Throughout this year’s Democratic primaries, a narrative has taken root pitting the candidates of the progressive left, widely seen as “insurgents” running to disrupt the status quo, versus more moderate candidates largely aligned with the Democratic establishment.
Referring to the “left vs center” dynamic in the Democratic Party…
I like Simon Rosenberg’s reading (if I understand it right from his “Hopium Chronicles”) that it’s not that leftists are trying to disrupt the establishment. It’s that Democratic voters are favoring candidates with energy and new ideas - fighters for democracy and against Republican economics, cultural issues and authoritarianism … and against (among other things) the oligarchical interests that Republicans cater to.
With this perspective, what’s “wrong” with the Democratic establishment is its hesitancy to say/do things that might offend their big-dollar donors.
The “Social Democrats” who are winning primaries are not SDA zealots either. In most cases, they are aligned with less ideological local SD sub-groups who have far more pragmatic views on governance.
Democrats debating and fussing over labels and fragmentation are wasting time and energy… and playing into the hands of Republicans who are working hard to label them as Socialists and Communists.
The campaign should be about governance and policy and character. Period.
Okay, sure but are they gonna GOVERN with these policies is the real question
Referring to the “left vs center” dynamic in the Democratic Party…
I like Simon Rosenberg’s reading (if I understand it right from his “Hopium Chronicles”) that it’s not that leftists are trying to disrupt the establishment. It’s that Democratic voters are favoring candidates with energy and new ideas - fighters for democracy and against Republican economics, cultural issues and authoritarianism … and against (among other things) the oligarchical interests that Republicans cater to.
With this perspective, what’s “wrong” with the Democratic establishment is its hesitancy to say/do things that might offend their big-dollar donors.
The “Social Democrats” who are winning primaries are not SDA zealots either. In most cases, they are aligned with less ideological local SD sub-groups who have far more pragmatic views on governance.
If Democrats waste energy debating over
Well stated
…wasn’t finished…
Democrats debating and fussing over labels and fragmentation are wasting time and energy… and playing into the hands of Republicans who are working hard to label them as Socialists and Communists.
The campaign should be about governance and policy and character. Period.