Progressives (Liberals)

The role for progessives now is to continue to work towards their goals within the parameters of the Dem coalition.

Trump will corrupt everything in sight to beat Biden. Here’s what’s next.

https://peoplesparty.org/our-plan/

In 1944, FDR proposed an Economic Bill of Rights guaranteeing employment, food, clothing, leisure, a living wage, housing, health care, social security, [and] education...

On Sunday, I very much look forward to the debate in Arizona with my friend, Joe Biden. And let me be very frank as to the questions that I will be asking Joe.

Joe, what are you going to do for the 500,000 people who will go bankrupt in our country because of medically related debt? And what are you going to do for the working people of this country and small businesspeople who are paying on average 20 percent of their incomes for health care?

Joe, what are you going to do to end the absurdity of the United States of America being the only major country on earth where health care is not a human right? Are you really going to veto a Medicare for all bill, if it is passed in Congress?

Joe, how are you going to respond to the scientists who tell us we have seven or eight years remaining to transform our energy system before irreparable harm takes place to this planet because of the ravages of climate change?

Joe, at a time when most young people need a higher education to make it into the middle class, what are you going to do to make sure that all of our people can go to college or trade school, regardless of their income? And what are you going to do about the millions of people who are struggling with outrageous levels of student debt?

Joe, at a time when we have more people in jail than communist China, a nation four times our size, what are you going to do to end mass incarceration and a racist criminal justice system? And what are you going to do to end the terror that millions of undocumented people experience right now because of our broken and inhumane immigration system?

Joe, what are you going to do about the fact that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth and are living with the fact that 500,000 people tonight are homeless and 18 million families are spending half of their income to put a roof over their heads?

Joe, importantly, what are you going to do to end the absurdity of billionaires buying elections and the three wealthiest people in America owning more wealth than the bottom half of our people?

They’re frightened, they’re demoralized, there’s a malaise. People can’t take one more day of this. The coronavirus has driven home just how much danger we’re in with this individual in the White House. Asking people to do two things—get rid of Trump, and get rid of the economic system that gave us Trump—was too much to do. People are like, “Please just get rid of Trump. Please.”

If Biden wins, a backslash against leftists and their agenda is in the cards for the democratic party.

Getting rid of Trump and the system at the same time is probably too much to ask.

(...)

Strictly speaking, the Democratic race isn’t over. But even if he fights to the convention, it’s hard to see how Sanders could win a majority. All signs point to a decisive victory for Biden.

What comes next? A world where Biden wins the nomination and then the presidency — which is well in the realm of possibility — feels like one where the Democratic establishment has successfully marginalized the progressive left, where supporters of Sanders have no future in electoral politics. Some of those supporters might even drop off the map in apathy and despair.

There is another possibility, though. It’s not as viscerally thrilling as an outright win — few things are. But if the goal is to move America to the left — to craft and pass policies that help ordinary people — then a Biden candidacy isn’t the end of the game. He represents an opportunity. You can see what this might look like in Virginia, where the Democratic majority in the General Assembly just finished its legislative session.

(...)

Michael Moore. He is no one to take seriously.

Strictly speaking, the Democratic race isn't over. But even if he fights to the convention, it's hard to see how Sanders could win a majority. All signs point to a decisive victory for Biden.

nyt/bouie wrote:

Strictly speaking, the Democratic race isn't over. But even if he fights to the convention, it's hard to see how Sanders could win a majority. All signs point to a decisive victory for Biden.

I suspect that Mr. Sanders means to ensure that he is the only possible fallback choice if Mr. Biden's mind completely fails a few months from now.

I suppose you think Trump's mind is sharp as a tack.

Asking people to do two things—get rid of Trump, and get rid of the economic system that gave us Trump—was too much to do.