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.

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Mail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791

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"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

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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

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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