Episode Details

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Charles Booker is a former Kentucky state representative and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky. His campaign centers on Medicare for All, ending endless war, strengthening labor rights, raising wages, and building a multiracial working-class coalition from “the hood to the holler.”

Booker joined Current Affairs associate editor Alex Skopic to discuss why Kentucky should not be written off as a “red state,” how progressive policies can win in places ignored by the national Democratic Party, what the left can learn from Mitch McConnell’s coalition-building, and why working people need leaders willing to fight for health care, peace, and economic justice.

⛰️ Charles Booker's Website: https://charlesbooker.org/

0:00-9:32 Why Charles Booker Supports Medicare for All

9:32-20:42 Ending Endless War

20:42-23:10 Why Kentucky Isn’t Just a “Red State”

23:10-25:05 Why Progressive Policies Can Win in Red States

25:05-26:43 What “From the Hood to the Holler” Means

26:43-28:19 What the Left Can Learn From Mitch McConnell

28:19-33:34 Building Coalitions With Republicans

33:34-35:56 Andy Barr’s Racist Campaign

35:56-37:16 JD Vance and the Exploitation of Appalachia

37:16-42:02 Labor, Unions, and Working People

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