Add my "what went wrong" take to the pile

[jfz9580m]

105. All places are bubbles to some extent

I love DU. But I’ll be honest that I also read some sources (only ever from the left) that are more critical of the Democratic Party than posters here would like.

I rarely post them here because: 1) I dislike flame wars as they rarely lead to meaningful discussion and I am generally pacific (even with GOP voters as opposed to movement GOP like Vought/Greene/Boebert/Musk/Vance/Trump etc who really are just cruel and callous human beings). I don’t shift my policy positions to be pacific or liked but I do dislike anger, rancor and arguments. I have had more of them in my life than I ever wanted ;-/..some of it my fault and some of it circumstantial. 2) I don’t want posters with differing views to feel one is sneakily violating TOS or attacking their worldviews. Most people stop listening if you attack their worldviews and then communication stops at that point. I would not attack other DUers’ worldviews. Since no one here is a troll (who isn’t kicked out by MIRT fast enough).

But I do think it is a strategic mistake to tune out progressive voices..I am unambigously aligned with the Bernie/AOC wing of the party.

I think they are key to understanding a vital young voter base that if wooed by the Democratic Party could become a long term loyal base to balance out the Maga one the GOP now has.

For instance one progressive voice with a fair amount of influence over me is Nathan Robinson. He is often critical of the Democratic Party but I think that is because he wants to see the party move left rather than centre and I do personally think that could energise the youth vote. I can’t speak for him but I would be shocked if he is a Jill Stein voter.

I am pretty left but I draw the line at advocating for voting for Jill Stein or Nader to “vote your conscience”. That is basically that Nika Soon Shiong stuff I disapprove of a lot. It is basically callously ignoring the sheer scale of suffering it causes each time the GOP gets back into power.

The reason I am on DU is that it fits my worldview. My line in the sand re going left ends where Jill Stein/Nader etc start. I don’t like them at all.

But certainly I do like to see the dems move left. I don’t really see any serious alternative to the Democratic Party in the US and with the US system. Which is why I think it is important that the Dems move left and with better messaging (I agreed completely with EarlG’s op) to snag a chunk of the left voter base which I think would be reliable if wooed more.

If left Dems and more centre leaning dems could learn to work together it would be a powerful repudiation of Maga. Economic populism and a serious commitment to environmental issues/pacifism are a winning combo for the dems is my guess at this point in time.