Our Revolution, the progressive activist group that evolved from Bernie Sanders’s 2016 Presidential campaign, missed a chance to back progressive Kara Eastman in her Nerbraska primary win last week against the Democratic Party establishment candidate Brad Ashford. That’s one sign of weakness that Politico cites to declare Bernie’s army “flailing” in “disarray”:
…[A]n extensive review of the Sanders-inspired group depicts an organization in disarray — operating primarily as a promotional vehicle for its leader and sometimes even snubbing candidates aligned with Sanders. Our Revolution has shown no ability to tip a major Democratic election in its favor — despite possessing Sanders’ email list, the envy of the Democratic Party — and can claim no major wins in 2018 as its own.
…“Our Revolution is going through growing pains,” acknowledged Jane Kleeb, the group’s treasurer, while arguing that progress is being made. “Creating a grass-roots organization is different from running a presidential campaign” [Edward-Isaac, Dovere, “Bernie’s Army in Disarray,” Politico, 2018.05.21].
Kleeb, who is also Nebraska’s Democratic chair and a leader in the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline, notes that there are some challenges to bringing Democrats together after their tough primary in Nebraska’s Second District. Sanders supporters also appear to face challenges to refocusing their 2016 energy into practical victories in 2018.
Here’s one one to chew over- https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/supreme-court-sue-your-employer_us_5afb2bcde4b09a94524ca8f3
Newly activated right wing activist Justice voted with activist brethren to make it harder to sue your boss. Who knew this was one reason wingnuts stalled Garland and eventually and illegally, tmwot, landed a right wing rubber stamp.
I like Bernie, but his on-line supporters don’t know what they’re doing. All they know is how to bash opponents including Democrat opponents. Excuse the grammar, but ya can’t get nowhere that way.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/05/neil-gorsuch-demolished-labor-rights-in-epic-systems-v-lewis.html
Slate delivers a scathing report on Go Suck’s anti-worker, pro business attitude where he tosses aside laws to make his own.
Oh no Mikey! It’s those horrid “activist judges” the righties hate! Eeeeek! (Eeek indeed. Neil Go Suck does.)
In the meantime, I think Bernie is better at rousing the rabble for his pet causes than actually organizing and governing. I think he’s a good asset for the Left, but not a good candidate. Kamala Harris!!!
The Gorsuch tilt of the court against workers shows the importance of campaigning deep and well, not just in one shot for the Presidency but in a movement that puts supporters of labor and justice in positions of power at all levels.
Wouldn’t we have to trust the other side to honor precedence and not withhold nominees for the heavy duty court seats so they can stack the decks?
Had that happened recently, then Obama should have had Merrick Garland on the court instead of this right wing hack.
The establishment democratic party isn’t credible when talking about the progressive movement. I would take what they say with a grain of salt. The fact is that there is a deep rumbling in this country against the democrat’s that are in the pocket of big money as well as the republicans. “Our Revolution” may be having growing pains or, perhaps, the progressives are leaving it behind but what Bernie started isn’t going away regardless of how much big money wants it to.
Well, Politico shows its true colors here as a establishment hack. Nationally “Our Revolution” had an almost 70% win rate with candidates it backed. They didn’t back Kara Eastman but ” Justice Democrats” did. “”Justice Democrats” is a group started by Cenk Uygur of ” The Young Turks” on line news network.
Clyde, I’d like to see that 70% win list. Politico’s point, far from hackery, is not that candidates backed by Our Revolution don’t win. Their point is that Our Revolution hasn’t shown an ability to tip elections, to help people win who wouldn’t have won otherwise. I don’t think Politico is saying that to hack for the establishment any more than I am. We’re just saying that, whatever merits the Sanders movement has (I think it has a lot), making a difference in winning elections has not yet proven to be one of them.
Cory, sorry but you are right. Somehow I got my head around the wrong “alternate fact” [snicker].
The win rate was 40% which for someone new on the block isn’t all that bad. Definitely enough to influence policy down the road.
I think what is shown mainly by these outcomes is just how much influence big money and establishment members have on the primary’s. Not enough people that are upset with the way things are being done are going out of their way to change things.
The review that I saw of this showed that Politico’s cover was biased against “Our Revolution” though and my opinion of them is diminished.
Clyde, can you share that review showing Politico’s bias?
It’s almost like a good number of Bernie’s supporters are more interested in virtue signaling than actually accomplishing something. Probably why they are still feeling no guilt and continue to huff their own farts when their refusal to support Clinton led to the current state of affairs.
“Virtue signaling”—I may have heard that term previously, but I’m sure I haven’t used it. Thank you, Dicta, for your consistently rich and well-deployed vocabulary.
Every movement worth its salt is about movement—up off the couch, onto the streets, into concrete action. Winning elections is a central part of achieving Bernie Sanders’s goals. Any movement claiming to support those goals must seek to elect leaders who will help realize those goals.
I appreciate the kind words, dude.
Cory, if memory serves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYgkbCYtbnw
Cory, Cenk of TYT can get pretty animated at times but I enjoy TYT’s point of view along with other independent news show’s. Of course you have to take them all with a grain of salt but considering that 5 huge company’s will now own all the network news in the country they have to be taken with a grain of salt as well!
Is Politico separate from that media oligopoly?
I would say they are not. When progressives are upset with the 1% I rather doubt the 1% owned media is going to be generous with their coverage.
A healthy dose of skepticism is needed with all media now day’s.
I feel like this conversation is an example of horseshoe theory. Sanders and Trump supporters are sharing a lot of rhetoric. Can’t trust the media, down with the elites (who typically remain unidentified(but you get a feeling elite=dems in Trump parlance and elite=anyone with money in Sanders parlance)), let’s make some dank memes and internet post our way to CHANGING THE WORLD. Just feels sort of eerie, folks.
Well, I doubt “Politico” bothered to report on the later primary’s where progressives with “our revolution” and other groups did spectacularly well.
Dicta, Its my opinion and the opinion apparently of most of the nation that Hillary wouldn’t have been much better. If the DNC had allowed Bernie to be the nominee polls showed that he would have beaten this buffoon, sooooo, who really was at fault.
Dicta, lets identify some of the Elites! How about the five media company’s in the country that control all of network media and the major papers. Do you really think they are going to run story’s saying that perhaps they should pay more taxes? Do you really think they are going to run any story that might jeopardize any of there positions at all?