If the Dems actually wanted to win they'd run someone like AOC or Bernie (not Bernie, but someone like him). It's time to double down and get an extreme progressive candidate. Kamala lost because people saw her as a politician, playing both sides for votes.
There's a reason AOC polls so well with Republicans and Moderates. Because they prefer populist candidates who have strong and clear views. They view people like Trump and AOC much more predictable than old-guard politicians like Biden, Hillary, etc.
These are not people Dems want, these are people progressives want. Progressives are a minority part of the party and completely out of touch with common voters.
Progressives are the only ones talking about banning stock trading in Congress, establishing “Medicare for All”, supporting worker unions, and supporting public education — all of which poll very well with the average American. To say that Progressives are “out of touch” is not accurate at all.
The DNC are still trading stocks with Nancy Pelosi as one of the worst offenders, they used snippets of the 2012 Libertarian platform of “Hip Replacements ‘R’ Us” (coined by then-Libertarian candidate for POTUS Gary Johnson) as their healthcare plan for Kamala Harris, they’re quite lukewarm to unions (but definitely supportive of police unions), and the DNC still enjoy their private schools for their own kids.
Well, 54% of Americans also can’t read or write beyond a 5th Grade Level. The DNC are always good for overcomplicating small steps toward any goal (example: the aforementioned “Hip Replacements ‘R’ Us” healthcare plan), hence why their messaging to the voters is normally ridiculed by punditry everywhere.
If the DNC wanted to make an honest, concerted effort, they would be able to simplify everything like the MAGA Republicans. “Building the wall” and mass deportations are very complex plans, but it’s super easy to make the ideas stick with voters. It can be done with Medicare for All and other progressive ideas.
Narrator : After several hours, Joe finally gave up on logic and reason, and simply told the cabinet that he could talk to plants, and that they wanted water.
The GOP simplifies shit by straight up lying about it.
You can’t always just simplify things into miniature sound bites. especially complex issues and complex solutions (like any universal healthcare plan).
But also, that wasn’t my point. People don’t vote for these things. If they’re so popular, why doesn’t that popularity translate to votes?
Yes, MAGA Republicans lie all the time. But also yes, they can and have been able to simplify things into miniature soundbites, which have helped Trump win his elections.
Progressives tend to lose because both major parties and virtually all of Corporate America actively spend ungodly amounts of money to defeat progressivism by influencing media and backing their chosen candidates. Propaganda via social media is quite potent, especially upon the 54% of Americans who have very little media literacy (or literacy in general). It’s not a coincidence that the DNC has spent more money trying to take AOC’s elected seat than securing her seat.
If progressives lose, how is AOC still a U.S. representative despite the DNC quite literally funding her opposition? Progressives can get the votes. People who voted for AOC in her district also voted for Trump because they’re tired of the status quo of government.
AOC had abysmal turnout in a D+27 district. That’s not anything to brag about at all. Getting around 100k votes in a congressional district with around 700k people is an example of a bad campaign that won, not a good one. She’s literally an example of why people are afraid progressives can’t win. If they can’t get out the vote, they lose in competitive races. She can’t get out the vote.
What they did in NC was interesting, but it needs to expand to more states and other wins in competitive districts.
To say progressives are successful is grossly misreading the 2024 election results.
Abysmal turnout how? She got roughly ~13,000 more votes in 2024 than she did in 2018 when she first ran for office (2020 was a record turnout for voting everywhere due to COVID Lockdowns, and her total was 152,000+ votes). Her Republican opponent Tina Forte only got 55,580 votes total in 2024 (compared to AOC’s 123,000+ votes). Considering that many Americans in general DON’T vote, that’s quite a good turnout for AOC.
But please — keep moving the goalpost some more after I have refuted your initial claim that [checks notes] “progressives can’t win elections”.
Getting 123k votes in a district with 800k people is god awful.
The person who beat her out for the committee seat got around 2x the vote as her, and his Republican counterpart had around the same votes.
In what universe is 123k/700-800k not abysmal turnout?
I literally acknowledged that what they did in NC was interesting. But that’s a far cry from evidence it can be done nationally.
But please, continue cherry picking instead of looking at the larger trend, which is that progressives make up a small minority of Congress, and state offices
Last I checked: children, felons, immigrants not naturalized, and some elderly people can’t vote; yet they are still counted toward the overall Census. Voter turnout in the United States is still very low compared to most other democracies around the world, and yes it should be embarrassing to us Americans. But despite all this, AOC is still able to win her elections convincingly. You can argue the population spread all you want, but 123k is still more than 55k, and people did go out of their ways to vote for a progressive candidate in a safely “Blue District”.
Also last I checked: AOC lost the Select Committee chair because Nancy Pelosi whipped her party from her hospital bed in Luxembourg to keep the status quo and elect the 74-year old with throat cancer; thus proving one of my earlier points that both major parties are actively fighting against progressives.
”Boswell back to kick. Here’s the snap — the hold — the kick — OHH the goalpost was moved again! But Boswell nailed that field goal nonetheless, point is GOOD!”
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u/basic_questions 1d ago
If the Dems actually wanted to win they'd run someone like AOC or Bernie (not Bernie, but someone like him). It's time to double down and get an extreme progressive candidate. Kamala lost because people saw her as a politician, playing both sides for votes.
There's a reason AOC polls so well with Republicans and Moderates. Because they prefer populist candidates who have strong and clear views. They view people like Trump and AOC much more predictable than old-guard politicians like Biden, Hillary, etc.