The Professional Left Podcast with Driftglass and Blue Gal

Driftglass and Blue Gal
  • 4.7 (907)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

"Fiercely and unapologetically progressive, and definitely NSFW. 'The Professional Left' features award-winning bloggers Driftglass and Blue Gal as they skewer right-wing absurdities and dismantle mainstream media mealy-mouths with razor-sharp wit and zero filter. From mercilessly mocking partisan hacks to elevating stories the media ignores, it's the profane, unflinching political commentary you didn't know you needed. More at http://ProLeftPod.com."

  1. Ep 990: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels

    2D AGO

    Ep 990: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels

    Episode 990 of The Professional Left takes a step back from the daily chaos to talk about something the mainstream media almost never bothers with — scale — and why understanding it is the difference between seeing propaganda clearly and getting played by it every single time. Driftglass and Blue Gal run the actual numbers on one of the most successful political smear campaigns of the last decade, and what those numbers reveal about how a fringe slogan gets laundered into a party platform by people who know exactly what they're doing. The Both Sides media gets its share of the blame too, because without their eager assistance, none of this industrial-scale message warfare would work nearly as well as it does. And just when you think the math can't get any more damning, a certain former president shows up to say something that proves the point all over again. Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    1h 4m
  2. Ep 989: 'Velveeta'

    4D AGO

    Ep 989: 'Velveeta'

    Episode 989 of The Professional Left takes on one of the most overused words in modern politics — "authenticity" — and asks whether anyone in American political media is actually serving the real thing, or just a smooth, processed, cheese-like substitute that melts consistently and tastes like what people want to hear. Driftglass and Blue Gal trace the long, strange history of politicians and pundits who have made a very comfortable living telling their audiences exactly the lies those audiences paid to believe, and why the whole operation works so much better when everyone pretends it isn't happening. A detour through French onion soup, a Bonanza story that will make your jaw drop, and a very revealing moment on CNN all help make the case that what Republican and Independent voters actually want has never really been authenticity at all. If you've ever wondered why the truth keeps losing to a smirk and a folksy quip, this episode has your answer — and it involves processed cheese. Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    56 min
  3. Ep 988: Schrödinger's Alliances

    APR 24

    Ep 988: Schrödinger's Alliances

    Episode 988 of The Professional Left is a drama in three acts, each one taking a hard look at a political strategy that keeps failing — and the people who keep insisting it will work next time. Driftglass and Blue Gal dig into the endless, maddening cycle of reaching out to voters who have made it abundantly clear they don't want to be reached, and why the media keeps writing the same breathless story about it anyway. Then things get complicated when a very familiar face from the enemy camp shows up claiming to have seen the light, forcing a very serious question about exactly who gets welcomed into the "pro-democracy coalition" and why. And finally, a minor pundit with a very convenient memory gets a long-overdue look at her greatest hits — because in this Club, the only thing that matters is who you know and when you decided to care. Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    1h 1m
  4. Ep 987: The Vice of the People

    APR 22

    Ep 987: The Vice of the People

    Episode 987 of The Professional Left takes a deep look at the concept of authority — where it comes from, who really has it, and what happens when the people in charge decide the rules no longer apply to them. Driftglass and Blue Gal trace a clear line from the lawless Bush years straight through to today, making the case that what looks new and shocking is really just the same old playbook with the volume turned all the way up. A surprising visit from a 500-year-old German philosopher helps explain exactly why Trump's war with Pope Leo is going so badly for him, and what that tells us about the difference between real authority and just really loud bullying. And if you think the answer to all of this lies in yelling about the Constitution at people who couldn't care less, this episode will make you think again — and offer a more useful strategy borrowed from a very unlikely historical source. Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    56 min
  5. Ep 986: 'AmeriKKKan Gothic'

    APR 17

    Ep 986: 'AmeriKKKan Gothic'

    Episode 986 of The Professional Left traces how one simple political rule — Ronald Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment" never to speak ill of a fellow Republican — quietly mutated over decades into something far more dangerous. Driftglass and Blue Gal dig into how that rule created a closed loop where loyalty to the team mattered more than the truth, and how the endless flood of dark money on the Right kept feeding the beast no matter how extreme it got. A disturbing New Yorker article about a new generation of young, openly fascist activists who think Trump wasn't nearly radical enough takes center stage, raising hard questions about where the Republican party goes from here. If you thought MAGA was the bottom of the barrel, this episode will make you think again. LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:   The New Yorker “How the Internet Fringe Infiltrated Republican Politics:  Inside the battle for the post-MAGA G.O.P.” By Antonia Hitchens (paywall)  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/how-the-internet-fringe-infiltrated-republican-politics Thanks to David B for the “freshly poured” jingle via Musely.  Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    1h 5m
  6. Ep 985: 'The Cheaper The Crook...'

    APR 15

    Ep 985: 'The Cheaper The Crook...'

    "The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter." -- The Maltese Falcon  Episode 985 of The Professional Left takes a deep dive into the word "normalizing" — a term that gets thrown around constantly in political coverage, but rarely gets a clear definition. Driftglass and Blue Gal trace how a stubborn 30% of Americans have believed one wild conspiracy theory after another for decades, and argue that what looks like normalization on the Left is really just exhaustion from years of fighting battles that others are only now waking up to. The episode uses a surprising example — the slow, hard-won acceptance of women priests in the Church of England — to show what real normalization actually looks like, and why it's very different from what pundits mean when they scold people about Trump. Personal stories, sharp media criticism, and a 1973 sci-fi film all make appearances along the way, connecting the political moment to something much bigger and longer in the making. Link for this episode:  Driftglass and Blue Gal on The Bill Show from Australia!  https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-q42x7-1a99204 Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    1h 1m
  7. Ep 984: War On Hiatus Due To Bad Ratings

    APR 10

    Ep 984: War On Hiatus Due To Bad Ratings

    In this episode of The Professional Left, Driftglass and Blue Gal take a hard look at how America ended up in yet another Middle East war — and why the whole thing feels like a rerun that somehow got worse the second time around. Drawing a sharp line from the lies that launched the Iraq War to the chaos of today, they walk through the playbook Republicans use every time reality refuses to cooperate with their sales pitch. The real question isn't just what happened — it's what comes next, and who's already lining up to offer the MAGA base a way to forget they were ever on board with any of it. If you think some of the loudest voices suddenly breaking with Trump are doing it out of principle? Naaah. Links for this episode:  Driftglass on The Bob Cesca Show:  https://www.bobcesca.com/the-bob-cesca-interview-driftglass-day/ Driftglass on The Nicole Sandler Show (second half) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jxANUK4Y6k Media Matters for America, “Heretic”: After Trump spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain likens Trump to Jesus during Easter, right-wing media figures lash out. https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/heretic-after-trump-spiritual-adviser-paula-white-cain-likens-trump-jesus-during Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    51 min
  8. Ep 983 "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb"

    APR 8

    Ep 983 "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb"

    In this episode of The Professional Left, Driftglass and Blue Gal dig into the decades-long project that brought American politics to its current breaking point — and what it really means that we've arrived here. A viral social media feud involving a Twitch streamer leads to a sharp look at who gets handed a megaphone in today's political landscape, and why the wrong people keep holding them. The episode closes with a story about a specific third party and the oldest trick in the book. Stay in Touch!  Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com  Website: proleftpod.com  Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod  or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpod Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791 Support the show

    1h 13m
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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
907 Ratings

About

"Fiercely and unapologetically progressive, and definitely NSFW. 'The Professional Left' features award-winning bloggers Driftglass and Blue Gal as they skewer right-wing absurdities and dismantle mainstream media mealy-mouths with razor-sharp wit and zero filter. From mercilessly mocking partisan hacks to elevating stories the media ignores, it's the profane, unflinching political commentary you didn't know you needed. More at http://ProLeftPod.com."

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