Democratic Socialists Are Winning. Now What?

Democratic Socialists Are Winning. Now What?

Author: Sarah & Beth August 11, 2026 Duration: 51:47
Beth is still on vacation, so Sarah drafted a guest co-host she's been married to for 23 years. Sarah and Nicholas run through the headlines — Iran's "low-key" chess game, the cost of absolutely everything, and the Flock cameras multiplying across the country — before digging into the state of the Democratic Party: the DSA's rise, AOC, purity tests, and why Barack Obama is somehow still the party's leader. Then, Outside of Politics, the full report on the Hollands' 3,000-mile RV trip from hell — eight states, four national parks, one brutal adenovirus, and a PSA about the rental company. Join us in Minneapolis on August 29 — or grab a virtual ticket to watch the live show from home: https://www.pantsuitpoliticsshow.com/p/2026-events Support the show and get access to News Briefs, Spicy Live bonus episodes, and community: https://pantsuitpolitics.substack.com Iran Trump to Axios: "We are low-keying it" with Iran (Axios): https://www.axios.com/2026/08/09/trump-iran-interview The Economy July jobs report: US economy shed 23,000 jobs (NBC News): https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/july-2026-jobs-report-rcna591138 The Employment Situation — July 2026 (BLS): https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Chick-fil-A keeps winning over customers despite quietly increasing prices by 55% (Market Realist): https://marketrealist.com/how-much-have-menu-prices-of-chick-fil-a-gone-up/ Substack essay on Chick-fil-A pricing that Sarah mentioned (add link) Surveillance & Flock Cameras The New York Times on Flock cameras (add link) How rogue officers turned a nationwide camera network into a tool for stalking (The Washington Post): https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/08/02/how-police-officers-used-vast-network-cameras-spy-their-exes/ Police cameras tracked one driver 526 times in four months, lawsuit says (NBC News): https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/virginia-police-used-flock-cameras-track-driver-safety-lawsuit-surveil-rcna230399 The Democratic Party Platner's Top Strategist on What Went Wrong | The Ezra Klein Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xET1CqVTrNE Pantsuit Politics on the Reagan legacy (add link) Outside of Politics: The RV Trip Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library — Plan Your Visit: https://www.trlibrary.com/visit Medora Musical: https://medora.com/medoramusical/ Pitchfork Steak Fondue: https://medora.com/pitchforksteakfondue/ Sun Tours — Blackfeet-owned tours of Glacier National Park: https://www.suntours.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a media landscape often defined by shouting matches and partisan trenches, Pantsuit Politics offers a different kind of conversation. Hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, two friends from Kentucky, built this independent podcast on a simple but radical premise: you can discuss the news and culture of the day with both conviction and genuine curiosity. What you’ll hear here isn’t debate for its own sake, but a sustained effort to understand the complexities behind the headlines. Sarah and Beth approach each topic with a blend of thorough research and personal reflection, modeling how to engage with difficult subjects without surrendering to outrage or anxiety. Their dialogue proves that thoughtful disagreement and common ground aren't mutually exclusive. This podcast provides a consistent, calming space for listeners who feel exhausted by the usual political noise but still want to stay meaningfully informed. New episodes arrive every Tuesday and Friday, offering regular check-ins that prioritize nuance over kneejerk reactions. It’s the kind of compelling listening that doesn’t just analyze the world, but quietly suggests a better way to talk about it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Pantsuit Politics
Podcast Episodes
The Normie Problem: Can Democrats Win with Platner? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Graham Platner is running for Senate in Maine and trailing a string of controversies — a tattoo with Nazi-era symbolism, old Reddit posts, and now a Wall Street Journal exposé on explicit texts with multiple women. Sarah…
Ken Paxton, Redistricting, and the Midterms Map [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:19
On today's Pantsuit Politics: Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn by 28 points — the widest primary margin against a sitting senator in nearly 50 years — and we dig into what it means for the Senate map and the midterms. Plus…
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Beth’s daughter, Ellen, asked why our books aren’t on the bestseller list, and honestly? Great question, Ellen. That one question opens up the whole can of worms today: how popular consensus gets manufactured — from the…
Trump's China Trip, the $1.7 Billion Slush Fund, and the AI Backlash [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:45
Trump's China trip barely makes a headline, a $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund raises alarms, and we check in on where we're really at with AI — as users, as parents, and as small business owners trying to keep up…
Jacqueline Coleman is Running for Governor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:40
As Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman launches her run for governor of Kentucky, we were honored to sit down with her and discuss her path to public service and hopes for the future of Kentucky. Ready to go deeper? Visit ⁠⁠our…
Gerrymandering, Iran, Ukraine & the Future of the American Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:53
This weekend, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved congressional maps, while the Tennessee legislature eliminated its only Democratic Congressional District — but Sarah and Beth think despondence is…
The Abortion Pill, the Courts, and the Mess They Made [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:53
The Fifth Circuit ruled again on mifepristone and the legal, political, and medical mess that followed is anything but settled. Sarah and Beth break down what Louisiana's "sovereign injury" theory means for mail-access a…
The Gerrymandering Death Spiral [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:47
Sarah and Beth break down the Supreme Court's decision gutting the Voting Rights Act and what it means for the gerrymandering arms race reshaping our electoral map. They check on Trump's promises to lower prices and fix…
The Education Crisis Nobody Wants to Fix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:24
Rahm Emanuel came ready to talk — and y'all, we were ready. This conversation covers the education crisis in America (which I don’t think a single person in this audience needs to be convinced about), what Mississippi ac…