#1200 The Democratic autopsy and the progressive path forward
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 7 August 2018
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 8/07/2018
Today we take a look at a few of the reasons the Democrats went from controlling both houses of Congress and the presidency 10 years ago to being completely out of power today and then lay out a series of steps the left can take to return to power
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SHOW NOTES
Just eight years ago Democrats held not only the presidency but both houses of Congress. How did they lose so much in such a short time? Thomas Frank explains the disaster, and how, for millions of people, the recession of 2008 has never ended.
Ch. 2: The Democratic Autopsy Report (w:Jeff Cohen) - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 06-25-18
Progressive organizations got to together to analyze how the Trump was able to beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 to make sure it never happens again!
Ed Ayers speaks to Smithsonian political curator Jon Grinspan about how young people went from fierce partisans to independent voters by the end of the 19th century.
Ch. 4: Youth declaring their independence - Backstory - Air Date: 04-13-18
Sean McElwee, co-founder of Abolish ICE and one of many players involved in the recent flurry of progressive activity explains the strategy to move the Overton Window to the left.
Ch. 5: How Fringe Ideas Become Policy - On the Media - Air Date 6-21-18
Even though the New Deal Style policies of Bernie Sanders are derailed by the corporate media, Republicans and the Morbidly Rich, these so-called "radical far left policies" are actually favored by the majority of Americans.
Ch. 6: The Radical Left Wing Policies Most Americans Want Right Now - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 03-08-18
Writer Eliane Glaser calls for the left to return to politics and reclaim the power of ideology, authority and the state - as a way to unify a working class splintered into identity groups in the absence of mainstream organizing.
Ch. 7: Eliane Glaser on why the left must return to politics and power - This is Hell - Air Date 5-8-18
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Progressivism = Scientific Method + Common Decency - Tom from Toronto
Ch. 9: Understanding neuro-political elasticity - Dee Dee from Philly
Ch. 10: Progressivism takes the need for working together into account - Nick from California
Ch. 11: Fighting capitalism while falling prey to it - Angela from Sacramento, CA
Ch. 12: Final comments on progressivism, borders, collectivism and capitalism
THE MIDTERMS MINUTE:
Check on candidates endorsed by Justice Democrats | Brand New Congress | DSA | Latino Victory | Our Revolution
Phone bank with Justice Democrats “Justice Dialer” & Brand New Congress GOTV Dialer
Check your state registration deadlines and voter ID laws with rockthevote.org
For an easy way to donate to candidates, check out DownTicket.comon your mobile browser.
“15 Ways to Help a Campaign Win Their Election” (Political Charge)
August 21st Primaries:
ALASKA(Reg. Deadlines: Primary: July 22nd / General: Oct. 7th)
Early voting happening now! Find locations
Governor - Mark Begich and Dana Call
U.S. House At Large - Dimitri Shein(Dem) vs. Alyse Galvin(Ind)
WYOMING(Reg. Deadlines: Primary: Aug. 6th or day-of in-person / General: Oct. 22nd)
Governor: Mary Throne vs. Ken Casper vs. Rex Wilde
U.S. House At Large - Greg Hunter vs. Travis Helm
Heads up for Nov. 6th! U.S. Senate - Gary Trauner (uncontested in primary)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC:
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Rapids - Grey River (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Derailed - The Depot (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Tar and Spackle - Plaster (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Glass Runner - Marble Run (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Thannoid - Bodytonic (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | If you're going to keep getting your money from the donor class, the so-called clean industries, |
| 0:04.2 | you can't take the positions that would allow you to compete with Trump. |
| 0:12.3 | This program is made possible by the members and donors to the show. |
| 0:15.2 | To support the work we do for as little as a buck a month or to sign up as a member and |
| 0:19.0 | get commercial free versions of every episode, plus members only bonus content, sign up at |
| 0:24.0 | patreon.com slash best of left or visit the Contribute tab at bestofalift.com. |
| 0:29.9 | Now, welcome to this episode of the award-winning best of the left podcast in which we shall look |
| 0:34.5 | at the past, present, and future of the Democratic Party and the left in general. |
| 0:39.9 | Clips today come from Startmaking Sense, the Tom Hartman program, backstory on the media, |
| 0:45.9 | and this is hell. |
| 0:59.4 | There was a time when Democrats controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. |
| 1:06.6 | That was 2009 and 2010, eight years ago. |
| 1:11.6 | How did we get from there to here so quickly your book, your book, rendezvous with Oblivion |
| 1:18.9 | deals precisely with that question. |
| 1:23.5 | Why did millions of ordinary American support Donald Trump? |
| 1:27.7 | One answer is they were driven to madness by the presence of a black man in the White House. |
| 1:34.7 | You don't agree that this is the most important explanation. |
| 1:38.7 | Why not? |
| 1:39.7 | Yeah, that's right because there certainly are plenty of people who hated Barack Obama. |
| 1:45.8 | I remember with a feeling of shock the first time I encountered one of them. |
| 1:51.4 | Most people definitely exist and they were definitely loud during the 2016 election. |
| 1:58.8 | Since then you've had a great awakening of racism in this country. |
... |
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