I think being the only socialist in these places puts a ton of pressure on them that would otherwise be distributed to all the members of a socialist caucus. Also, I think, having some sort of ideology and actually trying to live up to it is way more stressful than being a stuffed shirt.
Absolutely. Though an organization can also take on that pressure. Issue statements, run comms in general, plan and execute actions, create recruitment strategies, etc.
The status quo is that lefties try to go it alone or just use orgs during the campaigns and not while in office. This means they are left to use the same mechanisms in a liberal institution that liberals use but without their base of support. They self-isolate, basically.
I think being the only socialist in these places puts a ton of pressure on them that would otherwise be distributed to all the members of a socialist caucus. Also, I think, having some sort of ideology and actually trying to live up to it is way more stressful than being a stuffed shirt.
Absolutely. Though an organization can also take on that pressure. Issue statements, run comms in general, plan and execute actions, create recruitment strategies, etc.
The status quo is that lefties try to go it alone or just use orgs during the campaigns and not while in office. This means they are left to use the same mechanisms in a liberal institution that liberals use but without their base of support. They self-isolate, basically.