Listen to The Professional Left Podcast Episodes

Driftglass and Blue Gal reflect on what they call an "annus horribilis"—a genuinely awful year that fundamentally changed America as Trump's second term brought unprecedented corruption, chaos, and the erosion of democratic institutions. From Qatar's $400…

Trump's "affordability" tour crashes into reality, with the president telling struggling Americans to buy fewer pencils and dolls while his own supporters admit they can't afford groceries. David Brooks' embarrassing 2009 love letter to John Thune as the GOP's…

We examine the difference between political "weather" and "climate" this week, starting with Trump once again bribing farmers with $11 billion after his own tariffs destroyed their markets. We play audio demonstrating Trump's cognitive decline and discuss his…

The dangerous convergence of Trumpian immunity and media complicity creates for Trump an imaginary “kingdom” once reserved for anointed kings.  Our Constitutional form of “government of the people” has been corrupted by both MAGA's belief that Trump…

No show today; we've had quite a weekend.  We'll be back to our regularly scheduled podcasting on Thursday.  See you then! Support the show

In this week's episode, we experience the whipsaw—that aggressive, back-and-forth sawing motion that's now a perfect metaphor for what Republicans are doing to millions of American families over the Affordable Care Act.We watch in real time as Trump's…

In this week's episode, we dive deep into the infrastructure project nobody wants to talk about: the construction of political lifeboats.What are we witnessing as Trump's administration unfolds? We're seeing the familiar pattern of those who enabled…

GOP rats are slowly but surely abandoning the sinking Trump ship, and we have to ask:Will "Republican Lifeboats" once again successfully allow the MAGA/Tea Party faithful to escape accountability?We analyze Marjorie Taylor Greene's masterful deployment of the…

This week, we're talking about the Epstein Files, the shutdown that wasn't really about the shutdown, and why six words might just end a presidency.Meanwhile, some privileged podcasters are dismissing angry "online" Democrats as if losing our healthcare is…

This week, we're celebrating our first post-Blue Tsunami show! Democrats won across the board on Tuesday, and we're sleeping a little better. To quote Churchill: "This is not the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."Happy 21st blogiversary to the…

This week, we're recording on election day while awaiting results to find out which version of "Democrats are doing it wrong!" the pundits will run with tomorrow.We open with words of wisdom from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to the American Federation of…

This week, we're recording on Driftglass's birthday while he's still battling a cold and sounding disturbingly like RFK Jr. meets Broderick Crawford—so we're keeping it simple and direct.Why should Democrats stop accommodating Republican sociopaths who…

Does Driftglass with laryngitis sound like Brenda Vaccaro?  The podcasters disagree, YOU be the judge! (See you on Thursday, which is also Driftglass's 65th birthday!  Woot!) Stay in Touch! Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.comWebsite: proleftpod.comSupport via…

This week, we're examining the legacy media's desperate attempt to plug a 20-foot hole in their Both Sides narrative—and why their favorite solution won't work.The New York Times Editorial Board insists that "moving to the center is the way to win," but the…

Find your No Kings Protest March/Rally at https://www.nokings.org/ This week, we're asking the only question that matters: Will what we do actually help?What does it mean to be "effective" in the fight to save democracy? Did throwing pies at Bill Kristol,…

This week, we're watching the media scramble for survival as tectonic forces fracture the landscape—and the billionaires are building lifeboats while Mount Vesuvius smokes overhead.Why is The Bulwark declaring itself "the future" while The Washington Post…

In this week's episode, we tackle the concept of "ethos"—what people actually stand for versus what they claim to believe. Drawing parallels from the Cornerstone Speech of 1861 to George Wallace's segregationist campaign, we explore how America's ugliest…

Welcome to Book Club Day at the Professional Left, where we're spoiling a 141-year-old novel that remains the undisputed champ of American literature—and revealing why it's more relevant than ever.What does Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn teach us about the…

This week, we're unpacking a tale of two shutdowns—and spoiler alert: they're both Trump's.First, the government shutdown:  Why are Republicans celebrating a government shutdown while simultaneously blaming Democrats for it? How can they claim it's the…

This week, we're delving deep into a question that's been making the rounds on those very large political never-Trump websites: Why don't Democrats have their own Charlie Kirk network?What's the real secret behind the conservative propaganda machine's success?…

What does it mean when the government exists primarily to entertain the MAGA base rather than serve the people?  We examine how Conservative media have adopted a "Tell, Don't Show" approach to cover Trump's increasingly erratic performances, particularly his…

We missed the rapture! This week we're diving deep into the political machine playbook - because understanding the past is the only way to make sense of the insanity we're witnessing today.Why are Republicans frantically trying to turn a dead podcaster into…

A wide-ranging conversation with the incomparable Charlie Pierce of Esquire Magazine.  What should the Democratic base be doing now?  What should Democrats in Congress be doing now?  And what for which NFL team should Blue Gal and her daughter go all in? …

We look at how the crazy stuff happening in national politics is playing out right here in our hometown of Springfield, Illinois, by checking out what local radio, TV, and newspapers are saying about recent events. Why do big-name media people like Chuck Todd…

How did the late Charlie Kirk build his multi-million dollar empire, and what role did billionaire oligarchs play in funding his operation?  And why was it so worth it to them to dump millions on this right-wing demagogue? What critical facts does Ezra Klein…

Alt Title:  What 'Road House' Can Teach DemocratsWhat is the hidden wisdom in Patrick Swayze's movie Road House (MST3K IYKYK) that Democrats desperately need to understand? Answers to this and more, in this week's episode! Stay in Touch! Email:…

Why do we keep lurching violently between Democrats and fascists if every election is supposedly a "change election"? What happens when the media's obsession with "disruption" as a political cure-all actually gets what it wished for?We examine the fundamental…

Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, Tulsi Gabbard, and Jeanine Pirro are in positions of power to finally bring justice to history's greatest villains?  So why are there still no indictments of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?  We know why!  We trace the straight…

Trump's approval ratings have crashed to 37% - that magical Sarah Palin floor where only the most delusional true believers remain loyal. What do chemical bonds and political loyalties have in common, and why are some Trump voters starting to break away while…

What happens when Democratic governors fight like they mean it? We dive into J.B. Pritzker's masterclass in political combat. He talks like a #%&$&! FDR Democrat! And here's the crucial question nobody wants to ask: if the majority of Americans already…