Before the beginning
This week is not actually a full piece week. Mostly because of the Superbowl. But also because I have to get through a rather crazy interview schedule. Between writing samples and researching the companies and firms I’m meeting with, well you can imagine. So I didn’t plan to actually do anything today. Instead, I have a nice concise series digression for this week and next, before we come back in 2 weeks to talk about the next major series that will have multiple parts. These digressions mean shorter posts, but we’ll be back up in the 4 to 9 thousands again soon.
Failure is always an option
I was sitting on BlueSky and Twitter(Because unfortunately most of my favorite journalists STILL haven’t fully moved to BlueSky), while making breakfast, and I came across a short video that set my blood to boiling like the water I was watching.
The reason I’ve most obviously spoken as an advocate for replacing leadership for those of you still clinging to the Democratic Party is because of videos like this. This is where the groups left of centrist Democrats, and all of those considered the American right start laughing. Because they know the truth. This is abdication. This is “calm, dishonourable, vile submission,” as Mercutio once intoned. House minority leader Hakeem Jefferies was hand selected by then leader Nancy Pelosi, and endorsed by all the “right” house and senate Democrats. There was no real competition. Which I think people forget about. Your favorite, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and her collective of “progressive left” non centrist democrats aka “The Squad,” put up no fight. And critically, no opposing candidate.
But this was not the only time they’d done this. And had you been paying attention and held them to task then, you might have a better situation now. What am I talking about? Remember the lack of fight over Pelosi tanking the Green New Deal? Remember center and progressive democrats, as well as Democratic Socialists, Socialists, and Communists laying into AOC specifically, and The Squad generally for not forcing a floor vote over Medicare for all? Are you getting the picture? They don’t like to actually press the leadership of the party, because like the rest, they fear losing their microphone. And you’ll never challenge them to do differently, or abandon them for someone else, so are they wrong?
Oh wait, I should be fair, there are 2 members of the progressive left that actually have enough gumption to stand in the fires of the crucible of conflict. To face the storm of backlash for their opinions and positions on controversial issues. And I would be cheating to not mention them, because in one’s case, she lost her seat over it. Rashida Tlaib and the one who lost her seat, Cori Bush. In Tlaib’s case, often her positions, some directly related to her Palestinian heritage, put her at odds with leadership and sometimes even other members of the progressive caucus. And despite constant challenges during primaries, including getting out spent with 3rd party PACs and SuperPACs, she survives and continues her work. So it is possible. The demographics of her district of course help in this.
Cori Bush, on the other hand, did not have that benefit, and had even more money spent against her. Her comments on the Palestinian-Israeli divide, Universal Health Care, Universal Basic Income, Racial injustice and Inequality, and distribution of wealth issues, have made her the target of far more scrutiny. After finding a centrist candidate that could be propped up in a more conservative city, AIPAC and other 3rd parties were able to oust her from her seat. Same for Jamal Bowman. But you’ve lost them. And you never really had hold of the centrist leadership.
The FailSon Legacy Continues
Because remember, these are the same ones that when you had the house, senate, and President, complete with a “Super Majority” they didn’t even attempt to pass a single payer system, paid maternity leave, federally guaranteed paid vacation, universal child care, Universal Pre-K, free public post secondary education, robust cost of living increases for disability and retirement, end the marriage donut hole that ends disability coverage, student loan forgiveness, universal basic housing, accountability and financial responsibility for the 2008 mortgage, loans, and housing crisis, federal cannabis decriminalization and legalization, and even more that could take several paragraphs. Why do I put them together? Because despite some only hitting mainstream media as talking points recently, these were all progressive or other left group requests following Obama’s election. They were just reiterated under Biden because that was much more of a coalition victory.
Now at least, you’re able to actually see them admit that their real plan is to do nothing. And I already hear a few of you about to type, “Well you shouldn’t broadcast your moves ahead of time. This is a good way to keep Republicans from seeing what he’s planning.” You’re wrong, and as always you’re giving them an undue amount of credit for choices and planning you’ve never seen them make or execute. This is a giant public abdication that conservatives can use to embolden their actions with this as proof that they have a mandate to. This is proof to further left groups that they are entirely ineffective. And that’s why even if this is the situation, you don’t say that in public to literally the entire world. That video is from CNN, but a quick search on DuckDuckGo and you’ll see it was covered by several non-US media sites. It is broadcasting that you’ve given up. And that does nothing but harm your cause.
“So what should have been done instead?” Literally anything, but I’ll give a plan that would have been simple in design and in execution. Still have the same press conference as Minority Leader, but instead of what he said, explain that you are all that is left to hold the line and help normal everyday Americans. And that you’ll use every tool available to you. Not giving any more detail in the press conference. Because why are they giving up so much in these press conferences? It is like they have no concept of communications or propaganda. Behind the scenes, and without alerting folks, so that means no leaks, you whip the party into truly being opposition. Every member in the house that has a D behind their name offers co-sponsored legislation. They hit all the areas of things that protect or boost everyday Americans, that means infrastructure bills, raising minimum wage, judicial term and age limits for all courts including the SCOTUS, rent control, banning corporate residental single family home ownership, supplements for farms, students, parents with school age children, first time home buyers and builders. That means proposing major improvement and innovation projects like dedicated high speed rail, new rail hubs, autonomous flight and driving vehicles along with a network.
Just a cavalcade of bills from now until the midterm elections that force Republicans to either pass them to protect their seats, or answer for opposing very obvious bills that help people in the current economy. And in concert with that, constantly sending out members to news media of all levels to demand the republicans answer for why they said no. Be as obstinate about demanding answers as presenting the potential legislation. Meanwhile, working at local levels to cultivate challengers for the republicans they lost seats to as first priority, and new potential seats as second. While going into communities they have abandoned, like rural areas, with not just platitudes and programs, but with these potential candidates doing community work to get a positive perception going.
In Conclusion
You can’t think in days and weeks, you have to think in months and years. This won’t be over in 2026 at mid terms, but it should bring you more potential people to help, and make it impossible to ignore as you take that momentum into 2028. You can’t give people reason to doubt you. You can’t give your opposition obvious points to hold over you. In this timeline however you’ve already turned an Onion article into the reality that we all have to deal with. Because you love your own subjugation. Because you want the appearance of opposition, not the work to actually oppose. And because this, well, I’ll let The Onion tell you what’s happening.
And with that, this week’s digression is over, and I’ll see you next week for a similar short one about political commentary by online media. Because, you didn’t think I was leaving them out did you? See you next time.
