In this episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum discusses the recent allegations toward Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. David warns Democrats that if they don't exercise caution with candidate selection, they risk losing winnable races in the 2026 midterm elections.
Then, David is joined by Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, to discuss the increasing hostility toward women manifesting itself in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. David and Shannon discuss misogyny on the left and right wings of American politics, increasing voter rancor to the perceived “establishment,” and the possibility of a “tea party” movement brewing on the left.
Finally, David discusses “Killing Baby Hitler” by Michael Tomasky and the dangers of “alternative history” as an intellectual exercise.

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00:00 Introduction
01:50 New Platner allegations
05:20 A test for Democrats
05:39 Shannon Watts
11:08 Online misogyny on the left
13:30 Platner and party loyalty
15:10 Tea Party parallels
18:20 JD Vance and cruelty politics
21:04 When will there be a backlash?
23:43 Institutions and social capital
25:18 Who profits from outrage?
26:07 The Karen double standard
29:08 Israel litmus tests and violence
34:36 Ignoring small monsters
43:26 Killing Baby Hitler