I’m watching and worrying as protests against Trump/Musk get overshadowed by Dem-trashing and “bothside-ism.” Brava to Rachel Maddow for resisting, and a plea for Bernie Sanders to follow her lead.
Elections matter. One would have thought lessons were learned from 2000 and 2016. They own the government because 8 million voters failed to turn out. The preliminary data suggests the Bernie/AOC/MSNBC ideology of affluent, elite university educated zealots are the reason. Because they are zealots there is no introspection.
Either the AOC wing is right and their religious version of reality is true or the establishment is right.The short of it is electoral victory means power. Biden was not the 9th choice of the “progressives” and yet he was the apotheosis of a liberal president- in part because we controlled Congress.
Left populists want to join right populists and play chicken with the nation’s credit by not funding the debt. It was an insane idea when right populism did this and it is insane that the left is making this argument. This shows how similar both populisms are in fact. Do not tell me the consequences are unknown. You will not know the outcome of holding a gun to your head and pulling the tigger until you actually put a bullet in your brain?
If voters dislike your position on trans rights than stop advocating for trans rights. Or get to work persuading voters you are right about trans rights.
Do what you have to do to win power. Being right and claiming the high ground is a luxury only entitled, affluent elites are privileged to indulge.
If the left was right they would win more elections at every level. Tell me how right Socialist party was because of its 1896 platform. Then explain why most of that platform was not enacted till the New Deal.
How do you stop Trump when he controls all 3 branches of government? Why did Democrats lose control of Congress and why are key demographics deserting Democrats? We lost Black males, youth voters and Hispanics.
Protest? Sure. But in a divided electorate Democrats are divided and Republicans are not. Should we protest Trump’s ME policies? In Deeerborn and Cambridge perhaps. I suspect Lexington’s tiny Jewish community would share that opinion ( and as you know well, Lexington votes Blue - and bleeds UK Blue- in a red state.
Perhaps social issues will divide liberals in ways that give the Koch Network victory. As long as the politics of position dominate politics we will remain divided and protests will fail. Politics are transactional but too many voices are proceeding as if holding the moral high ground is better than swimming in the muck of political reality
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been furious with “the left” for a long time (and I used to consider myself one of them.) Have you read my book on the 2016 election? A major theme is the responsibility of Sanders et al for that loss. And they didn’t help in 2024 either. (I got huge hate from the Sanders people for my writing.) And I worry that they are going to go ga-ga about some “progressive” (scare quotes deliberate) in the next election—instead of putting up someone like Andy Beshear, who knows how to speak across the divisions. (I wrote this particular stack, however, very conscious of not wanting to contribute to divisiveness, so I was softer on “the left” than I’ve been in previous posts. And even so, I’ve gotten hate from them.)
Totally agree. The “disorganized Dems” meme is a media creation, and only distract from this administration’s outrageous failures and authoritarian wet dreams.
Disagreeing and debating ideas is an integral part of the functioning of healthy democracies. I find it deeply disturbing ghag our mainstream “liberal” media portrays it as a sign of weakness and disfunction. They apparently would prefer Democrats to follow their leaders in lockstep like our authoritarian-loving Republicans do.
The corporate media, I’ve become convinced, doesn’t really think much about anything that they do—they just react. And they pull the handiest memes out of the air. Then, once one or two of them label something, they all follow.
Even worse, after Republicans have gotten someone like Frank Luntz to focus test a term they can use to make a draconian policy seem cool, the media quickly adopts that term — and sadly Dems also fall in line. For example the term “privatization” was coined to whitewash Republicans’ goal of turning over programs like SS, Medicare, the VA, etc. over to for profit corporations. “Choice” is another example as in, school choice, the choice of where to invest your social security $$, etc. They only oppose choice when it comes to women’s reproductive rights.
Democrats did a very effective messaging job when they reframed the “privatizing ” of SS as Republicans wanting to turn your SS account over to Wall Street but they should have also refused to adopt that term, substituting a more accurate descriptor such as “profitizing”.
I spend time with Never Trump former Republicans, and this division is also one that they point at and then pronounce why the Dems are ineffective. Yet they are counting on Dems to fix the cancer that they have wrought on the nation since before the time of Reagan, but a straight-line back to Goldwater.
Yes, I’ve been irritated (to put it mildly) to see how Stephen Schmidt, in particular, has done that “Dems are too weak” thing. He used to be someone whose smarts I depended on. Not so much any more.
Schmidt seems to be straddling the line between Never Trump, and Anti-Anti Trump. I think he still believes that a sane Republican party can and will emerge post Trump.
I unsubscribed. We're facing totalitarianism and it you're bashing Dems, I don't have time. Yes, they're imperfect. They are not kidnapping people and throwing them into gulags without even a hearing.
What bothers me the most is that they are really good at pointing out the foibles of the Dems, but then they advocate changes that would blow up the fragile coalition that the Dems must maintain to even have a chance to regain power.
There's a leftwing structure that pipes out garbage. The younger ones don't even understand the electoral process. Some of the older ones have nothing but animus (some of it racial and misogynist) against us. They absorb disinformation like sponges, and it suits a cynical pose. Just reading that Gen Z, aside from Black women, voted for Trump. Mind boggling.
Rather than focus on slamming Democrats, we should be focusing on how to take power and have THEM (Democrat & Republican leadership) follow US! The tesla protests and stock crashing is proof that we have power.
I think it's time many liberal minded people out there stop giving Bernie the Bum the benefit of doubt. It's been clear, from the start, just who he really is. A lazy assed grifter who's five decades in Congress produced only three bills of his that became law, and two of them were to rename post offices after him! Not to mention his behavior in 2016, where he tried to get Democratic super delegates to make him the nominee for president, despite getting Hillary outvoting him by a four to one margin, while giving his BernieBums the greenlight to attack and harass Democratic delegates at the convention.
Bernie the Bum has showed us who he really is. A ratfucking saboteur who'd rather see the country destroyed rather than succeed under Democratic leadership. He's as every bit a danger to America as Drumpf!
As for Little Miss Sandy Cortez, I do not trust her to do the right thing. She needs to be watched like a hawk, at all times! Her snotty tweet to Conor Lamb this week should earn her getting her face spanked to Kingdom Come!
Agree about Sanders. As for AOC, as you recommend, I’m watching her. I missed the snotty tweet, will look it up! Although I might not go as far as you rhetorically, I really appreciate your no-holds-barred anger! I’ve been writing about Sanders’ destructive influence for years. It got a lot of hate thrown at me—a bit shocking at first (in 2015, when I first started to publish about it)—but I’ve grown to expect it and am inured to it.
The dem bashing is all over bluesky now as well. We can't divide the party going into the midterms like what happened with the Gaza genocide narrative that helped suppress voter turnout giving trump the WH. We must remember MAGA only turns up when trump is on the ballot. Heck a lot in November only voted for trump and no down ballot candidates. As long as this narrative continues we will have an uphill battle to check this administration. Hopefully people understand this but with Bernie saying burn everything down I fear we won't. That is his signature move.
Thank you! I have been furious for years about the mainstream “liberal” media blaming Dems’ poor communications when its them that has the messaging problem. Just ask Al Gore. They treated him with utter disdain because he dared to focus on the extremely serious issues facing our country, especially climate change, rather than entertain political journalists by being a towel-snapping frat boy who was “more fun to have a beer with”. The WaPo’s revered “Dean of Washington Journalists” David Broder actually whined that Gore had talked too much about what he would do if elected — in his acceptance speech!! What the hell else did Broder think Gore should have done? Cracked dumb jokes? Tap danced?
As many times as I have read the following article it still enrages and shocks me.
This article about Frank Bruni’s swooning over Dubya for juvenile things like giving reporters demeaning nicknames is especially nauseating. Many Democrats only know Bruni for his strong criticism of Dubya — after it had become obvious Bush had lied us into a war. Bruni never apologized for helping get Brush elected in the first place:
“The Times’ Frank Bruni, or How to Succeed in Journalism Without Really Caring (About Issues)”
Time and again the mainstream “liberal” media has allowed the right to use them to legitimize and spread their phony slanders of Democrats, what Steve Bannon labels and brags about as “hacking the mainstream media”. Whitewater, Filegate, Travelgate, Chinagate, Love Canal, Gore supposedly claiming to have invented the internet, Hillary’s emails, the “corruption” of the Clinton Foundation, Biden’s dealings with Ukraine…..all were pseudo-scandals created by well-funded right wing operatives and peddled to our willing mainstream media. They usually went straight to the very willing the Times because the rest of the media usually follows the Times like lemmings going over a cliff.
The one thing I agree with Steve Bannon about is its the mainstream media that does the real damage to Democrats.
Thanks for those links. And I appreciate (and share) your anger—as you probably know.
Do you know my book on the 2016 election? Very critical of the media. No surprise that it was the first book of mine they ignored. They preferred the Hillary-bashing Shattered,” which has NO media criticism at all—not even of their so-called ‘coverage’ of the ‘email scandal.’
Jon Ossoff has been getting attention for his rallies across Georgia and rightfully so. I wish media focused on him as much. He is underestimated and more focus needs to be on him as well as my congressman Robert Garcia who is holding townhall in Republican districts. I would love Chris Murphy's energy too. AOC has a bright future in the party.
Bernie is just Bernie. But much older. It's time for new energy. That is why he invited AOC. He does understand that at least.
But there are Democrats that need to go. Fetterman, Schumer......
The Democratic party needs to become more of a well oiled, revved up vehicle.
Not some tired institution.
Things have radically changed and an anti Trump movement has to be bigger than political parties.
Ossoff was fantastic in that absurd hearing!! I agree that he should be getting more attention. And—although his appeal is very different from Ossoff’s—my governor Andy Beshear.
Not if she continues to shit all over Democrats, like Conor Lamb!
And as for Schumer going, he had to choose the least disastrous option between funding Drumpf's shit bill, or letting the shutdown happen! If he chose the latter, Drumpf and Elmo Muck would keep it going, as they continue to chop away at the federal government unfettered. And with no courts open, they could keep doing this for as long as they pleased.
I agree. I’ve come to understand his argument much better since the vote. And no matter how one feels about that vote, crapping on Schumer is small-minded and counter-productive.
Schumer needs to retire. And we should thank him for his decades of service.
But if we keep clinging to the old ways and old school politicians, we will keep losing. We have a 29% approval rate. Time to shake it up and usher in the new era. Otherwise put a fork in it, we are done.
No way. Cory has always been open, committed to the people and compassionate. And one of the most likeable senators. Definitely not an old crusty grump. And now he is a national hero. What an inspiration. Yes! Senate minority leader. Perfect choice.
She apologized to Conor Lamb and stated clearly that she had been wrong about him. So yes, a politician that can admit they were wrong and extend an olive branch will go far.
Excellent article. The Democrats must embrace all who comprise its political perimeters, and that includes 'elites' as well as 'working people'. It includes progressives, as well as centrists.
"The blame and shame should rest squarely on Republicans EVERY DAY." It does for most outlets. Which confuses me when people complain. What's not to like?
You're so right. It should. If they hadn't caved to MAGA in the first place, if they had stood up for the Constitution as their oath promises, we wouldn't be here.
My experience is that many have forgotten them as individuals with a responsibility to their constituents. I can't tell you how many people scream about Democrats and when I ask why they don't blame Republicans, they shrug and say "they won't listen".
I was surprised that Bernie calling for progressives to leave the Democratic Party wasn’t a bigger deal. I commented about it on a few substacks I follow that were really hyping up his rallies and it was crickets from people. Every time I see people extolling his virtues and acting like anything he does is for the benefit of the Dems, I have to shake my head - some people have really chosen to forgot about 2016.
Elections matter. One would have thought lessons were learned from 2000 and 2016. They own the government because 8 million voters failed to turn out. The preliminary data suggests the Bernie/AOC/MSNBC ideology of affluent, elite university educated zealots are the reason. Because they are zealots there is no introspection.
Either the AOC wing is right and their religious version of reality is true or the establishment is right.The short of it is electoral victory means power. Biden was not the 9th choice of the “progressives” and yet he was the apotheosis of a liberal president- in part because we controlled Congress.
Left populists want to join right populists and play chicken with the nation’s credit by not funding the debt. It was an insane idea when right populism did this and it is insane that the left is making this argument. This shows how similar both populisms are in fact. Do not tell me the consequences are unknown. You will not know the outcome of holding a gun to your head and pulling the tigger until you actually put a bullet in your brain?
If voters dislike your position on trans rights than stop advocating for trans rights. Or get to work persuading voters you are right about trans rights.
Do what you have to do to win power. Being right and claiming the high ground is a luxury only entitled, affluent elites are privileged to indulge.
If the left was right they would win more elections at every level. Tell me how right Socialist party was because of its 1896 platform. Then explain why most of that platform was not enacted till the New Deal.
How do you stop Trump when he controls all 3 branches of government? Why did Democrats lose control of Congress and why are key demographics deserting Democrats? We lost Black males, youth voters and Hispanics.
Protest? Sure. But in a divided electorate Democrats are divided and Republicans are not. Should we protest Trump’s ME policies? In Deeerborn and Cambridge perhaps. I suspect Lexington’s tiny Jewish community would share that opinion ( and as you know well, Lexington votes Blue - and bleeds UK Blue- in a red state.
Perhaps social issues will divide liberals in ways that give the Koch Network victory. As long as the politics of position dominate politics we will remain divided and protests will fail. Politics are transactional but too many voices are proceeding as if holding the moral high ground is better than swimming in the muck of political reality
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been furious with “the left” for a long time (and I used to consider myself one of them.) Have you read my book on the 2016 election? A major theme is the responsibility of Sanders et al for that loss. And they didn’t help in 2024 either. (I got huge hate from the Sanders people for my writing.) And I worry that they are going to go ga-ga about some “progressive” (scare quotes deliberate) in the next election—instead of putting up someone like Andy Beshear, who knows how to speak across the divisions. (I wrote this particular stack, however, very conscious of not wanting to contribute to divisiveness, so I was softer on “the left” than I’ve been in previous posts. And even so, I’ve gotten hate from them.)
Totally agree. The “disorganized Dems” meme is a media creation, and only distract from this administration’s outrageous failures and authoritarian wet dreams.
I was really glad to see how great the Dems were at that ridiculous hearing. Especially Ossoff! But they all were good.
Disagreeing and debating ideas is an integral part of the functioning of healthy democracies. I find it deeply disturbing ghag our mainstream “liberal” media portrays it as a sign of weakness and disfunction. They apparently would prefer Democrats to follow their leaders in lockstep like our authoritarian-loving Republicans do.
The corporate media, I’ve become convinced, doesn’t really think much about anything that they do—they just react. And they pull the handiest memes out of the air. Then, once one or two of them label something, they all follow.
Even worse, after Republicans have gotten someone like Frank Luntz to focus test a term they can use to make a draconian policy seem cool, the media quickly adopts that term — and sadly Dems also fall in line. For example the term “privatization” was coined to whitewash Republicans’ goal of turning over programs like SS, Medicare, the VA, etc. over to for profit corporations. “Choice” is another example as in, school choice, the choice of where to invest your social security $$, etc. They only oppose choice when it comes to women’s reproductive rights.
Democrats did a very effective messaging job when they reframed the “privatizing ” of SS as Republicans wanting to turn your SS account over to Wall Street but they should have also refused to adopt that term, substituting a more accurate descriptor such as “profitizing”.
I think we all fear the power Trump has grabbed and forget we’re on the same anti Trump team.
I spend time with Never Trump former Republicans, and this division is also one that they point at and then pronounce why the Dems are ineffective. Yet they are counting on Dems to fix the cancer that they have wrought on the nation since before the time of Reagan, but a straight-line back to Goldwater.
Yes, I’ve been irritated (to put it mildly) to see how Stephen Schmidt, in particular, has done that “Dems are too weak” thing. He used to be someone whose smarts I depended on. Not so much any more.
Schmidt seems to be straddling the line between Never Trump, and Anti-Anti Trump. I think he still believes that a sane Republican party can and will emerge post Trump.
In many ways, he is delusional
I unsubscribed. We're facing totalitarianism and it you're bashing Dems, I don't have time. Yes, they're imperfect. They are not kidnapping people and throwing them into gulags without even a hearing.
What bothers me the most is that they are really good at pointing out the foibles of the Dems, but then they advocate changes that would blow up the fragile coalition that the Dems must maintain to even have a chance to regain power.
There's a leftwing structure that pipes out garbage. The younger ones don't even understand the electoral process. Some of the older ones have nothing but animus (some of it racial and misogynist) against us. They absorb disinformation like sponges, and it suits a cynical pose. Just reading that Gen Z, aside from Black women, voted for Trump. Mind boggling.
Indeed. And yet I’m grateful they finally came to their senses. The anti-Trump team needs all of us acting in concert until we can erase this scourge.
Rather than focus on slamming Democrats, we should be focusing on how to take power and have THEM (Democrat & Republican leadership) follow US! The tesla protests and stock crashing is proof that we have power.
Yes!
I think it's time many liberal minded people out there stop giving Bernie the Bum the benefit of doubt. It's been clear, from the start, just who he really is. A lazy assed grifter who's five decades in Congress produced only three bills of his that became law, and two of them were to rename post offices after him! Not to mention his behavior in 2016, where he tried to get Democratic super delegates to make him the nominee for president, despite getting Hillary outvoting him by a four to one margin, while giving his BernieBums the greenlight to attack and harass Democratic delegates at the convention.
Bernie the Bum has showed us who he really is. A ratfucking saboteur who'd rather see the country destroyed rather than succeed under Democratic leadership. He's as every bit a danger to America as Drumpf!
As for Little Miss Sandy Cortez, I do not trust her to do the right thing. She needs to be watched like a hawk, at all times! Her snotty tweet to Conor Lamb this week should earn her getting her face spanked to Kingdom Come!
Agree about Sanders. As for AOC, as you recommend, I’m watching her. I missed the snotty tweet, will look it up! Although I might not go as far as you rhetorically, I really appreciate your no-holds-barred anger! I’ve been writing about Sanders’ destructive influence for years. It got a lot of hate thrown at me—a bit shocking at first (in 2015, when I first started to publish about it)—but I’ve grown to expect it and am inured to it.
The dem bashing is all over bluesky now as well. We can't divide the party going into the midterms like what happened with the Gaza genocide narrative that helped suppress voter turnout giving trump the WH. We must remember MAGA only turns up when trump is on the ballot. Heck a lot in November only voted for trump and no down ballot candidates. As long as this narrative continues we will have an uphill battle to check this administration. Hopefully people understand this but with Bernie saying burn everything down I fear we won't. That is his signature move.
Thank you! I have been furious for years about the mainstream “liberal” media blaming Dems’ poor communications when its them that has the messaging problem. Just ask Al Gore. They treated him with utter disdain because he dared to focus on the extremely serious issues facing our country, especially climate change, rather than entertain political journalists by being a towel-snapping frat boy who was “more fun to have a beer with”. The WaPo’s revered “Dean of Washington Journalists” David Broder actually whined that Gore had talked too much about what he would do if elected — in his acceptance speech!! What the hell else did Broder think Gore should have done? Cracked dumb jokes? Tap danced?
As many times as I have read the following article it still enrages and shocks me.
“Going After Gore”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/10/gore200710
This article about Frank Bruni’s swooning over Dubya for juvenile things like giving reporters demeaning nicknames is especially nauseating. Many Democrats only know Bruni for his strong criticism of Dubya — after it had become obvious Bush had lied us into a war. Bruni never apologized for helping get Brush elected in the first place:
“The Times’ Frank Bruni, or How to Succeed in Journalism Without Really Caring (About Issues)”
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/think-again-the-times-frank-bruni-or-how-to-succeed-in-journalism-without-really-caring-about-issues/
Time and again the mainstream “liberal” media has allowed the right to use them to legitimize and spread their phony slanders of Democrats, what Steve Bannon labels and brags about as “hacking the mainstream media”. Whitewater, Filegate, Travelgate, Chinagate, Love Canal, Gore supposedly claiming to have invented the internet, Hillary’s emails, the “corruption” of the Clinton Foundation, Biden’s dealings with Ukraine…..all were pseudo-scandals created by well-funded right wing operatives and peddled to our willing mainstream media. They usually went straight to the very willing the Times because the rest of the media usually follows the Times like lemmings going over a cliff.
The one thing I agree with Steve Bannon about is its the mainstream media that does the real damage to Democrats.
“ How Steve Bannon Weaponizes a Story”
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2016/11/04/how-steve-bannon-weaponizes-a-story/
Thanks for those links. And I appreciate (and share) your anger—as you probably know.
Do you know my book on the 2016 election? Very critical of the media. No surprise that it was the first book of mine they ignored. They preferred the Hillary-bashing Shattered,” which has NO media criticism at all—not even of their so-called ‘coverage’ of the ‘email scandal.’
See these pieces of mine (if you haven’t yet):
https://susanbordo.substack.com/p/hillary-clintons-emails-and-media
https://susanbordo.substack.com/p/how-the-liberal-media-helped-make
YES YES YES!!! And more links here about what the 'liberal' media did to Biden and Harris. And people do not get it.https://open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pearl/p/aiming-our-anger?r=c9tzj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Jon Ossoff has been getting attention for his rallies across Georgia and rightfully so. I wish media focused on him as much. He is underestimated and more focus needs to be on him as well as my congressman Robert Garcia who is holding townhall in Republican districts. I would love Chris Murphy's energy too. AOC has a bright future in the party.
Bernie is just Bernie. But much older. It's time for new energy. That is why he invited AOC. He does understand that at least.
But there are Democrats that need to go. Fetterman, Schumer......
The Democratic party needs to become more of a well oiled, revved up vehicle.
Not some tired institution.
Things have radically changed and an anti Trump movement has to be bigger than political parties.
Ossoff was fantastic in that absurd hearing!! I agree that he should be getting more attention. And—although his appeal is very different from Ossoff’s—my governor Andy Beshear.
"AOC has a bright future in the party."
Not if she continues to shit all over Democrats, like Conor Lamb!
And as for Schumer going, he had to choose the least disastrous option between funding Drumpf's shit bill, or letting the shutdown happen! If he chose the latter, Drumpf and Elmo Muck would keep it going, as they continue to chop away at the federal government unfettered. And with no courts open, they could keep doing this for as long as they pleased.
Try giving Schumer a little credit here, mmKay?
I agree. I’ve come to understand his argument much better since the vote. And no matter how one feels about that vote, crapping on Schumer is small-minded and counter-productive.
Schumer needs to retire. And we should thank him for his decades of service.
But if we keep clinging to the old ways and old school politicians, we will keep losing. We have a 29% approval rate. Time to shake it up and usher in the new era. Otherwise put a fork in it, we are done.
Do you think of Cory Booker as “old school”? I ask because I think he’d be great as minority leader in senate.
No way. Cory has always been open, committed to the people and compassionate. And one of the most likeable senators. Definitely not an old crusty grump. And now he is a national hero. What an inspiration. Yes! Senate minority leader. Perfect choice.
AND he‘s from my own hometown, NEWARK N.J.
I don’t disagree. I just think the public trashing does the Dems no good.
She apologized to Conor Lamb and stated clearly that she had been wrong about him. So yes, a politician that can admit they were wrong and extend an olive branch will go far.
Too late! She showed who she really is with that snotty nosed attitude of hers! When someone shows you who you are, BELIEVE THEM!!!
I agree with everything you've said here! Thank you for getting it out there.
You’re welcome. Thanks for taking the time to tell me!
Excellent article. The Democrats must embrace all who comprise its political perimeters, and that includes 'elites' as well as 'working people'. It includes progressives, as well as centrists.
Yes!
Thank you Susan. This is great. And Bernie's having an effect, as I see in my local "Indivisible" chat. Go Rachel!! She's getting it.
You’re welcome, Heidi!
SO glad you wrote this, it's like finding my tribe here...going to follow all these folks.
All true, except that we need even more Democrats to speak out.
Perfectly expressed & laid out on every level - thanks, Susan. These are the exact thoughts in my brain as well.
Thank you Pam!
God bless these beautiful patriots. God bless the USA 💙🇺🇸
"The blame and shame should rest squarely on Republicans EVERY DAY." It does for most outlets. Which confuses me when people complain. What's not to like?
I’m a little confused by your comment. Are you being sarcastic, or…? Sorry if I’m being thick!
I don't know how to rephrase. "The blame and shame should rest squarely on Republicans EVERY DAY." Isn't that already the case?
My point is that the media easily gets hooked on Democrat-blaming. So no, I don’t think it’s already the case.
You're so right. It should. If they hadn't caved to MAGA in the first place, if they had stood up for the Constitution as their oath promises, we wouldn't be here.
My experience is that many have forgotten them as individuals with a responsibility to their constituents. I can't tell you how many people scream about Democrats and when I ask why they don't blame Republicans, they shrug and say "they won't listen".
I was surprised that Bernie calling for progressives to leave the Democratic Party wasn’t a bigger deal. I commented about it on a few substacks I follow that were really hyping up his rallies and it was crickets from people. Every time I see people extolling his virtues and acting like anything he does is for the benefit of the Dems, I have to shake my head - some people have really chosen to forgot about 2016.