Why Don't Progressives Do This?

[Zardnaar]

Getting a bit sick of the loony left being toxic over here and the American lot are even more insane. Apparently Jacinda isn't progressive enough (she ran as left of center, *****!!)

Since we're all a pack of neo liberal centrists who just block progressive progress I had an awesome thought.

Bernie, AoC and friends etc could all resign their seat in sapphire blue Electorates.

Then they can go and stand in in Texas, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Since the DNC and everyone else is wrong, corrupt, useless and may as well be GoP voting bigots etc etc etc they can prove us wrong!!!.

Since they're so obviously right they can go forth and carry those states proving that the DNC are all out of touch.

Once they do that they can quite obviously claim that being progressive is vastly superior and right!!!!

They would also de facto control the path to the presidency ergo they could easily take control of the DNC and nomination.

They are so enlightened and right of course. Bernie as a self admitted socialist would do great in Florida. How could he not carry Texas as well.

They can easily get a friend to replace them in their safe seats. How could they fail when they're so righteous?

Damn once they do that I'll quite happily admit I'm wrong and jump on board 100%.

 

[Cloud_Strife]

Sir this is an Arby's

 

[Patine]

Getting a bit sick of the loony left being toxic over here and the American lot are even more insane. Apparently Jacinda isn't progressive enough (she ran as left of center, *****!!)

Since we're all a pack of neo liberal centrists who just block progressive progress I had an awesome thought.

Bernie, AoC and friends etc could all resign their seat in sapphire blue Electorates.

Then they can go and stand in in Texas, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Since the DNC and everyone else is wrong, corrupt, useless and may as well be GoP voting bigots etc etc etc they can prove us wrong!!!.

Since they're so obviously right they can go forth and carry those states proving that the DNC are all out of touch.

Once they do that they can quite obviously claim that being progressive is vastly superior and right!!!!

They would also de facto control the path to the presidency ergo they could easily take control of the DNC and nomination.

They are so enlightened and right of course. Bernie as a self admitted socialist would do great in Florida. How could he not carry Texas as well.

They can easily get a friend to replace them in their safe seats. How could they fail when they're so righteous?

Damn once they do that I'll quite happily admit I'm wrong and jump on board 100%.

I wish people would stop talking about a generic, unified, coherent, "left," with any power or influence in the United States. It may surprise you - and others - learn that the political leadership and ideologues of the Democratic Party of the United States - including Biden, Harris, Obama, the Clintons, Schumer, Kerry, Cuomo, Brown, and many others, are actually Centrist to Centre-Right on the political spectrum. *gasp* The true left-wing of the party is just a mascot and pied-piper to get voters who wouldn't otherwise support the real and actual Democratic platform (like Trump used Pence for EXACTLY the same purpose, but to draw in Evangelical and Socially Conservative voters to support the most amoral and socially irresponsible and iconoclastic President to ever set foot in the White House). But, once the voters are lured in by the left-wing of the party mirage (the branch of the party who have NEVER nominated a candidate for President or Vice-President), they get very little true say in policy, except for the bread crumbs from the table and tokenism given to Progressive Reform that has ALWAYS been the case. Calling the Democratic Party of the United States "the left," is HIGHLY inaccurate and a gross mislabelling, in truth.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Progressive Democrats will run in the places you mention if given the opportunity by the party.
Maybe they won't win in Texas or Florida but nor have the centrists who have been running there in recent years.

 

[EnglishEdward]

Is AOC the only progressive elected democrat?

 

[Snowygerry]

Getting a bit sick of the loony left being toxic over here .

In Dunedin, New Zealand?

'Dunedin is a city in New Zealand, at the head of Otago Harbour on the South Island’s southeast coast. It's known for its Scottish and Maori heritage, Victorian and Edwardian architecture, and a large student population. Hiking and cycling trails crisscross the dramatic landscape of the adjoining Otago Peninsula, home to colonies of albatross, sea lions and rare yellow-eyed penguins.'

 

[sendos]

Identity politics is getting out of control. The definition what is progressive and conservative is becoming ridiculously narrow.

The following are characteristics of progressives:
- must denounce political incorrectness;
- must stand up for minorities (and effectively hate white people) and support diversity;
- must stand up against historical injustice, like tearing down statues of racist people (even if it achieves jack horsehocky);
- must stand up for women (and talk about toxic masculinity);
- must stand up against climate change, even if it means screwing up the economy;
- must be pro-choice;
- must hate capitalism; and
- must hate conservatives and denounce the right as fascists

among other things.

The following are characteristics of conservatives:
- must be religious;
- must support family values and gender norms;
- must be politically incorrect;
- must take a stand against any perceived deviancy (e.g. homosexuality, transsexuality, etc)
- must be patriotic;
- must stand against different, particularly inconsistent cultures to the host country you are born in;
- must stand against anything that is remotely socialism;
- must be pro-life;
- must defend capitalism and business, even if it means screwing up society and the environment; and
- must hate progressives/liberals and denounce the left as communists

among other things.

This is where our politics is now, at least in the US.

 

[Snowygerry]

Do you guys follow a lot of US politics in Australia or NZ ?

It's a bit surprising, all the US posters are asleep I think, they wake up by tea time

 

[Cloud_Strife]

- must take a stand against any perceived deviancy (e.g. homosexuality, transsexuality, etc)

A tacit acknowledgement/Admission that to be a conservative requires some level/degree of bigotry

 

[Bugfatty300]

Identity politics is getting out of control. The definition what is progressive and conservative is becoming ridiculously narrow.

The following are characteristics of progressives:
- must denounce political incorrectness;
- must stand up for minorities (and effectively hate white people) and support diversity;
- must stand up against historical injustice, like tearing down statues of racist people (even if it achieves jack ****);
- must stand up for women (and talk about toxic masculinity);
- must stand up against climate change, even if it means screwing up the economy;
- must be pro-choice;
- must hate capitalism; and
- must hate conservatives and denounce the right as fascists

among other things.

The following are characteristics of conservatives:
- must be religious;
- must support family values and gender norms;
- must be politically incorrect;
- must take a stand against any perceived deviancy (e.g. homosexuality, transsexuality, etc)
- must be patriotic;
- must stand against different, particularly inconsistent cultures to the host country you are born in;
- must stand against anything that is remotely socialism;
- must be pro-life;
- must defend capitalism and business, even if it means screwing up society and the environment; and
- must hate progressives/liberals and denounce the left as communists

among other things.

This is where our politics is now, at least in the US.

Red bolded text is conservative and right-wing interpretations of progressivism and "SJWs." Whereas the conservative list is pretty much the standard Republican platform.

Without the scary strawmen the progressive list looks a lot more appealing don't you think?

 

[Cloud_Strife]

Oh no, progressives might *Hastily looks at list* want to deal with the impending climate change disaster that has the potential to hurt the entire earth!

 

[Farm Boy]

They're jerks, Zard. They still have some good ideas now and again, and that's enough reason to like that they're around, most of the time.

More importantly, the forces that seek your diminishment in order to heighten their relative success are very good at making sure every heroin riddled half falling apart town town (in the US) sees AOC and her ~58k median income district. Makes sure they see gleaming images (that people at least think) are from NYC and Queens. And vice versa, the idjits from the sticks get megaphones too. Some of them are truly terrible too. But hey, go listen to Chappelle on SNL. ~15 minutes skit. He leads with about ~3/4 minutes of literally calling people like me gross, racist, ******s. It's alright though, if you read into it, you know what he's doing and I approve. I bet he's a good neighbor to have. Could be wrong, but he gets the benefit of the doubt. His neighbors, too.

 

[Cloud_Strife]

They're jerks, Zard.

And some, i presume, are good people

 

[Farm Boy]

Damn skippy they are.

 

[warpus]

If you want American progressives to have any sort of chance you need to decouple them from the Democratic party, which is right of centre and not really liberal at all. I mean, yeah, they are more liberal and lean more to the left than the Republicans, but so does Satan.

The Democrats will always favour these big business candidates who all have the same haircut. Every once in a while they'll throw in a woman of colour or whatever to keep their voters happy. But any candidate who actually wants change and progress? Those people never end up in positions of power. All you get is "all talk" politicians like Obama getting into positions of power every once in a while.

I get that in the U.S. everything is set up for there to only be 2 parties, both controlled by the same corporate interests. Yes, starting up a new party takes time. Yes, the first election you'll probably win 0 seats. That's the work that's always needed when starting a new party. You start small and build. This sort of project takes decades. Progressives always latching on to the Democratic machine just get sucked into the system and don't end up accomplishing anything that a non-progressive wouldn't have. Looking south of the border we see the Democrats as right-of-centre, but then we look at somebody like Bernie and that's your average Canadian politician right there. Yet in the U.S. he's portrayed as satan himself. Guy should do his own thing and take his voters with him. The Republicans are already splintering with the insane orange mob getting more upset at the republican party by the day. I could see the American right splitting into the insane super right-wing group of crazies and the more moderate republicans. If that happens the Democrats win every single election - but also open up the door to a 3rd party coming into its own and getting some seats as well.

 

[El_Machinae]

Progressive Democrats will run in the places you mention if given the opportunity by the party.
Maybe they won't win in Texas or Florida but nor have the centrists who have been running there in recent years.

I get what Zard is saying, that a representative needs to fit the district. So a progressive message will only work in regions that have progressive values.

Ms. Queen here also nails the problem, that some districts haven't yet been convinced that progressivism will help them.

I don't know if importing a firebrand would work, it might? Because that way they would get air time. After that, they just need to be convincing. We have so much carpetbagging in politics already, it's certainly an idea.

 

[Hygro]

Except that in the swing districts the play it safe moderates always lose their seats and the neighboring progressives keep them.

 

[Ajidica]

The following are characteristics of progressives:
- must denounce political incorrectness;
- must stand up for minorities (and effectively hate white people) and support diversity;
- must stand up against historical injustice, like tearing down statues of racist people (even if it achieves jack ****);
- must stand up for women (and talk about toxic masculinity);
- must stand up against climate change, even if it means screwing up the economy;
- must be pro-choice;
- must hate capitalism; and
- must hate conservatives and denounce the right as fascists

What is this nonsense?

EDIT: @Hygro is it though? My current House district was one by a centrist Democrat in 2018 after almost 60 years in Republican control. He retained the seat in 2020 running on a 'moderate' health care, education, and good government platform.

 

[Gorbles]

I get what Zard is saying, that a representative needs to fit the district. So a progressive message will only work in regions that have progressive values.

I don't really get what Zard is saying, because the last time someone generalised this badly and offensively about a large ideological demographic, all heck broke loose for about twenty pages

 

[Zardnaar]

I don't really get what Zard is saying, because the last time someone generalised this badly and offensively about a large ideological demographic, all heck broke loose for about twenty pages

I'm basically be saying they should put up or shut up.

Easy to lecture from sapphire blue seats.

If they can win those contested areas by all means they should have a huge say in the DNC.

But yeah it's mostly counter productive imho.

I would focus on one thing and hammer that. Probably M4A.

Get that across the line pick a new goal focus that wash rinse repeat.

I know what the right here will want in 2023,26, 29. And the GoP. It's always tax cuts