So do we have a list of quality or even credible lefty commentators?
Credibility is in the eye of the beholder. I tend to look at quality as a measure of how much you can learn from the podcast, but like with a lot of journalists...I also think you gotta factor in each commentator's own biases (Like Pakman sucks on Israel topics but is good on a lot of others or Kulinsky is strong on electoral strategy but that can cut against certain principled concepts like impeaching trump because it's the right thing to do even if there's political risk).
- Sam Seder and Michael Brooks are the most informative imo. They interview academics and journalists on topics you wouldn't hear about anywhere else pretty often and their fun half includes a completely open call in line so that haters or fans alike can poly with 'em. If you don't agree with them, they let you set up to call in and debate your issue pretty often too. Sam's better at debating than anybody in the game imo. If you want to be as educated as possible on issues, try to find their clips about the topics. Yes they are long winded, but that's because they're detailed and provide all necessary context.
(There's also a subset of Majority Report related contributor podcasts that tend to be on the more informative end of the game but with focus on different audiences. Matt Lech covers historical mindsets that contributed to literature on his show, Jamie gives the further left socialist takes a grounded breakdown on hers, Ronald Raygun has an immigration law podcast, Dissident Peasant dives in on topics, and our boy
@Cole Cash has GNN which is great).
- Krystal Ball for more direct election commentary is top tier. She speaks from experience running, pushing progressive candidates and helping them network and now just political commentary. You know she's good because Nap tried to attack her with dated debunked attacks like a week ago
.
- Ben Dixon is clutch too. He's usually narrowed on two or three topics an episode and while the left has mostly white commentators, he's bringing a black leftist perspective better than anyone in the game right now imo.
- David Pakman has some flaws, I think he can fall for some naive generic reporting at times (especially in defense of Israel) but his interviews and deep dives are REALLY good. He's another one worth looking at specific topics with relation to him and you can find quality videos that tend to be digestable.
- Kyle Kulinsky is accessible and humorous for people that are new to lefty commentary, but locks in on certain views where I think he blocks out the counter arguments a bit.
- David Doel is a better alternative version of Kulinsky but for some reason not as popular, so I tend to start newbies on Kyle clips.
- Humanist report is in a similar vein.
- David Feldman and Thom Hartmann get the best insider type convos but also have fluff mixed in. Look up Howie Klein's weekly drop on Feldman for some of the best inside looks at Washington politics and Congressional mindsets.
- Ana Kasparian's show is pretty good but I haven't watched it enough to say much. I like that she's to the left of the general TYT show and more open to questioning even left leaning politicians.
- The Jimmy Dore crew tends to be the least reliable for me. I put Dore, House, Black and Iversen all in that category. They are good on some issues but have blinders on with other issues and considering two of the four got that Assad money; it takes me from worrying that their not doing their research to straight up bad faith (just to throw it in Michael Brooks BODIES EVERYBODY up and down this list in foreign policy and knowledge, it isn't close even with the ones I like such as Sam or Pakman).
- Another group I don't dig at all are the faux lefties. Michael Tracey would be the shining beacon of that group. Tim Pool started with that grift too, though he's exposed himself pretty bad. Even Rubin started that way. It's this clique of grifters that raises questions with other people who are consistently taking bad or uninformed positions but staking them out way too vigorously.
- Another sleeper who has perspective from a region that I don't get as much input from is Beau of the Fifth Column. Dude is worth a look.
- The Twitch guys can be cool but you're digging for the good content. Mike From PA's debates with Destiny have been good though, Hasan Piker has some real quality deep dives but goes edgelord lefty too often, Vaush does Youtube Live streams in a similar manner and he's probably the best rep from the "dirtbag left" imo although I think he's hit or miss personally.
- There's also a whole slew of video essay people worth checking out. Contrapoints, Knowing Better, Potholer, Shaun, the Serfs and HBomberguy all body that format.
Basically, there's somebody for everyone. A lot is subjective and comes down to what type of videos you like. Want short and sweet but less depth? Kyle, Doel, Humanist Report. Long form, go to the essayists. In between those two would be Sam, Brooks and Pakman. Find the ones whose perspectives you relate to most and you can get some good looks, but I'd also mix in the others periodically especially on controversial topics so that you get a broader view. The left has a GANG of perspectives to wade through and it's a growing market to pull from. I'm contemplating my own podcast where I just target mischaracterizations of lefty positions in the mainstream and explain the actual perspectives that the characatures media has created are burying (Titled: Your Other Left).
