**Hard Knock Radio: After the Blue Wave, What Now**
Host Davey D welcomed Jane Kim of the Working Families Party and Ethel Long Scott of the Womens Economic Agenda Project for a grounded read on a whiplash week. The show opened with the post election lift that came from victories in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and across the map. That mood met a hard check when eight Democrats voted to end the shutdown without concessions. Listeners heard relief turn to frustration in real time.
Kim laid out why so many voters are looking beyond the traditional parties. She said billionaire money has captured both sides, which leaves working people without a consistent champion. Working Families has grown rapidly since last November and helped elect more than one hundred endorsed officials in California, from school boards to the legislature. Kim argued that wins only matter if the organizing continues inside city halls, budget hearings, and state houses. She pointed to her years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where constant community meetings and turnout helped push pedestrian safety and other shared priorities across rich and poor districts.
Long Scott widened the lens to basic needs. Families are bracing for sharp jumps in health insurance premiums. That squeeze sits beside rising costs for housing, food, and childcare. She warned that demoralization and divide and conquer tactics will follow big wins, often with paid amplification online. The antidote is steady political education, unity across race and class, and clear demands that place public resources in service of public good. She cited Chicago and Oakland efforts as signs of a longer movement cycle that links elections to governing power.
Before signing off, the guests urged listeners to stay close to the work. Tap into local coalitions. Track budget fights. Show up for hearings. Working Families is hosting in person events across California. WEAP continues to organize around healthcare and affordability. The message was simple. Keep the door open, and keep walking through it together.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.