This week I sit down with Ross Barkan, a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and expert on the American left who has his own great newsletter, Political Currents. We begin with a review of the legacy media’s performance during the 2024 election—and why you might have been better prepared for the results if you read the right people here on Substack. After extolling the virtues of independent media, Ross, a Brooklyn native, breaks down why Democrats performed so poorly in New York City and how the party can chart a path forward.

Which Democrats might take up Obama’s mantle of party spokesperson? Is the answer to Democrat’s working-class woes economic populism mixed with social moderation? Can Democrats finally ditch the "alphabet" left? Tune in for a rollicking conversation on all that and more.