Primary Buzz DISCUSSIONS SERIES

For years the Democratic Party has built a narrative that it’s the party fighting against voter suppression. But at the same time, it has fought tooth and nail to keep primaries closed and millions of voters shut out—undermining trust among the very electorate it claims to champion.

What’s most striking is not just the contradiction, but the pattern it reveals: a party establishment that appears more focused on maintaining control over the electoral process than on trusting voters to shape its direction. Even as this approach has failed to consistently deliver electoral victories, party leadership has doubled down. It’s become clear that it’s not even about winning and losing–it’s about control and domination.  

It raises a deeper question: when the parties stop trusting voters, why should voters continue to trust the parties?

Enter David Sirota–award-winning journalist, political commentator, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Don’t Look Up and the founder of The Lever, an investigative news outlet focused on exposing corruption and abuses of power.  A former speechwriter and senior advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Sirota has been an important voice on economic populism, media accountability, and the influence of money in politics.

Join us for our next Primary Buzz Discussion Series featuring Sirota on Thursday, May 14 at 3:00 PM ET

This promises to be a philosophical deep dive into the internal schisms within the Democrat and a frank examination of what’s at stake for the country. 

Bio: 

David J. Sirota is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, a reader-supported investigative news outlet focused on exposing the negative influence of corporate corruption on American society.  Sirota was a speechwriter and senior adviser for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign.  In 2022, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for conceiving the story for Netflix‘s Don’t Look Up alongside co-writer and director Adam McKay.  Sirota’s professional career has spanned politics, media, and journalism. In politics, he has held roles such as campaign manager, fundraiser, spokesperson, strategist, and consultant for a variety of left-leaning Democratic candidates and office holders. He twice worked for Bernie Sanders, both when Sanders was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives and as part of Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. He was also a staff member of the Center for American Progress, a liberal research and advocacy group.

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