Democratic Socialists or main stream Dems. We've been electing "main streamers" for over 50 years and for

[3Hotdogs]

our efforts, we got "merda" (pardon my Italian.). Nothing to benefit the average commoner since Medicare.

Maybe the Socialists won't do any better than Fetterman, Joe Manchin or Krysten Sinema but I'm willing to give them a try.

[The Wizard]

1. Repubics know how to energize their base

by appealing to their worst fears and lowest instincts. Democrats wear boxing gloves to a gun fight.

[Lovie777]

2. No political party is perfect...................

we are an independent species with a whole lot of faults, especially the fear of being powerless.

Democrats are not trolls neither, but a big tent. The RW of the US is very uncomfortable of what's happening. Democrats in most part are not.

What the corporate media is trying to do is divide us. Not this time. Keep your eyes on the prize.

[ihaveaquestion]

4. Some Democrats are definately not comfortable with Progressive Democrats

And as a Progressive Democrat, I for one am tired of being told I'm "not realistic," etc. Yesterday, I think the voters just slapped the Democratic Party around with some realism and I loved it!

[33taw]

22. What do you mean by "Slapped Around"? It seems the party moved left.

[ret5hd]

29. no, it means the voters moved the party left.

the party didn’t want to move…it got moved…by the voters…that the party wanted to ignore.

leadership needs to listen more closely.

[33taw]

33. Isn't that what always happens?

[ret5hd]

34. well, maybe...just maybe...

sometimes…every once in a while…leadership should lead instead of impede.

what do you think? times of crisis? forward thinking? new ideas?

[33taw]

48. Agree.

[ihaveaquestion]

30. Centrist Democrat incumbents got beat. The voters have always leaned left of center.

The party leadership moved right to the center and beyond in a lazy bid to get corporate money. Leadership said "trust us" and voters went along because there wasn't a viable alternative. It seems that the going along phase is over and centrist democrats need to take note that we are done trusting them to do the right thing when it's obvious that's not their focus.

[Autumn]

58. The Democratic party is still in the middle of the road, Democratic voters have passed them up .

[wnylib]

67. I am supporting a Progressive House candidate in my Congressional district.

I am a left of center Dem, not usually as far left as the DSA. But I support our newly elected Progressive Dem candidate in my district because I heard him speak at a local No Kings rally and liked what I heard. We currrently have a MAGA representative that I want to see defeated.

But gleefully declaring that Dems got slapped in the face with reality sounds divisive and we need the votes of ALL of us to defeat the fascists and restore democracy.

Socialism and even communism were popular in the 1930s as was fascism among some Americans. The nation was deeply polarized then as it is today. A mainstream Dem, FDR, implemented many of the socialists' programs. He also preserved capitalism with strong regulatory laws that benefited the nation for many decades before RW deregulationists managed to chip away at the regulations.

Many of today's Progressive programs are not any more radical than FDR's. And even Eisenhower, a Republican, favored universal medical coverage.

Pushing divisions between Progressives/Socialists and mainstream Dems will hurt us more than help us. We can disagree without being divisive.

Some of our mainstream Dems are also working hard, especially in the courts, to push back the fascist regime. I am grateful for their work, too. The only ones that I think are a real problem for us are ones who actually side with the MAGA regime.

[BComplex]

70. I'm with you, Ihaveaquestion. Another Liberal Democrat here who is ready

for the Democratic party to swing to the left.

[Demsrule86]

74. I agree. Sure we got the ACA but then...middle of the road types including

congressional leaders vote to reopen government and allowed subsidies and Medicaid to end...no food for the poor and kids go to bed hungry. I welcome progressive policy.

[Grown2Hate]

82. I WAS that guy ("be realistic; think pragmatically"), and I'm still that guy when it comes to the General and voting for

the D NO MATTER who, but, I've come all the way around, and Mayor Mamdani has gone a LONG way to bring my spirits up. Fantastic!

I've always been more progressive, but just thought we had to fight for the "middle". Turns out we can do BOTH (run good progressive candidates AND WIN).

[creeksneakers2]

92. Yesterday was incredibly stupid

The Republicans are going beat us like a rented mule over support for socialism. In a year when we really need to do everything possible to stop Fascism they are starting a fight between us when we need to be united. Did you know they nominated a candidate who doesn't believe in borders or prisons? These nuts will cost us plenty.

[luv2fly]

93. Calling progressives "looney" sure doesn't help us unite

And the Republicans are going to throw all sorts of names at us, it doesn't matter who they are talking about, they will be labeled in a negative manner.

Policies and results are what will win, not labels.

[SocialDemocrat61]

100. Interesting because

I always saw Bugs as a democrat and Elmer Fudd as a republican, he is into guns. 😂

[creeksneakers2]

119. Talking nice to them doesn't work

And we don't need to give the GOP ammunition.

Progressives have lethally unpopular policies too.

Progressives need to wake up and start caring about what actually happens.

[luv2fly]

133. Getting called on an insult and then doubling down isn't a good look

But hey, you do you.

[TVguyCards]

104. No, they won't. It's a "Boy Cried Wolf" scenario defined

The Republicans call anything and anyone a "Socialist Communist" who's to the left of Trump himself. For generations they've been doing this, remember what Harry Truman said back in 1952? Remember how they said "Obama is a Commie!" endlessly? Well guess what? Now that there's actual real Socialists here, they don't know WTF to do because their bullshit has completely tanked their credibility except among their own who would never vote for a Democrat to begin with.

Socialism has better favorability than Capitalism among Democrats and Independent voters. There's an entire left flank of voters who have been largely ignored by the party for ages. That's a whole lot of votes right there and we're in an age right now where the boomers are no longer the largest voting bloc. Millennials to Gen Z now are and they favor Socialism.

You said "The Republicans are going beat us like a rented mule over support for socialism" but look what's happened. Losing to fascism twice isn't exactly a winning strategy . It wasn't Socialists that caused that to happen either.

It's time for a different path forward and time that we as a party look ahead because the current strategy of moderate incrementalism is not only not working but dead when our party has just an 18% approval rating, lower than Trump.

You know what's nuts? Thinking the ways of old can win in the year 2026.
We're going left and we are going to kick more Republican fascist ass than you could ever possibly imagine and THAT is a damn good and beautiful thing! ❤

[QueerDuck]

108. To the best of my knowledge, Obama never self-identified as a Communist...

... or any other euphemistic hybrid label blend.

[TVguyCards]

111. Correct

and they still called him that. As I said, "Boy Cried Wolf scenario". They've been screaming about Socialism for generations and now nobody is listening to them just like the wolf when he finally did show up except this time that wolf is going to give everyone healthcare

[QueerDuck]

112. Their insults and accusations had no teeth, and no plausibility. The absurdity allowed them to be easily dismissed...

... and Obama was never left explaining what he meant with a hybrid label.

The claim that 'nobody is listening to them' rings hollow and is like whistling past the graveyard. Advocates hope that "nobody is listening" but that doesn't always match reality.

[TVguyCards]

130. I'll have to disagree

Bernie, a devout Socialist, is the most popular politician in the country. The people screaming "Socialist Communist" would never ever vote for a Democrat in their life. As I said, times have drastically changed and that's a good thing IMO.

I posted this yesterday. I don't know if you saw it or not. Or was it the day before? lol Something like that. It's been a long day. Anyways, "More Perfect Union" took Bernie to hard core Trump country West Virginia 9 months ago to speak with voters This is coal mining strong and an area devastated by the opioid crisis. During his run for POTUS he held a whole series of town halls that were shown on MSNBC that Chris Hayes hosted called "Bernie In Trump Country". He literally flipped MAGA votes on the spot.

If you get a chance please give this a watch. This is the path forward. 😀

&t=515s

[QueerDuck]

132. LOL! Well, I love the enthusiasm, but...

... claiming Bernie is the most popular politician in the entire country feels like a bit of a bubble view. He’s certainly a popular progressive who holds immense sway, but nationwide data paints a much more complicated picture once you step outside of progressive circles. Times are definitely changing, but let’s look at the broader national landscape realistically.

[TVguyCards]

135. I'm serious, Google it

He literally is. Keep in mind that I mean "active" politicians. If we're including those who are no longer in office then he falls to #2 behind Obama. Remember, he won literally every single county in West Virginia & he also won states like Oklahoma during the Dem primaries. There's A LOT of Republicans who dig him in fact if you recall there were literally groups like "Republicans For Bernie" when he ran.

The most popular politician in US
The analysis pointed out that Senator Bernie Sanders is the most popular politician in the US and not Trump. Sanders has a favourability of 46 per cent in adults, while 39 per cent view him unfavourably. He is also popular among young people (by nearly 20 points), lower-income voters, moderates, independents, Hispanics, Black voters, and men. With white voters, he is only two points underwater. https://www.wionews.com/world/poll-reveals-donald-trump-is-not-the-most-popular-us-politician-but-this-senator-is-8896780

[creeksneakers2]

134. Berne is popular in VT

He's underwater everywhere else. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/bernie_sanders_favorableunfavorable-6676.html

[TVguyCards]

136. He's literally the most popular

of all active politicians. He only falls to #2 when we include people who are no longer serving and retired like Obama.
And that is a beautiful thing! The path forward is very clear and we're going to kick some GOP ass like never before! 😀

[creeksneakers2]

125. Now that there are actual socialists they'll have evidence.

Trump is saying we are communists and most people don't know the difference between communists and socialists so if we reply, "No, we are democratic socialists" they'll see that as an admission.

Those polls that show Democrats favoring Socialism don't hold up when the question is asked another way. And in most places we need to get independents and a few Republicans to put us over the top. Why is Democratic favorability low? Because progressive keep spreading the lie that Democrats aren't fighting. We lost in '24 because lower turnout and turnout was down because of the progressive "not fighting" lie.

Democrats cannot please the far left because the stuff they ask for is lethally unpopular.

Polls lately had Democrats at 40% and 41% approval, not 18%. And it would be over 50% if progressives would stop lying.

The old ways could have won in 2026. In some polls we are ahead by double digits. But progressives aren't satisfied with making us lose in 2000 and 2016. They are out to do it again.

When those other things were called socialism the name calling wasn't being confirmed by progressives.

[OhioBack2Blue]

3. Mainstream Dems talk...

...like Rs, thus validating R ideology, so voters just choose the real deal.

Dems have a long way to go to rediscover their unique voice and unique policy stances.
Sad.

During this we lost stability, security, quality and reason and traded it for insecurity, higher risk, junk and mysticism.

We lost:
Wholism
Unions
Pensions
Real, accessible social safety nets
Commonsense gun safety
Financial regulation
Consumer rights
Pluralism
Merit-based employment
Professionalization
Science and reseach
Rational decision-making
Public education
Community
Professional ethics and the common good
The idea and reality of a robust public sector
And more

How is restoring these thing radical left-wing extremism!?

[Blue Full Moon]

102. 100%

[LexVegas]

5. Yeah, the ACA sucked huh? nt

[sboatcar]

31. It would have been much better with single payer, medicare for all

Unfortunately they negotiated everything that republicans demanded with it, and then still not a single one of them voted for it.

[AStern]

46. Insurance companies L-O-V-E-D it!

That's for sure.

[Emile]

69. Why was a public option left out when democrats passed it?

[betsuni]

86. It passed the House, couldn't pass in Senate because needed 60 votes and couldn't get them.

"Unsurprisingly, insurance companies had balked at the idea of a public option, arguing that they would not be able to compete against a government insurance plan that could operate without the pressures of making a profit. Of course, for public option proponents, that was exactly the point: by high-lighting the cost effectiveness of government insurance and exposing the bloated waste and immorality of the private insurance companies, they hoped the public option would pave the way for a single-payer system. It was a clever idea, and one with enough traction that Nancy Pelosi had included it in the House bill. But on the Senate side, we were nowhere close to having sixty votes for a public option.

"I found the whole brouhaha exasperating. 'What is it about sixty votes that folks don't understand?' I groused to my staff. 'Should I tell the thirty million people who can't get covered that they're going to have to wait another ten years because we can't get them a public option?' "

Barack Obama, "A Promised Land"

This has been explained many times. Democrats had sixty votes for about four months and ten days in which to pass anything -- zero Republican votes.

[sheshe2]

88. Excellent post of the facts, betsuni.

Bernie Sanders admitted that passing ACA was better than nothing, because as you said we did not have the votes. Period.

They were not the first to have tried, that would be John Dingell Jr. He introduced single-payer health care legislation in every session he served, December 13, 1955 – January 3, 2015 .

[betsuni]

98. Republican playbook: 100% obstruction, Democrats without huge majorities like FDR, convince idiots to blame Dems.

So many idiots doing the work of Republicans!

They should call Dingell and Ted Kennedy and other Democrats socialists because they think universal health care is socialism, but they can't because the bad labels establishment centrist neoliberal corporatist are already there and Democrats must be bashed mindlessly all the time and thinking is hard.

[Emile]

97. So the public option was excluded from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because Democrats lacked

lacked the necessary 60-vote majority to pass it in the Senate. Moderates and conservative Democrats, alongside independent Senator Joe Lieberman, opposed it and threatened to filibuster the entire bill unless the government-run insurance provision was dropped.

Got it!

[ms liberty]

105. Everyone forgets our own Dem Sen. Max Baucus nixed it right out of the box...

He wouldn't even discuss discussing it, if my memory serves, and he chaired the committee.

[Emile]

106. Excellent post of facts!

[hatrack]

107. Max Baucus

[Polybius]

99. It kinda did

When I was in the food industry (and on a crappy salary), they wanted me to pay over $300 a month for the most basic of healthcare. So I chose to pay the fine instead, because I couldn't afford it. This was before the mandate was repealed.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Your statement is incorrect. Have you forgotten the ADA, ACA, the Family and

Medical Leave Act, American Rescue Act, PACT, or Biden's Infrastructure, and Inflation Reduction Acts, to name a few?

[JT45242]

16. BUt how much did we really gain? if Mango and crew can dismantle

The ACA wasn't as good as what was proposed by Clinton. With subsidies eliminated, there are about 27 million uninsured today (about 10%). When ACA went into effect, it was 44 million (about 17%) -- that's progress. But how many have the bad plans in the exchange now?

The ADA is getting gutted by Trump and the dept of education. 504 and IEP severely under attack. Privatizing education will make it worse. I would not put it past the Sinister 6 to call extra services for people with disabilities discrimination against able bodied (especially able bodied whites).

FMLA -- Yes, there are strides there. But if the get SAVE through, there will be little reason to not take that away as married women will find it harder and harder to vote.

How much of the Biden Infrastructure Bill in blue states has actually been spent?

Yes, we passed legislation but we didn't protect it form the Sinister Six and the Project 2025 goon squad.

I hope that if we get the trifecta again we pass -- health care for all with a single payer system; judicial reform with making the supreme court the same number as appeals divisions; ethics laws with bite, especially for judges; overturn Citizens United; a living minimum wage tied to inflation; real tax reforms that make the rich and corporations pay their share; eliminate cap on social security; funding for public schools; the elimination of for profit prisons; (I could go on)

[BComplex]

71. The first thing we need to do is get rid of the Senister Six on the Court.

I'm in favor of anything that takes their law licenses away.

[Martin Eden]

7. When Dems control both houses of Congress and the presidency, they have accomplished quite a bit

A lot of important legislation was passed to get America back on its feet after the pandemic in Biden's first two years. Obama signed the ACA, then the 2010 mid-terms happened.

Lack of progress at the federal level has almost always been due to Republican obstructionism. One of the questions to ask is why, after Democrats actually accomplish things that are beneficial for the vast majority of Americans, do voters put Republicans back in power?

[returnee]

8. Our system needs major revamping.

Who better to do that than democratic socialists?

[LymphocyteLover]

10. Because most Dems do not trust DSA types and a lot of DSA's are unrealistic about how politics works.

Also DSA types create a lot of division in the Dem party and it's not clear how helpful they are for winning elections outside places like NYC.

[3Hotdogs]

12. We laughed at Maggots and called them unrealistic in '16.

In '25 we got the Heritage Foundation's platform for 2025 and we got it shoved straight up our asses. AND we got Miller and Hegseth.

[LymphocyteLover]

19. Is that supposed to give me confidence about electing DSA types?

Honestly, I have no problem with most DSA policies. I just don't like the infighting and attacking mainstream Dems for supposedly not doing anything at this critical time.

[yardwork]

28. Billionaires have a lot of power.

To defeat the billionaires we need good data and excellent strategies.

I don't understand the strategy in this OP.

[moonshinegnomie]

17. and yet the dem socialists seem to be winning actual elections

[LymphocyteLover]

20. in NYC

[TVguyCards]

61. A Muslim Socialist won in a city that has the biggest Jewish population in the world

How often has Socialists or Progressives run in red areas? And how often have moderate Democrats won such areas when they've run there? I'd say DSA hasn't even really tried yet in those areas and they're next. Did you catch Bernie's town hall on MSNBC a few years back when he was running and he did a whole series called "Bernie In Trump Country"? He literally flipped MAGA votes on the spot.

Remember, Bernie did well in rural parts of the country because he spoke to them about what they care about, things like the fight against big AG as it relates to family farms, the opioid crisis, and of course healthcare.

9 months ago, "More Perfect Union" took Bernie deep into red Trump country - West Virginia. And he did it again. This is THEE path forward for DSA and Progressives. Here is that video and let me tell you, it's quite a good watch!

?si=VD50_FfeNaygMtEu

[LymphocyteLover]

65. Dem Socialists/progressives have run in recent years and not done that great in rural areas but I've nothing against the

their policies or thwm continuing to win races... as long as they support Dems if they lose their primary

[TVguyCards]

66. I honestly don't recall any who have

[mcar]

42. In very liberal NYC

and let's remember that 13 incumbent Dems also won in Tuesday's election.

[Jilly_in_VA]

26. "DSA types" ?

Excuse me, what is a "DSA type" and why shouldn't we trust them? Speak for yourself, O hallowed one!

[AStern]

59. "DSA types" equals New Deal Democrats

FDR would be laughed out of the room.

[Cha]

63. LymphocyteLover Makes some Good Points. nt.

[LymphocyteLover]

120. By DSA-type I am referring to DSA people but also certain leftists and progressive Dems that may not be officially with

DSA but support them.

[returnee]

54. It's exactly the non-"DSA types"...

…that I see as failing in the mission to fulfill the needs of the people. And you may have noticed they have not been able to stop the repubs. I think it’s unfair to say that the “DSA types” are the ones creating division. Division is a two way street in this instance, if you want to call it division at all, rather than a disagreement on policy and strategy under the “big tent.” It’s time for the party establishment to stop giving short shrift to the left wing of the party, as you are doing.

[LymphocyteLover]

121. I don't have any huge problem with DSA policy-wise, as long as they vote for Dems in the general election,

if there is no DSA candidate on the ballot.

They do have some extreme ideas though.

www.instagram.com/p/DZxsQ5oFRe...

Thread 🧵

1/

— EktaShahMD (@ektashahmd.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T12:15:42.919Z

The division problem I refer to is a lot of Black Dems and Jewish Dems who feel put off by a lot of DSA types. It is real and a concern for beating Republicans the way we need to beat them in November.

[TVguyCards]

60. Why do you think that is?

Why do you think "most Dems do not trust DSA" and what exactly are they "unrealistic" about?

[LymphocyteLover]

122. See these policies

www.instagram.com/p/DZxsQ5oFRe...

Thread 🧵

1/

— EktaShahMD (@ektashahmd.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T12:15:42.919Z

The division problem I refer to is a lot of Black Dems and Jewish Dems who feel put off by a lot of DSA types.

It is real concern for beating Republicans the way we need to beat them in November.

[BComplex]

73. "DSA types" as you call them are just following what they do in European

countries. We pay a shitload in taxes as a population: it's high time we started getting a shitload back for it.

[LymphocyteLover]

123. and I'm not against that at all! Still they are not Democrats and they do create division in the Dem party.

I don't have any huge problem with DSA policy-wise, as long as they vote for Dems in the general election, if there is no DSA candidate on the ballot.

They do have some extreme ideas though-- see the thread.

www.instagram.com/p/DZxsQ5oFRe...

Thread 🧵

1/

— EktaShahMD (@ektashahmd.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T12:15:42.919Z

The division problem I refer to is a lot of Black Dems and Jewish Dems who feel put off by a lot of leftist/progressive/DSA candidates. It is real and a concern for beating Republicans the way we need to beat them in November.

[TransitJohn]

114. Are you not following what's happening?

Most Dems ARE DSA types, lol.

[LymphocyteLover]

124. I agree most Democrats like a lot of the progressive social policies that DSA promotes. I do too.

Still DSA is different from the Democratic party and they do have some extreme ideas

www.instagram.com/p/DZxsQ5oFRe...

Thread 🧵

1/

— EktaShahMD (@ektashahmd.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T12:15:42.919Z

[LymphocyteLover]

9. this is BS, though I don't know exactly what you mean by "mainstreamers"

There are thousands of ways Dems have improved America-- strengthened rights and made life better. Saying they've done nada is just insulting nonsense.

[betsuni]

81. Centrists, establishment, moderate, status quo, neoliberal, mainstreamer. Means capitalism. Capitalism bad.

Last edited Thu Jun 25, 2026, 11:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Democrats bad. Mommy and Daddy bad. Socialism good. Revolution the only possible path to progress. I'm right about everything.

It's a movement based on insults and revisionist history, Us vs Them where the Them are Democrats, nonsense.

[Mysterian]

11. The reich-wing mass media machine has demonized anything for the public good as "socialism."

And brainwashed half the population to vote for more and more tax cuts for billionaires and less services to the public.

[OGBuzz]

15. I caught a few minutes of The Five on Fox last night just to see the reaction to NY. For these people "socialism"

is no longer an adequate term, it's "communism" now and the Democrats are coming to take everything they own. The disinformation and scaremongering are going to be at Level 10 from now until December.

[crud]

13. The Democratic Party in disarray!

mainstream vs. dem socialist. PPV tickets go on sale soon. Come down and watch the greatest show on earth! This is the fight you've been waiting for America. Don't miss the daily updates from your favorite cable news channel!

[DFW]

40. Fight referee?

Polly Gottawhine?

[S/V Loner]

14. I am convinced that profit has been the...

primary driver of our government for a very long time and that goes for both parties though the GOP took it to another level. It seems to me the government has only given the people just enough support to keep them from grabbing the pitchforks and I am tired of it. No policy is discussed without profit running the show.
Today the GOP has dropped all pretense of doing anything for the people and the citizens are paying the price. The Democrats need to stop this "trying to play both sides" and seriously deal with the issues their constituents are facing. I am not a Democratic Socialist yet but I am ready to support anyone that is serious about clamping down on the wealthy controlling everything in this country.

[Fiendish Thingy]

18. Reminder: data shows that most voters who identify as "moderates" actually prefer progressive policies

https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-04-07-only-8-percent-moderates-actually-want-moderation

[maliaSmith]

21. Socialists elected

I'm sorry Goldman was defeated. I liked him.

[DFW]

41. So did I

This was a Stepford Wife move: “because we can.”

[Boo1]

23. You are suggesting that

Democrats haven't achieved anything in 50 years?

Because that's fucking bullshit.

[Progressive dog]

24. Somehow you missed the ACA

amongst other things. Things like holding on to Medicare and Medicaid through lots of governments not controlled by Democrats should count for something too.
At what point in the last fifty years did Democrats ban socialists from the party?

[SamuelAdams]

25. You're skipping over a lot.

There's the ACA, Dodd-Frank, CFPB, Clinton expanding internet access to rural America, EPA, and the Department of Education, Americans with Disabilities Act, Chips and Science Act, Moonshot to end cancer, Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, etc. Not everything was done with a Democratic president but all these has a Democratic Congress. These bills created good paying jobs, fixed our roads, bridges, tunnels, built major projects, invested in medical research and education, protected consumers, funded renewable energy research and projects, saved thousands of lives. If Democrats haven't done anything in 60 years, why do Republicans spend their time trying to undo what Democrats did?

[iluvtennis]

27. I'm all in - traditional Democrat or Progressive Democrat - I'll be supporting them. n/t

[yardwork]

32. That's the key.

There is a lot of disinformation and emotional manipulation being unleashed by billionaires who want people to vote against Democrats.

Demonizing Democrats is a very successful strategy. It's paid a lot of dividends to the billionaires.

I like Mamdani and AOC because they get things done. I also like some "mainstream" Democrats like my former governor Roy Cooper, now running to take a Republican held senate seat in NC. Cooper gets things done.

It's easy to point fingers and blame. It's harder get things done. Democrats getting elected and getting things done in red districts deserve our respect and support.

[iluvtennis]

36. Well said @yardwork. n/t

[yardwork]

38. Thanks.

It's important to keep pointing out that the emperor has no clothes.

[MineralMan]

35. To Be Effective, Democrats Need to Be the Majority

in our legislative bodies and executive positions. Anything less means what we have right now.

So, as long as we have a majority vote, I'm all for it. If we lose that (for any reason), we fail.

And that's all that matters. Who wins in some state or district is irrelevant. We need the majority or we lose.

[yardwork]

37. This basic fact is known by billionaires.

They are spending millions of dollars on propaganda designed to demonize the Democratic Party and get Democrats to waste their votes or not vote at all.

[MineralMan]

39. Well, that strategy appears to be working.

Unfortunately for all of us.

[Quiet Em]

43. Who are you electing in your House District?

If you want to try a Democratic Socialist to represent you and your district, find one and vote for them.

Every district lets the voters elect who they want for representation.

[DFW]

44. Like Bartelby, "I would prefer not to."

We have had 26 years, or slightly more than half of them, with a Republican in the White House, along with some serious “enemies, domestic” working against us in 2000 and 2016. I’d say the Democrats have done rather well under duress during that time, especially considering that half of their time was spent doing damage control from preceding Republican administrations.

While socialism may have noble-sounding principles, the devil is always in the details. Every time a regime calling itself “socialist” has taken power, the people have suffered under an authoritarian, confiscatory elitist regime that almost never consented to being voted out of power. There was always an attached label, just like Bush II’s “compassionate (ha-ha) conservatism.” There were Soviet Socialists, National Socialists, Unity Socialists (East Germany’s S.E. D.), and whatever it is Chávez called his mess in Venezeula. Now, we are introduced with yet another label, and expected to swallow whole the notion that “but this time, they REALLY mean it!”!

Even when Mitterand won the election in France in 1981, his government used to send terror units to small shops all over Paris with orders to impose fines for imagined offenses (i.e., don’t come back to the office without money), bigger taxes, including the wealth tax, although that one was removed on fine art (the socialist finance minister’s father was a big dealer in fine art). Needless to say, they had to make quite a few concessions to stay in power.

I still remember Miguel de Unamuno’s speech to the Spanish Fascists in 1936: “Ustedes vencerán….pero no convencerán.” You people will conquer, …but you will not convince.” I obviously hope the nominees win their congressional races, but I am not convinced—not by their tactics, and not of their ultimate goals, whatever they really are. No me convencen.

[1WorldHope]

45. Can't we celebrate good things happening

without this infighting? This terrifies me to read, that here on this liberal media we are fighting each other because we won elections in New York. Democratic socialists are not the enemy. They are Democrats with a stupid label that makes us fight against each other. Please let's stand together and not let the 1% divide us again. I don't know how many chances we're going to get to try to get this right. America needs to do better for everyone and that needs to be what we focus on.

[AZProgressive]

47. The Democratic Socialists actually have a higher approval rating than Congressional Democrats

8 Nov 2025
New Poll: Democratic Socialism Is Now Mainstream
https://rosalux.nyc/new-poll-democratic-socialism-is-now-mainstream/


The moderate position isn't always the popular position.

I think one flaw with the strategy mostly since Clinton is the self-described moderates often adopt right wing policies thinking that will help them electorally. It was probably true when their opposition was neocons but with right wing populists I don't agree that compromise is the solution with them.

The reason why I support progressive politicians and policies is because I think they are the right policies and Republicans often have terrible policy. I look at both the Republicans and Progressives and feel Progressives have better policies and they often have them before they are popular.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

49. We played this game on DU in 2016

I see you weren't here then.

[AZProgressive]

51. I logged off of DU at the beginning of that primary season

Probably about several months before the Iowa Caucus. It was very toxic.

I came back after the convention and seen that DU was united probably the most united I have seen the board but after Trump won the general election there was more infighting after that.

[LudwigPastorius]

50. "Mainstream" democrats have made it so that I can afford health insurance (ACA).

They also saved my pension plan from going under. (Butch Lewis Act)

But, maybe I'm not an "average commoner"?

[1WorldHope]

55. Are you self employed, poor or a brown person?

I had the ACA for a couple of years in the beginning. It was a life changer for me. Then I turned 65 and got sucked into managed care for 5 years. But, my daughter who is self employed, as is her husband with type 1 diabetes, got insurance for the first time in his life with the ACA. I was so happy for them, and I felt so vindicated because her husband is a libertarian and thought having no government was the right way to go. He finally had help paying for insulin. But, he is not getting it for $35.00 a month anymore and my daughter has had to pay for preventative things like mammograms and colonoscopy's because they are not honoring the preventative health care part of the law. In the years since the conception of the ACA, it has been severely compromised. If we had universal health care like other countries it could not be so easily degraded. I don't think anyone is saying the Democrats are bad and never accomplished anything. Where would we be without SS and Medicare, Medicaid, the NIH and USAID? We are starting to find out and If we keep letting Republicans win we will find out soon enough what it's like to live without Medicare and Social Security. My god the Southern States are experiencing Jim Crow again. We the people have got to fight harder for those that never experienced the good things some of us have benefitted from.

[LudwigPastorius]

57. Indeed, I am self employed.

If I didn’t get an ACA tax break, my “silver” insurance policy would be $2,098.00 per month.

…completely impossible for me to pay.

[1WorldHope]

62. I was also self employed most of my working career.

I'm so glad to hear that the ACA is still working for you. The Republicans don't want it to work for us.
I worked in human service positions most of my life and I just know how many people fall through the cracks.
After experiencing what the new Republicans were capable of, and they have changed over the years, ( so have democrat politicians) I have become hyper aware that things have not been fair in this country for native American people, black people, brown people, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, women, immigrants, non Christian religions, and poor white people. That is what I am fighting mad about. I didn't mean to come off so brash to you. I just want us to do better for everyone and we have never had a better reason or chance to make some changes that include all people, not just is giving lip service and patting ourselves on the back because we are so enlightened and free. We are slaves to money and the powerful and we always have been. ✌🏼

[BannonsLiver]

116. Uh the OP is point blank saying Democrats haven't accomplished anything since Medicare.

So someone is, in fact, saying it.

[Torchlight]

52. I'll happily vote for either in a given election

should they be the best choice. Easy-peasey, lemon-squeezey. No fear, no uncertainty, no doubt.

[LeftInTX]

53. OK. No one can accomplish anything unless

they are elected.

[wiggs]

56. All of us are democratic socialists to one degree or another (small d, small s), but MSM and pundits are

trying to poison the label much as they did with 'liberal' or 'woke'.

I think tone and messaging might differentiate democratic socialists from 'mainstreamers', along with the extent to which corporatism influences their policies.

So...in my humble and non-academic opinion, progressives in general tend to be a mix of democratic socialism and corporatism and there's a significant range of percentages. GOPrs generally are also both but with a smaller percentage of DS, larger of corporatism, and a healthy percentage of authoritarianism thrown in.

I've kept a DU post somewhere in which the poster describes the last several decades as a battle between the corporatists and the authoritarians, with the authoritarians winning at the moment. I would welcome swing of the pendulum in which a third influential DS presence would look out for the interests of the 90% rather than the top 10% (corporatists) or the top .1% (authoritarians).

[EnergizedLib]

64. From Google AI

"Social programs are not the same as socialism. Social programs are government-funded services designed to promote the general welfare and provide a safety net, whereas socialism is an economic system where the workers or the public collectively own and control the means of production.

Core Differences

Socialism: An economic theory and system. The goal is to eliminate private ownership of major industries (like factories, businesses, and natural resources) in favor of collective or state ownership. Profits are distributed directly to the workers or society as a whole rather than to private shareholders.

Social Programs: Publicly funded services and safety nets. These include programs like public education, roads, police/fire protection, Social Security, and Medicare. They are funded through taxation and provide a basic standard of living, but they operate within a capitalist, free-market economy.How They OverlapThe confusion usually stems from the term "social safety net." Because social programs rely on collective funding (everyone pays taxes) to provide shared services, they are often loosely referred to as "socialized" services."

Social programs are not socialism.

[thought crime]

80. Democratic Socialism vs Social Democracy

In a Social Democracy, the state/government steps in where the market fails. Social Programs support Health, Education, Security, some Scientific Research, etc., and regulates markets as needed but doesn't completely replace market capitalism and allows private ownership and profits.

Socialism is the Theory. Social Democracy is a successful practice of some of the theory up to a point, without the need for idealistic purity; government can do some thing, but doesn't necessarily have to do all things.

This is just one perspective, without an attempt to use rigorous definitions. I prefer Socialism. I recognize the astounding success of Social Democracy and embrace it. Unfortunately, too many Republicans reject Socialism, Social Democracy, and Democracy itself.

[LizVerite]

68. Main streamers.

I think we elect main stream Democrats because there is such a wide range of Democrats from conservative to defund the police and everything should be free.

I'd be thrilled to support the progressive agenda. I will vote for whoever wins the primary. However, I don't think enough Democrats or other Liberals support the progressive agenda. Unless all Republican politicians are voted out, they would never go along with it. How could the Democrats pay for all this? We have a massive national debt. We could never get "Medicare for all" or free college tuition through Congress.

[red dog 1]

72. Manchin & Sinema are gone (thank God), but Fetterman is still there, voting with the GOP whenever he can.

In May 2024, Fetterman's former Chief of Staff, Adam Jentleson, said that Fetterman "engaged in 'conspiratorial thinking,' 'megalomania,' rambling monologues, reckless driving, obvious lies, and was avoiding regular checkups with doctors and pushing away people responsible for helping him with his recovery plan."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fetterman

[Joinfortmill]

75. Lets elect, smart, honest, and committed people. Period.

[RandySF]

76. I'm just not keen on people who call Joe Biden a "rapist".

[usonian]

77. Socialist Schmocalist. Centrist Schmentrist. FIGHT OLIGARCHY.

Attack the cause, not the symptoms.

WIN THE WORKERS BACK.

The oligarchs are killing them and pulling the wool of racism.

The insane concentration of wealth and power is the root cause of almost all problems.

GOP conceals their goal by pulling the wool of racism.



And they get the rubes to vote for the people robbing their jobs, education, opportunity, health and often, lives. Because ...

Hate is blind, and in denial

Centrists have turned our party into milquetoast, easily made victim of personality politics, because it is absent from general discourse except for a few month at election time, and addresses THE SYMPTOMS. NOT THE CAUSE.

This is OUR issue. It's. WINNER.

Swap that billionaire's gift of shrimp cocktail



for some hot dogs (vegan if you like) and not 3HotDogs, and POUND THIS ISSUE like they was no tomorrow. Because if we don't, there's no tomorrow. Only elephant shit to eat.

The enemy to attack 24 by 7 by 365?






EAT THE RICH!

[RandySF]

78. .

[lostincalifornia]

85. So true, and makes one wonder just what some expect to accomplish by divisive posts like this OP blaming all the

problems on what they term as mainstream Democrats.

Not voting or voting third party is what causes us to lose elections. Look at 2000, 2016, or 2024.

[betsuni]

109. Still see idea that people are forced to vote for Republicans/3rd party because Democrats aren't progressive enough.

Nothing about that makes sense.

Punishment seems to be a big motivation, punishing liberal Democrats (a fictional party of centrist establishment corporatist same-as-Republican corrupt elites that doesn't exist in reality no matter how many angry strongly-worded insult posts online). The "corporate Democrat" insult is never explained either. Why do donors get their own class -- "donor class"? -- Republicans receive the vast majority of billionaire money, not Democrats, and people donate to Democrats because they support their policies Too many conspiracy theories to keep track of.

[lostincalifornia]

117. I think you analysis is on the mark.

[warmfeet]

79. Democratic Socialists or main stream Dems. We've been electing "main streamers" for over 50 years and for

"Of the people, by the people, for the people." Who do we want the government, our government, working for?

[lostincalifornia]

83. Some might argue that the DSA gave us bush in 2000 thanks to Nader, trump in 2016 with the help of

David Sirota, Nina Turner, Brianna Joy Gray, Cornell West, Jill Stein etc. who went out of there way encouraging others not to vote for Hillary by either voting third party, or not voting, with the Bullshit that there was no difference between Democrats and republicans. It didn’t take much either in 2016. In every critical swing state Hillary lost by less than 1%, while in those critical swing states Jill Stein received 1% of the vote. It didn’t take much, and in spite of what happened in 2016, and the danger of what a second term trump presidency would mean, many of the same folks refused to vote for Harris in 2024.

The OP may be somewhat disingenuous when the OP conveniently ignores what happened in 2000, 2016, and 2024 blaming all the woes on the so-called establishment Democrats, since enough of those from the DSA in 2000, 2016, and 2024 refused to vote for the Democratic nominee in the general election in those critical years, and that action contributed to the Supreme Court we have today, the dismantling of the Civil rights and voting rights act, a woman’s right to choose, and an attack on our Democracy, and a whole host of other issues that brought us to where we are today.

[Iggo]

89. Some might argue that the democratic socialists kept getting yelled at to join the Democratic Party, and so they did.

[oasis]

90. Nina Turner, Sirota, Cornell West, Prof. Eddie George

and a host of other sore headed lefties were just too full of themselves to pull the lever for Hillary.
They heavily influenced the outcome of that 2016 election.
10 years later, we have a disastrous situation to deal with.

[Bluetus]

84. This is breaking into the open FINALLY

Last edited Fri Jun 26, 2026, 01:42 AM - Edit history (1)

The party establishment has been without vision or unity since 1980. They didn't know how to opose Reagan but they were really good at clinging to whatever power they had inherited from the FDR years. The real value system of the Dem Party coalesced under FDR's leadership and vision and was continued by JFK. And LBJ was able to get The Great Society ideas into law, and LBJ is under-appreciated for that -- that was huge.

But that's when it stopped. We have had some tactical gains here and there, but basically it has been over 50 years since Dems were on offfense. The people who cling to leadership positions today were never, ever part of any of the real progress and they only know how to "split the difference" with Republicans. That is a losing game because the Republicans keep moving the negotiating position farther and farther to the right.

The gress roots has had enough of this. We have good people coming up in the party, but still we have a leader who just today says that it is up to Mamdani to apologize for promoting the success of strong progressives. No, thank you. Wrong answer.

Like the OP, I don't know if there is time left for real progressives to reverse any of the losses we have absorbed over these past 50 years, but I am damn sick of the status quo people. We literally have nothing left to lose by going with a new generation of more combative, more principled, more driven politicians.

Just as an aside, this is a question for historians: Was FDR often accused of being a socialist? I don't recall ever reading anything like that. Yet he created vast public works projects to get us out of the Great Depression, and these socialistic programs laid the foundation for the greatest middle class the world had ever seen (now deeply eroded by 50 years of Reaganomics and Republican graft.)

[Iggo]

87. Both!

I’m not playing that game.

[creeksneakers2]

91. More progressive lies

Under Carter: 3. Department of Energy and Energy Policy
In response to the 1970s energy crisis, Carter created the Department of Energy to centralize and address energy-related challenges. His administration implemented policies encouraging energy conservation and the development of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
Carter also pushed for the development of fuel-efficient technologies and issued tax incentives for energy-saving measures, laying the groundwork for future advancements in energy independence.
4. Environmental Protection
Carter’s commitment to environmental conservation was evident in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. This legislation protected over 100 million acres of Alaskan wilderness by designating new national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.

It remains one of the largest land conservation efforts in U.S. history. Carter also expanded other environmental programs and supported measures to limit pollution and protect endangered species.
8. Urban Policy Initiatives
Carter introduced programs to support urban development, focusing on improving public transportation, affordable housing, and job creation in economically struggling cities.

His administration worked to reduce poverty and unemployment in urban areas, addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. These efforts demonstrated Carter’s commitment to addressing domestic challenges alongside his foreign policy achievements.

Under Clinton: Longest economic expansion in American history
The President's strategy of fiscal discipline, open foreign markets and investments in the American people helped create the conditions for a record 115 months of economic expansion. Our economy has grown at an average of 4 percent per year since 1993.
More than 22 million new jobs
More than 22 million jobs were created in less than eight years -- the most ever under a single administration, and more than were created in the previous twelve years.
Highest homeownership in American history
A strong economy and fiscal discipline kept interest rates low, making it possible for more families to buy homes. The homeownership rate increased from 64.2 percent in 1992 to 67. 7 percent, the highest rate ever.
Lowest unemployment in 30 years
Unemployment dropped from more than 7 percent in 1993 to just 4.0 percent in November 2000. Unemployment for African Americans and Hispanics fell to the lowest rates on record, and the rate for women is the lowest in more than 40 years.
Raised education standards, increased school choice, and doubled education and training investment
Since 1992, reading and math scores have increased for 4th, 8th, and 12th graders, math SAT scores are at a 30-year high, the number of charter schools has grown from 1 to more than 2,000, forty-nine states have put in place standards in core subjects and federal investment in education and training has doubled.
Largest expansion of college opportunity since the GI Bill
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have nearly doubled financial aid for students by increasing Pell Grants to the largest award ever, expanding Federal Work-Study to allow 1 million students to work their way through college, and by creating new tax credits and scholarships such as Lifetime Learning tax credits and the HOPE scholarship. At the same time, taxpayers have saved $18 billion due to the decline in student loan defaults, increased collections and savings from the direct student loan program.
Connected 95 percent of schools to the Internet
President Clinton and Vice President Gore's new commitment to education technology, including the E-Rate and a 3,000 percent increase in educational technology funding, increased the percentage of schools connected to the Internet from 35 percent in 1994 to 95 percent in 1999.
Lowest crime rate in 26 years
Because of President Clinton's comprehensive anti-crime strategy of tough penalties, more police, and smart prevention, as well as common sense gun safety laws, the overall crime rate declined for 8 consecutive years, the longest continuous drop on record, and is at the lowest level since 1973.
100,000 more police for our streets
As part of the 1994 Crime Bill, President Clinton enacted a new initiative to fund 100,000 community police officers. To date more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies have received COPS funding.
Enacted most sweeping gun safety legislation in a generation
Since the President signed the Brady bill in 1993, more than 600,000 felons, fugitives, and other prohibited persons have been stopped from buying guns. Gun crime has declined 40 percent since 1992.
Family and Medical Leave Act for 20 million Americans
To help parents succeed at work and at home, President Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993. Over 20 million Americans have taken unpaid leave to care for a newborn child or sick family member.
Smallest welfare rolls in 32 years
The President pledged to end welfare as we know it and signed landmark bipartisan welfare reform legislation in 1996. Since then, caseloads have been cut in half, to the lowest level since 1968, and millions of parents have joined the workforce. People on welfare today are five times more likely to be working than in 1992.
Higher incomes at all levels
After falling by nearly $2,000 between 1988 and 1992, the median family's income rose by $6,338, after adjusting for inflation, since 1993. African American family income increased even more, rising by nearly $7,000 since 1993. After years of stagnant income growth among average and lower income families, all income brackets experienced double-digit growth since 1993. The bottom 20 percent saw the largest income growth at 16.3 percent.
Lowest poverty rate in 20 years
Since Congress passed President Clinton's Economic Plan in 1993, the poverty rate declined from 15.1 percent to 11.8 percent last year — the largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years. There are now 7 million fewer people in poverty than in 1993. The child poverty rate declined more than 25 percent, the poverty rates for single mothers, African Americans and the elderly have dropped to their lowest levels on record, and Hispanic poverty dropped to its lowest level since 1979.
Lowest teen birth rate in 60 years
In his 1995 State of the Union Address, President Clinton challenged Americans to join together in a national campaign against teen pregnancy. The birth rate for teens aged 15-19 declined every year of the Clinton Presidency, from 60.7 per 1,000 teens in 1992 to a record low of 49.6 in 1999.
Lowest infant mortality rate in American history
The Clinton Administration expanded efforts to provide mothers and newborn children with health care. Today, a record high 82 percent of all mothers receive prenatal care. The infant mortality rate has dropped from 8.5 deaths per 1,000 in 1992 to 7.2 deaths per 1,000 in 1998, the lowest rate ever recorded.
Deactivated more than 1,700 nuclear warheads from the former Soviet Union
Efforts of the Clinton-Gore Administration led to the dismantling of more than 1,700 nuclear warheads, 300 launchers and 425 land and submarine based missiles from the former Soviet Union.
Protected millions of acres of American land
President Clinton has protected more land in the lower 48 states than any other president. He has protected 5 new national parks, designated 11 new national monuments and expanded two others and proposed protections for 60 million acres of roadless areas in America's national forests.
Paid off $360 billion of the national debt
Between 1998-2000, the national debt was reduced by $363 billion — the largest three-year debt pay-down in American history. We are now on track to pay off the entire debt by 2009.
Converted the largest budget deficit in American history to the largest surplus
Thanks in large part to the 1993 Deficit Reduction Act, the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, and President Clinton's call to save the surplus for debt reduction, Social Security, and Medicare solvency, America has put its fiscal house in order. The deficit was $290 billion in 1993 and expected to grow to $455 billion by this year. Instead, we have a projected surplus of $237 billion.
Lowest government spending in three decades
Under President Clinton federal government spending as a share of the economy has decreased from 22.2 percent in 1992 to a projected 18.5 percent in 2000, the lowest since 1966.
Lowest federal income tax burden in 35 years
President Clinton enacted targeted tax cuts such as the Earned Income Tax Credit expansion, $500 child tax credit, and the HOPE Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits. Federal income taxes as a percentage of income for the typical American family have dropped to their lowest level in 35 years.
More families own stock than ever before
The number of families owning stock in the United States increased by 40 percent since 1992.
Most diverse cabinet in American history
The President has appointed more African Americans, women and Hispanics to the Cabinet than any other President in history. He appointed the first female Attorney General, the first female Secretary of State and the first Asian American cabinet secretary ever.

Under Obama: 1. Affordable Care Act (ACA) – “Obamacare”
The Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare,” was a transformative piece of legislation aimed at overhauling the U.S.
healthcare system.
2. Economic Recovery
When Obama took office in 2009, the United States was in the midst of the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

His administration passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $787 billion stimulus package that funded infrastructure projects, extended unemployment benefits, and provided tax cuts.

The stimulus helped stabilize the economy, leading to a recovery that saw job growth, a declining unemployment rate, and a rebound in GDP by the end of his presidency.

3. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
In response to the financial crisis of 2008, Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act into law in 2010. This legislation aimed to prevent future economic crises by increasing regulation of the financial sector.
Barack Obama was the first sitting president to publicly support same-sex marriage. His administration championed LGBTQ+ rights, and in 2015, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized marriage equality nationwide.

This historic ruling ensured that same-sex couples had the right to marry and receive equal treatment under the law, marking a major step forward for civil rights in the United States.

6. Paris Climate Agreement



It expanded healthcare coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, provided subsidies to low- and middle-income families, and made Medicaid expansion possible in participating states.
Key provisions included preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26. By the end of Obama’s presidency, the ACA had significantly reduced the uninsured rate and made healthcare more accessible and affordable for millions.
As part of his commitment to addressing climate change, Obama played a key role in securing the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. Nearly 200 countries pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and take action to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement represented a significant global effort to combat climate change, with the United States taking a leadership role under Obama’s administration.
8. Auto Industry Rescue
During the Great Recession, the American auto industry faced potential collapse. Obama’s administration provided financial assistance to General Motors and Chrysler through a controversial bailout program.

The intervention saved hundreds of thousands of jobs, stabilized the auto industry, and eventually led to a resurgence in U.S. car manufacturing. By the end of Obama’s presidency, the auto industry was profitable again and had repaid much of the bailout money.

9. Advancing Renewable Energy
Obama prioritized clean energy initiatives and invested heavily in renewable energy during his presidency. Through programs like the Recovery Act, his administration funded research and development for solar and wind power, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles.

10. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
In 2012, Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided temporary protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, often referred to as “Dreamers.”

Under Biden: 10. Passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package to increase investment in the national network of bridges and roads, airports, public transport and national broadband internet, as well as waterways and energy systems.

2. Helped get more than 500 million life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations in the arms of Americans through the American Rescue Plan.

3. Stopped a 30-year streak of federal inaction on gun violence by signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that created enhanced background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole and provided funds for youth mental health.

4. Made a $369 billion investment in climate change, the largest in American history, through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

5. Ended the longest war in American history by pulling the troops out of Afghanistan.

6. Provided $10,000 to $20,000 in college debt relief to Americans with loans who make under $125,000 a year.

7. Cut child poverty in half through the American Rescue Plan.

8. Capped prescription drug prices at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare through the Inflation Reduction Act.

9. Passed the COVID-19 relief deal that provided payments of up to $1,400 to many struggling U.S. citizens while supporting renters and increasing unemployment benefits.

10. Achieved historically low unemployment rates after the pandemic caused them to skyrocket.

11. Imposed a 15% minimum corporate tax on some of the largest corporations in the country, ensuring that they pay their fair share,

15. Gave Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices through the Inflation Reduction Act while also reducing government health spending.

19. Reduced healthcare premiums under the Affordable Care Act by $800 a year as part of the American Rescue Plan.

2. Reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act through 2027.

And we would have done much more if Progressive had not made us lose the White House in 2000 and 2016,

[DFW]

95. Those in our ranks who worked to derail our nominees in 2000 and 2016

I would hardly call them progressive. As for anyone who called Joe Biden a rapist, I will be more ashamed of her in the House than I am of Fetterman in the Senate, and yes, I know she is a cinch to win. But so she wins—do we?

Anyone can call themselves whatever they want. They are even allowed to call Joe Biden a rapist and still call themselves “progressive.” I am under no obligation to agree. Destroying the career of a solid Democratic Congressman like Dan Goldman was always possible. Was it wise? Was it beneficial? I find it hardly a “bold initiative.” Just flexing some muscle “because you can” is repeating the justification the husbands of the Stepford Wives used for killing their human wives and replacing them with obedient robot replicas: because we could.

But it remains true: going inside a church no more makes you a Christian than going inside a garage makes you a car.

[betsuni]

94. Same fact-free myth that the Democratic Party has shifted to the right over the decades. Zero evidence.

The purpose is to depress support for Democrats and erase history. Why?

[B.See]

96. Many good points herein. And while

I'm inclined to disagree with the main premise of the op re. what Democrats have not done, I do understand where the frustration (in general) is coming from.

Personally I'm not as concerned with labels, those we assume or those others would thrust upon us, as I am with positions and actions.

I'd written awhile back that I'd long considered myself a liberal, until I one day took an online test that determined political classification based upon a set of responses. To my utter surprise, it classified me as a progressive.

I'd also written, back then, that I believed maga was the cause for that. As I believe they are, for the groundswell of support and turnout we've seen of late.

Because these aren't normal times, and this isn't just a contest between ' conservative' ideology and liberal.

We are in a fight against a cult of extremists who'd eliminate us, figuratively at least, if not literally... if they could.

And so one might logically argue that every extreme authoritarian, and unconscionable action they undertake in lurching ever farther to the right,

via abuses to the rights, safety and welfare of individuals and peoples, via abuses of power

lends legitimacy (if not urgency) to an equal and opposite reaction to such abuses. And people have, perhaps, grown weary of what many see as a tepid response. I know I have.

As I've also tired of the divisiveness, the squabbling, the second guessing. Of those who need our candidates to meet some purity test, to check our every box. Tired of hearing who can't or shouldn't win

and from those who'd seek to divide us on behalf of and in the service of warmongers, despots, and dictators, at home and abroad, who use us as a means to further their own agendas.

We need unity.

I want to support winners, those who generate enthusiasm because it's important for us to WIN. I don't care what they call themselves nor especially what they are called.

Magas and warmongering despot dictators like Trump & Co. will trot out the well worn labels: socialists, communists, because it's what they always do. While they double down on hate, intolerance, supremacy, and fascism.

If being against all of that makes one a 'socialist' then so be it. It's what they called Dr. King. And in that regard, not bad company, I think.

[RandySF]

101. Why are we doing this?

There are plenty of districts to go around and they’re not all Brooklyn.

[JBTaurus83]

103. While I personally am more aligned with DSA

Politics, it would not be true to say the Democratic Party hasn’t achieved things for working people. Just a few things come to mind, FEMA, CHIP program for children, Inflation Reduction Act, Affordable Care Act, hate crimes legislation, an end to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, funding for the sciences which effects us all greatly. Some may not be where I’d like on some pretty major issues, but, they are definitely far superior to the GOP.

[walkingman]

110. I think it doesn't have to be one way or the other - why not have a diverse set of ideas?

When people talk about the Fetterman, Manchin, and Sinema(s), I don't think they reflect the kind of diversity I'm talking about - the key is to elect the kind of people you want to represent you...those of good character with a track record that can be examined.

Just because someone is running who is a celeb or a successful businessman/woman does not mean they will be a good politician.

As a footnote - this makes me think of the Hillary/Bernie race....I think had Hillary chosen Bernie as her running mate after she won the primary, she would have won easily. I know hindsight is 20/20.....

Winning is what makes political change possible.

[MineralMan]

113. Actually, We Have Failed to Do That in Two Recent, Crucial Elections.

Have you forgotten?

[BannonsLiver]

115. I'm for running candidates that fit their communities.

Not one size fits all silliness. It doesn’t work, and the only people who think it does work have lived their entire lives in blue state bubbles.

[ColoringFool]

118. ACA. But More To The Point: If You Think ANYONE, EVEN JESUS HIMSELF, Could Get Elected With.....

"Socialist" as part of their identification, well then, what's really left to tell you?

Or sell you. 🌁

[marble falls]

126. Way past time to tack left.

[krawhitham]

127. So the ACA has no benefit the average commoner?

[krawhitham]

128. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

[krawhitham]

129. Since 1977 Dems have created 43,551,000 more jobs than GQP

But don't let facts stand in your way

Jobs created by POTUS 1977

Carter 10,343,000
Clinton 22,904,000
Obama 11,570,000
Biden 16,140,000
Total 60,957,000

Reagan 16,128,000
Daddy Bush 2,634,000
Bush Jr 1,367,000
Trump -2,723,000
Total 17,406,000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobs_created_during_U.S._presidential_terms

[Etherealoc1]

131. Not this again....

We have a big tent that appeals to different factions of the electorate, there is absolutely no need to create a divide. This is what the Repubs want, don't fall for it.