#1755 Affordability: Actual Economic Populism is the Kryptonite to Fake Populism

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Jay Tomlinson

Marx, Political, Feminism, Jacobin, Left, Hightower, Politics, Counterspin, News, News Commentary, Maddow, Hartmann, Democracynow, Antiracism, Marxism, Socialism, Capitalism, Ezra, Liberal, Intercepted, Hayes, Progressive, Intercept, Intersectionality, Wolff

4.6 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2025

⏱️ 174 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Air Date 12/2/2025

If you need more evidence for just how far from rationality our politics have slid in recent decades, Zorhan Mamdani is seen by many as a radical for mostly just saying that people should be able to afford to buy the things they need to live.

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Full Show Notes

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: Affordability & Trump: Here's How Democrats Won Big Across The Country In 2025 Elections - Forbes Breaking News - Air Date 11-6-25

KP 2: How Trump's 2024 Coalition Is Already Falling Apart - TLDR News Global - Air Date 11-12-25

KP 3: Democrats Snatch Defeat From the Jaws of Victory (again) - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 11-11-25

KP 4: Trump's Affordability Tailspin: 50-Year Mortgages, Tariff Checks & Maybe Socialism - The Daily Show and Josh Johnson - Air Date 11-11-25

KP 5: Kurt Andersen & Josh Turek - Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast - Air Date 9-9-25

KP 6: Can Zohran's NYC Win Spark a New Era for Democratic Socialism? - UNFTR Media - Air Date 11-6-25

(00:49:49) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the path forward for the Left: Targeted Universalism

DEEPER DIVES

(01:07:50) SECTION A: AFFORDABILITY

(01:43:42) SECTION C: DEMS CAVE

(02:24:44) SECTION D: SYSTEMIC RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: A vibrantly colorful artistic rendering of Zohran Mamdani at a podium speaking into a microphone with his hand up. The edges appear to vibrate outwards.

Credit: "Zohran Mamdani" by Taymaz Valley, Flickr | CC BY 4.0 | Changes: Expanded background with layers and smudging

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left podcast. If you need more evidence for just how far away from rationality our politics have slid in recent decades, Zoram-Mondani is seen by many as a radical for mostly just saying that people should be able to afford to buy the things they need
0:22.4	to live.
0:23.7	For those looking for a quick overview, the sources providing our top takes in about
0:27.6	50 minutes today includes Forbes Breaking News, TLDR News Global, the Rachel Maddo Show,
0:34.1	The Daily Show, Fast Politics, and Un-Effing the Republic. Then, in the additional deeper
0:39.4	dives half of the show, there will be more in four sections. Section A, affordability,
0:44.3	followed by Section B, Populism, Section C, the Democrats Cave, and Section D, Systemic Resistance
0:51.6	to Change. But first, a reminder to check out our new show
0:55.1	solved on the Best of Left YouTube channel.
0:57.6	We're really proud of the show we're making
0:58.9	and you're going to get real value out of it.
1:00.8	Plus, you checking it out actually helps us
1:02.5	find new viewers on YouTube.
1:04.3	So thanks in advance for all of your reviews,
1:06.4	likes, subscribes, and comments.
1:08.3	That's all on the Best of Left YouTube channel
1:10.5	linked in the show notes.
1:12.1	And now, on to the show.
1:17.7	Durham, I'm Donnie One.
1:21.1	He's a Democratic socialist self-described in New York City.
1:24.4	I can't imagine that message really flying perhaps in more purple states,
1:29.3	more rural areas across this country. And what I've been hearing from Democrats, they say,
	...

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