Jul 29, 2026 · 50 min · 14 segments
Everybody's got a hot take on how American democracy is dying. Almost nobody has an actual plan to save it. This week, Rick Wilson sits down with Ben Wikler — the former Wisconsin Democratic Party…
Ben WicklerGuest
Rick WilsonHost
There is a level of rage that I think is totally justified about a system that's totally broken.
If you look at dictatorships around the world, there'll sometimes be an opposition party where people are getting jailed by the dictator, but they're fighting and they know the stakes.
And people want to feel like they're a part of a movement that understands the stakes, understands the kind of fight that's needed.
And for better or worse, the good news and the bad news is the way that you build this is exactly the way you build political power.
But I think when people talk about the Democratic brand, A brand is not your logo.
Your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped, and battle-hardened.
There is not a liberal America and a conservative America.
There is the United States of America.
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There is a level of rage that I think is totally justified about a system that's totally broken.
If you look at dictatorships around the world, there'll sometimes be an opposition party where people are getting jailed by the dictator, but they're fighting and they know the stakes.
And people want to feel like they're a part of a movement that understands the stakes, understands the kind of fight that's needed.
And for better or worse, the good news and the bad news is the way that you build this is exactly the way you build political power.
But I think when people talk about the Democratic brand, A brand is not your logo.
Your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped, and battle-hardened.
There is not a liberal America and a conservative America.
There is the United States of America.
