Leslie Marshall Show - 9/28/26 - Why Americans Are Feeling the Squeeze — Economically and Politically by Progressive Voices Network

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. 

First, Brad speaks with world renowned Economist Dr. Robert Shapiro about the economic pressures facing American families, including rising gas, food, electricity and health-care costs, and why Rob believes many of those increases are tied to Trump administration policies on tariffs, health care and the war in Iran.
They also discuss the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates, what higher borrowing costs mean for mortgages, credit cards and car loans, and why Rob is worried about slower growth as wages fail to keep pace with inflation.

The conversation also turns to the political consequences of the economy heading into the midterms and what Democrats should prioritize if they regain control of Congress. Dr. Shapiro argues that Democrats should roll back tariffs, restore Affordable Care Act subsidies and press for an end to the war in Iran as ways to reduce price pressures and show voters they are focused on improving household finances.

Then, John Kenneth White joins Brad to discuss his new book, "Democracy on the Edge: The Trump Elections and the Future of American Politics." John argues that America’s democratic crisis did not begin with Donald Trump, but has been made more severe by decades of growing presidential power, congressional weakness and structural problems in the Constitution.

Brad and John discuss the Electoral College, the Senate, Supreme Court reform, Congress’s diminished role in war powers and the broader question of whether the country’s political institutions are still working as intended. The conversation also explores the country’s changing racial and generational makeup, the political backlash that followed Barack Obama’s election, the long-running stalemate between the two parties, and the economic divide between wealthy Americans and everyone else.
John argues that younger voters are less attached to either party because they have not seen enough results, and he closes on a more hopeful note about the responsibility of ordinary citizens to protect democratic institutions and take ownership of the country’s future.

Brad is on the National Journal's panel of political insiders, is an American political analyst for The Times of India TV, and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. Brad also writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'
You can read his new Substack called, 'The Bannon Ballot Blast,' at www.bradbannon.substack.com.
His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.