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Allen Jackson: Well good evening and welcome to Nashville. I'm Allen Jackson.

Democrats say they're a big tent party, but after their recent summer meeting in Austin, the more important question may be whether that tent has any ideological boundaries at all. DNC Chairman Ken Martin said everyone's welcome in this party. Yet while Democratic leaders celebrate ideological diversity, they are largely avoiding a much harder question.

What happens when the people being welcomed openly support policies that would fundamentally change America's institutions, its economy, and the values that have made our nation the most powerful in the world? The Democratic Socialists of America are not hiding what they want. Their official program calls for abolishing ICE, abolishing the Senate, and fundamentally increasing government control over the economy.

Yet Democratic leaders such as Hakeem Jeffries promise that DSA-backed candidates who win will be welcomed into what he calls a broad caucus. Then there's Congressman Ro Khanna, who says that if Democrats regain the House in November, they should hold a vote on Medicare for All. And he argues that most House Democrats would support it.

Khanna also campaigns heavily on taxing billionaires and wealthy Americans, even though estimates place his own net worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars. So what does big tent actually mean when disagreements involving Israel, borders, policing, capitalism, and the basic structure of American government are so profound? Are we naive to think that these socialists will just sit passively by if they entered the halls of Congress?

According to a recent poll, Democrats view socialism more favorably than capitalism. The poll found that 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, and only 18% view socialism negatively. 50% of Democrats viewed capitalism negatively, while only 32% viewed capitalism positively. And among college-educated Democrats, 71% viewed socialism favorably. Just 16% viewed it unfavorably.

It's been an eye-opener to see the depth of indoctrination at our so-called elite universities. It reveals that they've not been teaching children, but rather filling our children with propaganda. And look at the system we've got going on in this country when it comes to colleges and universities. As a parent, you work hard, you pay your taxes, and you send your kids to college. You want to help them the best you can.

And these colleges are so expensive compared to even a generation ago. Students run up debt while getting politicized every day both in and out of the classroom. They're taught to believe that America stinks, that it's a colonial experiment of no real legitimacy. They're taught that society is being oppressed, that we shouldn't have borders. They're taught that socialism is a superior system. And then they believe that the government should forgive their student loan.

We've got academic institutions and cultural leaders defending Hamas. And now we've got Democratic Socialist of America politicians winning primary elections not in spite of their hatred for Israel, but because of their hatred for the Jewish nation. The DNC Chair said recently everyone is welcome in this party. Well, that's fine, but where do you draw the line?

Does that mean that Democrats agree with their DSA comrades when it comes to making the government pay for healthcare, housing, higher education, electricity, and even reparations for ancestral grievances? The DSA's proposals will result in new spending that will triple the current level of federal spending. And where do the Democrats stand in regard to DSA positions on abolishing the Senate, abolishing ICE, and defunding police?

What about their hatred, their stated hatred, for Israel? What's acceptable and what is unacceptable? Why don't the Democrats draw a line and condemn some of these positions? We see the absurdity prevalent in our culture today. It's taking place in the WNBA, one of our professional sports leagues. Indiana basketball player Sophie Cunningham's bold stance that young female athletes should not have to go against biological men has triggered the woke mob.

And the WNBA Commissioner won't come out and defend the women in the league. She won't even attempt to define what the W in WNBA stands for. In fact, we have a Supreme Court Justice in Ketanji Brown Jackson who refused to define what a woman is. If a Supreme Court Justice won't say what a woman is, perhaps she's not qualified to be on the highest court of the land. Truth is not subjective. It doesn't shift with the prevailing political narrative.

We have a socialist Muslim that is mayor of the most powerful city in America. We'd better take notice. Socialism and Communism have a clear track record. One of the first targets as those ideologies gain increasing influence is the church. For those ideologies to flourish, it must first diminish the voice of Christianity. That's just simple history.

If that movement grows in our nation, I can tell you what it will bring: fewer opportunities for the gospel. So no, I'm not an advocate for socialism or communism. And unfortunately, the church has stayed too quiet. If the church is vibrant, healthy, active, and influencing people, and if lives are being transformed, that ideology will not flourish.

Let's not wait until we lose our liberties and freedoms to decide to adjust our attitudes and our priorities. We've got to have more boldness, starting at our kitchen tables, then in our neighborhoods, the workplace, and our communities. If we will bring a biblical worldview boldly into the public square, we will see positive change in our families and the generations that follow us. They'll experience better outcomes.

In just a moment, we're going to bring on a veteran of national politics and the head of RealClearPolitics, Tom Bevan. I'll be right back.

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Tonight we're joined by the co-founder and president of RealClearPolitics, Tom Bevan. Welcome to the show, Tom.

Tom Bevan: Allen, great to be with you.

Allen Jackson: We're winding down the primary season with the last few states holding elections in recent days. If there's a state that's established some pretty significant Republican credentials, it would be Florida. What did their primary results tell us about the political future of that state?

Tom Bevan: The big story obviously coming out of Florida was the DSA candidate winning in an upset in the Democratic primary for the Senate, beating Alex Vinman, who was sort of the establishment candidate and the one that everybody thought. He spent 16 million dollars. Angie Nixon, who ended up winning, only spent I think 975,000, so she was outspent 16 to one.

And yet she managed to pull off an upset there. I think that proves that even in sort of deep red states, the DSA is managing to organize and the energy is with the sort of left-wing base of the Democratic Party. I think Vinman ran a terrible campaign. I don't think he's a very good candidate. I think he overlooked Nixon much to his detriment in the final analysis.

But the DSA, and by the way, Nixon joined the DSA shortly after she entered this race. They did not endorse her, so she's sort of DSA-adjacent, but in many respects has all of the same sort of policy positions and is to the sort of far left end of the spectrum of the Democratic Party. That's where the energy is. That's where the turnout is coming from. In a midterm election especially, that's what propels candidates into the general election. Obviously she's got a very uphill battle in that state against Ashley Moody in a general election, though.

Allen Jackson: South Carolina is having a runoff election for the seat that was vacated by Lindsey Graham's death. His sister Darlene is running. She has Trump's endorsement. She's opposed by Congressman Ralph Norman, and there's a whole host of South Carolina politicians that have endorsed him. How do you see that runoff turning out?

Tom Bevan: I thought she was probably the favorite until this debate the other night where she had this terrible exchange. Greta Van Susteren asked her about Taiwan and the South China Sea, and she basically said, "I'll be honest, I don't know. I'm not very well informed on foreign policy," which is ironic given that that was one of her brother's favorite topics that he spent most of his time on in the Senate.

I guess you could give her points for honesty and she's tried to clean it up and parlay the fact that she's not a politician into making that a positive. But at the end of the day, voters really don't know much about her other than she's Lindsey Graham's sister. With a two-week period, sort of this furious runoff, she was looking to define herself. Unfortunately, this moment I think has defined her in the eyes of many voters. So even with Trump's endorsement, I think she might have that might be a fatal mistake. I don't know that she's going to get through this runoff.

Allen Jackson: President Trump's announced that he'll make an appearance in South Carolina on her behalf. Are his coattails strong enough to tip that scale?

Tom Bevan: He definitely still has some juice, although if you look around, this cycle has been not as good for him, not as successful in terms of his primary nominations as he's had in some of the past cycles. He's had a couple of big losses, including some in Florida, Mike Lindell up in Minnesota, and some others.

So even with Trump's endorsement, I just don't know. Part of the problem is that even though there might be some goodwill for Lindsey Graham in the state of South Carolina, and by the way, there were plenty of Republicans who didn't really care for Lindsey Graham, voters in particular Republican voters don't like the idea of elected offices, particularly one at that level, a Senate office, being passed on like a family heirloom. I think his endorsement may not be enough to get her across the finish line.

Allen Jackson: Midterms are less than 75 days away. Which of the races are you watching to have the biggest outcome this fall?

Tom Bevan: There are about 30 to 35 House races that both the Democrats and the Republicans are really keying on that are in these marginal districts that will end up deciding the fate. But really the ballgame now is in the Senate where you have six toss-up races.

The races that are getting the most attention and really are the most crucial are Michigan. Democrats absolutely have to hold on to that seat if they want to have a chance at taking control in the Senate. They've got a candidate there in El-Sayed who is running depending on which poll you look at. He's either a little bit ahead or a little bit behind.

Susan Collins in Maine, she's behind by about two and a half points in our RealClearPolitics average to Troy Jackson, who obviously stepped in for Graham Plattner after that debacle. She is a candidate that, again, that's a seat Republicans really think that they can and should hold even in an environment that favors Democrats the way this year is favoring her.

And then Texas, which is a state that Republicans should not and really don't want to be spending as much time and effort. Hundreds of millions of dollars are going to go into the effort there to try and get Ken Paxton across the finish line. James Talarico is currently leading in that race but by less than a percentage point. So it's very, very close and that's going to be a battle. Those are the three keys that will decide the fate of the Senate.

Allen Jackson: The Democratic Socialists seem to have been the marquee stars for the Democrats in this cycle. Listen to these comments by Congressman Ro Khanna, and then I've got a question.

Ro Khanna: I am for Medicare for All. I am for a tax on billionaires. I'm for no foreign wars. So there are legitimate differences, but the unifying theme is that this system isn't working for ordinary Americans.

Guest (Female): Were you disappointed to hear Leader Jeffries say at this point in time he says he wouldn't vote for Medicare for All?

Ro Khanna: Look, I respect the difference, but I will say this: it needs to have a vote on the House floor. A majority of the House Democrats are going to support it.

Allen Jackson: I don't know why the Democratic Socialists don't include free ice cream for life while they're making their list. We might as well get some stuff in there too. It's difficult to imagine this is credible, but they keep winning campaign after campaign. Are they going to make an impact on the future of this nation?

Tom Bevan: I think what we're seeing is that the DSA and DSA-adjacent candidates have a lot of energy. Remember when this whole started, it was, "Oh, it's just Mom-Doni in New York. Oh, it's just these deep blue urban districts in New York." And then the DSA candidate won in Colorado.

And then the DSA-adjacent candidate won in Michigan in a statewide race, almost won in Wisconsin, 3,800 votes short in Wisconsin. Now we've seen one win in Florida. So I think the DSA is certainly ascendant and they will have some wins. They will have a small caucus in the House of Representatives.

But this battle that's going on within the Democratic Party is really going to play out writ large in 2028 as the Democrats go to nominate their standard bearer moving forward. Will they end up with a sort of more established, more centrist candidate, or will they really push for and get a candidate who is toward the progressive end or even the socialist end of the spectrum?

Bernie Sanders is too old to run again. Elizabeth Warren is too old. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems like the natural candidate to carry this sort of DSA or DSA-adjacent banner. So we'll see, but they certainly are pushing hard within the Democratic Party and they're having some success. No question about it.

Allen Jackson: Tom, we need to take a short break. Can you stand by for another segment?

Tom Bevan: Absolutely.

Allen Jackson: If you're watching and you've got a phone nearby, try logging on to AJnow.com. Send me an email, your thoughts on this DSA topic. We'd like to hear them. I'll be right back.

I've learned as a pastor there's a tremendous difference in a crowd and a community of faith. When people decide to step out of the crowd and invest their time and their resources, they become a part of a community and it changes their life. Well, I want to give you that invitation. I'm grateful you're a part of the crowd who watch the ministry.

I want to ask you to consider becoming a monthly ministry partner. I believe if you'll make that regular commitment to what God is doing through this ministry, it will bring momentum to your spiritual life and it will help us reach more people than we've ever reached with the gospel before.

America is turning 250 years old. That's something that should unify us. We have so much to celebrate. There is no place like America. Our freedoms and liberties, they are unmatched in this world. Everything that's good about America, our laws, our opportunities, the prosperity we've enjoyed, they've come to us because of our faith.

We've created a series of emails celebrating 250 years of our country. Find out how Christianity has played a role in this nation from its founding until now. You'll receive a new email each week throughout the series. Each one is designed to help you see our blessings and our heritage in a new way. How faith has played a powerful role all the way through. It's one way we're celebrating America's 250th. We hope you'll join us. You can sign up now at AllenJackson.com/250.

We're back now with the head of RealClearPolitics, Tom Bevan. Tom, you were talking about the DSA, but a new CBS poll shows that six in 10 Democrats have a positive view of socialism. And among Democrats with a college degree, the number goes up to 71%. How do Republicans combat this when we move into this fall and as you mentioned into 2028?

Tom Bevan: That was a shocking number, and they also conversely had a negative opinion of capitalism. A lot of the folks that are powering these DSA candidates are younger. They are over-educated or they have advanced degrees and are under-employed. So they have a lot of college debt and they have jobs or degrees that make them feel like they're not getting ahead.

And so they are attracted to an ideology and a platform that promises Medicare for All and free buses and all of the things that Mom-Doni has been practicing or promising in New York City. And look, it is worrying. It also is something that the Democrats are going to have to deal with because if you go to the DSA website and you look at what they actually propose, it's not just Medicare for All.

It is abolishing ICE and abolishing the Senate and having open borders and abolishing prisons and a lot of things that are really, really outside of the mainstream even for a progressive Democrat. And so when you have some of these candidates who've won, who are espousing those views or maybe espoused them and are now trying to walk them back and walk away from some of those things, it does present problems for even Hakeem Jeffries, who said he doesn't agree with those things.

But he also still has to say we're going to have a big tent, we're going to welcome everybody in, and we'll sort of fight those battles and figure it out moving forward. Well, some of those battles are going to be really, really problematic for the Democrats.

Allen Jackson: Tom, part of the aftermath of COVID and all that went with that has been the cratering of trust in institutions that had really been stalwart in the way we understood ourselves. A piece of that has been election integrity. I think there's a lot of questions around that. The DOJ has announced plans to send a record 1,000 monitors to observe the voting during these midterm elections. Is that enough, and do you think it's going to restore the sense of integrity to elections in America?

Tom Bevan: I think it's a start. And we actually interviewed Harmeet Dhillon on our radio show earlier this week where she talked about this effort and why it's important. Because we do have a loss of trust in, as you mentioned, all systems, but the election system in particular. And this is not necessarily a partisan issue. You have folks on the left who have thought that the election system is not secure and there has been some irregularities there.

And so I think it is something that is necessary. Certainly both parties are doing this. Both parties, the DNC and the RNC, both have election integrity divisions where they are going to be putting forth poll watchers and observers in as many locations as they can. The DOJ is now involved.

I think the more people that you have looking over this, the better. The more sunlight you can put on this, the better, even if it's partisan folks that are watching so they can document if there is something that is irregular. If there is a voting machine that goes down or a poll place that goes down, they can alert people to it. They can file injunctions to keep polls open. They can do things so that both sides feel like they are observing what's going on and they're getting a fair shake.

And that's really the only way to do it to restore any sort of trust. There's some legislative fixes that could be there. The Safe America Act is obviously pending, but it is such a partisan, it's so polarized. The Democrats have no interest in doing anything like the Safe America Act. In the interim, this is one step that can and is being taken, and I applaud it. I think it's the right thing to do.

Allen Jackson: In a recent interview with Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom said no one wants to talk about COVID. I'm sure the Chinese don't, and I'm pretty sure Dr. Fauci doesn't. But it seems to me there's a lot of Americans that would like to have the conversation. There's still some resentment, questions, anger bottled up around all of that. What are your thoughts on that COVID discussion?

Tom Bevan: I saw that and I was sort of dumbfounded by it because we talked about COVID, particularly when Anthony Fauci was back in the news testifying, taking the fifth, and we got an incredible reaction from people. I still harbor a lot of anger and resentment about what was done to families and businesses and kids' education, all of that.

And the lack of accountability for any of it. The way the American people were lied to. And so I think a lot of people still do want to talk about COVID. I can understand why Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer may not want to talk about it. I would love to hear them both answer the questions of whether there's anything that they regret in the decisions that they made now, hindsight being 20/20.

Because I think that would go a long way toward helping alleviate some of this anger and frustration that's still out there. But nobody's making any apologies, nobody's being held accountable, and I think that's what is making this anger and frustration linger as long as it has.

Allen Jackson: One last quick question. At a recent Indiana Fever game, WNBA game, a mother and daughter attended and they were wearing shirts XX XY. Security threatened to eject them from the game if they refused to cover up their shirts. Not the first time there's been an incident like that at a WNBA game. Does the First Amendment not protect our speech at a WNBA game?

Tom Bevan: You had to ask me the WNBA question. It's a look. The WNBA has found itself in real trouble, in part because they refuse to recognize differing points of view on that issue in particular. And now they're facing the question of with these former NBA stars that are now declaring for the WNBA draft, the conundrum about defining what a woman is.

The WNBA has a real problem with this culture war that they've invited basically into their space and they won't allow people to have their own opinions. It's not something they're going to be able to wave away or get around. I think it's only going to grow until they come to some sort of definitive decision about who women are, what constitutes a woman, and who's allowed to play in that league. Until then, they will be tying themselves in knots.

Allen Jackson: Tom, I thank you for your time today. Your insights always bring clarity.

Tom Bevan: Thanks Allen, appreciate it.

Allen Jackson: We'll be back in just a moment.

I want to give you a personal invitation to join my podcast called Culture and Christianity.

Guest (Male): You don't compromise the truth, but you say it where the people know that you care about them.

Allen Jackson: We're trying to understand how to take our faith outside the walls of the church and live it out in the marketplace.

Guest (Female): I just never understood the double standard because they'd punish me while my peers were allowed to talk about how devastated they were that Roe versus Wade was overturned.

Allen Jackson: I brought in some friends, people that are trying to do this on a regular basis.

Guest (Male): They're never going to stop me because the truth is the truth. I'd rather be on God's side than to be a coward.

Allen Jackson: Now we've been living in a season of unprecedented deception, propaganda, manipulation.

Guest (Female): Our best option was to run. We were timing ourselves. I was trying to think how can I protect my kids?

Allen Jackson: Well, I want to be a part of seeing culture and Christianity intersect. I hope you'll join the podcast soon.

Thank you for spending a few moments of your day with us. God is moving in the earth. Let's join him. God bless you, and goodnight.