Why would you not use every opportunity to gain power, electoral or otherwise? The more left populist gains are made, the more popular and viable they clearly become nationwide. Electoral politics is only one avenue of organization, and one the DSA has been getting much better at. Where was the other viable candidate in Maine? Grassroots support is critical for viability.
Refusing to participate in elections, is conceding to the opposition in advance. Revolution doesn’t occur with is a single line of attack, class war is a multi-front war. Politicians are not friends, they are tools that are only as useful as what they will vote for.
Without electoral politics we don’t get Bernie, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Talib, Mamdani, Adam Hamaway, Adbul el-Sayed, Summer Lee, ect.
Maine proves the bar for candidates with left populist politics is incredibly low, clearly far lower for white men, and that progressive candidates can have widespread viability. Regardless of your personal view of veterans, it’s a pro when it comes to the average voter. And on top of that he’s an anti-war, anti-zionist, anti-genocide veteran who’s got a bunch of popular progressive policies. And in addition to that he’s also up against the pro-war Pro-Israel Republican fascist Susan Collins, who’s far worse on literally every single issue. He’s not head-to-head with another progressive in the primary. The choice is clear.
If he was just a veteran that’d be one thing. This guy loved killing so much he became a fucking Blackwater mercenary.
That’s unforgivable. He shouldn’t be running for office, he should be in prison.
I don’t disagree, other than I’m an advocate for restorative justice, and he’s by far the only path for a left Maine given the current conditions
Think outside the ballot box.
Why would you not use every opportunity to gain power, electoral or otherwise? The more left populist gains are made, the more popular and viable they clearly become nationwide. Electoral politics is only one avenue of organization, and one the DSA has been getting much better at. Where was the other viable candidate in Maine? Grassroots support is critical for viability.
Refusing to participate in elections, is conceding to the opposition in advance. Revolution doesn’t occur with is a single line of attack, class war is a multi-front war. Politicians are not friends, they are tools that are only as useful as what they will vote for.
Without electoral politics we don’t get Bernie, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Talib, Mamdani, Adam Hamaway, Adbul el-Sayed, Summer Lee, ect.
Maine proves the bar for candidates with left populist politics is incredibly low, clearly far lower for white men, and that progressive candidates can have widespread viability. Regardless of your personal view of veterans, it’s a pro when it comes to the average voter. And on top of that he’s an anti-war, anti-zionist, anti-genocide veteran who’s got a bunch of popular progressive policies. And in addition to that he’s also up against the pro-war Pro-Israel Republican fascist Susan Collins, who’s far worse on literally every single issue. He’s not head-to-head with another progressive in the primary. The choice is clear.