Populism Archives - KDA Keeping Democracy Alive Podcast & Radio Show

You may have noticed a continuing trend of Democratic candidates sheepishly rushing to some imaginary center, and how well that hasn’t worked! On this show, Richard Eskow, former head writer for the Bernie 2016 campaign explains how it seems candidates would rather lose than change their “business model,” which he defines. As this is written, Bernie is drawing tho

When did politics and trash TV become one in the same? According to author Ross Benes, no question: it was the 1990s. As one reviewer said: “this book helps to explain the election of Donald Trump in ways that most strictly scholarly analyses cannot capture.” Such bizarre spectacles as were on the Jerry Springer Show connected with those millions who feel society has it

Democrats seem to always pay attention to the top, the federal races. But what worked for the right wing in 2010 can work for us: Our guest Eric Schmeltzer writes, in The New Republic, that to take power away from the newly empowered oligarchy, left of center Americans should mimic the Tea Party’s tactics: build up trust by focusing on the local level. Small things first.

Populism is the common language of America. Author and Georgetown University historian Michael Kazin notes people were not inspired by Harris’s “opportunity economy” talk. People feel disconnected and want a sense of membership, a sense of power, which unions used to provide and perhaps can once again. Populism is a long American tradition and it’s usually b

Playing defense defines the playing field. Shall we just accept a world run by international mega-billionaires? On this show, Sam Pizzigati of Inequality.org argues now is the time to get ready to go on offense against what Trump Musk and the others have planned for us. American government is supposed to be of, by, and for the people. Polls show the vast majority are with us on iss

In the wake of the shocking presidential election, we Democrats now have an opportunity and an obligation. Once again, the heartland of America saw the Democratic Party as two-coast elitists. Our guest today, veteran political organizer Bob Creamer says despite the Trumpists scapegoating The Others as the cause of the average family’s pain, we need to aggressively identify th

In a democracy, we expect to have our own say over how we are governed. There’s a great grumbling throughout America because many don’t feel listened to. That’s the impetus behind today’s Trumpist populism. This populism is the voice of economic injustice; what do we do about it? On this show Heather Cox Richardson looks at why history is important and discusses her reasons

As Americans, we want what we want right now. But it doesn’t work that way to make real political change. As with any mechanism, there are certain things that must be learned to make it work and achieve our goals. On this show veteran successful political organizer and and strategist Robert Creamer talks about his essential new book Nuts and Bolts: The Formula for Progressive

It may have the word “liberal” in it but it’s anything but. Until the Biden/Harris years, the corporate wing of the Democratic Party had its deserved image of serving the richest among us. Trump understood raw populist anger to win in 2016. As president of the Institute for America’s Future, today’s guest Bob Borosage notes that the Clinton/Obama years

Since at least 2016, the Democratic policy has been driven by big contributors, yielding rural voters to Trump who at least pretended to hear them. With Minnesota Governor Tim Walz nominated as VP for Harris, middle America people who had been looked down on have a new reason to come back to the Democratic fold. On this show, rural Michigan based Roger Kerson, who writes for Barnra