The Dems' slide to obscurity commenced when it spurned Howard Dean for his whoop and statement that he came from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. I believe that Elizabeth Warren would have won the Presidency if she hadn't said, "You didn't build that," meaning the expensive infrastructure every American capitalist can rely on but needn't pay for. Just as in 1968 after RFK's assassination, the party turned not to Eugene McCarthy, the man whose winning anti-war message had sidelined Pres. Johnson and enticed RFK into the race, but Hubert Humphrey, whose time had come and gone as a Democratic activist. The wrath of "undecided voters" is truly the myth by which money controls political parties.
People had plenty of options, in primaries, in presidential elections, NOT to vote for Donald Trump. They didn't want options, they didn't want candidates seeking consensus . . . they wanted Trump. We can see that passion now, and Trump is even worse than we imagined. Mamdani is not going to get his grocery stores or free childcare or a reduction in NYC rents any more than Trump got Mexico to pay for his wall. But it may not matter. Before a Dem can walk the walk, he or she has to talk the talk. Mamdani did that.
"Mamdani did that." So did Obama. He 'talked,' but forgot the 'walk' part. (It didn't help that the Party of No blocked his every move and questioned his very existence) No, rents aren't going back to 1975, unless Trump *really* fucks up and neither are the price of groceries or anything else.
Jack, I recently rewatched the great HBO series, "From The Earth To The Moon." I'm reminded of a line that the rockets, equipment and other essentials were manufactured by companies who accomplished it on 'low bid government contacts.' So, the Senator was right. And I disagree with your assessment that Warren would have won the presidency.
It's taken almost 50 years for the Left to get over McGovern's shellacking by Nixon in '72. By the time I was able to vote in my first presidential election in 1980 the GOP was turning to something very ugly and the Democratic establishment thought it necessary to follow the Overton window to the center and finally the right. The Democratic Party continued to court white, male voters, while simultaneously taking for granted women and people of color, and for a long time distancing itself from the LGBTQ community (heck, even "big tent" Obama wasn't good on that for a a long time). They talked a good game in primaries, but then always "tacked to the center" during the national election. And completely f*cking forgot about state and local level elections.
I was always going to vote for the Democrat because the Republicans were so horrible and I consider it my civic duty to vote. But I was continually frustrated and disappointed by national candidates. The D Party lost the narrative, could not communicate the actual good things they accomplished. During Hillary Clinton's run in 2016 I was astounded by the misogyny of my male friends who I thought I was politically aligned with. NO ONE believed the fear that women had should Trump be elected. Once again we were thrown aside because the candidate was not "perfect." I saw the same or worse in 2024. Not enough of my fellow progressives cared enough to protect the vulnerable among us. Would Clinton in 2020 or Harris in 2024 have magically made everything perfect on Day 1? No. But when the patient is in critical condition you don't worry about a broken wrist, you stop the arterial bleeding.
Now there is a Progressive movement challenging the Democratic establishment and I love to see it. Ezra Klein and every Democratic white male is going to have finally listen to what the rest of us have been screaming about for 50 years. So step back or get run over.
It helps also that Democrats as a party have come to understand there are elections for more than President every four years.
Yeah, throw the bums out at every opportunity.
The Dems' slide to obscurity commenced when it spurned Howard Dean for his whoop and statement that he came from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. I believe that Elizabeth Warren would have won the Presidency if she hadn't said, "You didn't build that," meaning the expensive infrastructure every American capitalist can rely on but needn't pay for. Just as in 1968 after RFK's assassination, the party turned not to Eugene McCarthy, the man whose winning anti-war message had sidelined Pres. Johnson and enticed RFK into the race, but Hubert Humphrey, whose time had come and gone as a Democratic activist. The wrath of "undecided voters" is truly the myth by which money controls political parties.
People had plenty of options, in primaries, in presidential elections, NOT to vote for Donald Trump. They didn't want options, they didn't want candidates seeking consensus . . . they wanted Trump. We can see that passion now, and Trump is even worse than we imagined. Mamdani is not going to get his grocery stores or free childcare or a reduction in NYC rents any more than Trump got Mexico to pay for his wall. But it may not matter. Before a Dem can walk the walk, he or she has to talk the talk. Mamdani did that.
"Mamdani did that." So did Obama. He 'talked,' but forgot the 'walk' part. (It didn't help that the Party of No blocked his every move and questioned his very existence) No, rents aren't going back to 1975, unless Trump *really* fucks up and neither are the price of groceries or anything else.
Jack, I recently rewatched the great HBO series, "From The Earth To The Moon." I'm reminded of a line that the rockets, equipment and other essentials were manufactured by companies who accomplished it on 'low bid government contacts.' So, the Senator was right. And I disagree with your assessment that Warren would have won the presidency.
It's taken almost 50 years for the Left to get over McGovern's shellacking by Nixon in '72. By the time I was able to vote in my first presidential election in 1980 the GOP was turning to something very ugly and the Democratic establishment thought it necessary to follow the Overton window to the center and finally the right. The Democratic Party continued to court white, male voters, while simultaneously taking for granted women and people of color, and for a long time distancing itself from the LGBTQ community (heck, even "big tent" Obama wasn't good on that for a a long time). They talked a good game in primaries, but then always "tacked to the center" during the national election. And completely f*cking forgot about state and local level elections.
I was always going to vote for the Democrat because the Republicans were so horrible and I consider it my civic duty to vote. But I was continually frustrated and disappointed by national candidates. The D Party lost the narrative, could not communicate the actual good things they accomplished. During Hillary Clinton's run in 2016 I was astounded by the misogyny of my male friends who I thought I was politically aligned with. NO ONE believed the fear that women had should Trump be elected. Once again we were thrown aside because the candidate was not "perfect." I saw the same or worse in 2024. Not enough of my fellow progressives cared enough to protect the vulnerable among us. Would Clinton in 2020 or Harris in 2024 have magically made everything perfect on Day 1? No. But when the patient is in critical condition you don't worry about a broken wrist, you stop the arterial bleeding.
Now there is a Progressive movement challenging the Democratic establishment and I love to see it. Ezra Klein and every Democratic white male is going to have finally listen to what the rest of us have been screaming about for 50 years. So step back or get run over.
Hallelujjah, brother