I can't help but wonder how successful a left-wing third party would be in the US. It abandons all the baggage that came with the dems, and while this hypothetical party probably won't be winning on a federal level any time soon, how would it fare at a local level?
The one thing I'm concerned about is that it needs to hide its power level to not scare off too many people, but if it hides its power level, then you might as well vote blue if you're able to catch on, or vote red because democrats being watered down republicans isn't working.
I think there's something viable there but it shouldn't be called something that directly references socialism. It should be something like the Dignity party and aim to target people dissatisfied with the political status quo. If it doesn't trigger anti-socialism in people it can hoover up a shitload of votes from people who just want ANY outsider.
Dignity works for us because it's basically what we advocate for anyway, dignity for workers, dignity for elderly, dignity for the homeless, dignity for all. I really think it's the strongest and shortest way to describe what socialists want without ever saying socialism.
I'd imagine that the only way this works is if somebody spent 20+ years doing groundwork state by state. In the off election years, the election campaign staff work feeding the hungry, advocating for those that can't advocate for themselves, and shepherding people through the minefields of social service bureaucracies. Then, when election years roll around, the candidates have something to point to as an accomplishment as an outsider without political position followed by, "Now think what I could get done with the power and money of the federal government..."
Direct action + electioneering is a viable means for a socialist party to take power. The only trouble is in the US the electioneering always takes precedence and there are structural mean to encourage that.
Yeah, its really hard to see third party runs from people who you only hear about during their election season as much more than a really fancy Patreon scam.
Bernie “flared out” because he bent the knee. People wanted opposition to Hilary, opposition to the DNC and “fuck it, burn it all down” angry grandpa energy. Every time he cucked to the Dems and repeated their narratives and endorsed them he got weaker and weaker
He flaired out because the party unified around Biden and his campaign in the Midwest failed.
Every time he cucked to the Dems and repeated their narratives and endorsed them he got weaker and weaker
He'd been a consistent team player and entryist into the party since he took his house seat in '02. Even if he had won, you can guarantee he would have incorporated a bunch of Obama guys into his cabinet and negotiated with all the Senate haters.
Unlike Trump, he didn't have the core of the party on his side, so he was forever compromising and triangulating.
You would think this is an ideal time for a serious (actually serious about winning) Socialist party to form and contest elections.
But we can't have nice things in Burgerland
I think we're seeing movement on the political front.
Nebraska has a union man running an indie campaign, Dan Osborne, out polling the sitting Republican Deb Fisher
The DSA has been sprouting up all over the Northeast and Midwest
But after Bernie flared out twice, I don't know who else seriously wants to raise that mast again.
I can't help but wonder how successful a left-wing third party would be in the US. It abandons all the baggage that came with the dems, and while this hypothetical party probably won't be winning on a federal level any time soon, how would it fare at a local level?
The one thing I'm concerned about is that it needs to hide its power level to not scare off too many people, but if it hides its power level, then you might as well vote blue if you're able to catch on, or vote red because democrats being watered down republicans isn't working.
I think there's something viable there but it shouldn't be called something that directly references socialism. It should be something like the Dignity party and aim to target people dissatisfied with the political status quo. If it doesn't trigger anti-socialism in people it can hoover up a shitload of votes from people who just want ANY outsider.
Dignity works for us because it's basically what we advocate for anyway, dignity for workers, dignity for elderly, dignity for the homeless, dignity for all. I really think it's the strongest and shortest way to describe what socialists want without ever saying socialism.
I'd imagine that the only way this works is if somebody spent 20+ years doing groundwork state by state. In the off election years, the election campaign staff work feeding the hungry, advocating for those that can't advocate for themselves, and shepherding people through the minefields of social service bureaucracies. Then, when election years roll around, the candidates have something to point to as an accomplishment as an outsider without political position followed by, "Now think what I could get done with the power and money of the federal government..."
Direct action + electioneering is a viable means for a socialist party to take power. The only trouble is in the US the electioneering always takes precedence and there are structural mean to encourage that.
Yeah, its really hard to see third party runs from people who you only hear about during their election season as much more than a really fancy Patreon scam.
Bernie “flared out” because he bent the knee. People wanted opposition to Hilary, opposition to the DNC and “fuck it, burn it all down” angry grandpa energy. Every time he cucked to the Dems and repeated their narratives and endorsed them he got weaker and weaker
He flaired out because the party unified around Biden and his campaign in the Midwest failed.
He'd been a consistent team player and entryist into the party since he took his house seat in '02. Even if he had won, you can guarantee he would have incorporated a bunch of Obama guys into his cabinet and negotiated with all the Senate haters.
Unlike Trump, he didn't have the core of the party on his side, so he was forever compromising and triangulating.