Episode Details

David Sirota joins Taya Graham and Stephen Janis to expose the enormous financial incentives shaping Democratic politics and why political consultants can accumulate “generational wealth” even when their candidates lose. David Sirota explains how consultants profit from massive television-ad purchases, how billionaire-funded super PACs influence the candidates and policies voters are offered, and how the language of “moderation” and “electability” is used to undermine progressive and populist challengers.

We examine the consequences of legalized political corruption: Washington’s silence on America’s healthcare crisis, the widening gulf between voters and their representatives, and the 50-year campaign to transform elections into auctions while concentrating power in the presidency.

David Sirota is the founder of the investigative news organization The Lever, a former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders, an Oscar-nominated co-creator of the story for the movie Don’t Look Up, and the producer of the podcast series Master Plan.

Additional links/info:

• David Sirota and Jared Jacang Maher co-authored book, Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America
• The Lever's website, Instagram, and podcast series, Master plan

Credits:

• Production: Stephen Janis, Taya Graham
• Written by: Stephen Janis
• Studio Production: Cameron Granadino
• Post-Production: Stephen Janis, David Hebden

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