If Dems want any chance of winning in 2026 (midterms), assuming we still have an election, there is only one path forward, and that is things that matter to Americans.
Economic issues that Sanders was successfully campaigning on in 2016 when he was thwarted in the primary. It’s not important to fight over what happened that year, but his platform is 100% the way forward to progress.
NYT The Runup podcast had an episode following people door knocking for Harris in Philly projects. This was specifically one person’s objection to Harris “She’s always talking about the middle class, but what about me and my neighbors? We’re broke”.
Dems need to be the party of Bernie and AOC, activists on behalf of the working class, promoting policies of economic justice. Dems need to be the tough as nails union folk of the early labor movement, fighting bloody fights for workers rights against corporations and robber barrons. That’s why people voted for Trump, they want economic change and politicians actually willing to fight for it, as wrong as they are to put that energy into Trump. Right now Dems are the party of the elites, the corporations, Hollywood, the people with “In this house we believe…” signs in front of their upper middle class suburban homes - the party of economic establishment, of incremental change that at best makes a minor impact on people’s real well being. Dems are the party more concerned with using non offensive language than addressing pay inequality between workers and executives.
Dems dropped the mental of the working class fighter. Trump picked it up, but is welding it as a weapon for his own destructive aims. Until Dems take that back, with a legitimate economic agenda, with legitimate plans to help the working class, and with authentic candidates who can clearly convey to voters “I’m tough as hell, and with your help I’m going to take on those bastards” , until then we’re fucked.
I thought Walz was a great pick for that reason. He seemed like he could appeal to that group. But then they kind of hid him to get Republicans instead, and tried to make him more like them instead of being more like him (they stopped using the “weird” thing so they wouldn’t alienate Republicans, for example). Now that I think about it, if he can be encouraged to follow what I think are his mostly good, progressive instincts (except for the time he called the military on protestors), he might be a good, new central leader in this movement in the future.
minnesota agreed to loan him to the party in the hope the policies would go with him. the rest of you can only have him if you start running on the 2026 mid terms and 2028 presidential tomorrow and dont let up. it’s* all in non-stop on unions, trans rights and feeding children. or we’re keeping him.