What road should progressives take?

The path marked ‘Exiting from US territory’.

I don’t think what is “progressive” is defined by a “path”.  There may be many paths.

To take an obvious example, Bernie Sanders is widely praised for his consistency – and derided for it by those on the right – and this consistency is in advocating for the same “progressive” or “leftist” or “communist” or however labeled ideas over decades, up to the present day.  But Bernie isn’t the only one who’s been consistent in advocating those same ideas over the years.  The US is backward, the most backward of economically developed countries in the world, and more backward than many of the countries the US has bombed into the stone age.  Many of the ideas that Bernie is fighting for in the USA, and which are said to be impossible/irresponsible/socialist in the USA, are already realized in the civilized world.  As in: realized to define what the common citizen understands to be their civilization, their culture.  It isn’t about Bernie, or “paths”, it’s about the ideas that he fights for, and the kind of society achieved by them.

So the debate is over ideas, whether they’re acceptable to the majority or not, not over nebulous “paths”.

I have often said to those who insist we should start a third party, thst first we have to prove that the current Democratic Party is irredeemable.

If they cheat us (we know they will try) and deny Bernie the nomination, then we have done our part to prove this.  This will destroy the Democratic Party.

Next step will be to create a new party.

As far as I am concerned, Bernie is the only progressive option at this point.  Warren has revealed herself to be a liar and a coward.  Tulsi could be a valid option, but not for 2020, she simply doesnt have enough support.

Biden and Buttigieg are simply two more vichy dems.

I will only vote for Bernie, and if Bernie is not the candidate, Green it is.  The only way I am “throwing away my vote” is if I vote for a Vichy Dem.  And ALL the rest are Vichy Dems.

That this bullshit is starting to seep out now tells me that I may be being “groomed” for that “lesser evil” pragmatic bullshit, and I will never be on board with that.  However I vote, it will absolutely NOT be for a Democrat unless that is Bernie on the ballot.  Someone I consider my best friend has just been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.  The fucking hoops her Medicare supplement insurer are making her jump through, the terrible options she is being given as to where she gets treated – this should not be happening.  This puts all the Democrats except for Bernie on my no fucking way list.

Warren is NOT PROGRESSIVE.  She is actually proud of that.  To all who try to present Warren as a viable alternative – fuck you, and fuck off.

@stockholmer

A lot of us cant.  My fiance has (should have, needs to get her mother to finish paperwork) dual citizenship – US and Canada.  So, if we got married we could move there – but I would lose my SSI and we would lose about a third of our income.  It would take time for me to qualify for anything at all in Canada, too.

I’m not optimistic about being able to move any time soon.  Just not enough resources, nor do I have a particular skill set that Nations want in immigrants.  I am learning various things, perhaps in time i can get some kind of certification in automechanics, computer repair or something.  Just not yet.

Maybe if i won a lottery.

This previously Unaffiliated person is now a card-carrying Democrat.

I’ve learned the importance of voting in the primaries to try to reform the party, while having no qualms of voting for a 3rd party and allowing the Democrats to lose if they mess around on the primaries with their unfair practices.  Even then, they get the benefit of the doubt where I try to figure out who would do more damage.

It is People Over Party in my mind, as it always has been, to many of them, it has been the reverse.

A fiercely united and single minded coalition of progressives now.  There is no time, or room, for silly squabbling about minor issues.  For the first time since FDR, we have a real possibility of electing a progressive POTUS who will work for all the people, and work to transform the US government from a government of, by, and for the plutocrats, into a government of, by, and for the People.  If we squander this once in a lifetime opportunity, the failure to save our country, and our planet, is on us.

Every progressive needs to unite behind Bernie in an effort to get him elected.  The plutocrats and other anti-democracy forces will throw every lie and corrupt action possible at Us to prevent Bernie from being nominated and elected.  We must form an enormous, united, unstoppable force of human will and effort, right now, because that is what is going to take to save the country, democracy, and the planet from destruction and extinction brought about by the greed and savagery of the authoritarian fascist Oligarchy of the Plutocrat empire.

If the Democratic establishment cheats us again, we boycott everything, institute the most massive general strike in history, and use any and every direct action possible to end the malevolent and unjust stranglehold that wealthy private interests have on our government, our lives, our media, and the health of our planet.

Dear DNC New Democrat Democratic Party Establishment:

If you cheat us again, we will end you as any kind of relevant political party forever.  It’s very simple: just play fair, transparently and honestly.  If you use your committees and superdelegates to override the clear will of the people, you will never win another major election.

It really is that simple.  We know how difficult this will be for you, because you are owned and controlled by wealthy private interests, but all you have to do is ensure that the Democratic party nomination process is totally, completely, absolutely transparent and honest.  No games, no weaseling, no strings attached, no deception, no fraud, no duplicitous legal chicanery, no nada.

If Bernie wins the popular vote in the nomination process fair and square, Bernie gets the Democratic party nomination for POTUS.  You cheat us again, all your money won’t buy the Democratic party another minute of political viability.

So just do the right thing. It’s not rocket science.

Political parties are merely coalitions.   In order to win elections the party with the biggest coalition wins (unless the EC prevents it).

What to do if your coalition fails to attract enough voters to win?   Broaden it by making it less dogmatic by finding common ground among other available factions.   The Democratic party is loosely made up of various factions, progressive, liberal, centrist, conservative, and free thinkers.  None of them can win alone.

If your faction can’t convince other factions to join you, you lose.   If you don’t win you don’t govern.

That’s politics.

Easy. The High Road.

Best case scenario is that Bernie takes a commanding lead in the primaries and wraps this dragonshit up by the end of March.

Worst case scenario – if the DLC gets away with fucking him out of the nomination again?  Massive write in campaign.  No Green party. No other third party protest votes that ain’t going to amount to shit. Everybody writes Bernie’s name on the goddamned ballot in November, and dares these motherfuckers to not count them.

Even if the end result is the Orange piece of shit remaining in the White House until he drops dead, at least the message will be clear as to how and why that happened.

To all the lurking PUMAs reading this and ready to spew all over SV and Death Squad Daily Kos about how “pro Trump” I am, there’s a simple solution…

DON’T STEAL THE FUCKING PRIMARY AGAIN, IDIOTS!