With less than two weeks left until the midterm, our political environment is almost impossible to ignore.

Wisconsin is a 50/50 state, which means that in certain races up and down the ballot, Republicans and Democrats both have a chance of recapturing seats in our gubernatorial, Congressional, and legislative races. The tactics they’ve used to drum up support have ranged from the hopeful and the traditional to the aggressive and the new.

Chief among these tactics? The political branding of some candidates as “leftists,” “socialists,” “radicals,” and sometimes even “extremists.” You might have heard these words in debates or in television ads, or seen them in flyers or newspapers. But often this rhetoric is delivered to us with little nuance and with a whole lot of propaganda, says Nada Elmikashfi, today’s guest host of the show.

But what do policies like Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, cutting police budgets, and reforming our immigration laws actually mean — and who is fueling them?

In today’s show, Elmikashfi sits down with journalist Raina Lisitz for a conversation about the young, energized progressives organizing for leftist policies and candidates, and the causes they’re fighting for.

Raina Lisitz is author of the new book The Rise of a New Left: How Young Radicals are Shaping the Future of American Politics (Verso Press, September 2022), which zeroes in on how young progressives are influencing American politics and culture.

Ms. Lisitz’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including Al Jazeera America, The Appeal, The Atlantic, The Nation, and The New Republic. Based out of Brooklyn, she serves on the advisory board of New York Focus. In 2016, the National Women’s Political Caucus honored her with an Exceptional Merit in Media Award (EMMA) for outstanding work on issues of importance to women and girls. You can follow her on Twitter @RainaLips, or visit her website at rainalipsitz.com.

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