Talking Strategy, Making History

#61: Talking with David Dayen about the New Majority Makers"
David Dayen, executive editor of AMERICAN PROSPECT magazine, is one of the best political reporters. He recently published a detailed report on the campaigns of several progressives, who won primaries ageist Democratic establishment backed candidates, in previously GOP leaning districts--and they're running as progressives with good chances of winning.  If you're looking for campaigns to support--and for some promise for the future--this episode has some clues. 
Muaic: "Dark Money" by David Rovics (aka AI Tsuno)"

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#60 Talking With Nelson Lichtenstein about the state of unions
In time for Labor Day, we converse with Nelson Lichtenstein, the dean of American labor historians. He wrote, years ago, a classic biography of Walter Reuther, who, as president of the United Auto Workers, was a leading figure in post world war II efforts to advance the goals of the New Deal. The UAW remains one of the most important labor unions, having recruited tens of thousands of academic workers to join the factory worker base. Current UAW president, Shawn Fain, who has been speaking a militant language of class struggle,  is fighting for re-election and Nelson helps us understand the stakes and the dynamics of that conflict.  And we talk as well about union democracy, and about what else is to be done.
Music: Joe Jenks sings: 'You are the U in Union" by Si Kahn.

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#59 Daraka & Dick Discuss DSA"s Electoral Effort
Both of us have long history in the earlier days of DSA--and are both excited and have worries about the remarkable electoral project  DSAers are spearheading. We explore some of the dilemmas, one of which is the 'resolutionary socialism' that's a feature of DSA's organizational life. At the heart of the matter is the inherent contradiction between winning electoral majorities  and advancing new, challenging and controversial reform. 
Music: 'Turn the World Around" by Harry Belafonte

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"We talk about how and why candidates who identify as democratic socialists are winning in elections across the country. What are the potentials--and the dilemmas and pitfalls--for the emerging Left electoral project. And what does "socialism " mean anyway?  We hope to resolve all  such questions--or at least pose them-- by the end of the summer., and we hope you'll share the journey..
Music: "What Kind of a Country?" Barbara Dane"

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The current primary campaign for California governor appears messy--too many candidates on the Democratic side, who are at once qualified and flawed, and primary rules that could result in two unpopular Republicans as the November choice. Daraya has years of experience as a county and state Democrat reform leader, whose PhD research mapped the history of leftwing efforts to influence the party; Dick participant in the new left that began in the 60s, and worked since to foster left coalition --talk about why the current 'mess' reveals the urgent need and potential for such coalition going forward in California and in the country. And if you listen, you may get some useful ways to solve the puzzle about how-to vote in the upcoming primary.  Your comments at patreon.com/tsmh please. Share this episode with folks who might be glad to get it. Look for Daraka Larimore-Hall and Richard Flacks on Facebook.
music: "Someone Died for Me" The Children of Selma

#56 Talking with Miriam Pawel about the Cautionary Tale of Cesar Chavez
Miriam Pawel is one of California's leading journalist/historians. She wrote two great books about Cesar Chavez and the struggles of California"s farmworkers: THE UNION OF THEIR DREAMS (2010) and THE CRUSADES OF CESAR CHAVEZ (2014), based on extensive oral histories and immersion in the vast written and taped archives Cesar Chavez helped create. The works give deep appreciation of both the inspiring and the dark sides of the movement and his leadership. She's thought much about the  recent shocking revelations; our conversation moves from the scandal to the wider contradictions of charismatic leadership in movements and how such toxicity can be avoided. We also preview Miriam Pawel's from hottom book, CALIFORNIA DREAMS, about the University of California's history and the quest for equality in the state. And don't miss her recent THE BROWNS OF CALIFORNIA (2019) (Jerry and his father and their ancestors) , and her regularly appearing columns in the New York Times, where she's a contributing opinion editor.
music: Huelga en General by Los Lobos

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#55: Daraka & Dick Talk About the State of California Democrats
Daraka has been a long time leader for progressive movement in the California Democratic Party. He was chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party for many years, and elected vice chair of the state party a few years ago. In this episode we examine the messy governor' primary, and the absence of statewide progressive and labor leadership. The proposed billionaire wealth tax iitiative and Gavin Newsom's character are scrutinized--and we identify hopeful paths for the political future. 
Read Daraka's incisive piece on left political strategy in the current issue of the Nation: https://www.thenation.com/authors/daraka-larimore-hall/
Music: Bette Midler, 'All you fascists bound to lose!"

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Ali Ekbati was a leader of Sweden's Left Party  in 2014 when he was elected to parliament where he served for a decade. In recent years he's been a popular blogger and economic analyst, now living in Oslo, Norway from where he spoke with us. His family emigrated to Scandinavia from Iran when he was a child. The conversation helps illuminate the current stagnation of the once exemplary Scandinavian social democratic model--and some openings for a new left politics based on multicultural solidarity. We close with Norwegian  musical evidence for hope.

#53 Talking with University of Minnesota Professor Joshua Page on the streets of Minneapolis. Josh Page is  the Fink Professor of Sociology and Law at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of The Toughest Beat: Politics, Punishment, and the Prison Officers Union in California and co-author  of Breaking the Pendulum: The Long Struggle over Criminal Justice ; just published is Legal  Plunder:The Predatoryi Dimensions of Criminal Justice (co-authored with Joe Soss). He shared eye-witness commentary and historical context for the astonishing MInneapolis resistance movement, and the insights of an expert on policing about ICE.
Music: "Streets of Minneapolis" Bruce Springsteen.

"To subcribe to our podcast go to Patreon.com/tsmh. For a transcript of this and all previous episodes, go to tsmh.castos.com

#52 Talking with Democratic Party reformer Sam Rosenthal about how the Democrats lost in 2024 and what is to be done.

Sam Rosenthal is political director of Roots Action, whose autopsy of the 2024 election offers a springboard for creating a strategy to change the party. Sam has, as well, been a national leader in DSA's eletoral activity. We're all preoccupied with the Venezuela situation (which happened the day after Daraka and Dick talked with Sam) but that increases the urgency for devising effective political strategy--and this episode is of use for that end. The Roots Action report is at Autopsy-The-Democratic-Party-In-Crisis.pdf
Sam's band "Personal Spaces" has several records out and can be heard on Apple Music, etc. We concluded the episode with one of the tracks.

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