If Dems want any chance of winning in 2026 (midterms), assuming we still have an election, there is only one path forward, and that is things that matter to Americans.
Economic issues that Sanders was successfully campaigning on in 2016 when he was thwarted in the primary. It’s not important to fight over what happened that year, but his platform is 100% the way forward to progress.
This is basically what Republicans did. McCain in 08, Romney in 12. The whole time conservative activists complained bitterly that they were losing elections because they were not nominating “true conservatives”. The RNC was putting their thumb on the scale to nominate squishy moderates believed to be more acceptable to the general electorate. The conservative activists, meanwhile, yelled and screamed that these squishes didn’t represent a clear vision of conservativism, they were just focused group tested sound bites in suits, trying to appeal to everyone and actually appealing to no one. Voters didn’t have a real choice, it was the uniparty kind of thing.
Then came Trump, bold no compromise vision for what his party and the country could be. Voters were willing to give something new a try. It largely sucked, so Biden a centrist squish was elected by a close margin just to restore sanity to government. Biden did do some big things, but he didn’t communicate them well over his term, voters didn’t see benefit, just more centrist squish politician talk stuff. So here comes Trump again, with a bold vision and a promise to shale things up. Voters were willing to put up with all the shit again just to have a politician willing to do something to visibly change their lives. Harris meanwhile ran safely to the centered, studiously avoided differentiating herself from Biden or staking out anything resembling a bold vision. Squish. No change, more of the same.
Dems need to stand for something, we need a vision we can offer to voters.
Probably more than that, Dems need a backbone to actually fight, and fight hard and dirty when needed. Voters are tired of gridlock and nothing changing. They elected the strongman because they figure he won’t get bogged down in political bullshit, he’ll just get shit done, even if it means breaking rules. It’s ok to break some rules if your doing it to help me, say the voters. Not to say that Dems should go all authoritarian, but they should be able to convey that they are going to do everything they can to help people, they’ll throw a few elbows of necessary, they’ll get bloodied and bruised and do what it takes to help people.
No more “but Republicans blocked us” excuses. The Dem president should personally go to the house chamber and occupy it until a vote is taken. Dems leaders should round up union memebers and storm the board rooms of corporations funding Republicans blocking economic policies. Dems should be visibly fighting for people. No more moderate squishes.
100%. I think this result proves he would’ve won in 2016. Populist economic messages sell. No one cares about the state of our democracy, or the rights of their wives, mothers, and daughters, or racism. They care about what’s in their wallet. It’s sad that this country is that morally bankrupt, but if true, and it appears to be so, the Dems need to target that if they want to win. They wouldn’t even say “working class”, they would always say “middle-class”. Stop it. Target the elites, be on the side of the working class, and adopt the Sanders playbook. If they have anyone left, besides Bernie, who knows how.
The Democratic Party is infiltrated with these strategists and lobbyists, though. They are the party at this point. So, I don’t know if this path is possible with this party. We need third parties to be possible. Losing like this more than once proves they won’t learn.
They wouldn’t even say “working class”, they would always say “middle-class”
NYT The Runup podcast had an episode following people door knocking for Harris in Philly projects. This was specifically one person’s objection to Harris “She’s always talking about the middle class, but what about me and my neighbors? We’re broke”.
Dems need to be the party of Bernie and AOC, activists on behalf of the working class, promoting policies of economic justice. Dems need to be the tough as nails union folk of the early labor movement, fighting bloody fights for workers rights against corporations and robber barrons. That’s why people voted for Trump, they want economic change and politicians actually willing to fight for it, as wrong as they are to put that energy into Trump. Right now Dems are the party of the elites, the corporations, Hollywood, the people with “In this house we believe…” signs in front of their upper middle class suburban homes - the party of economic establishment, of incremental change that at best makes a minor impact on people’s real well being. Dems are the party more concerned with using non offensive language than addressing pay inequality between workers and executives.
Dems dropped the mental of the working class fighter. Trump picked it up, but is welding it as a weapon for his own destructive aims. Until Dems take that back, with a legitimate economic agenda, with legitimate plans to help the working class, and with authentic candidates who can clearly convey to voters “I’m tough as hell, and with your help I’m going to take on those bastards” , until then we’re fucked.
I thought Walz was a great pick for that reason. He seemed like he could appeal to that group. But then they kind of hid him to get Republicans instead, and tried to make him more like them instead of being more like him (they stopped using the “weird” thing so they wouldn’t alienate Republicans, for example). Now that I think about it, if he can be encouraged to follow what I think are his mostly good, progressive instincts (except for the time he called the military on protestors), he might be a good, new central leader in this movement in the future.
minnesota agreed to loan him to the party in the hope the policies would go with him. the rest of you can only have him if you start running on the 2026 mid terms and 2028 presidential tomorrow and dont let up. it’s* all in non-stop on unions, trans rights and feeding children. or we’re keeping him.
assuming we still have an election
This is the part that worries me. But yes, agreed - I really like Sanders and his policies.
this. yes please. all the people cheering about never being able to do this through democratic processes like some revolution fantasy. can we try stealing this political party and putting farmer/labor back in the name please? people out here acting like even our small town police departments arnt better armed than some counties. doing this the fast way is only ever gonna end in blood and failure when 70mil people love the fasciat for the fascism.
