My original intention here was to try to convince people to think critically when hearing a politician’s stump speech, which I believe is adding value to the discourse.
I surely didn’t have lofty goals to “improve the country or the Democratic Party” when I opened Lemmy today lol.
And I do believe the DNC and the donor class are a bunch of corporate goons who have little to offer, and almost all Democratic politicians are subservient to this superstructure.
Let me ask you, how do you suggest we overcome the institutional hurdles when running a progressive primary challenge? The last 2 progressive primary challengers I volunteered for had extreme problems finding vendors to supply them with the basic supplies that they need to run a campaign. This is because the DNC has a policy of blacklisting any vendors that work with a progressive primary challenger.
Organizing and bring more people into the tent. At the end of the day, there aren’t enough progressives in the Democratic Party right now. We have not done a good job getting people who support progressive ideas out to vote. Claiming that all Democrats are bound to the DNC and corporations doesn’t help, it actually hurts progressives more than anything. Why would a voter show up to a primary to boot someone like Gottheimer if they think it’s a pointless endeavor?
Having DNC support is an advantage for sure, but that doesn’t mean we can’t win elections. Progressives have made gains every election in spite of the DNC. If you’re already volunteering for progressive candidates, that’s great, keep doing that. Recruit people. Donate money if you can. Talk to people you know. Instead of saying only the party is controlled by goons point out the opportunities we have to make the party more progressive and why it matters. We as individuals have to make up for the advantage that a conservative Democrat has being backed by the DNC. It won’t come from anywhere else.
I’ve posted this elsewhere, but look at the “Conservative” playbook for the last 40 years. Right wing crazies were able to take over the entire Republican party this way. They’ve hit school boards, city councils, statehouses, and congress with hard right primary opponents for decades. They were able to slowly rachet the party further and further right.
Their goals are abhorrent, but the strategy is sound. This is a game of incremental progress and electoral strategy. We will never topple the Democratic donor class or establishment party members until we understand that. They’ve fortified their position. We need a siege, not a bomb. A bomb leaves us with nothing to improve. And whether we like it or not, right now the Democratic Party/DNC is what is keeping the GOP from erasing every bit of progress we’ve made.
Well it sounds like we agree on most things then, except on how to communicate to voters. I have found that being honest with voters about things like the corruption of the DNC and the serious flaws of the ACA actually helps to win them over.
Try to do a door knocking campaign and act like the Democratic Party is perfect, most voters will smell the bullshit.
It only takes a few seconds to say “yes most Democrats are corporate lackeys, but not this candidate, and here’s why…” Acknowledging the flaws of the party does not suppress turnout. It is the flaws themselves that do the suppression.
My original intention here was to try to convince people to think critically when hearing a politician’s stump speech, which I believe is adding value to the discourse.
I surely didn’t have lofty goals to “improve the country or the Democratic Party” when I opened Lemmy today lol.
And I do believe the DNC and the donor class are a bunch of corporate goons who have little to offer, and almost all Democratic politicians are subservient to this superstructure.
Let me ask you, how do you suggest we overcome the institutional hurdles when running a progressive primary challenge? The last 2 progressive primary challengers I volunteered for had extreme problems finding vendors to supply them with the basic supplies that they need to run a campaign. This is because the DNC has a policy of blacklisting any vendors that work with a progressive primary challenger.
Organizing and bring more people into the tent. At the end of the day, there aren’t enough progressives in the Democratic Party right now. We have not done a good job getting people who support progressive ideas out to vote. Claiming that all Democrats are bound to the DNC and corporations doesn’t help, it actually hurts progressives more than anything. Why would a voter show up to a primary to boot someone like Gottheimer if they think it’s a pointless endeavor?
Having DNC support is an advantage for sure, but that doesn’t mean we can’t win elections. Progressives have made gains every election in spite of the DNC. If you’re already volunteering for progressive candidates, that’s great, keep doing that. Recruit people. Donate money if you can. Talk to people you know. Instead of saying only the party is controlled by goons point out the opportunities we have to make the party more progressive and why it matters. We as individuals have to make up for the advantage that a conservative Democrat has being backed by the DNC. It won’t come from anywhere else.
I’ve posted this elsewhere, but look at the “Conservative” playbook for the last 40 years. Right wing crazies were able to take over the entire Republican party this way. They’ve hit school boards, city councils, statehouses, and congress with hard right primary opponents for decades. They were able to slowly rachet the party further and further right.
Their goals are abhorrent, but the strategy is sound. This is a game of incremental progress and electoral strategy. We will never topple the Democratic donor class or establishment party members until we understand that. They’ve fortified their position. We need a siege, not a bomb. A bomb leaves us with nothing to improve. And whether we like it or not, right now the Democratic Party/DNC is what is keeping the GOP from erasing every bit of progress we’ve made.
Well it sounds like we agree on most things then, except on how to communicate to voters. I have found that being honest with voters about things like the corruption of the DNC and the serious flaws of the ACA actually helps to win them over.
Try to do a door knocking campaign and act like the Democratic Party is perfect, most voters will smell the bullshit.
It only takes a few seconds to say “yes most Democrats are corporate lackeys, but not this candidate, and here’s why…” Acknowledging the flaws of the party does not suppress turnout. It is the flaws themselves that do the suppression.