I’d argue the Tea Party was initially as much a response to Occupy as to Black President Man, at least from the FOX News Corporate Sponsorship angle. Presenting a large activist right-populist base to check the burgeoning left-populist base was necessary to kettle the leftist movement and to scare the Democratic Party away from left-populism as an electoral strategy.
There was no populist left movement during the Obama years that became a major force. You had Occupy, but the Dems refused to embrace that movement whatsoever and scoffed at them every chance they had. Black Lives Matter started in 2014-2015 and libs hated them as much back then as they do now.
The biggest difference between the Dems and Republicans is that the GOP actually understands power and how to use it. They saw the Tea Party as a golden opportunity to not only push further right, but to take over state elections and build their base up, and they did. Dems don't give a fuck about anything except their precious blue states and big cities. That's evident when you live in a deep southern red state like I do and see them do no campaigning whatsoever outside of big cities. They don't even run house district candidates in many of these states outside the big cities.
If there is another left populist movement, you can 100% guarantee Dems aren't going to embrace it. The GOP will be embracing the next far right reactionary movement, cause they know it will be their golden ticket back to power. The Dems nominated Joe fucking Biden over a populist SocDem. They did that as a huge middle finger at us and flat out telling us if push comes to shove, they much rather move to the right and become the 2000s era Republican party than ever support left based ideals.
There was no populist left movement during the Obama years that became a major force. You had Occupy, but the Dems refused to embrace that movement whatsoever and scoffed at them every chance they had. Black Lives Matter started in 2014-2015 and libs hated them as much back then as they do now.
The biggest difference between the Dems and Republicans is that the GOP actually understands power and how to use it. They saw the Tea Party as a golden opportunity to not only push further right, but to take over state elections and build their base up, and they did. Dems don't give a fuck about anything except their precious blue states and big cities. That's evident when you live in a deep southern red state like I do and see them do no campaigning whatsoever outside of big cities. They don't even run house district candidates in many of these states outside the big cities.
If there is another left populist movement, you can 100% guarantee Dems aren't going to embrace it. The GOP will be embracing the next far right reactionary movement, cause they know it will be their golden ticket back to power. The Dems nominated Joe fucking Biden over a populist SocDem. They did that as a huge middle finger at us and flat out telling us if push comes to shove, they much rather move to the right and become the 2000s era Republican party than ever support left based ideals.