The Professional Left Podcast with Driftglass and Blue Gal

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, Rupert Murdoch, or Newt Gingrich ever change anything? And why should we always ask ourselves the Bridge of Spies question: "Would it help?" We'll explore how the Irish Grapefruit Ladies fought apartheid and won, and why the Civil Rights movement succeeded—not just because of peaceful discipline, but because national media attention forced the federal government to act. What happens when the entire dynamic reverses and the racist thug is in the White House instead of standing in the schoolhouse door? This a voter problem—a "Vox Populi" problem—not just a Trump problem. The word of the day is "effective." Let's figure out what that means. Photo from Charlottesville protest by Ted Eytan via https://inkstickmedia.com/ (Creative Commons). Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 and CBS News die? And what does it mean that CBS just hired Bari Weiss to, let's face it, manage the death of broadcast TV news? We'll reveal the secret to understanding what's happening to media right now: how Rupert Murdoch bought respectability, why MSNBC invested everything in elevating Never Trump conservatives instead of the Left that was right all along, and what happens when your most valuable credential is an impressive job title from an important-sounding institution. Is Weiss's new job the worst "falling on the grenade" position ever, or is she protected by the Prince of Darkness (kinda like Bill Kristol!) destined to fail upward forever? Why can't anyone save CBS News? And what happens when your real job is to manage decline while pretending you can "win back younger audiences!" who've already checked out? The earthquakes are getting stronger. The mountain is smoking. And the legacy media is frantically building lifeboats—but only for people who agree never to mention The Before Trump Time. Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 movements had clear, comprehensible (if abhorrent) belief systems. But what about today's MAGA movement? Beyond rage and resentment, what do they actually stand for? (Short answer: nothing!) In other news, we can't resist highlighting the week's most absurd moment: Kristi Noem's baffling claim that ICE arrested "the girlfriend of one of the founders of antifa" in Portland. As the hosts point out, we're apparently all Antifa's girlfriend now - a status that puts us in good company with many other "antifa girlfriends," including Blue Gal herself! Plus: Chicago's creative resistance tactics against ICE, and a game of "Pundit versus Pundit" you won't want to miss. Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 struggle for America's soul in the age of Trump? Huck faces an agonizing choice: turn in his friend Jim and save his soul, or commit what he believes is a mortal sin and "go to hell." What happens when a sound heart collides with a deformed conscience? Why are the Duke and the King—usually portrayed as "lovable scamps" in film adaptations—actually dangerous grifters who sell Jim back into slavery for "forty dirty dollars"? How does Huck transform from a passive, undecided observer into an activist with a plan? And what can we learn from his refusal to accept the "Both Sides" lie of his era? We're fighting the same battle Twain declared war on: a culture that wraps monstrous lies in scripture and protects them with passive, silent complicity. All right, then—we'll go to hell. More at proleftpod.com. Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 "Schumer Shutdown" when they control all three branches of government? And why can't they keep their messaging straight—celebrating the shutdown on Newsmax while condemning it in Congress? We'll reveal what 71% (you read that right, seventy-one percent!) of Americans actually think about ACA subsidies (hint: they want them extended). And just over half want the Democrats to shut down the government to get those subsidies for them. And then, the shutdown of norms and decency: From Newt Gingrich's revisionist history in the New York Times to Bari Weiss taking over CBS News, from "Kavanaugh stops" to flashbang grenades in residential hallways—we're connecting the dots on the authoritarian playbook in action. The jackboots aren't coming. They're already here. All that and more in this edition of The Professional Left Podcast. More at proleftpod.com. Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpod Support the show

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? Spoiler alert: it's not "moxie," fearlessness, or bootstraps. Surprise! It's billions in oligarch money—what many observers have coined 'the Patient Capital of Fascism,'—that built Kirk's empire and transformed American politics. How did a "rinky-dink Twitter hashtag" become a multimillion-dollar media operation? Why can Republicans lie with impunity while facing zero accountability? And what happens when unlimited money meets unlimited power in the hands of fascists, grifters, and lunatics? We'll explore the real-world consequences hitting farmers, construction workers, and disaster-torn communities. Why is FEMA paralyzed? How is Trump extorting Big Tech for millions? And what's behind the tasteless silver medallion grift that started before Kirk's body was even cold? Join us as we connect the money, the propaganda, and the immunity Republicans have purchased over decades of patient investment. More at proleftpod.com. Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 rambling United Nations speech that foreign diplomats called "stark, raving mad." Everything is a show in Trump World, and the Trump administration has weaponized their activities and policies for Fox News content rather than actual (successful) governing. For instance, prosecutors are being pressured to bring cases they know will fail, but which satisfy MAGA and Trump's show trial bloodlust. Trump as primarily a Fox News producer leads directly to the corruption of democratic institutions. More at proleftpod.com. Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 the next Confederate monument? And what does it mean when your political strategy depends on keeping your base at a "full boil" 24/7? Plus, we examine how history is rewritten in real time, why the "people of influence" keep enabling strongmen, and what happens when a political movement runs out of deliverable promises. Why does Trump's administration feel so familiar yet so different from classic American political corruption? What can the iron grip of Chicago's Mayor Daley teach us about how power really works? And how did we get from neighborhood patronage politics to fascist spectacles complete with rolling crosses and martyr-making? Because if we don't remember this stuff, who will? Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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? (Driftglass has an opinion, and it starts with Da and ends with Bears.) More at proleftpod.com. Charlie Pierce image is a screenshot from, YES, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Forever, Jimmy! Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 come to small-town radio shows to push their "both sides are equally bad" message, and how does this lazy reporting help cover up dangerous political talk? What happens when local MAGA politicians turn tragedy into a political show, and why do news outlets keep giving them airtime? We break down how the same media problems that are messing up national news are happening in Middle America too, and why paying attention to local politics helps us understand the bigger mess in American government. Audio clip in this episode is from Burke’s Law (ABC-TV, 1960's) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWffko5T_xo Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 conveniently leave out when praising Kirk's "moxie and fearlessness"? There's a huge difference between democratic discourse/debate and Kirk's actual legacy. And today, at least, too many pundits appear to have Stockholm Syndrome, terrified to tell the truth about white nationalism, right-wing lies, and how projects based on the same get lavishly funded. The difference between persuasion and demagoguing, and why mainstream pundits can't tell them apart… Also, being a racist ahole because hey, the money is great, on today’s Professional Left Podcast… Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

Alt Title: What 'Road House' Can Teach Democrats What 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! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 split in American politics: Do we want change that means progress toward a better tomorrow, or change that means a belligerent return to an imaginary past? What does it look like when white Christian conservatives view America as territory that's been stolen from them? And what happens when right-wing pundits discover their revanchist fantasies have real-world consequences? We trace one conservative's journey from "Never Trumper" to MAGA supporter to desperately trying to navigate the chaos he helped create. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 line from Bush's load-bearing lies about Iraq and Katrina to Trump's promises of revenge against Democrats, and examine what happens when the MAGA mob's expectations clash with the reality that their conspiracy theories can't survive 30 seconds in a real courtroom. From grand juries refusing to indict the "Sandwich Guy" to a federal judge calling "backpacking while Black" searches "the most illegal I've ever seen," we explore how TrumpWorld is discovering that putting people in charge based on loyalty to Fox News lies, rather than competence, has predictable consequences. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 his hardcore base would happily be entombed with him in the afterlife? Looking back 20 years to Bush's catastrophic second term, we trace the eerily similar trajectory from election victory to underwater approval ratings. Is history preparing to rhyme again in ways that could reshape the midterm landscape? Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 support what would be considered a progressive agenda, why do Democrats keep getting lectured to move right? Why do the punches of Pritzker, Newsom, and Walz hit so hard when it's really just saying what Liberal bloggers have been saying all along? Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 Sides Do It" become the perfect shield for scoundrels and the eternal lament of suckers? Why are seasoned journalists finally catching up to where Liberal bloggers have been all along, but only after they've left positions where their epiphanies might have mattered? What happens when the very people who voted sixty-plus times to take away your healthcare become invisible, protected by a media ecosystem that refuses to connect cause and effect? Both sides don't, folks. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 whore"? Never mind! Did you know Trump is all over the Epstein files? Are we witnessing fascist purity tests tearing apart Trump's inner circle? Cool! Why are dudebro influencers like Joe Rogan suddenly looking for exits from their propaganda machine? We hazard a guess! Why are Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes hosting dramatic soap opera sessions about who said what to whom? Hint: what are they NOT talking about? Yes, all this chaos leads straight to Trump's desperate efforts to keep the Epstein files buried. And when the lifeboats start launching from the sinking Trump ship, We. Know. Our. Job. Link for this episode: Driftglass and Blue Gal on The Bob Cesca Show, 8/13/2025. https://www.bobcesca.com/the-bob-cesca-interview-driftglass-and-blue-gal-day-8-13-25/ Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 over the Epstein Files. It's a cover up. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

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 explore the curious moral programming of AI, question whether algorithmic neutrality is itself a form of partisanship. Oh, and Donald Trump is in the Epstein Files. Stay in Touch! proleftpodcast@gmail.comproleftpod.compatreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show