I have only seen national DSA leadership oppose the idea or turn it into a personality contest with Jimmy Dore.
How is that democratic at all?! They are openly contradicting the democratically-decided party line…
What an absolutely shit organization.
Here's the quote:
2019 presents a unique opportunity for the Democratic Socialists for Medicare for All campaign: to be a key player in pushing HR 1384, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, to a vote in the House of Representatives. DSA is not alone in this work. National Nurses United, along with nearly 30 other national and local unions and progressive organizations are coordinating to take advantage of this moment. Since Bernie Sanders’ presidential run in 2016, single-payer advocates have been successfully turning Medicare for All into a litmus test for politicians. A floor vote in the House will force representatives to finally reveal whether they’re on the side of healthcare profiteers or the side of the working class.
deleted by creator
I disagree. Political struggles which prove the need for a workers party are good, even if the workers party does not exist to fill that space yet.
I've heard this said about every Left-wing project - anti-racist protests, the Bernie campaign, etc. In my experience, this is just nihilistic. People tend to be more engaged after political struggles.
Yes. At the very least, there must be democratic organs, and the expectation that members carry out the political line.
Maybe. Those are some tactics available.
The PSL has a released statement which has offered support for the advocacy of a socialist program within the Democratic Party. Although, there's been no comment from the Central Committee on this moment in particular. The timing has been really unfortunate given the holiday.
deleted by creator
I'm going to vent on an anonymous forum about the DSA contradicting their platform. That isn't organizing.
What organizing spaces are you in the forcing the vote? Are you just on Twitter and here? I don't really trust your perspective on this issue given the way you have talked about it.
How is seizing on a moment "counterproductive." This political tactic was discovered 12 days ago. That shouldn't change peoples' support for an obviously progressive political issue.
deleted by creator
I mean, what are the political organizations through which you are interacting with Force the Vote? Or is your understanding of the issue limited to consuming Leftist theater?
I do not care about "the discourse." I care about how political organizations are engaging with an opportunity to get a floor vote for M4A in the next couple months.
The margins in the House have been known since mid-December. This tactic makes no sense unless the DSA-affilates can without their vote to further their org's strategy. Re: "This political tactic was discovered 12 days ago", in mid-December.
deleted by creator
Then I don't understand the point you are making. You are observing political theater. You are not trying to engage with this effort. It doesn't sound like you disagree with this characterization.
Then stop contributing to "the discourse" lol
Determine the degree to which you feel this is a political opportunity, then act accordingly.
No it literally is not.
There are demonstrations planned. There are people reaching out to constituents, elected officials, and various political organizations to make use of this moment. You can disagree with these tactics, but people are putting in work.
Again, you are only engaging with the online discourse, and you are projecting.
People are responding to the fact that, in mid-December, an unlikely situation occurred - the Speaker margin is such that DSA-affiliates can publicly extract concessions. That, and the DSA-affiliates have no intention of extracting concessions.
I support people in their effort to demand that DSA-affiliates extract concessions from Pelosi by publicly withholding their vote for her.
The Bernie campaign was an ensured failure and it created an opportunity for political organizing. These are not mutually exclusive.
deleted by creator
deleted by creator
I'm referring to the party's line on the Sanders campaign, which is from March.
deleted by creator
Ah. I understood that article to support the people demanding a socialist agenda, even when those calls come from within the Democratic Party. The Bernie campaign was one example of that. I'll need to reread it.
I don't know what you mean by the "Dore vs AOC thing." A public spat between a talk radio host and a politician isn't comparable to the Bernie campaign.
I'm referring to a campaign to force the government to pass M4A during the pandemic, which has seen mass support and fledgling organization form around it in the past week.
I guess I don't see this as an esoteric debate within the Democratic Party. I've talked to many in the Force the Vote Slack who've said M4A is their only hope right now. It reminds me a lot of the Bernie campaign in that sense.
deleted by creator
There has been a massive effort to portray it this way.
It was launched into the mainstream by AOC responding on Twitter to the demand. Jimmy Dore has been on a crusade to calling out a bunch of bullshit in the DSA/Jacobin world.
But amidst that, I'm seeing people funnel into organizing spaces at a surprising rate. The Slack channel at this website has been up for a few days, and it has 1,500 members now.
I'm an optimist. I'm hopeful that the people will turn this into a real campaign. And it's a campaign that recognizes the Democratic Party as an obstacle, which helps.
Yeah, Bernie deserves no sympathy. His supporters do.
I'm a candidate. I have been keeping tabs on this campaign and sharing what I see with my branch.
deleted by creator