Edition #1061

Today we look at the argument going on about the direction and focus the progressive movement and Democratic party should take in the wake of the election. Identity politics, essential or a destructive distraction?

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Pundits Blame Trump on Those Most Vulnerable to Trump - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 11-25-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: Blame Me! Blame Me! - Anberlin

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Ch. 4: Act 2: Bernie Sanders draws the connection between identity and class - The Benjamin Dixon Show (@TheBpDShow) - Air Date 11-21-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Together we fight alone - Darlings

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Ch. 6: Act 3: SURJ on how to open up the discussion about class, race, gender... - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 11-24-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: My Conversation - The Uniques

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Ch. 8: Act 4: Seeing intersectionality as the important takeaway from the election - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 11-25-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Let's Organize - Organized Konfusion

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Ch. 10: Act 5: Identity-only politics is not enough - The Benjamin Dixon Show (@TheBpDShow) - Air Date 11-22-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Oppression - Ben Harper

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Ch. 12: Act 6: It's time to stand up and fight for everyone who will be hurt by a Trump presidency - Savage Love w: @FakeDanSavage - Air Date 11-15-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 13: Explaining whiteness - Lee from San Diego

Ch. 14: The way we talk about class, work and education - Chris from Littleton, CO

Ch. 15: How do we fight against the wall and for religious liberty? - Darice from Washington, DC

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 16: Final comments on post-election activism and a brief history of progressive economics in the Democratic party

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

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Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Edition #1060

Today we look at the comparison between the rise of Hitler and the rise of Trump, not to say that they are the same but to try to learn from the past in order to see farther into our own future and avoid the terrible ends that are possible

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts - NPR Morning Edition - Air Date: 3-10-2006

Ch. 3: Song 1: Oak - Ben McElroy

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Ch. 4: Act 2: His rise to power Part 1 - Trumpcast from @Slate - Air Date 11-21-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Nazi (Live) - Chumbawamba

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Ch. 6: Act 3: How South Africa Could Prepare the U.S. for President Trump - The Daily Show - Air Date 11-16-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Things a Get from Bad to Worse - The Ethiopians

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Ch. 8: Act 4: His rise to power Part 2 - Trumpcast from @Slate - Air Date 11-21-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: I think your a nazi - Stephen Lynch

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Ch. 10: Act 5: Comparing the rise of Trump and Hitler - @InDeepRadio w: @AngieCoiro - Air Date 3-26-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Der Fuehrer's Face (From "Nuttsey Land") - Spike Jones & His City Slickers

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Ch. 12: Act 6: We Can't Wait To See The End Before We Resist The Beginning Of Fascism - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 11-22-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 13: Explaining hippie-punching - Barbara from San Jose, CA

Ch. 14: Membership - Alan from Connecticut

Ch. 15: Explaining the Democrats through Thomas Frank's class-divide lens - Dave from Olympia, WA

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 16: Final comments on when it’s time to panic, NationalPopularVote.com and our ongoing experiment of explaining concepts from the show

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness - TEDTalks - Air Date: 12-23-15

Ch. 3: Song 1: Happiness - Pet Shop Boys

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Ch. 4: Act 2: The World Happiness Report - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 03-23-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare) [feat. MGMT & Ratatat] - Kid Cudi

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Ch. 6: Act 3: Living with Gratitude in an Imperfect World - Progressive Faith Sermons w/ @RevDrRay - Air Date: 11-22-15

Ch. 7: Song 3: Happy now? - No Doubt

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Ch. 8: Act 4: We Are Built To Be Kind - Fig. 1 by University of California - Air Date: 12-2-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: Happy - Sister Hazel

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Ch. 10: Act 5: Punctuating happiness - Backstory - Air Date 7-17-15

Ch. 11: Song 5: Everybody Loves a Happy Ending - Tears for Fears

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Ch. 12: Act 6: David Steindl-Rast: Want to be happy? Be grateful - TEDTalks - Air Date 11-27-13

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Voicemails

Ch. 13: Recommending "The Most Good You Can Do" - Nick from Colorado

Ch. 14: A few quick thoughts on voting reform - Jeff from Massachusetts

Ch. 15: Supporting the minimum wage but worrying about automation - Wade from Ft. Worth, TX

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

---

Ch. 16: Final comments on finding gratitude in the face of the death of a loved one

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

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Edition #1059

Today we look at the wave of white-supremacist hatred that was unleashed on election day and Trump’s pick of a white nationalist, anti-semite to work in the White House

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Listen to the first episode of Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me here: smarturl.it/sca

Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Trump Victory Inspires Acts Of Hate Against Minorities - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-11-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: Shut It Down - MxPx

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Ch. 4: Act 2: Feelin' Alt-Right (Act 1, Part 2) - Full Frontal with Samantha Bee - Air Date: 10-31-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: A Dose of White Supremacy - Neffe Odom Kragh-Muller

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Ch. 6: Act 3: A White Nationalist & Anti-Semite in the Oval Office- Trump Taps Breitbart's Bannon as Top Aide - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 11-14-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Second Class Citizen - Area-7

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Ch. 8: Act 4: Racists Emboldened By Trump Victory - @TheYoungTurks - Air Date 11-10-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Love Your Neighbor - Todd Agnew

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Ch. 10: Act 5: A White Nationalist Will Be Advising Trump's Administration - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-14-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: What A Beautiful Morning! - Drunken Logic

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Ch. 12: Act 6: Former KKK Leader Loves Trump Adviser Who Didn't Want Kids in School with Jews - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 11-15-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Parade - Kimya Dawson

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Ch. 14: Act 7: "White Supremacist, Anti-Semitic, Islamophobe" Stephen Bannon as Trump's Chief  Strategist - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-15-16

Ch. 15: Song 7: Let's Work Together - Canned Heat

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Ch. 16: Act 8: You Will Not Believe This Insane Antisemitic Email - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 11-14-16

Ch. 17: Song 8: Violent Days - RTZ

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Ch. 18: Act 9: Get Trained for the Resistance via @ShowUp4RJ - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 19: Song 9: Right to Complain - Trombone Shorty & Marc Broussard

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Ch. 20: Act 10: Just Like After Reconstruction, Trump Vote Highlights White Backlash to Recent Racial Progress - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 11-9-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 21: Standing up for the oppressed - Justin from Indiana

Ch. 22: It's not just Trump, it's congress too - Jessica from Las Vegas, NV

Ch. 23: Explaining why Democrats lost - Nick from California

Ch. 24: Explaining Democrats disdain for working class - Roy in Texas

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 25: Final comments on the false equivalency between pro-Trump and anti-Trump violence

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

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TAKE ACTION

Find a SURJ chapter near you (or start one) 

Sign up for SURJ national training conference calls

Get resources from SURJ 

Sign up to volunteer with SURJ

Find a SURJ action near you or post your own

EDUCATE YOURSELF 

White People Elected Trump. Now What?

Finding Common Ground with Trump Supporters in Buffalo

 

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Amanda Hoffman

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Edition #1058

Today we look at how the Democratic party has been going wrong for decades in a way that partially explains their electoral loss in 2016 and then use this information as a guide to see where the progressive movement should go from here

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: The economics of why Donald Trump won - Economic Update w: @profwolff - Air Date 11-10-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: Backwards Blues - Adia Victoria

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Ch. 4: Act 2: Thomas Frank on the Democrats disdain for the working class has led to their downfall - @thisishellradio - Air Date 11-12-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: One Thing Leads to Another - The Fixx

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Ch. 6: Act 3: Bill Ayers on the inadequacy of our politics to face our challenges - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-13-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Alright Alright (Here's My Fist Where's the Fight?) - Sahara Hotnights

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Ch. 8: Act 4: Trump's economic populism and where we Democrats need to go from here - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-12-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Revolutions - Cody Long and the Red Beauty

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Ch. 10: Act 5: Who Should Lead The DNC Now? - @TheYoungTurks - Air Date 11-10-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Go Do - Jónsi

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Ch. 12: Act 6: Greenwald on "Democrats, Trump, and the Ongoing, Dangerous Refusal to Learn the Lesson of Brexit" - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 11-10-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 13: What ways can you help? - Steven from the UK

Ch. 14: How can we bridge the divide in progressive circles? - Anthony from Illinois

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 15: Final comments on healing the progressive movement and a new experiment for voicemails

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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Edition #1057

Today we reflect on the 2016 election, examine the variety of feelings it has brought fourth and contemplate the next steps ahead of us

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Trump's America- This is What Happens Now - Jay Smooth - Air Date: 11-9-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: S.O.S. - The Suicide Machines

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Ch. 4: Act 2: 'This was a whitelash' Van Jones' take on the election results - CNN - Air Date 11-08-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: So Terrible It's Terrifying - Earmint

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Ch. 6: Act 3: Mourn, Resist, Organize - Start Making Sense from @TheNation - Air Date 11-9-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Call for Help - Clay Schneider

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Ch. 8: Act 4: Feel your feelings and get to work - Throwing Shade w: @BryanSafi and @gibblertron - Air Date 11-9-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Run Screaming - Stockdale and Shapiro

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Ch. 10: Act 5: The day after, take care of yourself - @EdgeofSports - w: Dave Zirin - Air Date 11-11-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Fear, Terror, and the Fear of Terror - Infinite Third

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Ch. 12: Act 6: Anger is an appropriate response - #PoliticallyReactive with @wkamaubell and @harikondabolu - Air Date 11-10-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: When Anger Shows - Editors

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Ch. 14: Act 7: National Popular Vote - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-13-15

Ch. 15: Song 7: Help - Howie Day

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Ch. 16: Act 8: Beyond the Electoral College: A State-Based Plan for Electing the President by National Popular Vote - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 11-08-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 17: Kids in fear after the election - Anonymous

Ch. 18: Mad as hell and sick to my stomach - Colin from Cleveland, OH

Ch. 19: Moving forward with self care - Dave from Olympia, WA

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 20: Final comments on privilege as a superpower and the campaign for a national popular vote

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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Edition #1056

Today we look beyond the election to the progressive movement that needs to keep it’s momentum going regardless of who the next president will be

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: When Progressives Fight...We Win! - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 01-15-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: On the Outside - Oingo Boingo

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Ch. 4: Act 2: Progressives Must Be Ready: Hillary Win Isn't the Victory - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 10-24-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: The Time Is Now - Warren Barfield

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Ch. 6: Act 3: A Pep Talk For #Progressives From A Man Who Marched With #MLK! - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 05-19-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Malcom X (Original single 1974) - Miriam Makeba

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Ch. 8: Act 4: Bernie Plans To Fight Against Hillary's Corporatist Cabinet Picks - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 10-28-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Main Title, Game of Thrones - Ramin Djawadi

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Ch. 10: Act 5: Breaking Through Power... It's Easier Than You Think! (w/Guest: Ralph Nader) - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 09-22-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Power to the People - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

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Ch. 12: Act 6: Beyond the election to the movement - The Zero Hour w: @RJEskow - Air Date 11-5-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Right to Complain - Trombone Shorty & Marc Broussard

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Ch. 14: Act 6: Systemic Political Change Requires Participation – Never Stop Fighting - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date: 09-25-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 15: Terrified of what the election could mean - Eammon from La Habra, California

Ch. 16: Don't lose sight of what you can do yourself - Matt from Pittsburg, PA

Ch. 17: Starting to gain perspective from the show - Jennifer from Columbus, OH

Ch. 18: Race, class and Trump supporters - Mike from Albany, NY

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 19: Final comments on political philosophy, Confederates in New York and the difference between understanding and legitimizing

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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Edition #1055

Today we look at the two biggest issues with the most limited timelines and far-reaching consequences of our era and how they are both at stake in this election

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: VILE: Trump Picks Climate Denier to Lead Environmental Transition - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 09-28-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: Despierta - Filthy Friends

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Ch. 4: Act 2: What Do The Next Supreme Court Picks Really Mean For America? - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 07-28-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: No Guns No Guns - Mirah

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Ch. 6: Act 3: As Earth Reaches Frightening CO2 Milestone, Bill McKibben Calls for War on Climate Change - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 09-30-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

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Ch. 8: Act 4: Trump: I'll Fill the Supreme Court With Antonin Scalias - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 09-14-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Perry Mason - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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Ch. 10: Act 5: Shameful Admission: Trump Doesn't Believe Climate Change is Man Made - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 09-29-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Sic of Elephants (Live) - Andrew Bird [featuring Jim James]

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Ch. 12: Act 6: 350 Action's May Boeve on Young Voters & Climate Movement - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 10-25-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Pressure - Billy Joel

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Ch. 14: Act 7: Republicans Planning To Block Supreme Court Justices FOREVER - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 10-28-16

Ch. 15: Song 7: Makin' It Great Again! - Andrew St. James

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Ch. 16: Act 8: The World Is Hotter Than Hell and No One Is Talking About Climate Change - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 10-01-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 17: Some adults think the devil is trying to influence our election - Brad from Irving, TX

Ch. 18: The impacts on restricted access to education - Sally from San Francisco

Ch. 19: Limbaugh is more thoughtful than liberals let on - Mike from Richmond, VA

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 20: Final comments with some questions for our new reasonable conservative caller

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone 

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Edition #1054

Today we dive deeply into the world of conservatives as described in the new book “Strangers in their own Land” by Arlie Russel Hochschild in an attempt to understand how some non-deplorable people in the country could be supporting Donald Trump

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: What Drives Trump Supporters? Sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild on Anger & Mourning of the Right Part 1 - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 9-28-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

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Ch. 4: Act 2: The environmentalist tea-partier who dumped toxic waste in public water - Start Making Sense from @TheNation - Air Date 10-5-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Protect & Serve - Stiff Little Fingers

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Ch. 6: Act 3: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics Part 1 - @BillMoyersHQ in Conversation - Air Date 4-15-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: I Don't Think About It - Emily Osment

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Ch. 8: Act 4: What Drives Trump Supporters? Sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild on Anger & Mourning of the Right Part 2 - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 9-28-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Refund - Minor Motion

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Ch. 10: Act 5: The Deep Story of conservatives and the rise of Trump - Economic Update w/ @profwolff - Air Date 9-29-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Shame - The Avett Brothers

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Ch. 12: Act 6: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics Part 2 - @BillMoyersHQ in Conversation - Air Date 4-15-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Vote - Jefferson Coker

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Ch. 14: Act 7: Where shame is the companion to need - @thisishellradio - Air Date 10-22-16

Ch. 15: Song 7: Only a Pawn In Their Game - Bob Dylan

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Ch. 16: Act 8: The Media That Created Trump - United States of Anxiety - Air Date 10-13-16

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Voicemails

Ch. 17: Shifting to the Right - Greg from North Cackalacky

Ch. 18: Shout out to Wade/asking for conservative show suggestion - Quai from North Carolina

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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Ch. 19: Final comments on a conservative show recommended to those interested in hearing the other side

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

---

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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