Air Date: 6/17/2026 Today we trace a pattern that repeated across half a dozen states this primary season: working-class candidates running on the cost of living beat the opponents party leadership hand-picked and funded. It looks like ordinary election news, but it's more pieces of a larger shift already underway; away from a politics of left against right and toward a new era of the elite vs working people. Full Show Notes Transcript Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at...
Air Date: 6/17/2026
Today we trace a pattern that repeated across half a dozen states this primary season: working-class candidates running on the cost of living beat the opponents party leadership hand-picked and funded. It looks like ordinary election news, but it's more pieces of a larger shift already underway; away from a politics of left against right and toward a new era of the elite vs working people.
Full Show Notes
Transcript
Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)
Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!
Join our Discord community!
TOP TAKES
KP 1: Hayes: Trump Is Chasing Good Press with Bombs - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 6-11-26
KP 2: Bernie Sanders Just Won Them All - The Rational National - Air Date 6-10-26
KP 3: We Sat AOC Down With Republican Voters. Can She Win Them Over? - More Perfect Union and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Air Date 6-9-26
KP 4: "Fetterman Vibes?" DSA Dem WON'T DEFEND Graham Platner - Breaking Points - Air Date 6-9-26
KP 5: Abdul El-Sayed Thinks the Michigan Senate Race Will Come Down to This One Factor - Slate and Abdul El-Sayed - Air Date 4-30-26
(00:49:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Counterfeit Populism Is Dying
My commentaries on YouTube - Share them!
DEEPER DIVES
(01:05:26) SECTION A: READING THE PRIMARY MAP
A1: Voters Reject the Establishment in This Week's Primaries - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 6-4-26
A2: Josh Turek, Democratic Senate Nominee, on Why Iowa Will Flip Blue - Brian Tyler Cohen News - Air Date 6-3-26
A3: The Graham Platner Debate Part 1 - Majority 54 - Air Date 6-4-26
A4: Kentucky Senate Seat Is 'most Flippable' Race, Says Democrat Charles Booker - Meet The Press NOW _ NBC News NOW - Air Date 5-19-26
A5: The Democratic Establishment Can Be Defeated - Current Affairs - Air Date 5-15-26
(01:45:20) SECTION B: THE PLATNER RECKONING
B1: How Maine Democrats View Platner's Scandals and Chances to Oust Sen. Collins - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 6-9-26
B2: Graham Platner's Billionaire-Bashing Message Resonates in Maine Senate Race, Despite Controversies - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-8-26
B3: Why I Left the (White) Left - Signified B Sides - Air Date 6-2-26
B4: We Need to Talk About The Graham Platner Left (ft@noahsamsen_) - The Kavernacle and Noah Samsen - Air Date 5-27-26
B5: The Graham Platner Debate Part 2 - Majority 54 - Air Date 6-4-26
(02:30:13) SECTION C: THE TEXAS SENATE FIGHT
C1: Talarico Derangement Syndrome & Calling Stephen Miller Ugly Part 1 - Head in the Office - Air Date 5-29-26
C2: Can We Win Texas? - Majority 54 - Air Date 5-28-26
C3: Talarico Derangement Syndrome & Calling Stephen Miller Ugly Part 2 - Head in the Office - Air Date 5-29-26
(02:56:11) SECTION D: DEFENDING THE VOTE & THE LONG VIEW
D1: MAGA's California Fraud Lie Falls Apart Instantly - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 6-9-26
D2: Their Votes Should Count. Yours Shouldn't. That's the Whole Argument. - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 6-9-26
D3: The Election Interference Evidence No One Is Talking About - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 6-8-26
D4: The Washington Roundtable Live: The Backlash Midterms - The Political Scene | The New Yorker - Air Date 6-5-26
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
