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Progressivism or Moderation?

This article is a good starting point


What should Democrats do? Embrace moderation or embrace progressivism?
Before reading the link, I think the Dems have a crazy hard choice. But, it is a choice between improving odds of winning now vs solidifying a powerful position over the next generation or two. With the Republicans tying themselves to the Trump anchor I'm going to vote for the Dems shooting for the moon by riding old school Dems in the short term but building young progressives to take control soon.
 
I think the Republicans have romanticized socialism to the point that young people are going to be asking "what's this awesome socialism thing I've been hearing so much about from all those nasty old people?"
 
I think the Republicans have romanticized socialism to the point that young people are going to be asking "what's this awesome socialism thing I've been hearing so much about from all those nasty old people?"
Frankly, having a hot young woman as the new face of socialism isn't a bad thing.
 
I think the Democratic party would improve enthusiasm of their voter base if they embraced progressive ideas. I mean Biden won the election, but very few people were really energized by his campaign.

The losses in house seats and failure to take the majority (most likely) in the senate shows that there wasn't much enthusiasm for the party in this election, the turnout was driven by people either wanting to keep Trump or dump Trump. Trump's base is ultra enthusiastic. Like insane scary suicide cult level enthusiastic. They got out there and voted FOR Trump, not against Biden.

The Dems need more candidates that people vote FOR.
 
She has generally sounded intelligent and well informed to me.

The Green New Deal is not rational or intelligent. Maybe its a shoot for the stars and land on the moon type of thing, but on its face it is impossible to achieve and would be close to irrelevant even if it was achieved. I think she has good intentions, but whenever I hear her speak or she goes over one of her plans I'm confused as to how she thinks these things are possible in the real world.
 
The Green New Deal is not rational or intelligent. Maybe its a shoot for the stars and land on the moon type of thing, but on its face it is impossible to achieve and would be close to irrelevant even if it was achieved. I think she has good intentions, but whenever I hear her speak or she goes over one of her plans I'm confused as to how she thinks these things are possible in the real world.
Sure. I agree the the GND is not realistic, although I'm not all that well versed in what it proposes. I think it is likely, as you mention, that it's intended to set the bar unrealistically high and negotiate down from there.

But I have gotten the impression that she does generally have a clue about what she's talking about.
 
I loved this tweet by AOC yesterday:

"If I were actually as all-commandingly powerful as Republicans say I am, everybody in this country would have guaranteed healthcare by now.

Alas, I'm just a first term Congresswoman, standing in front of a government, asking it to love working people."


Sent from my moto z3 using JazzFanz mobile app
 
Sure. I agree the the GND is not realistic, although I'm not all that well versed in what it proposes. I think it is likely, as you mention, that it's intended to set the bar unrealistically high and negotiate down from there.

But I have gotten the impression that she does generally have a clue about what she's talking about.
I don’t know how anyone that isn’t completely partisan or unserious could question her intelligence. Seriously, watch and read these things. She’s one of the brightest people we have in politics.


Let’s check out her website on police reform:

Alexandria has called for significant reductions in the police budget. She believes we must divest from policing as a one-stop-solution to community problems and instead invest in healthcare, housing, education, and supportive services. She recognizes that when people’s basic needs are met, we have real safety in our community. She also believes in ending the school-to-prison pipeline, decriminalizing truancy, taking police out of schools, ending ‘qualified immunity’ (which shields police from liability for their illegal or unconstitutional acts), ending the pipeline of military weapons and goods to police departments, establishing a public national database that tracks all police officers decertified in any state or locality (to ensure transparency when the same officers seek employment in law enforcement elsewhere), fully repealing New York’s 50-a (which makes police disciplinary records and histories of misconduct secret), banning the use of tear gas and rubber bullets, and ending broken-windows and quality-of-life policing.

Invest in People, not Prisons

Throughout New York State, over 200,000 people are behind bars right now. And in New York City, 77% of people currently in jail have not even been convicted of a crime. Today, Black people represent 16% of New York’s population, however, they make up 53% of the population in New York jails and prisons.

Instead of investing in mass incarceration, we need to invest in the most vulnerable members of our society. Alexandria introduced the Just Society: Mercy in Reentry Act, to ensure that all persons in need are eligible for the social safety net, regardless of prior involvement with the criminal justice system. This includes access to any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, and unemployment benefit.

Alexandria also supports Representative Ayanna Pressley’s H.Res. 702, “The People’s Justice Guarantee,” which includes ending the death penalty, ending life sentences without possibility of parole, ending mandatory minimum sentences, decriminalizing activities that are byproducts of poverty and homelessness (such as sex work and drug use), ending solitary confinement, expanding Pell Grants, paying incarcerated people at least the Federal minimum wage for labor, and ending the use of cash bail, among other things.
I dare you find a more detailed and more enlightened view on this issue in Congress. Does Mitch McConnell or kevin McCarthy, the Republican congressional leaders even have sections on this issue? People need to turn off Fox News and Facebook and actually learn about her. I think they’d find that they agree with her a lot.
She’s a great human being and a rising superstar politically.

and yes, she kicks *** too:

 
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I don’t know how anyone that isn’t completely partisan or unserious could question her intelligence. Seriously, watch and read these things. She’s one of the brightest people we have in politics.


Let’s check out her website on police reform:


I dare you find a more detailed and more enlightened view on this issue in Congress. Does Mitch McConnell or kevin McCarthy, the Republican congressional leaders even have sections on this issue? People need to turn off Fox News and Facebook and actually learn about her. I think they’d find that they agree with her a lot.
She’s a great human being and a rising superstar politically.

and yes, she kicks *** too:


I can understand why Republicans don't like her and go out of their way to slander her at every possible opportunity. It's because they are afraid of her.

She's a badass.
 
I don’t know how anyone that isn’t completely partisan or unserious could question her intelligence. Seriously, watch and read these things. She’s one of the brightest people we have in politics.


Let’s check out her website on police reform:


I dare you find a more detailed and more enlightened view on this issue in Congress. Does Mitch McConnell or kevin McCarthy, the Republican congressional leaders even have sections on this issue? People need to turn off Fox News and Facebook and actually learn about her. I think they’d find that they agree with her a lot.
She’s a great human being and a rising superstar politically.

and yes, she kicks *** too:



She's not stupid. I think she's naive. I also think she says and does things to build her brand and/or create headlines to be relevant. But also I think she says dumb things. She's young and inexperienced so that can be expected though.

Saying the earth will end in 12 years unless we do something about global warming is stupid. Saying Flints water crisis is an environmental issue is stupid. Saying Wells Fargo should be held responsible for pipeline repair damages even though they are just a lender is stupid. Most of the Green New deal is stupid. Posing the question "Is it ok to still have children." is stupid.

She's not dumb but she says a lot of dumb things and has a lot of terrible ideas. I don't like how she loves to pull the sexist card whenever someone challenges her ideas. She is however a very good public speaker, is obviously very driven and is taking control of her political career and political aspirations. I can respect that.
 
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