Johns Hopkins Professor Christy Thornton joins us from Mexico to discuss the wave of leftists recently elected to government. After an election with 3,400 positions in contest, Mexico stands poised for profound changes under the leadership of president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

Thornton breaks down how AMLO started the “Morena” party in 2015 after two presidential election losses over the past 12 years and where AMLO and his politics lie on the international political spectrum. One can expect AMLO’s government to be a pragmatic one, one that has gender parity but also includes a problematic fringe evangelical party, Social Encounter. Meanwhile, Pena-Nieto and his neoliberal government leave as the least popular government in modern Mexican history. And now, Irma Sandoval, AMLO’s pick for government comptroller, will head efforts to end the Mexican government slush fund for a corrupt ruling class. However, the biggest challenge ahead of AMLO in Mexico will be his effort to demilitarized the country while the drug war against the cartels pushes on. Thornton says expect Morena party leftists to keep up the mass mobilization, with constituents keeping AMLO’s government honest.

And in the Fun Half: Billionaires are antithetical to democracy, Michael does not hate Elon Musk, Lawrence O’Donnell on America’s anti-intellectualism towards “socialism,” Puerto Rican austerity is unbelievable, forecasting tomorrow’s job report, Fran calling from “Occupy ICE” in Philadelphia, Nazi defenders and pedophile enablers–the Republican party! Jamie calls in from the 2018 Socialism Conference in Chicago, Rand Paul talkin’ deficit blues, how to move others towards compassion, Alex Jones will blow the lid off the 9/11 inside job story, John Oliver blowing it on Venezuela and Mexico, Joe Rogan and the Intellectual Dark Web, how the DSA will enter mainstream politics, plus your kind calls and IMs!

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