I'd vote for John Stewart if I was American. Look up how he supported the 911 firemen. He is the right mix of popular to be a viable candidate and obviously principled enough to be a second Obama.
this post was submitted on 09 May 2026
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"single payer healthcare is forever"
The chronically underfunded NHS creaks as I weep.
I don't disagree with her point though. In the UK, after decades of neoliberalism reigning supreme, I am often extremely depressed at how it's changed things culturally. I was born in the 90s, so all of my life, I have seen the people who are struggling most scrutinised ever closer, and the state becomes more and more like a business.
If the NHS didn't already exist, I can't fathom there being political will to implement it right now. There would be far too much outcry over people "reaping rewards from the system despite not contributing to it". There was that kind of opposition when the NHS was founded too, but far less of it. It was a different world. As I understand it, the Reagan and Thatcher era of politics were a big part of what caused things to change.
Learning the history helps ground me. A political philosopher I read a bunch of last year who influenced me greatly was Frederic Jameson, who advocated that we should "always historicise", because connecting to our history is a great tool in resisting the cultural logic of late stage capitalism.
Or to put it a different way: the society we live in has a way of making itself seem eternal and immutable, but things have not always been this way, and they need not always remain this way. If AOC spearheaded a campaign that led to single payer healthcare, but the scheme was later repealed, that achievement would still last forever, in that it could serve as a template for those in future.
I don't know if any of this makes sense. I'm just depressed and trying to clutch at hope. I'd say I don't know if it's working, but hey, I'm still alive — that's something. I should probably get some sleep though
Insomnia, eh?
Yeah, the NHS is horribly underfunded - but I think it's still one of very few things the UK can still be proud of. I think most people wouldn't mind paying a little more tax, if it were specifically ringfenced for the NHS. Yeah, I doubt it would be created today, and it's constantly fighting creeping privatisation but it still has a great deal of public support. And desperate as services are these days, I'm still alive because of it.
The greatest lie ever told about the NHS is that we need to pay more tax to fund it properly.
We don't.
We need to unwind a web of outsourcing agreements that siphon money away from care provision and into the pockets of the 1%.
There's enough money if you remove the grift
Edit typo
A decade or so ago my mum was in hospital for a couple of days. She had to go for a test and so missed her evening meal. So at around 7 or 8 one had to be brought to her. It was a small microwave meal for 1, still in its plastic microwave container. One of her nurses told her that the charge to the NHS for this single meal from the catering company was £45
The US and UK has the same problem of two party system and late stage capitalism. Although, the UK has a much more dramatic shift, not seen since the 1900s, because of the rise of Reform and Green Party.
Something like 75% of American voters want universal health care, 90% of Democrat voters want it, and over 50% of Independents.
(these are approximations there are many polls pick your favorite)
Unfortunately, in the USA it's "donations" that control legislation, cash is king. Our reps have two choices... do what Americans want (healthcare, higher wages and benefits, less bombs), or do what makes them and their entire family filthy rich.
It's hard to resist the allure of money, they won't give it up willingly. Landing leadership positions means millions of dollars a year, cushy political appointments (like your husband/wife landing an abassadorship to Bermuda), and other fantastic benefits, it's blatant.
Speechless to old white redneck fucksticks perhaps. To the rest of us she sounds like a goddam American patriot who has the good of THIS fucking country in her heart.
Clickbait headline is Clickbait.
News at 11
I already have an AOC 2028 shirt my maga fil got it for me, I'm not quite sure he expected me to like it as much as I do.
What a considerate gift.
There won't be anymore meaningful elections in the US. Just pageantry.
Everything that we thought made our country different and agencies for "checks and balances" were just an illusion
It's possible that the United States itself could collapse, and that democracy could exist in some form of whatever came after.
But in the United States as it exists now? It's not even the same country.
Yep Americans thought they where special.
Man, AOC vs Trump 2024 would have been soooo epic.
Even if she lost, still better to put a good foot forward than what they ended up doing
Sadly, I fear the Dems keep her around for the same reason they keep Bernie.
To keep them reigned in so they don't become a threat to the old money powers. The last thing the Dems want is for them to splinter off into a viable third party, gain traction and actually make life better for the poor.
Keep your friends close and all that...
Yeah, and Bernie spawned AOC, the Squad, Max Frost, and more, and there's more on the way. They all can see the door Bernie opened, and they have already enlarged it, and are pouring through it.
It's too late for the DNC. We don't care what they want. They better do what they're hired to do, or they'll face the same punishment as MAGA.
I don’t even know if that’s a thought. This country has little hope of a third party without radical changes to how we vote.
But keeping loud progressives in the party where they can be seen and heard is good to keep progressive voters engaged. Note that Bernie, AOC, and the more outspoken libs are given more airtime come election years whereas they only get minor sporadic coverage the rest of the time. So the Dems attract the progressives by amplifying convenient voices when it suits them, but otherwise progressive policy is essentially nullified by neo-lib willful failure to block shitty conservative policy.
The only way a third party gets in is if there's a coup. The Big Two aren't going to let anyone else at the table willingly.
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She's a prodigious fundraiser and a fantastic "this left and no further" stalking horse
I'd vote for her. I'd also vote for Bernie again, if he ran again. I don't care about his age, all that would matter is he got into office, and established a cabinet, and had a good Vice President to take over.
Bernie is 84 years old.
I am a huge fan of Bernie. Have been for over a decade. He is too old to be the president.
Shouldn't be getting downvotes for this. Bernie deserves to rest, he's been saying the same message for decades and it's up to us to make it better for him, now.
He would be more valuable as an advisor.
Less energy wasted on the bullshit.
Exactly. He’d make a wonderful cabinet member or top advisor.
If Bernie wants to rest, then he can rest.
He isn't acting like a man that wants to rest.
That's the same thing everybody said last time and Bernie is in better physical, mental, and psychological condition than Trump.
better physical, mental, and psychological condition than Trump.
That bar is so low I'd need to dig a hole to find it.
He's also incredibly sharp for 84....but he's 84...
He'll be 86 at the next election.
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I'd door-knock for her.
Sheesh, and I haven't canvased for a candidate in almost 20 years.
I canvassed for Bernie. It was a good experience. And he won the state.
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This headline makes me want to kick someone’s trashcan.
Plus the article itself is primarily dramatic fluff writing, followed by something I loathe: quotations from social media reactions. I'd love for anyone that does like them to share why because I cannot see the utility.
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If there's an election at all she will run as an independent, and get about 15% of the popular vote.
There will be an election, why wouldn't there be?
They are making a BLOODY FORTUNE, no reason to stop the cash train now
I believe the point is that the Tangerine Toddler has repeatedly said that he wants to stop elections and remain in power indefinitely
That’s my girl.
I have been thinking about the problem with politicians in general: they want to climb, they want positions of power and probably also money. But do they want to make policy even more? As in, for the people? Maybe in the beginning, but at some point, it seems, they all made a deal with the devil.
I hope what she said is an answer to such thoughts.
As a European this is how I read it too. Politics in the US are so driven by "team sport" and grand personalities the actual policy sometimes gets forgotten. "He says what I think" and "I've always voted for party X." are very common arguments and you may occasionally hear about some wedge issue, but really understanding how these people would govern?
AOC has policy goals and fight for them regardless of her title. If she thinks she can there as President she will run, if not she will do something else.
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I 100% get not committing to run right now, it would be stupid to do so.
"In this op-ed that Bezos paid for in The Washington Post, there was a veiled threat — it was the elite saying if you want this job, you just stepped out of line," said Ocasio-Cortez. "What’s funny about that is they assume my ambition is positional. They assume my ambition is a title or a seat. My ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country. Presidents come and go, elected officials come and go, single payer healthcare is forever."
But I sure as fuck hope she realizes becoming president is our best shot at that.
Shed drive down ballot races like Obama did, but isn't as cocky and obsessed with personal power to ignore the DNC after winning like Obama did. Shed name a progressive chair.
Bringing in a wave of progressives and putting the party firmly on the progressive side of the divide is absolutely the biggest thing she (or anyone) can do to get us single payer healthcare.
So like I said, hopefully she's planning to run, just smart enough to not say it yet.
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She is right it’s not the title important and right now Dems needs someone that would unify the party. Trump won not because he had much more votes than 2020, but because Harris had 6 million votes less than 2020
I am already seeing a lot of Dems saying again they will not vote by X or Y… MAGA is voting doesn’t matter what
So the party will need someone that unifies more the party… but it seems unlikely
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I think she will run for president, but is holding off from officially announcing it. That would give corporate ghouls less time to coordinate and circle their wagons.
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