The Professional Left Podcast with Driftglass and Blue Gal

Rake-stepping with the worst witness in the legal "defense" of Donald Trump...The not-at-all-shocking reports that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito raised multiple (red?  of course!) flags (ahem) supporting the events of January 6th's  Capitol attack......and Nikki Haley's not-at-all surprising endorsement of Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination because of course she did. Keep the faith and deep breath!  More at proleftpod.com.Our podcast YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeftSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

We were going to do this podcast six months from now buuuuut....More at proleftpod.com. Support the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodOur YouTube ChannelOpening and Closing Music:Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix | http://audionautix.com/|Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/jumpin-boogie-woogieMusic promoted by Audio Library | https://youtu.be/S2wYQlC0UsSupport the show

There are ventriloquist dummies, and then there are dummies like Senator Tommy Tuberville. What did Blue Gal think was the most revealing moment of the Michael Cohen testimony?   Driftglass says he is willing to try to be "more polarizing" than David French.  All this and a news round-up with our home state winning a special designation!  More at proleftpod.com.  Our podcast YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeftSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

We kick things off with a whimsical tangent about "sacred chickens" - those unquestioned assumptions and mythologies that societies cling to, even in the face of contradictory evidence. This leads to a deeper discussion about the concept of "phenomenology" and how subjective experience of reality can be manipulated (see Fox News).From there, we dive deep into one of America's most pernicious "sacred chickens" - the racist "birther" conspiracy theory that falsely claimed former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. And we examine how it gained traction, in large part due to the relentless promotion by Donald Trump and, more importantly, by the relentless desire of CNN and other mainstream outlets to let Trump on their airwaves to promote his racist (and lie-filled) "investigations." While Trump's championing of this fantasy was an early glimpse into his comfort level with trafficking in racism and misinformation for perceived political gain, it was also a glimpse into just how willfully blind the media is to right-wing manipulation, especially if it means they can "both-sides" a presidency for both balance AND ratings. The Republican party establishment's refusal to reject birtherism set the stage for the party's further embrace of conspiracy theories and "alternative facts" in subsequent years under Trump. The episode is a timely examination of how racism, xenophobia, and phenomenological distortions can be weaponized for political purposes with damaging consequences.More at proleftpod.com.Support the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodOur YouTube ChannelOpening and Closing Music:Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix | http://audionautix.com/|Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/jumpin-boogie-woogieMusic promoted by Audio Library | https://youtu.be/S2wYQlC0UsSupport the show

A black and white movie from decades ago taught us something that just isn't true about the "power of persuasion."  This and the week's news -- more at proleftpod.com. Our podcast YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeftSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

No, really, Trump was the so-called president for the entire year 2020, and he never took any responsibility for managing the US Government's response to the pandemic.  And normal people blot out the memories of this because of a little thing called TRAUMA.  We must remind ourselves and others that we will NEVER AGAIN elect that incompetent egomaniac. Link for this episode:  "There’s a name for Trump playing down the threat and failing to take action against the virus: Institutional betrayal" More at proleftpod.comSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodOur YouTube ChannelOpening and Closing Music:Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix | http://audionautix.com/|Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/jumpin-boogie-woogieMusic promoted by Audio Library | https://youtu.be/S2wYQlC0UsSupport the show

We celebrate our 800th podcast episode.  Wow!  Thanks for supporting our podcast work.  And for our 800th episode we have to start off with Kristi Noem's dog murder and Marjorie Taylor Greene's unconscious (and NOT Christian) anti-Semitism?  Where's the cake?  Also thinking back to 1968, which 2024 is NOT. There are 799 more episodes, and information on how to support the show,  at proleftpod.com.Link for this episode:  "Clean for Gene" Our podcast YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeftSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

We look at a 1940's short story and the 1951 movie that was kinda sorta based on that story.  And yes, "The Day The Earth Stood Still" has definitely stood the test of time. More at https://www.sciencefictionuniversity.com/ Our podcast YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeftSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

Lots of news this week, and we're also on The Bill Show https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cSaH6ZB7G0edd2ROw6Xli?si=WCI1PGLATeeQGGSIldtZWAAnd we'll be recording with Tru Blu Politics on 4/26. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-trublu-politics-127820101/Link for this episode:  Digby brings us the Quote of the Day from Sonia Sotomayor:https://digbysblog.net/2024/04/25/qotd-justice-sotomayor-2/ More at proleftpod.com.Our podcast YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeftSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodSupport the show

"Sarah Palin walked so Donald Trump could run."  -- DriftglassSupport the show:PayPal |  https://paypal.me/proleftpodcastPatreon | https://patreon.com/proleftpodOur YouTube ChannelOpening and Closing Music:Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix | http://audionautix.com/|Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/jumpin-boogie-woogieMusic promoted by Audio Library | https://youtu.be/S2wYQlC0UswCreative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.comSupport the show