Oct 27, 2026 · 1h 7m
Hosts cast Obama as a forerunner of today’s Democratic left
How Obama Secretly Transformed Democrats Into Socialists & Gave Us Abdul El Sayed
The episode links Obama-era politics to the Democratic Party’s current ideological battles, then tests those arguments against Wyoming’s energy and forest policies.
- 1The hosts argue that Obama helped normalize ideas now associated with the Democratic Party’s progressive and socialist wing.
- 2Harriet Hageman presents energy development, federal accountability, and forest management as central tests of Wyoming’s political future.
- 3The episode mixes partisan argument with comic detours on campaign imagery, a cat’s blood transfusion, and Skyline chili.
Don't miss
Harriet Hageman explains why she believes federal roadless policies have restricted Wyoming forest access and undermined responsible management.
The brief
The hosts argue that Barack Obama helped make ideas associated with today’s Democratic left politically acceptable, connecting his presidency to Abdul El-Sayed, Bernie Sanders, and James Talarico.
Their case moves through Obama-era controversies, health-care promises, media defenses, and the claim that his politics helped push blue-collar voters away from the Democratic Party.
After detours involving J.B. Pritzker’s costume, Greg Abbott’s campaign ad, and a dog-to-cat blood transfusion, the program turns to Wyoming policy.
Harriet Hageman discusses energy development, taxes, federal accountability, and her Stop Climate Shakedowns Act, opposing restrictions she associates with California-style environmental politics.
Hageman’s forest-management argument is the episode’s clearest policy segment: she says roadless rules limit access while national forests serve timber, water, energy, and grazing needs.
What was said on this episode
23 statements · 5 positive · 17 negative · 1 neutral
Obama helped mainstream socialism, contributing to Democrats becoming communist.
“This is how they snuck socialism into the mainstream of this country. All of the criticism of Obama, who really was the beginning of all of this, a lot of those people became Democrats and Democrats became communists.”
Listen at 7:51
The Obama administration promoted Chinese solar panels as the future of energy.
“And all this horseshit that was sold to us by the Obama administration of Chinese solar panels, that's the wave of the future.”
Listen at 10:57
Barack Obama had socialist ties.
“With Barack Obama, you always knew you had these sort of socialist ties.”
Listen at 13:43
Obama was too early to enact the DSA’s level of radicalism.
“Obama's now the mainstream figure. But I think the reality is it's not that Obama was too moderate for the DSA. He was just too early. He couldn't get away with it.”
Listen at 14:15
Obama would be as radical as Abdul El-Sayed if politically feasible.
“If he could have, he'd be just as radical as Abdul El-Sayed.”
Listen at 14:32
Obama enabled the Democratic Party’s shift away from the Clinton-era model.
“the long tail of this is barack obama yeah he he is most certainly the person who provided this permission slip for the democratic party to go far afield from the whole bill clinton 1990s model into something that you're now seeing come to fruition”
Listen at 15:12
Obama helped introduce socialism into mainstream American politics.
“It's been a way to Trojan horse socialism into this country.”
Listen at 20:41
Obama put America on a path toward Abdul El-Sayed’s Democratic politics.
“This is, El Syed is what Barack Obama put this country on the path to do from the Democrat.”
Listen at 22:10
The major party realignment occurred during Obama’s presidency.
“the realignment of both the Democrat Party and the Republican Party happened in his eight years as president of the United States.”
Listen at 25:00
Obama alienated middle-class, union, blue-collar, and rural Democratic voters.
“He took what was traditionally a Democratic electorate, a middle class, union, blue collar, rural, in many cases, electorate, and told them, I don't want you.”
Listen at 25:07
Obama’s false promises contributed to Donald Trump becoming president.
“the false promises of Barack Obama year after year led to Donald Trump's presidency.”
Listen at 26:43
The political direction associated with Obama and the left will worsen over time.
“Because it's going to get worse.”
Listen at 28:10
Greg Abbott will win his race.
“I think he's going to win that race.”
Listen at 36:48
Wyoming is among America’s largest energy producers and leads in coal and uranium production.
“we're one of the largest energy producers in the nation, largest coal producer. One of the top oil and gas were the largest uranium producer.”
Listen at 46:55
California has failed its citizens on water development.
“California has totally failed their citizenry in terms of their water development.”
Listen at 47:52
The Biden administration’s Rock Springs plan would restrict resource use across 3.8 million Wyoming acres.
“would have substantially affected and hindered our ability to use our resources on 3.8 million acres of land in southwestern Wyoming.”
Listen at 49:30
The Stop Climate Shakedowns Act would block climate lawsuits by states and cities.
“And it would stop these kinds of lawsuits from going forward. It would be a federal preemption bill.”
Listen at 52:18
The United States has built no new refinery since 1978.
“We have not built a new refinery in the United States since 1978.”
Listen at 54:23
Current elevated United States diesel prices will eventually decline.
“We're going to get beyond this.”
Listen at 54:39
Repealing English proficiency rules under Obama enabled tens of thousands of illegal CDLs.
“it was repealed under President Obama. And since then, we know of tens of thousands of illegal CDLs that have been handed out to people across this country”
Listen at 57:39
Nine of the ten most catastrophic forest fires occurred after the roadless rule’s adoption.
“Nine of the 10 most catastrophic forest fires that we've had have occurred in the last 25 years since the roadless rule was adopted.”
Listen at 59:21
The roadless rule caused watershed damage, environmental harm, and catastrophic fires.
“they have devastated our watersheds. They have devastated our environment. We've had massive, massive catastrophic forest fires, and it all leads back to the roadless rule.”
Listen at 59:51
Skyline Chili is a good breakfast because it provides protein and carbohydrates.
“It was an amazing breakfast food because you're getting a lot of protein, first thing, and you're getting carbs.”
Listen at 1:05:01
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
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