#Time For A #Change

Hey Everyone!

Recently, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill gave an interview to CNN in which she complained that she may face a primary when she runs for her seat again in 2018 because of a "tea-party-like enthusiasm among the left."  This isn't the first time I've heard similar complaints from establishment politicians and their supporters, and I wanted to add my two-cents worth to the discussion.

If nothing else, the 2016 election cycle proved two things. First, Democratic politicians don't win without Progressives.  And, second, Progressives are not interested in compromising with people who, two decades ago, would have been considered Republicans. Like it or lump it, that's where the country now stands.

As for the first point, Hillary Clinton and her campaign did an admirable job of proving it when they effectively gave Progressives the middle finger and told them they weren't needed.  As the whole world, at this point, is very well aware, many Progressives saw that finger and told Clinton that was fine, she could just go ahead and sit on it and rotate.  Yes, yes. Towards the end, Clinton realized her mistake, though not the true depth of it, and tried to back pedal and throw Progressives a bone or two. But, by then, it was too late. The end result, as you know, is President Trump, which isn't good for anyone except neo-Nazis, Big Oil, and Big Banks.

Now, it may just be my opinion, but I don't think there are many Progressives or Clinton supporters who are happy with that outcome. So, what's the solution?  Well, as I said, the 2016 election cycle also proved that most people in this country are no longer interested in voting for Republican-lite, lesser-of-two-evil type candidates.  Oh, yes, I know that Clinton won the popular vote, but until the Electoral College is abolished, which I think it should be but me and other people thinking it should be doesn't make it happen, the popular vote isn't going to put a Democratic President in the White House.

The only thing that will put a Democrat in the White House again -- not to mention in Congress, Governor's seats, and state and local legislatures -- is to put forward candidates that people want to vote for, not just candidates that some people will vote for because, eh, they're better then the other guy...maybe.  Bernie Sanders was a candidate people wanted to vote for. He energized the Democratic base and got not just Democrats, but Independents and third-party voters excited to go out and vote for him.  Why? Because he's a Progressive and has a populist message that appeals to average, everyday Americans like me and thee. About the only people who don't like Bernie Sanders are far-right-wing loony-toons and establishment elitists.

We need more candidates like Bernie, and there are several groups who are working to find and train candidates who share his values in time for the 2018 primaries.  I'll link you some links to some of these groups down below, but basically what they're all trying to do is work to take back the American political system from the 1% and turn control of it over to the American people, where it should be.  This is the left-wing "tea party" that McCaskill and others like her are complaining about.

It's funny, McCaskill and her ilk use the name "tea party" as a pejorative, but it's not. On the contrary, it's a compliment. Oh, not ideologically speaking, of course. But then none of the Progressive activist groups have anything in common with the Tea Party's ideology. If anything, they are diametrically opposed. But as far as strategy and tactics, what the Tea Party did to advance their agenda within the Republican Party worked splendidly.

Why wouldn't the Progressive movement want to use those same strategy and tactics?  What should they do instead, follow the same failed establishment strategy that lost the Democrats more seats than they have ever lost before?  Because doing the same thing over and over tends to result in a different outcome?

So, what this all boils down to is that my response to McCaskill and other establishment Dempublicans who accuse Progressives of acting like the Tea Party is, "Yeah, and?"  Or, even better, in the immortal words of Ludacris, "Move, bitch. Get out the way."  Because if Democrats ever want to win again, it's time for those who have failed to stop obstructing progress, and for everyone to start following the lead of those who know a winning strategy when they see one.

Links:

https://justicedemocrats.com/
https://ourrevolution.com/
http://www.wolf-pac.com/