Hello everyone and welcome to the Focus Group podcast.

I'm Sarah Longwell, publisher of the bulwark.

And this week, we're focusing on how the left flank of the Democratic Party is handling the current political moment.

You know me.

I'm one of those moderate former Republicans

with sometimes they call us rhinos, and we are generally unwelcome in today's Republican Party.

That feeling is mutual. As a result, I'm not generally aligned with sort of the AOCs and the

Bernies of the world, but they are doing something that is important and far

too rare with the current Trump opposition, which is that they're doing something, anything,

for the love of Pete. So I'm interested in what progressive Democrats, both elected officials and

voters, are up to right now what they're thinking, how

they're feeling, and what we can learn from them and their passion to get out there and do something.

My guest today has long been ensconced in the progressive wing of the party.

Faz Shakir, former campaign manager for Bernie Sanders, 2020 presidential campaign and founder

of the media company, More Perfect Union. Fas, thanks for being here.

Sarah, thanks for having me. Nice to see you.

I am excited for this conversation because my favorite thing in the world is when we don't

agree on stuff and we can talk through and use the voters to really like dig through things.

And it's sort of a weird turn of my life that you and I

are now talking and I would say through this conversation trying to understand how the Democratic

party can be more effective at defeating electorally what has become a very dangerous version of

the Republican Party. And the other thing I'm interested in, because both you and I do

...