America’s intellectual divide is growing. Democrats received ample criticism for being out of touch with non-urban America that led to President Trump. To correct this divide and increase the progressive Left’s understanding of their conservative neighbors, Salon.com posted an article about conservative Twitter accounts their readers ought to follow. Though, Salon, never missing an opportunity, smugly entitled the article “The 25 Conservatives Actually Worth Following On Twitter” (emphasis mine).
In a similar spirit of understanding your fellow American and in an effort to avoid a similar fate of conservatives in electoral politics in the future, I bring you the 25 Progressives to Follow on Twitter (smugness omitted):
- Ben Smith — @BuzzFeedBen
When he’s not at the business end of a Tucker Carlson shellacking, Ben is the Editor-in-Chief of the successful BuzzFeed publication. BuzzFeed continues to improve its reporting arm with heavy hitting pieces against Breitbart and the Trump Administration lately. BuzzFeed will likely still publish “25 Thing” lists and puppy videos, but Ben has been at the helm as it increases its investigative side of the house.
- Jon Lovett — @jonlovett
Jon is a co-host of Pod Save America which continues to be one of the most listened to political talk podcasts in the nation. Jon brings his humor and wit to Twitter with a heavy dose of interviews and comments by progressives leaders he interviews. Their podcast itself is fair, but far from balanced.
- Chris Murphy — @ChrisMurphyCT
The Senator from Connecticut is the only politician to make the list. Senator Murphy is the liberal Ben Sasse by his interactions with the Twitter world coupled with his engagement with not just politics but the culture. Give him a follow.
- Jeet Heer — @HeerJeet
Jeet’s is the editor of The New Republic. Jeet’s articles carry a tone removed from the emotion modern politics has taken, but instead aim to convince through broad strokes of progressive philosophy. Without following Jeet, you wouldn’t know that progressives do also rush to the theater to see My Little Pony.
- DeRay Mckesson — @deray
Studying the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States is impossible to do without knowing Deray McKesson. Deray is a civil rights activist, frequent writer, and speaker at progressive and civil rights lectures. He links well, writes well, and is unquestionably passionate about his politics.
- Chris Hayes — @chrislhayes
Chris is a full time critic of President Trump with a side hustle of a show on MSNBC. Like many on the right, Chris has undertaken the mission of calling balls and strikes of the Trump Administration. Though his show on MSNBC is what you would expect, his Twitter, at times, can spit some red hot progressive fire.
- Ezra Klein — @ezraklein
Vox.com does less investigative journalism than they did when they started, shifting towards more activist journalism. When they set aside the progressive pandering, Ezra Klein’s Vox publishes incredible infographics and analysis regarding niche topics that the rest of the media fails to capture. Ezra has been innovative in that way and deserves a click.
- Jamelle Bouie — @jbouie
Jamelle writes for Slate. His political analysis is strong though we obviously approach issues with different value paradigms. He has a loose Twitter coalition with Chris Hayes and Jane Coaston as they take on the Trump Administration. He also takes gorgeous photos (exposure shot in Chinatown Arch is perfection).
- Jane Coaston — @cjane87
Jane has attained tremendous infamy in conservative circles this week for her New York Times piece calling out “The Hollow Bravery of Ben Shapiro.” Her boldness and willingness to go after the Daily Wire editor-in-chief may have landed her a 2018 Politicon primetime debate slot against Mr. Shapiro.
10.Noah Smith — @Noahpinion
Noah writes for the Economist and Bloomberg. He is a gifted economist and his analysis often pulls from viewpoints across the political spectrum. His tweets reflect a broad reading list that we can all only hope to emulate.
- Yashar Ali — @yashar
Yashar is socially progressive and engages with the culture at a frequency that publications like HuffPost and NY Magazine require. Unlike many progressives who dabble in virtue signaling on Twitter, Yashar has been front-paging social justice issues for nearly a decade in the sincerest of fashions.
- Charles Mudede — @mudede
Charles has a smaller following than some others on this list but that doesn’t make his writing and the topics he covers any more worthy of a read. Charles hails from Zimbabwe. His cultural commentary in his writing as well as the diversity of his interests between his writing and film career make him one of the more interesting follows.
- Kai Ryssdal — @kairyssdal
Kai’s tweets read like what I imagine many progressives are thinking when they engage with establishment Republicans or the Trump Administration. He writes frequently about the stock market and U.S. economy. He’s not so much a progressive as he is a radio host, free-market globalist which is to say, he is fiscally conservative, but likely doesn’t get invited to elitist cocktail parties.
- Juliet Lapidos — @julietlapidos
Juliet is the editor of the Los Angeles Times opinion section. Her background and her possession of the keys to the West coast’s leading opinion column make her a force to know in progressive circles.
- Asra Nomani — @AsraNomani
Asra is less of a progressive and more of a reformist. She has spent her career devoted to incorporating reforms in the religion of Islam. Democrats and progressives might be reluctant to embrace her as one of their own after she testified before Congress and proceeded to write a scornful opinion piece afterwards claiming Democratic congresswomen failed to take their criticism of Islam’s treatment of women’s rights seriously. She’s progressive; she’s on the list.
- George Chidi — @neonflag
George is a reporter in Atlanta and a true believer in compassionate public service. It’s hard to know when George sleeps between his work as a reporter, his lengthy debates with his followers on Twitter and the Book, and volunteering at homeless shelters across the city of Atlanta. George’s mission is to reduce income equality in Georgia and increase opportunity. He is a good and honest man.
- Richard Wolff — @profwolff
Professor Wolff and Chris Hedges should contemplate a seminar on the dangers of capitalism. The class can be a two semester course with John Allison, Ron Paul, and David Friedman teaching the second semester. Richard Wolff appears on Fox and holds his own, even as a self-proclaimed Marxist.
- Tamika Mallory — @TamikaDMallory
Tamika has guts. She unashamedly takes on the powers that be and lays down a track on Twitter. Her twitter bio describes herself as a mom, entrepreneur, freedom fighter, and hip hop lover, so it’s safe to say she’s a pretty dynamite woman.
- Parker Molloy — @ParkerMolloy
Parker writes about gender, sex, and transgender issues and the intersection of all three. And rock and roll, and sports. If it’s on the internet or in pop culture, Parker probably has written on it or has a draft on her computer. Her twitter is chockfull of commentary about all of the above.
- Meagan Day — @meaganmday
Meagan is the funniest verified socialist on Twitter. As of late, she’s been my go-to source for the socialist argument for Medicare for all. She’s also been writing about her birthday a lot…
- Emma Green — @emmaogreen
Emma has wide interests and posts some neat articles. Her writing ranges from interviews to book reviews to opinion pieces from politics to religion. The stories she tells are compelling and worth a read.
- Matt O’Brien — @ObsoleteDogma
Matt O’Brien tweets out 140-character analyses of Trumpean Economics. He is not a fan and it’s helpful to see the other side as to why.
- Jonathan Krohn — @JonathanLKrohn
Conservatives will remember Jonathan Krohn well. Jonathan made his first break into politics at the American Conservative Union’s CPAC after the publication of his book, Defining Conservatism. Several years later, Krohn had traded in conservatism for more progressive leanings as he writes about international affairs.
- Cenk Uygur — @cenkuygur
Cenk has recovered from his bout with Ben Shapiro at Politicon in July to return to his work at the Young Turks. Cenk hosts a no-holds barred style of political talk unashamedly progressive.
- Chris Hedges — @ChrisLynnHedges
Chris has one of the more diverse backgrounds as a journalist, activist, and Presbyterian minister. He was an early leader in the Occupy Wall Street movement and has spent a considerable part of his career criticizing capitalism. In several articles he describes himself as a Christian anarchist – the belief that authority comes from God and is the only authority to which Christians answer.
Most of these accounts post material that is the very antithesis of conservatism. Many hold a worldview far afield to yours. But, that is the very point. Engaging with their perspective reconciles your own principles. Pushing back against certain ideas and learning from those with whom you disagree leads us all forward.
Willingness to listen and engage grants us the opportunity to know and be compassionate for our fellow American.
Perspectives expressed in op-eds are not those of The Daily Caller.
