Episode 21: The Corruption of the Democratic Party, featuring Ted Rall

Ted Rall is a graphic novelist, a syndicated columnist and the author of many books of art and prose, including biographies of Edward Snowden, Bernie Sanders and Pope Francis. You've probably seen his political cartoons, which are often published in urban weeklies. His newest book is called, "Political Suicide: The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party," which uses the graphic novel form to trace the history of the Democratic Party's rightward movement over the last few decades, and how its leadership has worked to suppress the party's progressive wing.

Ted & I talked on June 27th. We talked about how Biden is the toughest case in years as a "lesser evil" candidate; how COVID could affect voter turn-out; the history of Democrats presenting themselves as something they're not; how Jimmy Carter was not a saint; Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential run; the lack of Democratic calls for defense cuts since Bill Clinton; the lack of Democratic proposals for anti-poverty programs since LBJ; how not only the Democratic party but the nation as a whole is just coasting on undeserved reputations at this point; the question of where a progressive or leftist can go in the electoral arena; how the corporate duopoly throttles third parties; Ranked Choice Voting; how this year's protests are really something different; and a quick preview of Greg Palast's upcoming book, for which Ted created a 48 page comic insert.

Ted Rall's books, comics, & more: rall.com

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