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…

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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! 

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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? 

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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.

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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/ 

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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. 

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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! 

• Email: [email protected]
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• Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

Support the show