Democratic Socialists Need to Take a Hard Look in the Mirror

[Texacon]

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216058333


One of the very few DUmmies who tell the other DUmmies what they need to hear, but it's not what they WANT to hear, so they tune him out.

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brooklynite (73,854 posts)


Democratic Socialists Need to Take a Hard Look in the Mirror

New York Times

In my political circles, the socialist and activist left, the recent defeat of India Walton, a democratic socialist candidate for mayor of Buffalo, seemed all too familiar, even if she lost in an unusual way to the incumbent Democratic mayor, Byron Brown. Ms. Walton prevailed against Mr. Brown in the Democratic primary, but for the general election, he ran a write-in campaign to retain his position.

That outcome saddens and disappoints me. Like many admirers of Ms. Walton, I believe she was terribly mistreated by the New York Democratic Party, which largely fell in line behind Mr. Brown, even though he was not running as a Democrat. It’s not fair that Ms. Walton had to run against him twice, with the weight of a lot of centrist Democrats and Republicans behind him in the general election, and that he enjoyed the support of several prominent labor unions and much of the city’s and state’s larger party infrastructure. (Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand did endorse Ms. Walton.)

Nevertheless, I am willing to say something far too few leftists seem willing to: Not only did Mr. Brown win, but he won resoundingly (the race is not officially over but stands at roughly 59 percent for Mr. Brown to 41 percent for Ms. Walton); it’s time for young socialists and progressive Democrats to recognize that our beliefs just might not be popular enough to win elections consistently. It does us no favors to pretend otherwise.

What too many young socialists and progressive Democrats don’t seem to realize is that it’s perfectly possible that the Democratic Party is biased against our beliefs and that our beliefs simply aren’t very popular.

PTWB (2,765 posts)

3. The answer is not to change our progressive beliefs

It is to change the outdated conservative, centrist, and corporate beliefs. The answer is to push harder to the left.

mahatmakanejeeves (40,258 posts)

5. Even if that means losing?

I mean, that's noble and stuff, but it also elects a lot of Republicans.

PTWB (2,765 posts)

7. We are losing either way.

If we elect conservatives, corporatists or centrists … we lose.

We might as well have discourse about progressive ideas and policies while losing in order to get those ideas seen as mainstream so that we can advance them in the future.

Remember when issues like gay marriage were considered radical leftist and a losing platform? It was not long ago.

WHITT (2,090 posts)

9. Except

it’s time for young socialists and progressive Democrats to recognize that our beliefs just might not be popular enough to win elections consistently.

Nonsense.

She was essentially running unopposed, so she did no real campaigning and spent almost no money, as she was considered a 'shoo-in'.

comradebillyboy (9,075 posts)

20. I would be reluctant to vote for anyone who self-identified as a socialist.

There are very good reasons why there are no socialist states in Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. Many here at DU have told me that those folks who identify as socialists or "democratic" socialists aren't really socialists. But I'll take those folks at their word that they are what they say they are.

Politically speaking the socialism label is the kiss of death and the Democratic party needs to shun it.

Some of them want to go farther left, others are starting to see the light that maybe, just maybe, people are getting tired of their 'too woke' bullshit, but they're afraid to come right out and say that.

KC

[thundley4]

I think PTWB and WHITT are moles.

[BannedFromDU]

     Um, point of personal privilege? I'm triggered by these comments.

[SVPete]

PTWB (2,765 posts)

3. The answer is not to change our progressive beliefs

It is to change the outdated conservative, centrist, and corporate beliefs. The answer is to push harder to the left.

From DU-Moron PTWB's keyboard to Dem leaders' ears!

WHITT (2,090 posts)
...
She was essentially running unopposed, so she did no real campaigning and spent almost no money, as she was considered a 'shoo-in'.

She was beaten by a write-in. Granted, the winner had name recognition and did campaign, but         . If you want an example of arrogance-in-action, even though she knew there was a write-in campaign, she ASSumed voters would be too damn ignorant/lazy to figure out how to vote write-in, .

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

PTWB (2,765 posts)

7. We are losing either way.

BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS YOU PEOPLE IN CHARGE!