What I don't understand - and please explain if you can - is why Bernie and like-minded people like AOC etc don't break away from the likes of the Clintons and the Harrises and form their own party. Surely there must be some systemic hurdle keeping them from at least attempting right?
It's because a lot of the criticism attributed to "the Democrats" it's just general criticism about the government and has nothing to do with a Democrats specifically.
I really feel like as soon as a Democrat gets in the office people forget that the other half of the government is fucking Republicans that will do anything to stop Democrats from getting what they want... That's the entirety of what Turtleman is made of.
It’s because a lot of the criticism attributed to “the Democrats” it’s just general criticism about the government and has nothing to do with a Democrats specifically.
I have very specific criticism of my Dem Mayor Bill White. The guy has been a cancer on the city and the party since his first term in office. He exists almost exclusively as a sell-out, as a money spigot for the horrifyingly corrupt city police department, and as a means of obstructing any kind of mass transit improvements straight down to fucking bike trails.
The problems with White aren't unique to this candidate. They're endemic to the party. You've got people who will not fucking retire, who are entrenched in their seats through gerrymandering and these enormous corporately-financed war chests, and who only ever seem to compromise with their right-wing next door neighbors. They do a shit job for years on end, get the most greasy, sychophantic press coverage, then trash people in their own party on their way out the door. Also, just shameless bigots, besides.
More often than not, these are Democrats of convenience. They only run under the party banner because the seat their contesting is tilted liberal by demographics or gerrymander. Your Eric Adamses and Lori Lightfoots and Henry Cuellars and Kristin Sinemas would be interchangeable with a Tim Scott or Rick Scott or Scott Walker any other voting day. But they've coded themselves as liberals in order to blend into liberal communities. And they've sold their souls for campaign cash, so they'll say anything to anyone the day before the election, then toe the corporate line the day after.
I really feel like as soon as a Democrat gets in the office people forget that the other half of the government is fucking Republicans
When Democrats are in the majority, they're helpless because the majority isn't big enough.
When they're in the minority, they're helpless because Republicans are being too mean to let them do compromises that enrich the donors in their districts.
When they win an election, it is because they got the Silent Majority support of the Liz Cheney Republicans. When they lose an election, it is because AOC scared off their base of support or Jill Stein conspired with Vladimir Putin to trick Palestinian voters into voting for Iran.
Somehow, Republican obstruction only ever works for Republicans. And Democrats are always running perfect campaigns, perfect governments, and perfect foreign policies, only voters are just too stupid to notice.
It's never the Dems' fault. The only solution you're presented with is to vote for Democrats harder. And if the Dems don't win in historic landslides, you only have yourself to blame when the Liberal President's last budget pays for the Liberal Mayor to task his Liberal Police Chief with herding everyone browner than a paper bag into the gas chamber.
Any and all politicians are open to scrutiny imo. They are PUBLIC servants and as such they should get called on their collective bull shit.
The democratic party has failed us in a massive way. That's just facts. The republican party is a circus with an orange ring leader. None are doing their jobs in a way that truly helps the people, when they enter politis they start thinking of themselves and how lobbying can make them rich. There are only a few exceptions, Bernie, AOC etc...
It’s been 8 years of the lesser evil with Democrats and I’m sick of them. I cannot in good conscience support them any longer because they have time and again chosen to maintain the status quo.
The Biden administration did many things to help Americans, most notably the Inflation Reduction Act and the student debt forgiveness. But most of it is being dismantled by the current administration. And the Dems knew this would be the case. Yet they chose to go the executive order route or the highly diluted down IRA. It’s not the people’s problem that you cannot get your party members in line. Why would we vote for you if you cannot deliver?
Nancy Pelosi chose not to even allow the bill to prevent members of Congress from insider trading. Republicans are using it to line their pockets like never before. You want to have your cake and eat it too. Well the people are sick of your hypocrisy and it showed in the elections.
It’s been more than a month of rapid fire gutting of the US government. What has the party done as the main opposition besides “coming up with a strategy”? Because it’s impossible to do anything meaningful without revealing how much you have gained from the system.
The Democrats who truly care about change need to spin off their own party. That’s the only way enough people will be mobilized to make a meaningful difference in the next elections.