What Rough Beast

Green Shoots and Red Flags

July 21, 2026·59 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

In this episode, we invite on Bea Neilson, a preternaturally well-read Gen Z political junkie, to talk about where the Democratic Party goes from here. Here's what we covered: * Trump's TikTok strategy and why he never really left the stage * the DSA's steady takeover of the party's energy, with Mamdani as Exhibit A * the Graham Platner fiasco and what it reveals about consultants chasing "authenticity" * why Black voters keep seeing danger signs white liberals miss * the data center protests, the most genuinely grassroots movement either of us can point to right now.And if you yourself are finding green shoots in the ground these days, please share. This is a reader-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit virginiaheffernan.substack.com/subscribe

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