Listen to The Professional Left Podcast Episodes

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…

An entire industry profits from pumping out addictive political poison designed to make people angrier, more paranoid, and more stupid. But here's the twist: the carriers of democracy's most lethal disease aren't the red-faced bigots you'd expect.How did "Both…

How does a nineteenth-century Republican president, and a modern Republican vice president, handle low water levels? The answer may cost you taxpayer money!What drives Laura Loomer to call Marjorie Taylor Greene a "narcissistic witch" and "home-wrecking…

When the con man owns the sheriff, the judge, and the executioner, math becomes the enemy.  And Donald Trump and Gavin Newsom are making the same mistake regarding their respective political base voters.  More at proleftpod.com. Oh, and Donald Trump is all…

This week we cope with the ongoing political chaos by escaping to the movies - specifically The Fantastic Four: First Steps - and then diving deep into why ChatGPT won't help us redraw Illinois congressional districts to eliminate Republican seats entirely. We…

This week, we dive deep into the concept of justice and ask the hard question: where are the consequences? We break down the different flavors of justice—from retributive to restorative, distributive to procedural—and examine why none of them seem to be…

We're asking the question everyone stopped asking: whatever happened to QAnon?And what does it mean when their cult leader starts calling his followers "stupid" and "foolish."What happens when people who believe JFK Jr and Sr are still alive find out their…

This week we dive into why platforming fascists is always a terrible idea, using Mehdi Hasan's recent Jubilee debate as our cautionary tale. We examine how these staged confrontations accomplish nothing except providing content for right-wing sites and turning…

We're diving deep into some unexpected connections this week. What do a 425-year-old Shakespeare tragedy and James Gunn's new Superman movie have in common? More than you might think—especially regarding fathers, sons, and the weight of living up to…

We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore. After 15 years of ringing alarm bells about the Republican party's dangers to our democracy, we find ourselves in the midst of what we're calling "Stupid Watergate Summer" – and it's cooking now.This…

This week we're celebrating Blue Gal's birthday while diving deep into Trump's latest meltdown over the Epstein files. We break down how the former reality TV star is now turning his trademark attack style on his own MAGA base as they demand answers about his…

Join us this week as we explore the slow-motion collapse of expertise and institutions in America through the lens of Isaac Asimov's classic science fiction story "Nightfall."We examine how the MAGA mob's assault on knowledge mirrors the fictional planet…

We dive into the Republican party's latest identity crisis as their own media machine turns on itself. We explore how decades of conspiracy theories and manufactured outrage have created a base that demands their leaders deliver on impossible promises—and…

We're visiting America in the ICU on her 249th birthday, hoping the old girl still has some fight left in her.A sad day as Trump's disastrous bill passes the House.  We are still fighting.  This week, we explore the dark matter of American politics - that…

Hat tip to John Fetter-Manchin (copyright Driftglass), we're grudgingly back from our beach vacation (okay, we never actually left the Cornfield Resistance) to bring you the political chaos that just won't quit.This week, we dive into the summer breakup season…