Alienation, autonomy, and ideology
For a few months, COVID-19 relieved us from a fight we’d have otherwise faced. Which fight? The one where leftists decide whether to vote for this cycle’s bad Democratic candidate. The Democratic Party served us a rotten Joe Biden sandwich. And we can’t put off forever the decision on whether to take a bite. We’ve seen a new argument for voting Biden – the idea that he’ll create ‘better organizing’ conditions for leftists.
Let’s take a look at this one.
“Is this heaven?” “No, it’s Iowa.” Ah, Field of Dreams.
Is there anything more Iowan – and American – than the movie Field of Dreams and the novel Shoeless Joe?
The closer we move toward the 2020 presidential election, the more heated discussions become over whether to vote for Biden. On one side, there’s ‘vote blue no matter who.’ And on the other side, there’s…something. It’s not entirely clear, which composes part of the problem. As Joe Biden moves closer to accepting the nomination at the Democratic convention, the debate moves toward its height. Or toward its nadir, depending on one’s take on it.
And so, should we – as leftists – vote for Biden? How does one hold Biden accountable in an era where not being Trump is good enough for many Democrats? And if we do vote for Biden, what price should we expect in return? My three answers to these questions: No, One can’t, and Medicare for All, respectively.
After Bernie Sanders lost to Joe Biden, think pieces rolled off the assembly line. Whence did the Bernie Bros come, and where shall they go hence? Is there a movement bigger than Bernie?
In fact, that’s not quite true. The think pieces didn’t roll off the assembly line. COVID-19 washed most of them from the headlines along with everything else. And so, the U.S. press largely spared us from endless speculation on the future of the Bernie Sanders movement. But COVID also held us back. Leftists should think about this a bit. Where does the Bernie movement go from here? Even this question might assume too much. Is there still a Bernie movement? Or did it die in the couple of weeks after Super Tuesday?
Most electoral campaigns fall apart quickly. I’ve written about some of them: Cathy Glasson in Iowa and Elizabeth Warren nationally. That’s how most campaigns end. Remember the ‘Pete Buttigieg Movement’? Of course you don’t. Neither do I.
Is ‘Sandersism’ any different?
I’ve returned a few times in this blog to the dismal track record of leftist candidates. Especially ones running for local or regional offices. We all know about the successes of Alexandria Ocasio-Corez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib in strongly Democratic Congressional districts. And the 2016 and 2020 Bernie Sanders campaigns offered some reason for optimism. But the overall track record of leftist candidates is terrible. It’s especially so at the local level.
Let’s talk about why. I think – at a minimum – leftist candidates repeat a small litany of mistakes.
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