Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

portlander23

(2,078 posts)
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 08:29 AM Dec 2016

Democrats Need to Embrace Progressivism or Else Move Out of the Way

Democrats Need to Embrace Progressivism or Else Move Out of the Way
Steven Singer
Common Dreams

This loss belongs squarely on the shoulders of establishment Democrats. It’s not the fault of the electorate. It was the party’s job to convince people to vote for their candidate. They didn’t do that. Instead they told people who to vote for – or more accurately who not to vote for. It was clearly a losing strategy. It lost us the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court. Own it.

We need to take back what it means to be a Democrat. We can’t have organizations funded by hedge fund managers and the wealthy elite pretending to be in our camp while espousing all the beliefs of Republicans. We can’t have Democrats for Education Reform, a group promoting the policies of George W. Bush, the economics of Milton Friedman and prescribing laws crafted by the American Legislative Exchange council. We don’t need Cory Booker going on Meet the Press to defend Mitt Romney against income inequality and then pretending to champion working people while taking in contributions from the financial sector. The brand needs to mean something again.

We need to reform our entire electoral process. Ancient and hackable voting machines, voter suppression laws and efforts, rampant gerrymandering and, yes, that stupid relic of the slave states, the Electoral College – all of it must go. We’ve got to ensure that people can vote, people do vote and it actually counts. And if something goes wrong, we need a way to double check. Recounts in close races should be standard and automatic.

We have a real opportunity to create an authentic resistance. People will be united in their dissatisfaction and anger at what Trump is doing to the country. They’ll be looking for somewhere to turn, for a revolutionary movement to lead them through it.
39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Democrats Need to Embrace Progressivism or Else Move Out of the Way (Original Post) portlander23 Dec 2016 OP
Yes!!! potone Dec 2016 #1
The Democratic part has already embraced progressivism ismnotwasm Dec 2016 #2
Can you give an example of how the party has embraced progressivism? NWCorona Dec 2016 #6
Could, but I won't--it's been done over and over and over ismnotwasm Dec 2016 #9
Here BainsBane Dec 2016 #30
+1000! mcar Dec 2016 #16
The 3rd way hasn't realized that they lost yet. NWCorona Dec 2016 #3
yup. sfwriter Dec 2016 #4
Because extreme works liberal N proud Dec 2016 #5
well - i suppose it depends on what you mean by extreme. el_bryanto Dec 2016 #7
"centrist liberal" TwilightZone Dec 2016 #18
The problem is too many people have a very narrow view on what Progressivism is. nycbos Dec 2016 #8
Great post... RazBerryBeret Dec 2016 #10
Is that why Russ feingold lost? La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #11
Zyper Teachout, and every Democrat running for Senate in a swing state against the establishment still_one Dec 2016 #12
Does the OP ever participate in a thread they start, or just hit and run? still_one Dec 2016 #13
Some folk enjoy that kind of thing ismnotwasm Dec 2016 #14
so you were the one. Happened a few times where I went in junior high. Never found out who did it. still_one Dec 2016 #15
I was a bad, bad girl ismnotwasm Dec 2016 #19
Yet Another Agenda Thread Me. Dec 2016 #17
Yes because my way or the highway MFM008 Dec 2016 #20
+1 (nt) LongtimeAZDem Dec 2016 #29
Rawr! Keep beating people with sticks to get our view heard! kcr Dec 2016 #21
Shrink that tent! Hekate Dec 2016 #22
Third way is shrinking the tent quite a bit jfern Dec 2016 #25
Oh, ffs, Al Gore was ahead of his time with climate change R B Garr Dec 2016 #23
I love article titles... JSup Dec 2016 #24
This country has moved so far right rainy Dec 2016 #26
Still don't know what "progressivism" is. betsuni Dec 2016 #27
Better believe it!...nt SidDithers Dec 2016 #28
Good call. n/t FSogol Dec 2016 #35
Since they already embrace progressivism, this is a moot point. DanTex Dec 2016 #31
We probably won't get an answer NastyRiffraff Dec 2016 #32
+1 La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #33
Yep treestar Dec 2016 #36
That woulld require respect BainsBane Dec 2016 #38
More should have embraced Clintons progressive platform, that's for sure. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #34
To pretend there is something new about the financial sector BainsBane Dec 2016 #37
Yes, completely correct ProgressIsLeft Dec 2016 #39

ismnotwasm

(42,454 posts)
2. The Democratic part has already embraced progressivism
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 08:48 AM
Dec 2016

But like a grown up with a full understanding of politics. This loss lies squarely on Republicans, third party voters, the berniebros who did nothing AND CONTINUE to do nothing but trash talk Hillary--essentially encouraging voters to stay home-- racism and misogyny.

There were several mistakes the Hillary campaign made, but in the end. It was the the left and the right hunted her and took her down

Voter suppression, gerrymandering I agree. Good luck with getting rid of the electoral college--if the Common Dreams writers want to be taken more seriously they need to grow up as well.

ismnotwasm

(42,454 posts)
9. Could, but I won't--it's been done over and over and over
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 08:57 AM
Dec 2016

I don't get into that back and forth bullshit, and common dreams is a borderline CT source. Just tired of the Democrat bashing and attempts revisionist history being wtiitten by those whose fault this loss actually is.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)
7. well - i suppose it depends on what you mean by extreme.
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 08:56 AM
Dec 2016

I mean we had a centrist liberal on the ticket this last time around; that doesn't seem to have panned out - maybe trying someone a bit more liberal, or extreme if you prefer, might be more successful.

Bryant

RazBerryBeret

(3,075 posts)
10. Great post...
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 09:12 AM
Dec 2016

I do hope if there is ONE positive of this hellish presidency it will be to motivate people to be more active.
it sucks that it came to this point, but hopefully we are all willing to work hard to turn it around.

still_one

(96,539 posts)
12. Zyper Teachout, and every Democrat running for Senate in a swing state against the establishment
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 09:25 AM
Dec 2016

republican incumbent.

ismnotwasm

(42,454 posts)
14. Some folk enjoy that kind of thing
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 09:29 AM
Dec 2016

Kind of like pulling a fire alarm because you are bored in school--which I admittedly did and got suspended for, but I was 12.

still_one

(96,539 posts)
15. so you were the one. Happened a few times where I went in junior high. Never found out who did it.
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 09:45 AM
Dec 2016

Now we know


MFM008

(20,000 posts)
20. Yes because my way or the highway
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 11:10 AM
Dec 2016

Nitpicking about " party" details gave us the maggot and that's OK because Susan Sarandon right?
Anyone that voted against HRC supports this ass hole and will be just as guilty as he is.

kcr

(15,522 posts)
21. Rawr! Keep beating people with sticks to get our view heard!
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 11:19 AM
Dec 2016

Why won't anyone listen to us? Hmmm. Keeping beating everyone with sticks! They'll eventually learn!

Now we have president Trump. Will the lesson that using sticks and punishing will never get people to magically become more progressive? I'm hoping as a progressive myself that someday that will get through. I had hopes for Bernie Sanders when he was going to run as a Dem instead of a third party spoiler. But, nope. It was sticks, again! And now? More sticks!

People who've been helped by the good the Dems do aren't going to hear the message that Dems are bad. It's not going to resonate. They're just going to hear the message as pissy, angry malcontents. The people who already agree with you are either going to join you with their sticks, if stick wielding is their thing, or stand by Dems protectively because of what good they actually do, so no damage is done. It doesn't work. It never works. Here we go again. We have Trump!

jfern

(5,204 posts)
25. Third way is shrinking the tent quite a bit
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 03:04 AM
Dec 2016

It's ironic that an ideology based upon capitulating to Republicans does worse with Republicans than a progressive like Bernie, but it's true.

R B Garr

(17,377 posts)
23. Oh, ffs, Al Gore was ahead of his time with climate change
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 01:45 AM
Dec 2016

but he wasn't good or pure enough for the so-called progressives. Bill C chose Al Gore decades ago and both were ridiculed for climate change. Where was Bernie.

And you can't call yourself a liberal if you are willing to risk a Republican in office. So the loss falls directly on the shoulders of the Bernie or Busters who voted for Sanders or Stein instead of the Democrat. The margin of Stein/Sanders voters in crucial states show they threw the election. Hillary ran away with the popular vote.

JSup

(740 posts)
24. I love article titles...
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 02:14 AM
Dec 2016

...like this; they're always worded in such a way as to make it more likely that people will do the opposite of what the article suggests. Maybe that's their intent? To alienate people from the left?

rainy

(6,208 posts)
26. This country has moved so far right
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 05:21 AM
Dec 2016

that we now have Trump for president and all the democrats can think of is let's keep to the right because it's all about money and big doners. Our first job is to get money out of politics. We will keep loosing if that is not addressed. This article is spot on but we still deny it's truth!

betsuni

(27,255 posts)
27. Still don't know what "progressivism" is.
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 06:18 AM
Dec 2016

Is "establishment" someone with a job who gets paid? Why wouldn't a political party not try to tell people who to vote for? "Take back what it means to be a Democrat"? Take back from whom? Who is pretending to be "in our camp while espousing all the beliefs of Republicans"? What does this mean: "authentic resistance"; "revolutionary movement"?

Naturally, I don't expect answers. Embrace or get out of the way. And it's Democrats who are accused of being authoritarians and bullies and purging and whatnot.

NastyRiffraff

(12,448 posts)
32. We probably won't get an answer
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 11:15 AM
Dec 2016

from the OP. He has a habit of post-and-run.

For what it's worth, though, it's bullshit.

 

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)
34. More should have embraced Clintons progressive platform, that's for sure.
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 11:45 AM
Dec 2016

She preached it unabashedly every single day.

BainsBane

(54,771 posts)
37. To pretend there is something new about the financial sector
Thu Dec 8, 2016, 01:49 PM
Dec 2016

In politics requires ignorance of history. 25% of FDR's campaign contributions came from Wall Street. Yet oddly, "progressives" never concerned themselves with that until we had a black president and the potential of a woman succeeding him.

Then there is the fact those same progressives decided policies of Wall Street regulation and Scotus appointments amenable to overturning Citizens United and related decisions mattered far less than their animosity toward Hillary. That some voted for Trump or third party candidates and therefore against those policies exposes this entire argument as fraudulent. When faced with the choice, they voted against progressive policies.

The willful ignorance of both history and what Clinton proposed demonstrates that policy matters very little to them. Their opposition toward Clinton and contempt for Democratic voters is, in my opinion, all about enforcing white male privilege.

Women and people of color are not leaving our party to make way for the willfully uninformed. People don't even vote Democrat gave absolutely nothing to say about our party. Willful ignorance is bad enough, but when accompanied by this degree of entitlement it is unforgivable. Ultimately, this entire take on the GE premise on nothing more than entitlement since none of the exit poll data supports these claims. That they want it, and that is hey see themselves as superior to the Democratic base, is the entire basis of this entire argument. I submit that lack of concern for evidence or the views and lives of Democratic voters is why we see a steadfast refusal to engage in discussion.

 

ProgressIsLeft

(59 posts)
39. Yes, completely correct
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 07:06 AM
Dec 2016

So many things need to be done and the problem is that we have some Dems who aren't shooting for the moon and instead are shooting for the tree thinking that they can find Republicans who will help them. Republicans won't and they have no intention of doing so. They aren't our friends and what we've gotten for so long is half way ideas because of that.

Think of the tv show Pawn Stars, you have to come in high because anything less is going to weaken you. We've not seen that in some time. You shoot for the moon and you get what you can. Aiming for the trees might get you an apple but I prefer the stars and heavens.

I would like to see our reps really start fighting for the things which matter to the every day people of this great country. Things like SNAP & WIC for instance need to be strengthened and never marginalized as we saw happen. Education is a right I believe and I want to hear our Reps besides Bernie come under that fold saying so. I want to start hearing "living wage" support, not just "minimum wage". We need to go left and when we don't, we'll keep on losing more and more voters, states and reps.

There was a time in this country when you could work at the local store down the street and raise a family and get by and be happy. You can't do that anymore and the American Dream is seeming like it's more and more dead and buried. We have a means to shape the future, it's time to light the fire and FIGHT for progress!

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»Democrats Need to Embrace...