, where he embarrassed America on the world stage with conspiracy theories and obvious falsehoods. Trump's Justice Department is going after peaceful protesters while ignoring police violence against immigrants, proving we're watching democracy collapse into authoritarian rule in real time.

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Recommended: From ancient Rome to today, war-makers have talked constantly about peace. https://theconversation.com/from-ancient-rome-to-today-war-makers-have-talked-constantly-about-peace-273095

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Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

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Ep 962 This Time It's Different Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

The greatest political mirage in modern American history returns as Trump's second term reveals that while the ingredients stay the same, something fundamental has shifted. Driftglass and Blue Gal dissect how corporate media like Newsweek hides its appeasement under the banner of "Courageous Centrism" while Republicans once again flee the scene of their crimes by rebranding as independents—though this time, many seem too exhausted to bother with the charade. Unlike the counterculture movement that broke and rolled back after Kent State, today's resistance to Trump's fascist overreach is growing stronger, not weaker, backed by governors, mayors, and millions with cameras in their pockets. From Hunter S. Thompson's receding tide to today's rising wave of protest, this episode traces the through-line of American political psychology and asks whether, finally, this time really is different.

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Link for this episode: Amanda Marcotte at Salon, "Some Trump voters are sneaking away..." https://www.salon.com/2026/01/19/some-trump-voters-are-sneaking-away/

Stay in Touch!

Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

Support the show

Ep 961: Transitions For Us; Bad News For State and Local GOP's Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

We start with some personal news: Blue Gal's father passed away on January 9.

In other news, she's leaving Crooks and Liars after 18 years for a day job with health insurance—thanks to Republican healthcare f*ckery. The podcast continues twice weekly, just dropping later in the day with Driftglass handling all the prep work.

Then we dive into why Trump's regime is doubling down on violence and lies about Renee Good's murder by ICE. We explain how decades of right-wing media have convinced MAGA that a massive Liberal Conspiracy controls everything, and Trump is finally "actualizing" all those lies—from ICE brownshirts in Minneapolis to raiding reporters' homes to threatening the Insurrection Act.

But then there's Trump's broken promise on the Epstein Files.

Plus: local Republican parties are trapped between a MAGA base demanding loyalty and horrified independents whose votes they need.

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Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

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Ep 960: No Fair Remembering Stuff (Feat. John Amato of Crooks and Liars) Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

John Amato of Crooks and Liars discusses his journey from music to political blogging, including his early experiences with video content creation and sharing during the 2000s. Our convo covers the evolution of digital media in politics, with particular focus on the early days of blogging and the collaborative spirit among left-leaning bloggers who shared content through blog roundups. We conclude with reflections on media credibility and misinformation, as well as discussions about favorite TV shows and movies from 2025.

Stay in Touch!

Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

Support the show

Ep 959: The 16th Anniversary Show Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

We start with the ICE murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and the Trump administration's obvious lies about what happened, despite clear video evidence. Then we cover the shocking news that nine House Republicans actually broke ranks to force a vote on extending healthcare subsidies that keep insurance affordable for 22 million Americans—will the Senate kill it anyway? Plus our news roundup, including the dissolution of NPR and PBS funding, and you'll never guess who got busted with fentanyl and meth from—wait for it—NOT Venezuela.

Stay in Touch!

Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

Support the show

Ep 958: MAGA Flip Flops On 'Forever Wars For Oil' Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

We open on the fifth anniversary of January 6th by examining MAGA's stunning overnight flip-flop on war and foreign intervention. How did "America First" isolationists like Matt Walsh, Laura Loomer, and Cat Turd suddenly become cheerleaders for regime change in Venezuela? Why are pundits so confused by this reversal when we've seen it all before?

Using clips from The Lion in Winter and Lawrence of Arabia, we explain why MAGA isn't a set of policy beliefs—it's a genre, a vibe. Republican voters are like actors reading whatever script Trump hands them, whether it's "No More Wars" on Monday or "Blood for Oil" on Wednesday. We break down the difference between affirmative covenants (like "I will release the Epstein Files") and negative covenants (like "No More Wars"), and why one promise broke MAGA's trust while the other didn't.

We also revisit 2005-2006 when Bush's unified Republican government similarly unraveled—not as prediction, but as reminder that political gravity hasn't been repealed, and being shackled to a rapidly unraveling lunatic isn't where any member of Congress wants to be heading into midterms.

Stay in Touch!

Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

Support the show

Ep 957: Happy New Year Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

In their final episode of 2025, Driftglass and Blue Gal try to sum up the entire awful year in just a few key words or phrases.

As they close out nearly 16 years of podcasting together, the hosts reflect on the core lies drilled into Americans' heads so long that people automatically reach for them whenever the truth becomes too uncomfortable to face.

Stay in Touch!

Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com
Website: proleftpod.com
Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod
or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod
Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

Support the show

Ep 956: 2025 In Review, Part 3 (of 3) Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Driftglass and Blue Gal bring their epic year-in-review series to a close, covering September through December and finally boxing up 2025 to send it to hell. The hosts examine the final months of a year that saw legacy media trapped in their own 'Both Sides Do It' prison, DOGE's promises evaporate into nothing, and the Epstein files get a (incompetent, but still) cover up. But there's also hope in this finale—a massive Blue Wave in November's elections, governors standing up to federal overreach, and signs that Trump's floor might finally be cracking. As they close out the longest decade of their lives, Driftglass and Blue Gal thank their listeners for sticking with facts, empathy, and each other through a year when all three were under constant assault.

h/t @markeymarx on Bluesky for the cover artwork

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