For years, Republicans have said that America - at its core - is a center right country.

Well - they're wrong.

It turns out that America is about as far from being a center right nation as you can get - and now we have the numbers to prove it.

A recent poll from the Progressive Change Institute found that Americans overwhelmingly support Bernie Sanders-style democratic socialist policies.

As Bernie Sanders embarks on his tour of red state America with DNC chair Tom Perez, he does so as the most popular politician in the country.

According to a new Harvard-Harris survey, Bernie is viewed favorably by 57 percent of all Americans.

He is is overwhelmingly popular among all demographic groups - and is the only politician of the 16 surveyed by Harvard-Harris with a positive approval rating.

Bernie isn't popular because of his looks or because of his debonair charm -- he's popular because of his ideas.

So is America a socialist country?

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10:30pm... Move Left Now, Democrats (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Thursday's Daily Stack 

Article: "It's time you learned how 4/20 became 'Weed Day'" by Madeline Holcombe.

Article: "Marijuana legalization support at all-time high" by Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus, Kabir Khanna and Anthony Salvanto.

Article: "West Virginia just legalized medical marijuana - and it could help deal with its huge opioid crisis" by German Lopez.

 

Article: "How Western civilisation could collapse" by Rachel Nuwer.

Article: "IMF says debt binge leaves US corporate assets exposed" by Shawn Donnan and Gemma Tetlow.

Article: "Betsy DeVos undoes Obama's student loan protections" by Danielle Douglas-Gabriel.

Article: "AP Exclusive: Pesticide Maker Tries to Kill Risk Study" by AP.

Article: "Tillerson: Iran Left 'Unchecked' Could Follow North Korea's Path" by Abigail Williams And Jacob Pramuk.

Article: "Iran nuclear deal: Key details" by BBC.

Law: "Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act", 2010.

Article: "Bill O'Reilly Is Forced Out at Fox News" by Emily Steel, Michael S. Schmidt.

Article: "Overview of Iran's political factions in 2017 presidential elections" by PressTV.

Article: "Anatomy of an anti-war "riot"" by Alex Rubinstein.

Book: "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson.

Hour Two: Will the French Election Restore the Left?
- Paris Based Journalist Cole Stangler    

Article: "French election 2017: Who are the candidates?" by BBC.

Article: "John Oliver urges France to avoid repeat of Brexit, Trump election" by France 24.

Article: "How France's presidential election could break - or make - the EU" by Jon Henley.

Article: "French presidential election: Poll tracker and odds" by Ashley Kirk, Patrick Scott.

Video: French Elections: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

Article: "France Rebels" by Raquel Garrido & Cole Stangler.

Article: "What's behind far-left candidate Melenchon's surge in the French polls?" by DW.

Article: "François Fillon sinks in polls after 'Penelopegate' scandal" by Kim Willsher.

Article: "Schengen" by Wikipedia.

Article: "France's Macron has call with Obama ahead of election" by Michel Rose.

 

Article: "High frequency trader Virtu buys rival KCG in $1.4bn deal" by Philip Stafford.

Article: "Cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease, says study" by James Gallagher.

Article: "Georgia special election: Ossoff eyes runoff after narrowly missing outright win" by Ben Jacobs.

Site: Jon Ossoff for Congress.

Article: "Jon Ossoff wants to protect Planned Parenthood. Karen Handel tried to destroy it" by Laura Clawson.

Article: "Republicans hope to fake it till they make it with new twist on zombie Trumpcare" by Laura Clawson.

Article: "Team Trump still unclear on marijuana policy, possibly because Jared Kushner hasn't decided yet" by Hunter.

Article: "Joseph P. Kennedy III" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Sanders and Perez to Launch Nationwide 'Come Together & Fight Back' Tour" by Nadia Prupis.

Book: The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn.

Article: "Republicanism Explained" by Jude, Feb 28 2009.

Video: The New Fascism Will Manifest Online Where the People Are (w/Guest David Frum).

 

Talk Media News Segment:
- Victoria Jones 

Article: "Republicans Sell Access to Congressional Staffers, Flouting Cardinal Ethics Rule" by Lee Fang, Nick Surgey.

Article: "White House eyes harder line on shutdown talks" by Josh Dawsey, Jake Sherman.

Article: "Hastert Rule" by Wikipedia.

Article: "TrumpCare 3.0: GOP's Zombie Healthcare Plan Keeps Getting Worse" by Deirdre Fulton.

Article: "Trump orders review of Iran nuclear deal; Tillerson says Iran complying" by TMN.

Article: "Iranian FM slams 'worn-out' US accusations" by PressTV.

Article: " Trump Sued for Revoking Protections for Wolves, Bears in Alaska" by Center for Biological Diversity.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Book: Loving What You Do: The Elements of a Great Working Life by Ellen Ratner.

Hour Three: Trump's Dangerous Drum Beat for War
- Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute/Women Cross DMZ    

Article: "Defense Secretary James Mattis Visits South Korea and Japan in 1st Overseas Trip" by Luis Martinez, Feb 1, 2017,.

Article: "US Secretary of State Tillerson Visits South Korea in Midst of Transition" by Brian Padden, March 15, 2017.

Article: "Vice President Mike Pence Visits Demilitarized Zone Between Koreas" by Alastair Jamieson and Alex Johnson, APR 17 2017.

Article: "US policy of 'strategic patience' with North Korea over: Tillerson" by Reuters.

Article: "Dissembling on North Korea, Trump creates a crisis of credibility" by Steve Benen.

Article: "Donald Trump's 'armada' now heading for North Korea after initially going the wrong way" by Charlotte England.

Site/movie: The Coming War On China - John Pilger.

 

Article: "Fake-drug crackdown, tackling misconduct and Europa's plumes: The week in science: 14-20 April 2017" (incl. Trans-fat ban) by Nature.

Article: "Why an American went to Cuba for cancer care" by BBC.

Article: "Black bloc" by Wikipedia.

Article: "1999 Seattle WTO protests" by Wikipedia.

Article: "The First Iraq War Was Also Sold to the Public Based on a Pack of Lies" by Joshua Holland.

Article: "My Testimony for the Downing Street Memo Hearings" by Cindy Sheehan, June 16 2005.

Article: "List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Charles Rangel" by Wikipedia.

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

Bryan Pruitt of RedState will be joining me to talk about the Georgia special election and other issues of the day.

 

Plus, I'll be talking with Professor Kenneth Surin about The UK General Election, Corbyn's Vilification and Labour's Possible Fight

 

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

And don't forget... Democracy is NOT a spectator sport... it begins with you...

    

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