Texas’s Radical Roots—With David Griscom
David Griscom joins Danny and Derek to explore Texas’s overlooked history of populism and socialism—and what it might mean for the left in the state today.

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For this Labor Day episode we’re joined by Bill Fletcher, a longtime union organizer who’s spent the last several years working to build out the labor movement’s anti-fascist infrastructure. Bill has an important reminder for those of us who direct most of our anti-fascist energy against Trump and the oligarchy: MAGA isn’t some astroturf trick. It’s a genuine social movement representing some 25-30 percent of Americans, and any strategies that ignore this fact are missing something fundamental about today’s dangerous political reality. You can learn more about Bill's organization, Standing for Democracy, here.
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Democratic US Congressional candidate James Talarico addresses supporters in Houston on July 19, 2026.
(Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)Danny and Derek speak with David Griscom, cohost of Left Reckoning and author of The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South, to talk about the all-but-ignored history of left-wing politics in Texas. Topics include: the current state of Texas politics, the Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party, the Texas Socialist Party and its newspaper The Rebel, the role of religion in Texas socialism, and the prospects for socialism in modern-day Texas.
Along with the book and podcast, be sure to also check out David’s Substack, The Rattler.
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Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
Danny and Derek speak with David Griscom, co-host of Left Reckoning and author of The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South, to talk about the all-but-ignored history of leftwing politics in Texas. Topics include: the current state of Texas politics, the Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party, the Texas Socialist Party and its newspaper The Rebel, the role of religion in Texas socialism, and the prospects for socialism in modern-day Texas.
Along with the book and podcast, be sure to also check out David’s Substack The Rattler.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
