politics

The progressive remnants of whatever the Democratic progressive caucus has become need to seriously take to the media.

For all intents and purposes, the progressive movement that started in earnest with occupy and led pretty directly to Bernie 2015-16, the squad, and Bernie 2020, is basically embers as this point. Bernie made the right decision in stepping back, but I really think he expected some of this younger generation to step forwards, and they simply haven't. Its shocking to me how some of this group have become so complacent in their 'positions' as progressives champions, that they seem to think they can do with out the movement that got them there ( looking at Fetterman and to a lessor extent AOC).

Hell I wanted Fetterman to run for president if not for that "I'm not a progressive" bullshit he pulled. Regardless, the movement is rudderless without a figurehead as almost all movements are. The infrastructure is all there, but Democrats have basically shunned progressives throughout, inspite of their uphill victories over the last 10 years. I mean Bernie had the singularly largest rise in delegates a Democratic primary had ever seen in 2015. It needs to be acknowledged that the Democratic party is a fundamentally anti-democracy institution when they won't let democracy into their primary system. I mean look at what happened to New Hampshire. There are real costs the Democratic party will exercise against you if you "vote wrong". The Democratic party has done more to frustrate the progressive movement than any other political institution, and yet progressives are still being brow-beat into caucusing with them.

I think a mid-western, led by a prominent Minnesotan or Michigander progressive could step out and form a third party with some success. They would caucuses with Democrats, but be independent and have their own primaries. It would need to form from the ashes of Our Revolution and the frankly massive volunteer base that has supported progressive and leftist candidates in this country. No I don't think DSA is sufficient. It needs to be something new and focused on Social Democracy as the underlying philosophy. The time is ripe. The generation of 14 year olds who first started paying attention in 2015 are graduating college right now and are almost assuredly thinking along the lines of Extinction Rebellion and the like. There definitely needs to be some rebranding (too much 1980s peace and justice in the Our Revolution branding). Democratizing the power base and empowering young people. A decent software stack to make organizing easy. Clever and creative approaches to fundraising and GOTV. The infrastructure is all present, and wasted on a Democratic party that doesn't really want its constituents involvement.

To circle back, what this really needs, is to blur the line between podcaster and politician. The Bush's and Tlalibs need to take a step more into the digitally native world and become regulars on the major podcasts in the progressive left circles. Its the strategy Bernie used, its the strategy Trump used, and it works for populist candidates. There is a groundswell of popularity for progressive policy that isn't going away simply because Democrats choose to ignore it (unless its campaign season of course, then we get a nice lip servicing). Bernie was especially good at using social media in a way that the other progressives simply haven't. Tlalib should get on Hasans channel and start having conversations. But it can't be that sanitized DCCC fake ass bullshit. We need to get away from the Democrats if we ever want to have success as a movement. We can and should caucus with them, but we should be seeking to maintain an independent political identity. You only have power if they have to come get your vote.