Jacobin Radio Confronting Capitalism: Which Way Forward for the Left?
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Apr 15, 2026 
Matt Karp, historian and author who brings a long-view on class and strategy. Krystal Ball, progressive commentator known for populist analysis and campaign insight. They debate electoral strategy, rebuilding unions, expanding who counts as working class, tensions between suburban and multiracial coalitions, and how elections and organizing must fit together.
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DSA Primary Strategy Produced Real Wins
- The DSA-backed strategy of running candidates in Democratic primaries produced the most tangible left electoral wins since 2016.
- Krystal Ball cites AOC, Justice Democrats, and local DSA organizing as the engine behind surprise victories like Ocasio-Cortez's upset.
Zoran Mamdani As A Test Case
- Zoran Mamdani's New York campaign is presented as a proof case for a new left electoral opening.
- Krystal Ball credits DSA organizing and Mamdani's talent and door-to-door groundwork for his breakthrough.
Sanders Program Is The Winning Path
- Winning working-class voters requires a Sanders-style social democratic program, not centrist triangulation.
- Vivek Chibber argues Mamdani's win shows a populist economic agenda can actually bring back de-aligned working-class voters.