• CarnivorousCouch@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    You’re talking about national elections, and I’m talking about presence in state and local elections. Candidates with a sustainable/viable chance nationally must first have an established local presence. That base builds credibility and sustainability for a movement, as others in the movement can also point towards local or state wins to justify their own candidacies.

    I also happen to be familiar with my state Democratic party chairs. The idea that they could be systemically suppressing progressives in state or local elections would require a level of competence and political acumen I’ve never seen them demonstrate. They barely have control over their party, as is. I’m connected to the political world in my state both personally and professionally, and the concept of Democrats being able to exert this kind of control is actually laughable.

    The bottom line is that you’re mad that Democrats don’t support your candidates, and Democrats are mad you don’t support theirs. Both attitudes are unproductive. In the end, if either progressives or Democrats wants to pick up votes, they’re going to need to actually persuade voters to show up and vote consistently, and not just in federal elections. This will include voters you don’t necessarily like or fully agree with. You know who ran candidates in and voted for every single school board race? The damn Tea Party.

    • doctordevice@lemmy.ca
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      12 hours ago

      I quite agree with what you’re talking about with local elections.

      But you’ve misinterpreted what I’m mad about. I’m not mad that they don’t support progressives. I’m mad that the Democratic Party (the DNC, not your local party chairs) spends more time and effort demonizing and sidelining progressives than learning to work with us. That has effects all the way down to local primary elections where voters who have been fed anti-progressive propaganda are voting against progressive candidates.

      What I’m mad about is not the lack of support, I’m mad about the absolutely ridiculous hypocrisy of a party clearly working against progressives at every turn and then blaming us when they don’t get their way.

      As a side note, I’m also mad that the progressive movement has a lot of real shitty candidates in local elections. Many of them are clearly just absolute weirdos who shouldn’t be anywhere near an elected office. But a small movement isn’t going to have the reach everywhere. My House rep is progressive, and I get to watch as the person that represents me gets hamstrung by their own party time after time after time. And then the very same Party blames us for Donald Trump. It’s absolutely infuriating.

      • timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works
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        4 hours ago

        I mean… Have you been on Lemmy long? Progressives LOVE to shit all over Democrats all the time. Like not just here, in real life, etc. Seems the animosity cuts both ways honestly. All to the detriment of both.