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What Happened to the Populist Left?

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, left-wing populism surged with movements like Occupy Wall Street and figures such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Yet, while the MAGA wing fuels right-wing populism’s dominance in the GOP, the populist left has seemingly lost its momen

What Happened to the Populist Left?
Photo by Parker Johnson on Unsplash
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In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, left-wing populism surged with movements like Occupy Wall Street and figures such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Yet, while the MAGA wing fuels right-wing populism’s dominance in the GOP, the populist left has seemingly lost its momentum.

Why?

In this episode, Dan speaks with Jack Eckblad, Milwaukee County Commissioner and progressive organizer, to unpack the Democrats' struggles to connect with voters in key states like Wisconsin. They explore how the party’s nomination process—not its grassroots energy—has held back the populist left and how this impacted the 2024 election.

Dan Sally

Dan Sally serves on the Digital Strategy Council for Rank the Vote and is host of the podcast ‘You Don’t Have to Yell’, which discusses today’s most pressing issues without the partisan spin.

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