sanders
President Obama this last week issued a rare and unusual public statement about the Presidential race, warning the Democratic field not to veer "too far left." While almost all of the candidates have made their obligatory pilgrimage to meet with the former President, such a public near rebuke of the progressive, majoritarian wing of the party seems out of place, happening at time where the buzz of backroom wealthy Democratic donors is encouraging the late entries of Deval Patrick and Michael Bloomberg into a race that wasn't lacking for centrists or billionaires in the field.
The New York Times reported Obama not mentioning any candidate by name, "but he took aim at the 'activist wing' of the Democratic Party and 'left-leaning Twitter feeds,' saying they were out of touch with the average voter. 'This is still a country that is less revolutionary than it is interested in improvement,' he told an audience of some of the party’s wealthiest donors on Friday evening." (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/us/obama-left-democrats-2020.html)
Well...of course he was talking to wealthy donors, because many of them are quite concerned that a Warren or Sanders Presidency will actually impact their financial lives in ways that that the previous Democratic presidencies of Obama and Clinton did not. Indeed, the economic policies of third way centrism only made them preposterously more prosperous and did little to lift all economic ships. The truth though is that if we are going to make a serious dent in the gross economic inequality, if we are truly going to educate every citizen well through post-secondary, if we are going solve the climate crisis, if we are going to ensure access to health care for every citizen, than we will need to rely on the wealth of those billionaires with a significantly more progressive tax scheme than we currently employ.
We also found out this week that for the first time in American history, the very wealthy are being taxed at a lower rate than working people. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/camilomaldonado/2019/10/10/trump-tax-cuts-helped-billionaires-pay-less-taxes-than-the-working-class-in-2018/#3249eb03128f - And yes, that's no left-wing socialist rag making this report, it is Forbes). This inflection point of our economic history must become the very bottom of the historical tax curve. We need to tax wealth and raise the marginal rates on incomes for millionaires and billionaires if we hope suspend our descent into plutocracy and maintain a functioning democratic republic.
And so, I wonder if Obama is missing the moment here. Does he not realize how quickly the party that he led has moved ideologically to the left? This is not the same party or country in the last time he ran in 2012 or even 2016. The demographic shifts that we were all discussing in 2016 about a younger, more diverse electorate all still hold true despite Trump's last gasp of xenophobia and racism. The Republicans, already headed towards minority status are cementing such a position for a generation in their embrace of white nationalism and topsy-turvey, mafia-style foreign policy. A decade and a generation from now, we will all still be asking, what did you do to fight the racism, lies, and civic ugliness of Trump?
I'm not saying the leftward shift is Trump-driven. though it has catalyzed activism in the country and crystalized many issues for folks. For example, we now see that Democratic policies unjustly deported millions of immigrants, created cover for pre-emptive war and slaughter in Iraq, supported stop and frisk laws and other racist policing methods that encouraged a mass incarceration system, or more immediately in our discussion, didn't ask the rich to do their fair share out of fear of being deemed a class warrior or worse yet, because Larry Summers did not think it was a good idea.
The fact is that most Americans and certainly most Democrats support almost all of what's on the policy table of the progressive Democrats in the race. This past summer, I warned against letting Republicans or Republican-leaning folks tell Democrats for whom to vote (https://www.civicaction.center/story/dont-let-republicans-tell-us-how-vote). It is worth reiterating here the broad support that progressive policy has with Americans:
Single Payer Healthcare. 56% of Americans support single payer 38% oppose and support is trending upward over time. https://www.slideshare.net/KaiserFamilyFoundation/public-opinion-on-singlepayer-national-health-plans-and-expanding-access-to-medicare-coverage-150455379
Green New Deal. The policy prescriptions have support of 80% of registered voters. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/421765-poll-majorities-of…
Taxing the Rich. 76% of registered voters want to increase taxes on the rich. https://fortune.com/2019/02/04/support-for-tax-increase-on-wealthy-americans-poll/amp/
So frankly, I'm not even sure what President Obama is talking about when he warns about being #toofarleft. These are mainstream issues. Candidates who offer full-throated support for these issues like Warren and Sanders are polling well with their support growing rather than shrinking. Obama is missing the moment and it is up for the voters to bring him along. We need his voice moving forward, but as a catalyst, rather than impediment: not for the change we can believe in, but rather for the policies we know we need to bring about lasting systemic change.
#Climate #EconomicJustice #Politics #RacialJustice #election2020 #obama #warren #sanders
Rolling Stone has an interview out with Jane Sanders, wife of Sen. Barry Sanders. It is a great read and gives you some insight into the personal and political dynamics of bringing a Presidential campaign to a close. The title of the article is "Why Bernie Voters Shouldn't Get Over It." In the piece Jane Sanders says:
We did everything we could, but we didn't win. And they were so sad about it. People have been making it sound like they're mad, and they should just get over it. No they shouldn't! They shouldn't just get over it! What do you expect? How do you turn on a dime? We understand that. We understand that we earned their support and their trust. Now Hillary Clinton has to earn their support and their trust. And we will hold [the Clinton campaign] accountable because we are endorsing her.
With all due respect to Ms. Sanders, after the last four days of the DNC, yes they should.
At what point do you lick your wounds and move on? Can you imagine if Hillary supporters had treated Barack's convention in 08 the same manner? We would be having a discussion on privilege and entitlement. Progressives were already upset with Hillary bowing out on her own terms, but at the convention she and more importantly her supporters offered no resistance. There weren't any walkouts or ongoing protests. It was time to unite around the candidate who had won.
This is politics and there are winners and losers in elections. The stakes are just as high in 2016. Sanders supporters and the man himself were treated with all the necessary respect at the convention. The same cannot be said about a number of Sanders supporters and their behavior. Some of the protests were justified especially as the relevations about the DNC came to light. The DNC staff and Rep. Wasserman-Shultz need to be held to account for their actions. Safeguards and trustbuillding steps for future elections likewise need to be estabished.
The truth is that most Bernie supporters like myself have already been persuaded to vote for HRC to the tune of 90% or so. The man himself has been convinced. Why? Because a strategy was put in place to make major concessions and get alignment on the platform of the party. The strategy was to honor the contributions of Sanders and his supporters throughout the convention. The strategy is to have Sanders campaign aggressively for Hillary. The Sanders holdouts (and really they are very few, were really quite disrespectful at some points during the DNC) need to put on their big person pants and realize that our candidate lost and there's still ton of work to do within the political system to make change happen. Taking your toys and going home is not what people committed to change do.
The Clinton campaign strategy largely worked. It is been 6 weeks since the election was decided, the platform has been changed substantially, the candidate himself gave a full throated endorsement of HRC, so what's holding anyone back at this point? I can't think of a good reason. The problem is real as there are a small number of Sanders supporters still not willing to support Secretary Clinton. Some have said they will vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The media has reported some will vote for Trump, but i am sure that is non-existent problem. The Stein thing definitely is a problem. My call to them is to demonstrate maturity, work hard to continue to build the movement and realize there is a modern day fascist on the other side of this election.
Sanders supporters do not need to be coddled to get over it at this point. We need to go out and continue fight for making the platform a reality. Run for local office, ensure that state houses and school boards and city councils represent the movement. Our hard work may result in a Democratic senate and in the most wishful of thinking a Democratic house. Break the gridlock and ensure that Hillary doesn't triangulate herself away from the platform. So much to do, so little time for some of the whining and handwringing we've seen.
With a true focus on movement building, Bernie's success portends a more progressive future for the party. But right now, Sanders lost. I'm a Sanders voter and donor and yes it sucked. Choosing not being a good loser or seeking ideological purity when there's a fascist on the other side, seems to be immature at best and yes, privileged at worst.
#DNC #Sanders #HRC #MovingOn #politicalreality #DemocraticParty #DemsinPhilly