America's Democrats

What we are learning about how Biden won, and why Trump’s loss wasn’t worse. Plus, the central role of education in the American experiment.  And Bill Press looks ahead to  Georgia's upcoming Senate run-off elections.

Leading Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg reads the exit polls for what they tell us about both parties moving forward. Author Derek Black on why an assault on public education is an assault on democracy itself. And Bill Press with Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson on the battle for control of the Senate.

Pollster Stanley Greenberg has just begun to dig into the numbers on Election 2020 and what they tell us about a changing American electorate. Even with Biden’s win, Greenberg sees an unfinished battle over politics and the issue of race in America.

Derek W. Black is a legal scholar and outspoken advocate of the importance of public education. His newest book explores how a constitutional right to education forever changed the trajectory of our democracy, and what it means when it comes under attack.

Why one Georgia Congressman believes Democrats can turn the Senate to their advantage in Georgia’s upcoming runoffs. Bill Press with Congressman Hank Johnson who represents Georgia’s 4th Congressional District. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com.

When and where was the first Thanksgiving Feast?

Republicans tighten their control of redistricting and what that could mean in 2022. The economic toll of  the coronavirus pandemic on people of color.  Plus what to expect from Trump’s election lawsuits.

David Daley on the Republican’s growing advantage in redrawing the political map.  Janelle Jones on how the coronavirus pandemic is deepening America's racial wealth gap and how to turn that around. And Bill Press with Lanny Davis on Trump’s losing strategy to deny electoral defeat.

GOP wins in state legislatures means they will control a majority of redistricting efforts across the country. Journalist and voting rights advocate David Daley says that without significant reforms,  Republicans will continue to rig the system to their advantage.

As an economist, Janelle Jones has focused her work on labor markets and racial inequalities. She says that systemic racism going into the pandemic is making America’s racial economic divide even worse,  and only decisive policy action will reverse that. 

Why Trump’s claims of voter fraud will fail to keep him in the White House.  Bill Press interviews Lanny Davis, a former White House Special Counsel in the Clinton Administration. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPresspods.com.

The amazing fall of Donald Trump’s wall

Election 2020 and the future of Democratic party politics.  A post-vote deep dive with pollster Vic Fingerhut.

Veteran progressive pollster Vic Fingerhut says if there’s one thing to take away from this election, it’s that Democrats have to change course and take a stronger stand for the working class.

Vic Fingerhut is a pioneer among Democratic polling and media consultants who has consistently argued for a progressive populist message. He says that if Democrats want to move past its narrow victories in 2020,  they have to re-establish themselves as the party for working class Americans.

What progressives won this year

A progressive Congressman’s plan to govern from the inside. Which party is better for the economy?  And Bill Press with the backstory on Trump’s  dangerous mental state.

Congressman Raul Grijalva outlines a plan to carry through a progressive agenda in a Biden presidency. Small business expert Jere Glover proves that Democrats are better for the economy. And Bill Press with Dr. Mary Trump on why she calls her uncle the world’s most dangerous man.

Looking ahead to Democratic wins up and down the ballot, Congressman Raul Grijalva looks forward to a powerful opening for progressives to advocate their agenda from the inside, and not just rally on the outside.

Jere Glover has been collecting data for decades comparing national economic performance under Democratic and Republican administrations.  He says that unlike our current president, the numbers do not lie. Democrats run the economy better.

Why the man called the most powerful person in the free world is also one of our greatest threats. Bill Press interviews Dr. Mary Trump, author of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com.

To find some gems to vote for, go down-ballot

The progressive potential of a Biden presidency. A solidarity agenda for a more just America.  And Bill Press on the home stretch to November 3.

D.D. Guttenplan on how a Biden presidency can be pressured into a more progressive agenda than his campaign platform. Eddie Glaude on what it will take to finally realize a multiracial democracy. And Bill Press with Dan Balz,  chief correspondent at The Washington Post, on where things stand in campaign 2020.

In his newest book, D.D. Guttenplan explores the potential for a progressive resurgence in American politics. He says America is “on the move”  but has not yet coalesced into a movement. And that’s what it will take to push the nation in the direction it needs to go.

Eddie Glaude is a long time scholar of the black experience in America. In his most recent book, he turns to the words of James Baldwin to better understand this moment of racial reckoning and begin again to write a new American story.

Dan Balz, chief correspondent at The Washington Post, tells Bill Press why he can’t write off a Trump victory on November 3. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com.

A wealth of riches, a poverty of morals.

Why we know he has to go. What Trump’s taxes say about his presidency. Plus, how Trump has taken lying to a dangerous new level.  And Bill Press on Trump vs. Biden and the political state of play.

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston on what we learn from knowing more about Trump’s taxes. Author Eric Alterman on why presidents lie, and why Trump is worse. And Bill Press with Jonathan Martin,  National Political Correspondent for The New York Times.

David Cay Johnston has spent years reporting on Donald Trump’s business practices, and on the inequities of the U.S. tax code. He says recent reporting from the New York Times on Trump’s taxes offers greater proof of two tax systems, separate and unequal. 

In his newest book, journalist and author Eric Alterman explores the long trajectory of presidential lying.  And while most Presidents have lied, he says, in the case of Trump there’s no comparison.

Bill Press with Jonathan Martin, National Political Correspondent for The New York Times, on the latest election polls and why 2020 is not 2016 If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com.

The virus that’s killing America

A perfect storm. What we need to know about the threat of far right extremist violence as election day draws near. Plus Bill Press on the latest presidential polls, the state of the race, and what’s still at play.

An extended conversation with Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino. And Bill Press with Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and Sabato’s Crystal Ball.

In the wake of the reported plot to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, attention has turned to what we know about the threat of violent extremism in our current political climate. Before that news broke, we spoke with one of the most trusted voices on hate and extremism in America about the nature of that threat, the role of white supremacy, and why a major election creates a moment of even greater risk.

We’re speaking with Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino.

And we turn the conversation to how to confront hate and extremism.

Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, tells Bill Press what he expects out of this unprecedented campaign season. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit Bill Presspods.com.

Meet a race-baiting ventriloquist

The true meaning of populism in America’s history. A solidarity agenda for America’s future. Plus Bill Press on how Trump turned the presidency into a business.  

Thomas Frank on why populism is the most important, and misunderstood, movement of our time. Roger Hickey on what solidarity means in this moment of crisis. And Bill Press digs into Trump’s taxes with Forbes Senior Editor Dan Alexander.

Thomas Frank’s newest book reminds us that the true history of populism in America is one of an ever-widening promise of a decent life for all. He says reclaiming that history is essential for a more just and equitable future.

Solidarity is a powerful idea that calls on us to act in the common good over individual concerns. Roger Hickey outlines what that means as America envisions a post COVID future.

What Trump’s taxes tell us about Trump the businessman.  Bill Press talks with Dan Alexander, author of “ White House, Inc.: How Donald Trump Turned the Presidency.” If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com.

Trump’s Rule of Lies

No Turning Back. Racial and economic justice for the coronavirus crisis and beyond.  Plus Bill Press on saving the Supreme Court from another Trump appointment.  

Gene Sperling on the economic dignity that all workers deserve.  Manuel Pastor on why we need a solidarity economy now more than ever. And Bill Press with former Senator Byron Dorgan on why Democrats need to play hardball on Justice Ginsburg’s replacement.

Gene Sperling’s newest book offers a powerful vision of America's economic future. He says we must not lose sight of what economic policy is all about, which is allowing people to lead dignified lives.

The disparate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color has been deep and devastating. That’s why Manuel Pastor calls for an economy focused on solidarity to recover from the pandemic and  build a more just and sustainable economic future.

Bill Press with former Senator Byron Dorgan on how to stop the GOP from stealing another Supreme Court judgeship. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com.

What does “Small Government” buy us?

Better for All. Rebuilding the middle class with shared prosperity.  Bringing racial and economic justice into the climate movement.  Plus Bill Press breaks down a shocking Trump exposé.

Jim Tankersley on the untold story of America’s middle class and why it matters now.  Dr. Cecilia Martinez on the Equitable & Just National Climate Platform. And Bill Press with his take on Bob Woodward's latest book Rage.

Jim Tankersley’s newest book reveals the crucial role women and minorities played in building the post-war middle class. He says it’s an untold story that offers an essential roadmap to reviving the Golden Era of America’s middle class by making it possible again for all workers to reach their full potential.

The disastrous impact of climate change has long been defined by class and race. Dr. Cecilia Martinez lays out a necessary vision for a climate agenda  that includes racial and economic justice as core goals.

Bill Press on the most explosive takeaways from Bob Woodward’s latest book, Rage, on the Trump presidency. If you'd like to hear the entire reaction, visit BillPressPods.com.

When the world’s on fire, what should we do?