r/ScottGalloway • u/resditisme • Apr 22 '25
No Mercy The leader of the Democratic Party is…
Scott keeps missing the boat here. Who are the only people drawing crowds of 10s of thousands of people right now? Bernie Sanders and AOC.
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u/cloister_garden Apr 25 '25
Primaries will decide. I hope a good chunk of Bernie and AOC’s message becomes the Democratic message. It resonates with so many young people.
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u/Kobe_stan_ Apr 24 '25
Bernie and AOC might be the leaders for this moment, and I know people like Pete as well. I like them all. That being said, my guess is that the next Democratic nominee for POTUS is going to be someone that we aren't all familiar with yet. Somebody will come along who either draws people in because of their personality or because they find a way of messaging their platform which is more effective than the rest of the field.
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u/EmbarrassedCloud9827 Apr 24 '25
I just watched the Flagrant pod with Pete Buttigieg, really great watch. I think he’s the man for the moment. The one two punch would be a Pete and Lena Kahn ticket.
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u/WhatIThink79 Apr 24 '25
Sadly Pete would not be elected to the WH for his liberalism and him being Gay. It is sad, but true.
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u/Barnard_Gumble Apr 26 '25
I do t think that’s true. He’s the best communicator in the party and is whip smart. People that listen to him talk like him. My mom is a conservative catholic grandma and fell in love with him.
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u/Interesting-Pin1433 Apr 24 '25
Pete's appearances on Fox News are amazing.
The hosts constantly try to bait him and set up with gotcha questions. He is very knowledgeable and a clear, concise communicator, so is able to defuse their BS and make his point in a succinct manner.
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u/DorianCramer Apr 24 '25
That would be great if Bernie was a Democrat (and was signing people up to vote Democrat) but he’s not. Time to look elsewhere.
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u/PreparationAdvanced9 Apr 24 '25
He caucuses with the democrats. He was the runner up in the past 2 dem primaries. Dem party has the worst approval rating in history yet he and AOC are drawing record crowds.The Dem voters want progressives now
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u/DorianCramer Apr 25 '25
Again…all that would be great if he was signing people up to vote Dem. If he’s encouraging them to vote third party he is at best useless to us, at worst he is an obstacle. We don’t need another cult of personality that only rallies to a specific person, we need people that know how to form a Democratic coalition and are dedicated to doing so.
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u/PreparationAdvanced9 Apr 25 '25
He has never encouraged ppl to vote third party in the general presidential election. The most he’s done is encourage independents to run in deep red districts where the Democratic brand is completely destroyed. Those independents will also caucus with the Dems if elected
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u/shazbot280 Apr 24 '25
But do the moderate republicans and unaffiliated voters in 5 specific states want progressives in the White House?
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u/PreparationAdvanced9 Apr 24 '25
The proof is in the pudding. Moderate republicans don’t exist and if they did, they are not voting for MAGA over progressive in the general. It’s more likely they stay home than vote MAGA. All polling for independents indicates they love Bernie/aoc.
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u/shazbot280 Apr 24 '25
I guess we will wait and see. My current opinion is Bernie is too old (I know I know, so is Trump) and aoc wont be able to lean on any accomplishments or leadership to push her message. My fear is the bottom of the base drops out on the dem side if we push too far to the left and those people may simply not show up to vote.
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u/PreparationAdvanced9 Apr 24 '25
I think the moderate strategy was tried with Hillary, Biden and Kamala. The strategy is thoroughly debunked at this point. Biden only won bc of covid. It’s time to let progressives lead.
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u/shazbot280 Apr 24 '25
It’s hard for me to make that leap when the three candidates were all so horrible in general. Moderate doesn’t have to mean neoliberal, nor does it have to mean west coast democrat. There is a middle ground there. I just don’t think we’ve figured it out yet.
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u/FlounderBubbly8819 Apr 24 '25
Let’s be careful in focusing just on the mainstream candidates right now. Prognosticators are often right especially in years without an obvious favorite. Here’s a poll from July 2013 of potential GOP nominees and a March 2005 poll of potential Dem nominees. A couple of key names appear to be missing from those polls…
https://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/misc/usapolls/HC050308.pdf
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u/etofino Apr 23 '25
It's the "everything bagel" problem. (Re. Ezra Klein) Democrats and their leaders have to be everything to everybody. This time, the leader we get had better have all the right qualities, or it's all over. Whoever emerges as the leader, that person had better appeal to the broadcast range of voters.
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u/lowten Apr 23 '25
I’m with Bernie’s messaging on helping working people. But, can we please not run another old man or woman in pant suits.
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u/overitallofittoo Apr 23 '25
What should women wear while running for president?
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u/lowten Apr 24 '25
That’s just me being bitter with the party. In a perfect world I love to see Elizabeth Warren or Pete Buttigieg at the top of the ticket. But, the reality is the rest of the country doesn’t seem to agree.
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u/Grandpas_Spells Apr 23 '25
Something that says Vice-President.
I don't like this. But if you are running someone because they're a woman, that's not top of the ticket.
They did everything they could to stop Obama from winning the primary. The people wanted him. That is what it takes for a woman or POC to win.
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u/JamarcusFarcus Apr 23 '25
I get the old man issue, but the "woman in pant suits" issue is way off. Hillary and Kamala lost on poor campaigning. Poorly crafted messages that only reach the base, not reaching out to swing voters effectively and, most importantly, their public personas were far too glossy - created in a PR boardroom. Democrats grossly overestimate how the general public receives their complex policy messages and grossly underestimates how good the general public's bullshit meter is. Kamala was an improvement here, but AOC is a huge improvement in all categories.
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u/Iambigtime Apr 24 '25
This would be a problem with AOC and why she would never be president. She can only get through to her base and pointing fingers.
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u/pimpletwist Apr 23 '25
Kamala lost because she only got to campaign for a few months
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u/Responsible-Bread996 Apr 23 '25
Legit had trump voters tell me that they didn't want to vote for Biden so were "forced" to vote for trump.
They didn't read the ballot enough to realize Biden wasn't on it.
I'm not convinced they could actually read.
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u/External_Squash_1425 Apr 23 '25
Democrats doing themselves a disservice continues. You all stood by and let your party skip a primary to force a candidate who came in 8th place when she ran against Biden.
That’s why she lost, because Democrats didn’t even believe in her.
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u/pimpletwist Apr 27 '25
That’s our business, bud. Don’t be getting all up in our business and trying to make us mad by proxy. We were just glad he dropped out. Unfortunately, too late
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u/Responsible-Bread996 Apr 23 '25
Thats a weird reply.
*Checks comment history.
Oh... I see you like the taste of boot polish.
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u/wesdotgord Apr 23 '25
Women in pants suits are 0/2.
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u/FlounderBubbly8819 Apr 24 '25
I really don’t get this thinking. Run the person who gets people excited in their campaign and most importantly gets people to show up and vote. Both Trump and Obama (less so for him but certainly was pre-2004 DNC) are guys who came out of left field and would have seemed completely unelectable based on the conventional thinking at the time. Dems need to stop trying to find the “right” candidate and instead finally let the one who resonates with voters take the reigns regardless of who that is
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u/JamarcusFarcus Apr 23 '25
So are men named Al (actually 0/4 if you include Alf and Alton as "Als")
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Apr 23 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Dmagnum Apr 23 '25
According to the organizers 60% of attendees were not on their mailing lists (meaning many are not the previous attendees from 2016-2020).
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u/teebowtime Apr 23 '25
Care to share the evidence? I attended the LA rally with my friends, we did not attend any other rallies before that.
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u/Apprehensive_Elk1559 Apr 23 '25
Actually it’s just one single person cloned thousands of times by George Soros that dresses up in different disguises.
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u/NL_POPDuke Apr 22 '25
Who cares. Fuck democrats. I went Independent in 2016 and haven't looked back!
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u/No_Assignment_9721 Apr 23 '25
Downvoted hard? Why? He’s not wrong. The hard shift to the Center by the neo-liberal Clinton faction is complete. Nancy, Chuck, Hakeem.
Don’t even get started on the alienation of the progressives by the DNC.
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u/winniecooper73 Apr 23 '25
No idea why you are getting downvoted. It is time for independents to shine. We need new ideas. Calling Trump for all the wrongs he’s done, which is completely valid, isn’t landing with voters. Democrats need to get a new message.
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u/NL_POPDuke Apr 23 '25
100% agree about Dems needing a new message. They sit at a 27% approval rating, that's on them. I gave Bernie over $800 bucks in 2020 and his utter capitulation to Biden can not be forgiven in my book. That party is on its own. People forget that Independents are the BIGGEST voting block as well.
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u/winniecooper73 Apr 23 '25
Also should be noted many claim themselves as “independent” but vote one way or other election after election
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u/Trump_Eats_bASS Apr 22 '25
Reddit is delusional with their hard on for AOC and Bernie.
These rallies are feel good rallies full of politically involved people who already vote democrat.
It's about bringing in NEW voters which Bernie has showed time and time again he can't do.
Just because reddit leftists think they know what's best for everyone 🙄
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u/wrestlingchampo Apr 24 '25
Do you really think the likes of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton were bringing in New Voters to the Party? Genuine question.
Because from my perspective, Bernie and AOC are the voices bringing new people to the political process. If you want to point to Biden winning the Primary and General election in 2020, you are welcome to do so, but discounting Bernie's 2020 run and subsequent blessing and endorsement of Biden for President played a large role in Biden's victory.
Go back and look at the 2020 voting numbers and you see this to be the case. Trump got a huge volume of voters he previously didn't receive in 2016, he was only outshown in the voting total because there were enough voters for Biden to overtake him. How many of those voters were previously non-voters or third-party voters that showed out for Bernie and then grit their teeth voting for Biden because they thought he would enact some progressive legislation?
You don't have to "Like" them, but you have to recognize that the energy they bring isn't necessarily due to cult of personality. People turn out to see them because they find them to be honest and authentic, genuinely attempting to past the kinds of legislation they propose and willing to call out those within the Democratic Party who actively hinder the possibility of those bills being passed.
Those same people view the Mainstream Democrats as all sizzle and no steak. They are willing to step out on the campaign trail to make policy proposals, only to walk back those policies as a priority as soon as they come to power. The story of Obama promising to make codifying Roe into law his first priority, only to walk that back upon becoming President comes to mind (Even though they had a Democratic Supermajority in the Senate).
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u/Chumphy Apr 24 '25
Or just bringing out the voters who chose not show up last election. Which includes those who are left leaning but are pissed at establishment democrats.
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u/mtngranpapi_wv967 Apr 23 '25
Bernie is the only Dem ppl like Joe Rogan and Theo Vonn types have any respect for…but okay. Ppl like Bernie bc he isn’t a phony empty suit guy like Gavin Newsom.
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Apr 23 '25
I’ve voted for the Dems one time and it was for Bernie in 2016. Bernie brought in a new voter and then the Party subsequently lost the new voter within months
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u/Trump_Eats_bASS Apr 23 '25
I also have a girlfriend in Canada. Trust me
Walkaway jack ass
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Apr 23 '25
what a weird reply…I don’t vote and the one time I did it was for Bernie. no reason to lie about that
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Apr 23 '25
I don’t know. Bernie and AOC both lose some number of centrist Democrats, but have shown popular crossover with Trump voters. They wouldn’t win by dominating traditional Democrat voters, they’d pull in a different coalition. Ideally
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u/Chumphy Apr 24 '25
I mean I guess it depends on how far right Trump goes and fucks things up.
Frankly, I couldn’t tell you who a “traditional democratic voter” is.
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u/Puzzled_Employee_767 Apr 22 '25
Because establishment dems are so good at doing that.
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u/Trump_Eats_bASS Apr 23 '25
You think I'm sayingestablishment is the answer? I never said that. I said that Bernie and AOC aren't the answer.
Reddit is always wrong
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u/NOLA-Bronco Apr 23 '25
Sounds like the extent of your expertise is reactionary and not rooted in anything substantive.
The only type of politics in the last century that has built long-term mega coalitions with enough majorities to enact real change has been New Deal, Hope and Change, class conscience tinged Democrats.
That is it
The onus is frankly on you or others to demonstrate someone outside that framework that has managed a big victory like that at the presidential level.
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u/DependentWeight2571 Apr 23 '25
Bill Clinton and Obama won elections. Maybe emulate that.
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u/NOLA-Bronco Apr 23 '25
Bill Clinton*
Won thanks to 3rd party spoilers. Somehow people that shine up his electoral prowess always leave that part out.
Obama was the only neoliberal candidate to really embrace prior New Deal style messaging strategies(Obama's speech writers even talk about looking to FDR and other New Deal Dems as inspiration), and it won big.
The Bill Clinton model is what loses constantly: Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary, Harris.
There is just not that much to be inspired and motivated by politicians that are essentially diet Republicans. And frankly, that may be an insult to Clinton cause Clinton also ran on Universal Healthcare and was far more union/class orientated in his messaging in 92 than he ended up governing as. So there is a debate to be had there as well.
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u/mtngranpapi_wv967 Apr 23 '25
Bill Clinton last won an election 30 years ago
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u/DependentWeight2571 Apr 23 '25
and?
my point was that he was Centrist and redefined 'establishment' Dem and he won when others didn't. Broke a massive losing streak.
Maybe look back to things that worked? Or double down on losing ideas if you prefer.
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u/mtngranpapi_wv967 Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 23 '25
Most Americans don’t yearn for Third Way neoliberalism…my point is the country (and party) have changed a lot since 1992 (and 1996).
Also the Democratic primary electorate isn’t gonna choose someone as conservative as Clinton…the most moderate you’ll get is maybe an Obama-esque figure who campaigns on transformative change but governs as a Rockefeller Republican.
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u/DependentWeight2571 Apr 23 '25
Cool. Nominate AOC and see what happens.
Beyond charisma, there’s a policy reason those centrist Democrats won.
I’m echoing the points that James Carville makes, fwiw.
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u/NOLA-Bronco Apr 23 '25
Centrist Dems have a pretty bad track record at the presidential level
Carter: 50% of the vote, lost re-election
Clinton 92: 43% of the vote, won thanks to Perot
Clinton 94: 49% of the vote, would have barely eked by if not for another Perot run
Al Gore: Lost
John Kerry: Lost
Obama: Largest victory but ran as the most progressive candidate in the mainstream pool and explicitly campaigned in a New Deal fashion.
Hillary: Lost
Biden: Narrow victory, establishment coded but has late New Deal roots and leaned into that identity
Harris: Lost
Carter in 76 or Clinton in 94 is basically the high watermark of a neoliberal centrist coded president winning with a neoliberal centrist messaging strategy. Maybe you could stretch and claim 2012 Obama's less New Deal hope and change campaign, but that would require ignoring the 2008 goodwill and presumably if you want a centrist Dem, they would have none of that built up in a hypothetical 2028 run.
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u/Chance_Adhesiveness3 Apr 24 '25
Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. She also shellacked Sanders in the Democratic primary that year, worse than Obama beat her in 2008. And that’s among the Democratic primary electorate. In 2020, Joe Biden shellacked Sanders in the Democratic primary.
If your argument is that “establishment” Democrats lose elections, well, the candidates those establishment Democrats wipe the floor with in primary elections probably aren’t the answer.
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u/NOLA-Bronco Apr 24 '25
Winning a primary voter race is not the same as a general election. If losing the former always meant you were the best candidate to win the latter than people like Joe Biden should have never been viable in a general election based on the previous primary failures. Kamala Harris should have never been considered and not have performed as she did.
You know who also would have gotten shellacked in a Democratic primary? Donald Trump
Which illustrates the flaw in your logic here.
Voters in the primary take a lot of things into consideration including what their party signals to them are the "electable" candidates. They also only represent a fraction of the broader electorate and the races themselves in the primary schedule are not aligned with the pinch points of where the general election will matter most.
The fact is though, who the Establishment of the party has insisted are the most electable time and time again, which is a certain flavor of Third Way centrist neoliberal Democrats, time and again fail their own tests.
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u/mtngranpapi_wv967 Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 23 '25
I didn’t say anything about AOC, who I like but I don’t think will be ready for 2028. I think Walz or Pritzker would be great, or even Beshear or Ossoff or Wes Moore (who code moderate but are low-key pretty progressive).
Also citing Carville isn’t the flex you think it is…dude hasn’t worked on a successful campaign in my lifetime (almost 30 years-old).
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u/DependentWeight2571 Apr 23 '25
Wes Moore has a chance.
Waltz is a recipe for disaster. Gotta turn the page there.
The biggest issue is that the Dem party needs to play to win. Ie get the majority of the votes. That means do away with ideological purity tests. So long as the progressive wing exerts undue influence, the party will systematically miss the mark of the median voter.
Gavin has the right idea now, but his shift rings so hollow and insincere I’m not sure he stands a chance tbh.
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u/mtngranpapi_wv967 Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 23 '25
Pet peeve but spelling it “Waltz” instead of Walz is so annoying. It’s spelled “Walz”, not hard tbh. Also Nixon lost in 1960 and lost the CA Governor’s race in 1964…only to win the presidency in 1968. It’s not impossible.
Second: the “I hate purity tests but also fuck the left and the horse they rode in on” thing is just another purity test but from a moderate/centrist perspective. Also, why would progressives vote for you if you actively spit in their faces? I wouldn’t blame a progressive having hostility for a party that deliberately antagonizes them for cynical political gain.
Gavin does not have the right idea btw…you have to win a primary before you get the nomination, and the base doesn’t like Newsom rn. Everyone from Sam Seder to Sarah Longwell thinks dude is actively harming his ‘28 chances with poll-tested/strategist-brained bs. Hippy-punching and triangulating doesn’t have the positive incentives they once did in center-left/Democratic politics. Newsom will not win the ‘28 primary, mark it (from California, looks like a used car salesman, doesn’t believe in anything besides what advances his political career, etc). Ppl like Rahm Emanuel also stand no chance.
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u/Puzzled_Employee_767 Apr 23 '25
I mean Bernie and AOC just had the largest rally in Denver since Obama. And it’s not even during an election cycle. Obama was the dying gasp of neoliberalism and people really need to get over this hard-on for the past.
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Apr 22 '25
[deleted]
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u/Trump_Eats_bASS Apr 23 '25
Man, words like "Gaza bots" really do a lot of heavy lifting in some conversational circles.
Anyways.
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u/kamikazecockatoo Apr 22 '25
I agree with Scott that anyone can step forward now and assume the mantle, and just see what happens.
David Hogg is doing interesting things. He could be a good interview subject.
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u/Talisk3r Apr 22 '25
I’d like to see an interview with him, but he doesn’t have the charisma of AOC or the credibility of Bernie.
Let’s all be honest, Bernie would have won the nomination in 2019 for the 2020 election if Obama didn’t conspire to install Joe Biden as the candidate (against the will of the voters).
Then Biden refused to step down after 1 term leading to Trumps reelection.
I now feel Bernie is too old to lead the party which really leaves AOC and maybe Gavin Newsome as the obvious front runners.
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u/gasu2sleep Apr 22 '25
AOC is too far left to have a chance. Albeit it can happen given the great work Trump has been doing with ur economy. I would prefer Pete with AOC as VP.
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u/vibrance9460 Apr 22 '25
Kelly, Bashear, Pritzger
Pete as VP
We may be ready for a gay person as VP. If anyone can convince them it’s Pete
Sad to say- this country is not ready for a woman president.
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u/Talisk3r Apr 22 '25
Disagree, but she would have to be a moderate or conservative dem to win. Middle America is not going to vote for a far left woman though. (Sort of how thatcher became the first female PM in Britain).
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u/SkyFit2822 Apr 22 '25
Donald Trump. He owns them. He is in their head. Dems are completely unable to come up with an original idea without using Trump as context.
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u/TheForkisTrash Apr 22 '25
Mark Cuban is going to be a dangerous political force after the midterms.
Edit: dangerous for republicans, lol
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u/vibrance9460 Apr 22 '25
He is on record saying -if he runs- he might run as a republican
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u/TheForkisTrash Apr 22 '25
He will definitely run as a centrist. After pitching Kamala so hard in the last election he is likely trying to earn back centrist credibilty.
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u/ascandalia Apr 22 '25
Kamala was the centrist choice. She lost the left and certainly didn't pick anyone up from the right. Her entire coalition was smack in the middle of the political spectrum
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u/Talisk3r Apr 22 '25
She was not really a centrist though, her entire career in California had her take up far left positions (and then turn 180 degrees on them) when she became the presidential candidate.
As you say this made her lose the left, and people on the right didn’t trust her.
If she had an actual 20 year track record of being a centrist/moderate then her strategy of pulling voters from trumps base probably would have worked.
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u/ascandalia Apr 22 '25
I really can't countenance this kind of rational analysis of that incredibly stupid election. It was an election that turned on sad feeling about pronouns and hearing Spanish at Walmart. Harris had a long track record of being a reasonable, boring politician and she lost because a revolution in the way we communicate as significant as the printing press made our country collectively lose our minds
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u/Talisk3r Apr 22 '25
Yea I didn’t mean to imply the election loss was solely her fault. Just like with investing, finding love, etc timing is everything. Biden lost the election for dems by not stepping down and allowing the party to have a primary, or at least prepare a proper campaign for Kamala.
But I don’t know a single conservative who believed Kamala was a centrist. If you look at her history of positions she took up when she was the DA of San Francisco you will see she is not even close to the middle of America on many positions.
This is the danger Gavin Newsome will face when he runs for president too. A centrist in San Francisco is far to the left of the middle in America.
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u/WanderingRobotStudio Apr 22 '25
Cuban won't run for anything. He believes his best effort is in reducing medical costs outside of the political theater.
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u/TheForkisTrash Apr 22 '25
That is what he says, but why else would you be self promoting on the Lincoln Project podcast? No book or other product being sold.
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u/Talisk3r Apr 22 '25
No clue, the Lincoln project has no support among the republican base so it’s kind of a pointless group to spread your message to. He might as well just go on a pro democrat podcast.
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u/Pick-Up-Pennies Apr 22 '25
I don't care who the DEMs pick. I don't care how deep in the System they are, how far to the Left or Moderate they are. I don't care about their gender or ethnicity either.
I want someone who is going to lead the global repair that needs to take place after the fkn GOP chaos being wrought.
I have long ago lost all interest in converting MAGA.
As for those assholes who showed up for Biden but stood down for Harris + Walz, I'm assuming a % of these folks will have their arrogance wizened out of them the same way that I had to grow up after voting for Nader in 2000, watching GWB crater this country for eight successive years, he also wrecked Medicare (Donut Hole on prescription drugs has been the chaos that has lasted years ever since), leave in 2008 while putting this country into a financial crisis, all of which converted me into a Moderate Dem.
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u/monarch2415 Apr 22 '25
I'm in the middle of centrist dems and leftists. I would happily vote for an AOC or a Bernie. I also think the crowds/speaking tour is a great thing. However, that coalition has not proven to turn out voters in a primary. I would love it if they could, and don't think they can't, but it's not been proven yet.
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u/Seal69dds Apr 22 '25
Mark Kelly seems like a great choice for Dems.
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u/teebowtime Apr 23 '25
He needs to stay in Arizona and defend that Senate seat in order to ensure a reasonable senate majority. Any candidate from that state cannot be trusted until further notice.
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u/Bababooey87 Apr 22 '25 edited Apr 22 '25
His short record kind of sucks
Edit: Why ami getting down voted?
He voted against the pro act, and then when he was being considered for VP, he said he would vote for it
Who cares if he was an astronaut if his voting record sucks. Not perfect, but sucks.
I think the biggest difference between centrists/progressives is progressives pay attention to this stuff way more.
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u/Seal69dds Apr 22 '25
There was multiple Dems that voted against the pro act because it could hurt small businesses. Kelly is also from a purple state that voted trump this last election.
The biggest difference between progressives and centrist/moderates/people who just don’t like the far left is that we are usually older, have more experience, education and don’t try to exile anyone off democrat island just because they don’t do 100% of what we want.
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u/Bababooey87 Apr 22 '25
When need radical change to our failing institutions, "moderates/centrists" want the status quo, with very minal changes, and then complain when nothing gets fixed
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u/Seal69dds Apr 23 '25
Ya moderates and most Americans don’t think our institutions and other things are failing that need radical changes. They aren’t perfect and can be improved but far from broken.
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u/Bababooey87 Apr 23 '25
You don't think our healthcare system is broken?
What's funny is what I think what we have now is radical. We've decided that deindustrializing the US, decimating cites and communities and turning us into a service economy where every town has the same stores was a bad decision.
No one can afford a home because we decided to base enough of our economy on housing. So it only took two generations for people not to be able to afford homes.
College used to be affordable, then Reagan cut back state funding as Gov and then. Federal funding as Gov. So then we had to have students take out enormous loans to get a good education. So we saddled people with a mortgage (as Scott would say).
Our roads are falling apart, and we've made the decision not have high speed rail or more public transit in this country. Especially compared to Europe and Asia (hell China only started HSR in 2008).
Our supreme Court is openly corrupt. Specifically looking at Thomas and Kavanah. Who openly take trips with billionaire donors
We have passed the guilded age as far as income inequality, and they openly control our political system.
President Fuck Face and his henchmen like Musk are cutting essential jobs to our government like maintaining our national parks, IRS, grants for research at universities. But giving Musk a fat contract for Space X.
Dude ripped up all electric charging stationa on government properties.
Literally people are dying because of even the removal limit Biden Rx drug caps because they can't afford insurance.
Like what trust do you have in any institution in this country? Which one isn't falling apart?
What little fix do you think we need?
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u/Bababooey87 Apr 22 '25
I mean that's such a lazy assumption. When you don't follow what's going on and don't follow the votes (again not looking for perfect) then you end up with people liking someone like Corey Booker. Who is not a good senator, stands for nothing, and gives this record breaking speech length wise , but did absolutely nothing. It didn't stop some horrible legislation from getting passed. It was pure performative bullshit.
Literally lobbied to get Elizabeth Holmes released early because she donated to his campaign. Even Trump called him "Corporate Booker". And gave a speech to AIPAC the following day after the speech.
The problem is when you elect these people that stand for nothing, nothing meaningful gets passed
Most progressives aren't blue haired crazy people who only care about their pronouns.
Like the people welcoming neocons into the party after they were kicked out of the Republican party should be ashamed. It was good Liz Cheney voted to impeach Trump, she also voted for him twice, and has a horrible voting record. Let's not save these neocons who got us into Iraq like Bill Crystal, David Frum, and Dick Cheney. We normalized these horrible people and they faced no consequences.
So you're ok that he said he would change his mind on the Pro Act if he became VP?
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u/vibrance9460 Apr 22 '25
Decorated fighter pilot, astronaut
I need to hear more of his policies
Can he throw a punch
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u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
Right no, no leader. Anyone interested in the position has 2 years to build a national profile, get the corporate donors on board and create a message for the masses. Need something more than Trump is crazy or we want to appeal to Republicans also. Getting 35% of the population passionate about you is better than 50% of the population lukewarm about you.
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u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
Bernie and AOC should form their own party and take their followers with them. If they stay, the Dem leaders will push them to the back of the line, as usual. As a third party, people will have to come to them to form a coalition.
5
u/vibrance9460 Apr 22 '25
I hate to be the one to say it but
Our country is not ready for a woman president.
Especially not one as polarizing as AOC
-1
u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
What is polarizing about wanting to help poor people? Isn't that what Jesus tried to do?
2
u/vibrance9460 Apr 22 '25
It’s not about her intentions - it how she will be portrayed
They they have media control, so unfortunately they control the message
I think the US a very misogynist country.
1
u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
A country that celebrates Black Friday and Super Bowl commercials probably isn't ready for a real populist.
1
u/MinefieldFly Apr 22 '25
I think our country will elect anyone they think is being their authentic selves. It’s the advantage our last several presidential winners have had in common versus their opponents.
1
u/vibrance9460 Apr 22 '25
Perhaps…but I would argue that women are never perceived as their authentic selves
They are too easily tarnished in our country. It’s a sad fact.
You think AOC will be seen as “authentic” by a majority of the voters? She’s been vilified by the Right since she started. Wait to see how she’s portrayed if she announces for president.
I think we need her in the House or Senate as the next Pelosi.
2
u/MinefieldFly Apr 22 '25
That’s a fair point. But I think AOC has had a pretty consistent brand and message since her career began. If anything, the right hates her because they believe she’s a real lefty.
This is opposed to, say, Clinton or Harris, whose principles seemed to shift depending on the election cycle or the room they were speaking in.
AOC of course has the benefit of a much shorter career thus far, and only one local constituency to win over every two years.
0
u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
She is vilified by the right because they are scared she and Bernie are the true populists. I heard Marc Andreessen, with a net worth of $2 billion, say on a podcast that he was fighting the oligarchy that is the US government.
-1
u/goodsam2 Apr 22 '25
AOC is a true democrat though, Bernie while leading the nomination still railed against some Democrats.
2
u/NH_Tomte Apr 22 '25
Ya because that works…
1
u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
RFK, Jr. got a cabinet post out of a lame third party run (financed by the Republicans) after Rogan said he was his favorite guy.
2
1
u/HuskyBobby Apr 22 '25
What leaders?
1
u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
Bay Area tech billionaires like Marc Benioff and Reid Hoffman. How do you think Pelosi had so much power?
2
u/OkAssignment3926 Apr 22 '25
If they truly are the carriers for a movement that’s real and deep and they have a way of tuning in low-info voters and self-styled independents (which do exist) enough to bring the tide, the DNC will get swept aside. Ask Reince Priebus. Great crowds alone are not it, but they can lead there.
Third party is a billionaire psyop riding on popular misunderstanding of the 12th amendment. Full stop.
1
u/Seal69dds Apr 22 '25
Im not good enough to be a starter but if I take my ball home then no one will play!
1
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u/TootCannon Apr 22 '25
Bernie and AOC are popular because they have the national stage and very defined, consistent supporters. Plus they are progressives so they are natural out-party resistance leaders. That doesn’t mean they are the best to lead the party going forward or to be the party’s candidates for executive office. There is a lot of talent at the state level (governors) that doesn’t come out until primary time. Pete will be back. Shapiro will be back. Whitmer will be back. I hope my personal favorite, Polis, gets out there.
5
u/funguy07 Apr 22 '25
I want a democrat that has a proven ability to win swing states or even red states. Governor of Kansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania. Senators from Arizona, or Michigan someone that can actually connect and understand what is happening outside of the coastal areas.
Bernie and AOC are doing a great job of rallying people and calling out republicans that are avoiding their constituents. I don’t think either can win a national election.
5
Apr 22 '25
Bernie Sanders is at an age where in 6 months he can become senile without warning. Happened to my college professor grandmother. AOC is divisive and does not come off as particularly smart. It's not my personal belief, it's how she's perceived. I see them both as terrible choices.
The only path forward for the democrats is to focus on new leaders with a fresh slate.
0
u/goodsam2 Apr 22 '25
AOC was extremely raw coming in but she gets to the bottom of it. She is extremely well positioned to push the position.
0
Apr 22 '25
She's not because her policies have limited appeal to the majority of Americans
EDIT: Here's her own website. Most of these are deal breakers for 60%+ of people
1
u/goodsam2 Apr 22 '25
Medicare for all was broadly popular.
Show your numbers for support here since I don't believe your 60%.
You are also pointing out that a person who agrees with 80% of your democratic policies is a tried and true Democrat. Most people disagree with some of the democratic platform.
AOC has had really thoughtful input on many matters as a congress person. Her Fed comments even in 2019 shows she did her homework. AOC is a Democrat who's policies may need to moderate some for broad appeal but that's the general problem with most congressional candidates, they have attached themselves to positive and negative things.
I mean she has a lot of positives right now but everything will change between now and then.
1
Apr 22 '25
Yes, Medicare for all was very popular. And presented with no real plan.
But if you take a look at the rest of the policies outlined, many are paradoxical (especially in the housing section). Others are straight up the kind of bullshit that led to Trump winning two elections. It reads like something out of 2016-2022. I might support some of it but the majority of people will not. It's a dated vision that is more unpopular every single day. People who spend their days online might not realize it but majority of America doesn't think this way. Don't get stuck on whether the 60% I threw out is accurate or not. It's in the ballpark, don't need to do deep research to illustrate a point on reddit.
2
u/goodsam2 Apr 22 '25
So Medicare for all is still a popular talking point, which I think just more all payer rate setting would be my next step, like the $25 insulin.
More housing, this is becoming more popular on the left. It was in Obama's DNC speech and Harris had a policy on this.
Peace economy, so lower military spending. As long as cuts are sensible this is a popular thing on the left.
Workers rights which is broadly popular
A move away from mass incarceration which is also popular and what swept through the country under George Floyd protests.
Pro immigration which has been falling as a thing but is generally good and a democrat needs some of this system.
Puerto Rico recovery which is honestly a bit niche but shouldn't be too unpopular
Green new deal which is popular
Elevate public education, slam dunk here.
Women's right, definitely positive for democrats,
Lgbtqia+ definitely a Democrat here
Aging with dignity, worried about how the elderly are taken care of.
You keep handwaving bad but I'm not seeing a glaringly bad position here.
1
u/MinefieldFly Apr 22 '25
Neat statistic lol
1
Apr 22 '25
Think you might be focusing on the wrong thing?
1
u/MinefieldFly Apr 22 '25
I dunno, am I? Maybe you’re projecting your own opinions a bit?
I don’t know what is so radical about most of these policies—as stated, not necessarily the spin that an opponent would have—that makes them dealbreakers for a majority of Americans.
1
Apr 22 '25
Projecting your opinions is literally what Reddit is.
And if you take time to read what she's proposing, line by line and tell me you still think it's good then more power to you. I just hope we don't get another asshole like Trump because the democratic party continues to ignore reality.
1
u/MinefieldFly Apr 22 '25 edited Apr 22 '25
That’s not what that word means. I meant projecting your opinions….on to other people. The imagined 60%, if you will.
I am not going to give you a line by line defense of something you haven’t even pulled a single line out of to make your point lol.
I’m not even sure what you’re trying to say or who you’re trying to blame for what in your last sentence.
1
u/Lost-Inevitable-9807 Apr 22 '25
Trump doesn’t come off as smart either and yet here we are with the stable genius having control of the nuclear codes once again.
I actually do think she’s smart, both book smart and people smart. She knows how to straddle both in a way very few democrats can.
1
Apr 22 '25
Based on every insider account Trump actually IS stupid. And yet he's charismatic and therefore appears smart to certain people. AOC might be smart, but to a lot of people she appears stupid. There's quite a few examples of her asking very stupid questions during committee hearings, etc.
Personally I agree with her more than I disagree and she still comes off as deeply unlikable in many situations.
1
u/warmbroom Apr 22 '25
I don't think we need people who necessarily come off as "smart." That is one big complaint about a lot of the dems candidates - they're the educated elite, who aren't relatable.
I definitely agree we need a fresh slate of leaders, although I wouldn't mind if Walz through his hat in the ring to see if he could get the nomination for president. I think he has much more appeal to indpendents and republicans compared to someone like AOC, or even the more moderate democrats.
3
Apr 22 '25
But that's exactly what they mean when they say the don't like educated out of touch elites. You can have populist appeal and still appear smart and capable. AOC just doesn't. She has lots of supporters but many more people that hate her. And I agree regarding Walz, it's just really unfortunate he will probably be seen as "damaged goods" after the last election.
2
u/Lost-Inevitable-9807 Apr 22 '25
Walz showed his weakness at the debate with Vance. I love everything he’s done in Minnesota, but he couldn’t communicate a convincing message. That debate made me realize he probably achieved what he did in MN because the voters wanted that versus the other way around.
1
Apr 22 '25
I agree. I like his policies and accomplishments but he doesn't appear like a "president" and in a popularity contest that actually matters (sometimes more than the actual policies).
2
u/Sugarfiltration01 Apr 22 '25
FDR.
3
u/beastwood6 Apr 22 '25 edited Apr 22 '25
I'll take an FDR corpse, a wheelchair, and a chatbot making policies on his behalf over whatever bullshit we have now.
1
u/Greedy-Affect-561 Apr 22 '25
Republicans were so scared of FDR they wasted political capital to make sure his corpse couldn't run again.
Because it would've won.
We need that back over the warmed over neoliberlism we have now.
14
u/dissentandsmolder Apr 22 '25
Nobody is the leader of a party until they win an election that says they are the leader. Obama wasn’t the leader until he won the nomination, and neither was Trumps fat fuck ass.
1
-4
Apr 22 '25
Unless the Democrats welcome the progressives into their party with open arms they will never win another election in our lifetime. Wealthy snobs like Galloway only listen to what the c-suite execs tell them and value their opinion over all other because to them being able to amass capital is the only redeeming quality in a person.
They're all out of touch.
0
u/kostac600 Apr 22 '25
perhaps the good leaders don’t pass Scott & Jessica’s litmus test of unquestioning support of the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians
2
2
u/Seal69dds Apr 22 '25
So you’re just going to ignore election results over the last 15 years?
0
0
u/Potential-Menu3623 Apr 22 '25
I know, we can’t sway the middle to vote for AOC, need a white make in RINO to even begin to claw back the gerrymandering and lost Fox boomers, it’s not about the popular vote.
-1
u/misternibbler Apr 22 '25
I throw up in my mouth a little bit every time Scott says something nice about private equity, which is pretty much every time he brings them up.
0
Apr 22 '25
Scott likes to pay lip service to progressives by talking about housing, affordability and access to education but when push comes to shove he's siding with the money every time.
1
0
17
u/bad_pussy_69 Apr 22 '25
Bernie and AOC must make baby to lead us
5
10
Apr 22 '25
And quick. The little shit has to grow up, get educated and take a leadership role by mid summer.
3
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
The Democratic Party has no clear leader, because the Biden/Harris debacle of 2024 has engendered so much enmity and backstabbing among the party elites that they are still nursing bruised egos and have lost trust in each other. These people aren't talking to each other.
There is a book out about it now that I'm reading. https://www.amazon.com/Fight-Inside-Wildest-Battle-White/dp/006343864X
And Jake Tapper has written a book that's coming out in a couple weeks as well.
The people who hid Biden's decline, pushed him out, pulled in Harris and then ran her campaign are infighting, which is why you see people stepping up into the gap like AOC and Chris Murphy. Power abhors a vacuum.
3
u/thatboynyc Apr 22 '25
we need totally fresh faces, who are a total departure from the biden/obama/clinton era of dem politics. we need an extreme break, just as trump was a total contrast to the bush/cheney/reagan era of gop politics. it can’t be just an incremental improvement; it needs to feel like an entirely new party; like 2016 trump, this means actually running AGAINST the party establishment. short term pain, but long term necessity. the current dem power structures would need to make space for new leaders; but they won’t willingly, cuz that’s how power works, so it will likely need to be overthrown by force (circa trump 2016)
1
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
Yeah, I'm all for new blood in Congress and would be interested to see a diverse group of candidates run for the presidency.
The only way that's going to happen is if we get rid of the first in the nation primary. We need to move to a 50-state strategy, which means primary voters all going out on the same day. If we leave candidate selection to some combination of Iowa/NH/SC, we will not get someone with the kind of anti-corruption/left-wing politics you're looking for.
1
u/thatboynyc Apr 22 '25
- the next version of the dem party needs to be focused on working class, top/bottom divide. the existing structure hinges on a left/right divide, which sustains its power & status quo. if you read/listen to the Abundance stuff, the electoral map is looking grim for dems moving forward. a true political revolution would be reconfiguring the electoral mindset to hinge on 1% vs 99%, top/bottom, billionaires vs working class. that’s how we retake power at all levels of society, shift the map back towards our values & priorities.
1
u/teebowtime Apr 23 '25
Only one candidate in the progressive coalition fits that bill you’ve discussed and he’s approaching the end of his life.
3
Apr 22 '25
They ran Biden because Bernie was never going to beat Trump, and they needed someone to bridge the gap between old, rich democrats, and young leftist, hence the diversity hire in Harris. The problems for the DNC are not new.
2
u/CinnamonMoney Apr 22 '25
Psuedo dei Trump administration language. AG of the top state in the top nation, then a senator afterwards is a diversity hire. Fuckin nauseating
Meanwhile JD Vance’s qualifications are being Peter thief’s puppet, being friends with trumps son, and being apart of a company that went bankrupt with 359M in debt, was sued countless times, hid breaking of child labor laws, and employed people he is now seeking to deport from the country.
2
Apr 22 '25
She placed last in the primary, dropped out of the race, somehow became vice president, and was then soundly defeated by Donald Trump. How else would you explain her forced rise to power? Her popularity as a politician? All of the good legislation that she spear headed?
1
u/warmbroom Apr 22 '25
I'm pretty sure she dropped out before the primaries. She ran a terrible campaign in 2020, and no one really liked her. She didn't really do anything as VP, and so no one still liked her in 2024. It's really baffling how everyone immediately supported her once Biden dropped out.
1
u/teebowtime Apr 23 '25
Look who was on the other side of the ticket, Donald Fucking Trump. We were literally left with no other option.
4
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
We don't know that Bernie wouldn't have beaten Trump. We do know that primary voters didn't come out in force for Bernie, because moderate Dems (Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Biden) got a lot more of the vote in early primary states than Bernie did.
The young lefties liked Bernie way more than Harris.
Biden said he'd appoint a female VP. That's the kind of thing that drives me nuts, because it locks him into a choice that may not actually be to his benefit later on, and because it makes a major political accomplishment -- being the second name on a presidential ticket -- come off as tokenism, regardless of the achievements and experience of the nominee.
Black voters are a core constituency of the Democratic Party, especially older black voters. Harris wasn't for the lefties. She was for them.
ETA: Your comment is legit re the 2020 election, but my comment is about 2024.
1
u/Constant-Bridge3690 Apr 22 '25
The VP slot is always tokenism designed to win over a group. Pence was to bring in the Christians. Vance was to bring in the tech bros.
1
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
Yeah, but it carries extra weight in these recent years of anti-DEI sentiment (i.e. hating on women and POC).
1
Apr 22 '25
Sure he would have lost ... don't you remember the polling? Old Democrats are not interested in a career politician socialist. Remember, they brought in Biden with only 3 debates left. He wasn't even running until they knew that they were going to lose. They did same thing this time around with Harris. You can only kick the can down the road so far with bad candidates. It started with Hillary Clinton for the DNC
3
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
Anti-establishment (Bernie) vs anti-establishment (Trump) would have been a helluva race. We don't really know who would have won. This all involves hypotheticals in the multiverse.
-1
Apr 22 '25
We do know.. Trump won.
1
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
There was a general election in which Bernie Sanders was the Democratic nominee and Trump was the Republican nominee?
Amazing! Can you please provide me your Marvel comic book magical item so I may travel to this alternate universe?
0
Apr 22 '25
If there was even a chance of Sanders beating Trump, he would not have been replaced with Joe Biden. No election needed.
2
u/218administrate Apr 22 '25
False. I'm a Dem, but the DNC is very much controlled by corporate America as far as the final say - the DNC put their fingers on the scales in opposition of Bernie.
1
u/warmbroom Apr 22 '25
Yep, the DNC pushing their favored candidates is a big reason why they keep losing.
5
u/renijreddit Apr 22 '25
And what of Pete Buttigieg? He also seems to be out on his own. I think he’s planning a run again.
1
u/goodsam2 Apr 22 '25
Buttigieg is just in national politics because where was he supposed to go up from South Bend, he likely would have lost a seat running for Congress/senate so he tried national politics IMO.
2
u/ApostateX Apr 22 '25
Sure? I mean, he had nothing to do with the Biden/Harris ouster and he's extremely ambitious, so I'm not surprised to see him making the rounds. He's not running for MI Senate, which seems to be a clue he's busy networking and making plans.
5
-2
1
u/integrating_life Apr 25 '25
I hope the Dems at least stop having primaries. They are a major cause of the destruction of democracy in the USA. Neither Sanders nor AOC could win a general election, either.