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'Organized People Won': Aisha Wahab Defeats Millions in AIPAC Spending to Win US House Race
(www.commondreams.org)
Good. Keep making them waste their money
this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2026
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politics
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It's American money, given to Israel, funding AIPAC to spend on influencing American politics. It's a waste of taxpayer money, sadly.
Save you a click: overthrow of the establishment DNC is possible and it's happening. Also, AIPAC money can't buy everything.
Progressive California state Sen. Aisha Wahab has won a special election to serve the remainder of disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term in the US Congress, defeating a centrist Democrat backed by millions of dollars in AIPAC spending.
... In November, Wahab will face Bay Area Rapid Transit board member Melissa Hernandez again in a race for a full two-year term in the US House.
To do that we need a range of populist candidates for all regions. We only have inner city populists, and not that many really.
Why do we not have more challengers? There isn't a lack of left populists in any area in this country. Don't think they couldn't win.
That's a great question I don't know the answer to. It might be that many left-leaning folks are disillusioned with the political system at large and choose to disengage. The country does have a fantastically low voter participation rate, which itself says things about the citizens' faith in the system. I'm hopeful that current events, and victories like this one, will push more hopefuls to run as challengers.
Why do we not have more challengers?
Probably because until now it there wasn't a reasonable expectation to win. Before the last cycle or two, the few progressive candidates that had the resources to run tended to get plowed under in the primaries and rarely saw the light of day by the time the general elections rolled around. That will hopefully change now because of victories like this and the fact that progressives are now seen to be winning in primaries around the country, even against established, old-guard democrats. Many more progressive hopefuls may now see a realistic path to office and throw their hats into the ring allowing even more establishment dems to be rousted from office.
As you can see, I'm very hopeful that this is the start of something big. I know that there are many things that could derail this, not the least of which is the authoritarian take over of the federal government, but hope is what I got, so I'm clinging to it. If the nation survives another election or two, we could see huge changes in this country.
But we only have one flavour of progressive, and it's not going to play everywhere. We need a broad coalition of left populists, of populists, real ones not fake ones that scapegoat which is what the establishment associates with populism, arguing popular is the enemy and in this country that chooses leaders based on popular votes we have to make sure we are unpopular.
We need populists that fit their districts, and for most of the country that means we need white candidates. At least 60 some percent should be white, as 60 some percent of the population is.
Why is there not a single white populist in the party? Bernie doesn't count at this point. Universal health care is a majority position for instance. A vast majority last I heard. Breaking up trusts and monopolies that artificially inflate costs is a majority position. Charging the rich taxes is a majority position. Living wages are as well although that one is more prone to fuckery.
We need to organize, and to cooperate on what we agree on, while combatting organized interests turning us against each other. We are played like a fiddle, by Israel, the Republicans, the Democrats, the Corporations and their Trade Groups, because we aren't organized.
Good to see change. Something is different about this election cycle. :)
I think Obama cashed in on the "Cha~~r~~nge" message too early. We need that promise now more than ever.
Edit: Charge=Change
I love the schadenfreude of watching the DNC spend millions for nothing.
It’s almost like voters care more about a coherent platform that resonates with their concerns, rather than how much corporate and AIPAC money can be raised.
I hate being registered Dem, because I get so many stupid solicitations for money. You’re not plundering enough money from the poor and working classes? Unfortunately in my heavily-gerrymanded fascist red state, I get no choice but the two-party ticket, and a shit choice in primaries.
I love the schadenfreude of watching the DNC spend millions for nothing.
BOLD America spent the millions, not the DNC. BOLD America is an AIPAC-backed superpac.
DEMOCRATS keep voting for the Person who ISNT taking Millions in Corporate money? I can't WAIT for Free Thinking NOT SHEEP Republicans to do the Same with Illegal Immigrant Who Caused Our Diarrhea Outbreak Elon Musk and his HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of dollars in Republican Spending! There's NO WAY Republicans would be DUMB enough to Vote for ELONS picks just as Democrats aren't dumb enough to vote for AIPACS picks!
This is good, sure, maybe even great, but these are primaries.
Our leftier-than-thou bubble here is not a perfect sample of the electorate.
It doesn’t matter if they don’t win the election.
TL;DR: win the election.
This was a special election, not a primary.
Wahab does have to stand in the General Election in November, but as an incumbent now.
Fair; my mistake. Taken as a larger trend, the point stands.
This was a special election. Will serve until November at least.