Liberalism isn’t going to save us. Way I see it, if we want a better country, we have three options:
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Violent revolution. This should be a last resort, and I don’t think we are quite there yet.
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Wait for Fascism to collapse. It will. Problem is, A FUCKING LOT of people will suffer and die in the mean time.
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Mobilize a viable third party. No, not the Greens. They are just as corrupt as the rest, and they pal around with Fascist traitors. I’m talking about a real grass roots Leftist movement, starting from the ground up. Basically, use the exact same playbook that MAGA used. They spent the past decade taking over social media with their Manosphere bullshit, and suddenly Gen Z shifted hard to the Right, which younger generations almost never do. We need to take back that online space. Take over town hall meetings, take over school boards, take over city councils, show up in huge numbers to vote for actual good (or as good as we can get) judges and DA’s. This also means volunteering, phone banking, door knocking, and most importantly of all, some of you need to run for office. Even something local can make a difference in your community. That’s how MAGA won. They didn’t even have the numbers. They just had the right strategy, and in their hubris, Democrats ignored it.
The third option is obviously what I prefer to happen. It’ll take a few years, and we may not even win the White House in 2028. But this isn’t about you or me. It’s about the future of civilization. If they did it, so can we. Let’s not be outsmarted by a bunch of people who worship a man who can’t fucking read.
Not saying it can’t be done, obviously it can but to many people saying “run for office” is like saying “build a car”.
Are there primers on how to start with a campaign for people that have the desire but not the knowledge?
What is all involved in starting and running a successful campaign?
How much time do you need to dedicate to the campaign?
What would be the personal cost for running for office?
Who do you need to hire to help you (manager, donation specialist, volunteer coordinator, etc)?
My guess to this is that the higher the office the more people and money you will need.
I’m not writing this to be contrary but to really get answers - I think more people would be more open to the idea if they could see what a campaign needs to be successful.
I’m specifically barred from holding any public office, political or not until I exit the military. I have about a year left before I can launch any kind of campaign legally. Assuming we survive that long, I plan to. That all said I have no idea what I’m doing and would love to have the answers to the questions you pose here.
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Nope, sorry, I just saw a politico article about Newsom agreeing with Charlie Kirk on trans people in sports that basically boiled down to “FINALLY! SOMEONE understands that this is the most critical topic in America today, and for Democrats to win, they need to become republicans!”
The democrats aren’t leading us anywhere. They’re not going to save us. They have no vision besides being dollar store republicans and wondering why Republican voters keep choosing Republicans over them.
They have no vision besides being dollar store republicans and wondering why Republican voters keep choosing Republicans over them.
While screaming at anyone to their left for not being enthusiastic to vote for dollar store republicans.
There is a reason the main Democratic leadership is not pushing a more left leaning agenda, they would lose. If the left got a foothold on the national conversation like maga did then the middle of the road Democrats fear they will go the way of the middle of the road Republicans and that is out of power.
There is a reason the main Democratic leadership is not pushing a more left leaning agenda, they would lose.
Well, they just lost by moving right.
Yes they did but they didn’t lose control of their narrative which is weak and feckless.
“give me more money and keep me in power and I promise to not do much.” and “don’t look left, they are crazy!”
Yes they did but they didn’t lose control of their narrative which is weak and feckless.
Weak and feckless is their brand.
The Democrats feel like they are more concerned about how the utencils are arranged beside the plate than making sure people have food on it.
The Republics run the kitchen because a bunch of absent voters refused to help the Dems help us all.
The fact that Democrats should be raising their voices as loudly as possible against this admin’s moves but instead a sizable 10 of them voted to censure the 1 Democrat who tried to in fact do that, tells you everything about the Democrats’ plans.
At this point, there are only a handful of them who are rallying their constituents and speaking out about this admin’s atrocities, but the majority is completely MIA. Then they wonder why their voters are MIA during the elections.
10 in the house, out of 215 or 214 depending on the exact time of death of Sylvester Turner, not really sizable imo. Also, since there were 0 Republican Nays, it would have passed regardless.
Give those 10 a piece of your mind, yes, but it’s not sizable or impactful at all.
It should have been zero. Stop making excuses.
Then Why did you vote them out and give Republicans complete control over the government?
Dear non voters, it would’ve been nice if you turned out and gave us any power.
-Democratic party
Dear democratic party, it would’ve been nice if you ever actually used any power to do things for the people beyond token gestures.
-the people
Aca, student loan debt cancelation, biggest climate change bill ever.
You- “but it’s not my pretty pony I wanted.”
Attention all whiners- maybe vote them in everytime so they don’t have to spend at least half if not all their term cleaning up Republican messes. And vote in primaries for more progressive candidates.
Or just accept things getting shittier because youre lazy and spoiled. Either/or.
Aca
Was 15 years ago. How long to you intend to continue coasting on an inadequate half-measure?
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The ACA was made mostly useless by not having a government option. The end result was a system where you either had to pay for a shitty overpriced healthcare plan or pay a penalty on your taxes. The tax penalty has since been removed, but the shitty overpriced plans remain. There are a couple of good things like not denying certain cover for “pre-existing conditions” and allowing younger people to stay on their parents’ insurance until 26, but those are closer to token gestures than real solutions, as I’ve said. There is a reason why health insurance profits keep breaking records.
Student loan debt cancellation was mostly the enforcement of an existing program where you already have to jump through hoops just to qualify. By the time you qualify, you’ve already paid back more than the principle on your student loan debt by a lot. Another token gesture for a problem that biden helped create by backing a bill making student loan debt non-dischargeable through bankruptcy. Sure must be nice to be given credit to barely make a debt in a massive problem he himself had created.
The “biggest climate change bill ever” is argued in terms of dollars spent. Money spent =/= effective action taken. For example, biden was approving oil drilling permits on public lands at a faster rate than even trump’s first term. He also slapped 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs and 50% on solar panels.
In each of these cases there has been a massive giveaway to American corporations with a few token gestures to lull regular people into thinking democrats are doing something for them. You may be clapping your hands together and giggling in ecstasy at democrats shaking a rattle, but people who know better and can see these insignificant actions for what they are aren’t impressed. Democrats work for the billionaires and them blame everyone else for things getting worse, just like you’re doing right now. You’re doing the “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” argument, electoralism edition.
ACA has no public option because of Lieberman. Now maybe if he had been primaried and another more progressive Dem taken his place, then we’d have a public option by now. Instead we’ve continued with concessions to insurance. But yes- it is MARKEDLY better than what was there before despite all the warts.
Debt cancellation was done by Biden who did everything he could. Now maybe if the Dems had more than a slight majority in the Senate full of (yes, Lieberman like) Sinema and Manchin, they could’ve done something through Congress.
Biggest climate change bill ever PERIOD. And yes, he approved oil drilling and put tariffs on Chinese EVs. Part of politics. People do want clean solutions but do not want 1) American jobs to vanish due to Chinese subsidization of their entire EV industry overwhelming American auto jobs and 2) …no real excuse for the oil drilling. Other than people would bitch about even more inflation had he not.
In each of these cases you’ll notice a common refrain- the Democrats DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER to enact the things you’re talking about. They are not “token” gestures- they’re what can get done with what they had. WV put Manchin there but what did the rest of America do? They put only 51 Democrats next to him (including a turncoat in Sinema.) If they didn’t need those two votes at all then maybe they couldn’t nuke the biggest portion of these bills. Maybe if the American people gave a shit then things would get done.
People seem to think I’m arguing for Democrats or something. I’m not really. I’m arguing for ACTION. Now if you wanna delude yourself and make a “Socialism NOW” party of progressive politics that by first glance turns off 70% of the voting population, go ahead. I’m telling you as a former 3rd party voter when I was a pie in the sky idealist that it’s just not gonna happen. What can happen though is turning the Democratic party back to what it needs to be- a populist-ish party that actually seriously helps Americans. If you froze a Republican in 2000 they would probably not recognize the party in 2025 given how the tea party zealots and bigots and grifters have taken it over (even from a dismal 2000 outlook.)
So maybe if progressives and leftists and all those people stopped endlessly fighting amongst themselves and banded together, they could primary and move the party left. Or maybe if they turned out EVERY ELECTION and convinced everyone else to do so, the Democrats wouldn’t have to unfuck the previous 4 years of Republican destruction. Or maybe progressive policies just aren’t as popular as people think (and one could argue that people in general are too dumb to realize it.)
You gotta train the dog. You can’t wait for the dog (the Dems) to do what you want by abstaining from voting or “punishing” them by letting them lose. Witness how the Republican party mirrors their devouts’ most fervent desires vs…the Dems.
Student loan debt cancellation efforts lead to the SAVE Plan rollout which reduced many american’s payments to $0 monthly.
Biden did permit drilling to meet US demands, but he also did everything in his power to reduce demands.
If you wanted better and more extreme actions then you would need Democrats to have the power to make constitutional amendments, bypass filibusters, and remove corrupt positions, which means 60 Senate Votes. Example: Citizens United SCOTUS decision means either removing SCOTUS judges or passing a constitutional amendment, 60 votes.
We have NEVER given dems true power since 1979, at which point they were a very different party than they are now.
The SAVE plan that still only slightly mitigates the student loan problem? They still guarantee excessive profits to lenders and keep student loan repayments up to 20 years. I can see he’s really doing a lot on that problem he created. The fact of the matter is that democrats do not use the power they do have. Biden had the power to appoint an effective attorney general but instead appointed Merrick Garland who did nothing to prosecute Trump even with years of time on his hands and plenty of evidence. The supreme court gave the presidency supreme power for “official acts” and what did Biden do with this power? You tell me.
For someone who’s a fascist and such a threat to democracy, Trump was handled with kid gloves by the democrats and Biden welcomed him back into office with a warm smile and a handshake. Democrats will endlessly shriek about Trump to garner donor dollars and will make token gestures like impeaching him and declaring that he’s the most impeached president as if that actually did anything. When it comes to actually solving the problem, democrats aren’t interested.
Also, it’s a funny coincidence that just the right number of democrats will turn heel the second democrats do manage to get a majority. Just look at senators Lieberman, Manchin, and Sinema. Don’t forget about the sudden senate parliamentarian who comes in with the steel chair in case democrats might have to actually do something. It’s a rigged carnival game and you keep arguing that we just need to get the ball in the hole when in reality the game is set up to make that impossible while looking deceptively possible.
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The democrats and thier party have been bought and paid for. They aren’t going to save us from the billionaires.
It would have been nice if Democrats were in a position but we’re in a death spiral of articles like this being critical of them so fat fuck chance of ever winning another election.
If your shitty party wants less criticism, they should earn less criticism.
fat fuck chance of ever
winninganother electionThe democratic party joined the oligarchs a long time ago, what they did to Bernie was evidence. Now they’re the part of the system that failed. If there is another election, the opposition candidate will need to be a grassroots candidate working to fix the failures that this election demonstrated. Every state senator and house rep will need to support that candidate or the system is lost. And this is if there is another another election. I doubt there will be. And sadly, if there is, I feel that due to Russia and the oligarch’s influence, it will be a sham election to keep fascism in power.
Yeah how dare they
*checks notes
Allow an independent on their party ticket who lost the primary by double the amount of votes, by 10 million dnc primary votes…
The Dems fielded a candidate with potential, in a binary race against the absolute worst candidate ever.
Voters chose a felon with a pattern of grifting and lies.
Those are facts.
Here’s the opinion: stop blaming the party for the people’s mistake. Just secede and be done with it.
Centrists would rather lose to trump than win with a progressive. You got exactly what you wanted.
Uh, you missed a few steps. Like the people voicing concerns over Biden’s mental health and being told to shove it while the party hid him from public view as much as possible. And then when they couldn’t hide it anymore they still tried to gaslight us that we didn’t see what we just saw.
And then finally they succumbed to that public pressure when it was far too late to have an actual primary and rally as a party, instead being told to vote for someone who was candidate-by-default.
The Dems constantly try to pander to the right which only fuels their real enemy in elections: voter apathy. If they actually governed and gave more than lip service, they’d never lose another election.
Biden could have gone comatose at the stand and I’d still support him with every fiber of my being. Voters fucked up. The left is splintered into pointless divisions and petty ideals. Take the L.
Good for you, but still wrong. The party fucked up. It’s their job to win elections, and they had loads of opportunities over the last 10 years to act differently and chose not to every time.
It’s not the voters’ fault that a heavily corporate-friendly party doesn’t represent them well enough to reliably get votes. That’s some victim blaming thinking right there.
Good for you, but still wrong. The party fucked up. It’s their job to win elections,
What are you even suggesting? You’ve been exposed to so much Tankie propoganda that you think its the politicians job to stuff ballot boxes and fabricate results like they do in the East?
The dems were inifinitely the better chose. Tbats all they should ever need to be if US Voters weren’t stupid assholes who stayed home.
The Dems fielded a candidate with potential, in a binary race against the absolute worst candidate ever.
I am sorry but this is nonsense. Kamala Harris’s best point was that she wasn’t Trump.
Kamala Harris toned down her attacks on big business, she made no plans to improve America’s health care system other than vague promises to cancel debt, touted the endorsement of war criminal Dick Cheney who wanted to invade seven countries in five years and whom was partially responsible for the deaths of a million, spent half as much time focusing on the most important issues during her campaign compared to Trump, and touted a Fortune 500 investment banking company‘s endorsement for her economic plans which made her look like an out of touch elitist.
All Harris brought to the table was “freedom” meanwhile Trump came out with right wing populist rhetoric and people seemed to like Trump’s rhetoric more considering that they have long since become disillusioned with the Status Quo.
Her Tax Plan was to tax the rich, if anything was watered down it was the media you were spoonfed without an ounce of skepticism.
The problem wasn’t her idea of taxing the rich, it was touting the endorsement of bankers in regards for her economic plans:
“is why Goldman Sachs . . . is why Moody’s, which is why Wharton School of Business, which is why 16 Nobel laureates, have collectively determined after analyzing our plans . . . mine would strengthen the economy, his would weaken it.” - Kamala Harris
Especially when the one’s that endorsed her economic plans can only be described as:
a "great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money "
Is touting the endorsement of bankers and Bush era war criminals really the most effective strategy that the democrat party can muster?
Its a strategy, not the best, and it should be enough. Hopefully they learn from this and do better, but it should have been enough. People should have been voting in record shattering numbers for her.
When even the Oligarchs think the GOP candidate is too dangerous to American Democracy, thats the canary.
Let’s hope they do better in 2028.
The first job of a political party is to win elections, because that predicates action on any issues they care about.
Saying we shouldn’t blame the party for losing is like saying we shouldn’t blame a mechanic for not knowing how to open the hood of a car.
Oh they’ve been wasted in the back of this party bus for a while telling everyone to calm down and stop being so frantic and everything’s fine.
How dare you say that on Lemmy, or Reddit for that matter! Democrats and liberal ideology can do NO WRONG in these parts!
Right? Look at how downvoted OP is as well as all the replies that are also critical of Democrats…
… Oh wait, it looks like you’re full of shit.
I think the democrats are applying the age old adage: “Never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.”
Or they could be in the minority in both house, senate, SCOTUS, and white house and they can’t do shit besides filibuster and sue.
What democrats really do is “never interrupt your enemy ever because decorum”, though this adage would be assuming they actually consider republicans as enemies. They’ll point and scream about trump and then promote other republicans like dick cheney who largely have the same policies as trump but who act according to decorum better.
Looking for leadership from the current elected officials is probably a waste of time. We need to take a tip from Republicans and find leaders outside of the government. Like Rush and Tuckers of the left.
Do we even have any of those? Notwithstanding the thought makes me sick. Rush was a lying, pompous, bloviating pedophile. Tucker is no better, and a Russian asset. These are not examples I’d like us to follow, even if they would be on “our side” whatever that would mean in context.
To be honest, HasanAbi is the only one I know of who is sort of a Rush replacement.
I’m not suggesting we support bad people at all, if that’s what you are thinking.
Politicians aren’t leaders. Stop expecting them to be. They exist to serve the people. If they don’t, then give them the boot.
They exist to serve the people.
They don’t do that either.
If they don’t, then give them the boot.
We can’t because the money-packed system self-selects for greedy assholes.
Just because they don’t, that doesn’t mean it isnt their purpose. And yes you can, you just won’t.
We can’t give them the boot for a good while. In the meantime, what would you have us do?
Nom nom.
This comment is cringe…
Thinking politicians are meant to lead you is cringe. I’m not a sheep, I don’t need to be lead. Their only job is to represent us. Unfortunately, they’ve been corrupted and only represent the ultra-wealthy.
