Polling shows Americans are ready to support independent populists running on economic platforms. But what they don’t want is anything associated with the Democratic Party’s brand.
If we all want to rally behind the Democratic Party to oppose it, they must be similarly purged of the corruption that allowed this to happen and continues to enable it. Then and only then can they provide a credible grassroots opposition. Otherwise, we’re just running on the same corrupt treadmill we always have been on.
Unfortunately a sizable chunk of people would rather burn the whole thing down than put in the necessary work to do this. (See: every fucking primary turnout ever).
The idea that primaries will fix this has been demonstrated beyond doubt to be false by Bernie 2016 and 2020. You won’t force the party to change by playing by its rules.
“Bernie didn’t win so primaries aren’t useful” is a pretty weak ass argument.
I like Bernie. I voted for him, I door knocked for him, I phone banked for him, I’ve been to his rallies. Bernie. Did. Not. Get. Enough. Votes. End of story. If you can’t win the Democratic primary (even with DNC bullshit), I’m skeptical you’ll win the general. We didn’t turn out in high enough numbers in both the 2016 and 2020 primaries. That’s what happened.
You won’t force the party to change by playing by its rules.
And you won’t beat the 2 party system without capturing one of the parties or burning the entire thing to the ground.
No amount of primaries can solve it either, imo. The problem is parties. One party, two parties, many parties… they all end corrupt. A politician loyalty is not to the voters, or the people, or country. It is first and most to the party, because the party put them in that place, and it can take them away if they don’t stay on their lane. Parties can be, and so most have been, easily infiltrated and corrupted since money is what wins elections.
Citizens United was the nail in the coffin for American democracy IMO. No democracy can survive unlimited money being used as free speech. Those who have the most dollars speak loudest, plutocracy is inevitable, and from there are only paths to even worse forms of government.
Unfortunately a sizable chunk of people would rather burn the whole thing down than put in the necessary work to do this. (See: every fucking primary turnout ever).
The idea that primaries will fix this has been demonstrated beyond doubt to be false by Bernie 2016 and 2020. You won’t force the party to change by playing by its rules.
“Bernie didn’t win so primaries aren’t useful” is a pretty weak ass argument.
I like Bernie. I voted for him, I door knocked for him, I phone banked for him, I’ve been to his rallies. Bernie. Did. Not. Get. Enough. Votes. End of story. If you can’t win the Democratic primary (even with DNC bullshit), I’m skeptical you’ll win the general. We didn’t turn out in high enough numbers in both the 2016 and 2020 primaries. That’s what happened.
And you won’t beat the 2 party system without capturing one of the parties or burning the entire thing to the ground.
No amount of primaries can solve it either, imo. The problem is parties. One party, two parties, many parties… they all end corrupt. A politician loyalty is not to the voters, or the people, or country. It is first and most to the party, because the party put them in that place, and it can take them away if they don’t stay on their lane. Parties can be, and so most have been, easily infiltrated and corrupted since money is what wins elections.
Citizens United was the nail in the coffin for American democracy IMO. No democracy can survive unlimited money being used as free speech. Those who have the most dollars speak loudest, plutocracy is inevitable, and from there are only paths to even worse forms of government.