Air Date 2/1/2026 Today we examine what's actually working against the Trump regime and the role of this year's elections. Unsurprisingly, his own voter fraud investigation just proved him a liar, Democrats are overperforming expectations in House special elections, and Zohran Mamdani's campaign based on having fun in community needs to be a model for every movement against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a <a href= "https://podline.fm/best-of-the-left">voice message</a>, message us on Signal at the handle <a href= "https://signal.me/#eu/62GSpPKEljyYCb0TuYTEUm3D6Nv8G0xSV_GVP8Q13TkQxVeP04lJ8pGOUEqUdHdn"> bestoftheleft.01</a>, or email <a href= "mailto:Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com">Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com</a> <a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1769">Full Show Notes</a> Check out our new show, SOLVED! on <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/@BestOfTheLeft">YouTube</a>! <a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/20">In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships!</a> (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop <a href= "https://www.bestoftheleft.com/bookshop">Bookshop.org</a> and <a href= "https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=262399&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Fswitch"> Libro.fm</a> for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! <a href="https://discord.gg/dhyZE3WMJn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Join our Discord community</a>! TOP TAKES KP 1: <a href="https://bradblog.com/?p=15612">Trump Admin's Endless Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Elections Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 1-20-26</a> KP 2: <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRV-9vO4Grs">Donald Trump Wants to Cancel the Midterm Elections Part 1 - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-16-26</a> KP 3: <a href= "https://practivistpod.substack.com/p/get-out-the-vote-with-tom-lopach"> Get Out the Vote with Tom Lopach Part 1 - The Practivist Pod - Air Date 12-4-25</a> KP 4: <a href= "https://www.wnyc.org/story/mobilizing-the-mamdani-volunteer-army/"> Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-12-26</a> KP 5: <a href= "https://hartmannreport.com/p/is-the-post-office-about-to-decide-d46"> Daily Take Is the Post Office About to Decide the 2026 Midterms - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 1-2-26</a> KP 6: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOTYFbPz7rs">THAT Is A Mandate (feat. Kat Abughazaleh) Part 1 - The Daily Beans - Air Date 11-5-25</a> KP 7: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFQCPb1ruvY">The Next Socialist In Congress with Claire Valdez Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-26</a> (00:55:41) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the role of community and friendship in fighting fascism DEEPER DIVES (01:03:26) SECTION A: IMMIGRATION POLICING A1: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOTYFbPz7rs">THAT Is A Mandate (feat. Kat Abughazaleh) Part 2 - The Daily Beans - Air Date 11-5-25</a> A2: <a href= "https://www.wnyc.org/story/mobilizing-the-mamdani-volunteer-army/"> Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-12-26</a> A3: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg_Up7PTssA">Karen Hunter To Counter Trump We Protest, Fight Back, and Double Down on Building a Community Part 1 - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 1-17-26</a> (01:24:17) SECTION B: POWER AND ORGANIZING B1: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msz2daPeTyg">The Democratic Party's McClellan Problem - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 12-30-25</a> B2: <a href= "https://www.wnyc.org/story/mobilizing-the-mamdani-volunteer-army/"> Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army Part 3 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-12-26</a> B3: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFQCPb1ruvY">The Next Socialist In Congress with Claire Valdez Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-26</a> B4: <a href= "https://www.wnyc.org/story/working-families-party-on-mamdanis-win-2026-midterms/"> Working Families Party on Mamdani's Win; 2026 Midterms - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-17-25</a> B5: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg_Up7PTssA">Karen Hunter To Counter Trump We Protest, Fight Back, and Double Down on Building a Community Part 2 - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 1-17-26</a> (02:04:54) SECTION C: VOTING RIGHTS C1: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRV-9vO4Grs">Donald Trump Wants to Cancel the Midterm Elections Part 2 - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-16-26</a> C2: <a href="https://bradblog.com/?p=15612">Trump Admin's Endless Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Elections Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 1-20-26</a> C3: <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TFMGyoGvjU">Justice for Victims, Housing Hope, and the Rise of Progressive Leadership - Good News for Lefties | Daily News for Democracy - Air Date 1-12-26</a> C4: <a href= "https://practivistpod.substack.com/p/get-out-the-vote-with-tom-lopach"> Get Out the Vote with Tom Lopach Part 2 - The Practivist Pod - Air Date 12-4-25</a> (02:32:50) SECTION D: CANDIDANCY D1: <a href= "https://crooked.com/podcast/hardcore-competence-w-kat-abughazaleh/"> Hardcore Competence with Kat Abughazaleh - Hysteria - Air Date 1-22-26</a> D2: <a href= "https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-news-for/good-news-deep-dive-with-vmnPT_6-AMZ/"> Good News Deep Dive with Candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama Dakarai Larriett - Good News for Lefties Daily News for Democracy - Air Date 1-24-26</a> D3: <a href= "https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/macrodose/mamdanis-momentous-win-w-16kYft5Nxnm/"> Mamdani's Momentous Win with Sarah Jaffe - The Curve - Air Date 11-5-25</a> SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of one half of a huge crowd of Zohran Mamdani campaign volunteers in a park holding campaign signs and smiling. Credit: "<a href= "https://www.cityandstateny.com/personality/2025/07/heres-how-zohran-mamdanis-50k-strong-volunteer-army-pulled-it/406464/">Zohran Mamdani volunteer canvassers</a>" via Zohran for NYC Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at <a href= "http://www.bestoftheleft.com/">BestOfTheLeft.com</a> Listen Anywhere! <a href= "https://www.bestoftheleft.com/listen">BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen</a> Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: <a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/bestoftheleft.bsky.social">Bluesky</a> | <a href="https://mastodon.social/@bestoftheleft">Mastodon</a> | <a href="https://www.threads.net/@bestoftheleft">Threads</a> | <a href="https://x.com/BestOfTheLeft">X</a> Like at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft</a> Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

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#1769 Politics Beyond the Ballot Box: Elections and the Movements that Power Them

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

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