I will say it as explicit as I can. The corporate media, the liberal & moderate punditry, and Centrist politicians are a clear and present danger to a 2020 Democratic win. Let me be clear. Millennials have nothing to lose, and they will be more engaged in 2020 only if they see a transformational change from the status quo.
There are still Democrats fighting 2016. Many refuse to drop the “Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat” moniker. What they do not understand is that to too many Progressives, our Democratic Party is no less toxic than the Republican Party. They feel that at least the Republican Party is useful for the people they represent, the wealthy, the plutocracy. The Democratic Party, notwithstanding an intransigent Repubublican Party, has been functionally ineffective for those who need them most.
That is not a kind statement. But through the eyes of the aggrieved, it is as kind as one can be.
Bernie, as usual, has been getting large crowds. But as I mentioned on a recent Facebook post as I posted one of his big rallies, it is essential to understand what we are witnessing.
It isn’t about Bernie Sanders proper. It is about the disgust many, especially young people who are starting to realize that the system is screwing them. He is just the instantiation of a perceived solution to that reality.
As the Democratic Establishment rehashes the 2016 modus operandi instead of supporting a real cadre of systemic changes, things won’t go well. To my older Democratic brothers & sisters, put yourself in the shoes of millennials and GenZs. Yes, some are doing just fine, but most are not. Some of the stories I hear from responsible folks are distressing. Timidity and the status quo just won’t do it for them. After all, most of them have nothing to lose. But if you lose them, the entire Progressive movement loses.
So what is there to do? Lean in. Let the aggrieve lead. Let their wants and needs lead the debate. Do not attempt to fit their wants and needs into a system that so far has failed them.
No matter what Democrats do or say Republicans will attack them with the socialism moniker. Do you think Venezuela is an accident? Do you think labeling them as the ultimate result of Democratic Socialism is an accident? No. It is a ruse. The media, the Republican Party, and centrists will continue to promote that into the psyche of Americans.
Forces working against policies that support the masses are using several tactics. They are attempting to get allies from the aggrieved, the poor, the nearly poor, and the scammed middle-class by instilling fear in them of a system no one is asking for, but they are willing to lie about consistently. We need a strong grassroots movement to mitigate that deception.
Change is not going to come from the DNC. It will not come from those still attempting to maintain the status quo. It will only come from the work of those of us who understand the trickery of the Plutocracy, the Right, & the Centrists and the timidity of the ranking file Democrat.
The job is going to be very difficult. The attacks that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders are getting is a manifestation of the fear of the Plutocracy. Their wards are in full attack mode. It is no time for Progressives to retreat. Lean in. Do not be defensive. Frame your narrative for the masses to understand. And when they attempt to use the Democratic Socialist moniker as a pejorative, ignore the labeling and stick to the policies we all know middle-class and poor America wants.