A Liberal as Defined by Rogan and Maher
Segment #726
Biden's Shift Leftward (Progressive Influences)
The Democratic Party has moved left on economics and social issues over the past decade, driven by younger voters, activists, and figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Biden adapted to this: His 2020 platform was called "the most progressive" of any major nominee by some (including Obama in an endorsement), with ideas like massive climate investment ($2T+ via the Inflation Reduction Act), student loan forgiveness (canceled for millions), expanded child tax credits, and pro-union stances.
To unify the party post-primary, Biden formed "unity task forces" with Sanders allies, incorporating progressive input on climate, healthcare, and criminal justice. This led to historic spending (e.g., American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Bill) and executive actions on equity, DEI, and environmental justice.
Progressives initially praised this as surprising and effective—e.g., Ocasio-Cortez later called his domestic record "one of the most effective" for working-class priorities. Sources like Vox and The American Prospect credited him with "Bidenomics" embracing industrial policy, antitrust, and populism.
As we move into the midterms in 2026, the battle within the Democrat party is on. Recalling what happened during the Biden adminstration and what it appears will happen economically during 2026, center left Dems are worried if more voters will find it more palatable to follow America First rather than a Mamdani New York with free stuff for everyone.
In a 2023 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (#2029 with Bill Maher), Joe Rogan and Bill Maher discussed the meaning of being a liberal, distinguishing it from modern "woke" progressivism.Rogan described Maher as a "90s liberal"—a reasonable, old-school type from before liberals "became leftists" and felt pressured to adopt fringe ideas. He praised Maher as representing true liberalism: someone who cares about people's rights, freedom, amicable solutions, and getting along without extreme dogma.Maher agreed and emphasized that "liberal is a different animal than woke." He argued:
Traditional liberalism (shared by figures from Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama) aims for a color-blind society—not seeing race "at all, anywhere, for any reason"—to achieve true equality.
In contrast, "woke" ideology sees race as "first and foremost" everywhere, which Maher called an undoing of liberalism (not an extension of it). He controversially compared this focus on race to the Ku Klux Klan's worldview.
They both stressed judging people on merits, not identity, and criticized how modern leftism demands conformity to extreme positions.This conversation highlights their view of a liberal as a classical or common-sense advocate for individual rights and color-blind equality, distinct from contemporary progressive activism. Clips from this episode, like "Liberal Is Different Than Woke," are widely available on YouTube. Maher has appeared on Rogan's podcast multiple times, but this 2023 discussion most directly addresses defining liberalism.