I will withhold comment for the moment, in the spirit of Big Tent-ness. From Commonwealth.
Back in 2012, a group of voters and I, frustrated with the major parties, formed the United Independent Party, and I was its candidate for governor in 2014. The vision of the party was to create a political organization that would fight for working people and for fairness and equality. We accomplished a lot over the last several years, but given the hard truths of our times, the time has come to pick sides. I’ve decided that the Democratic Party is the way to go.
Still, I’m concerned the Democratic Party may not yet be ready for the renewal it must undergo. The fight today cannot be about restoring the status quo before Trump. Protests and aggressive resistance are hugely important and effective. This is why Democrats must be for something visionary to capture and harness the extraordinary outpouring of energy from voters we are witnessing across the country.
Here are some practical suggestions.
JimC says
Lanzadores y colectores …
SomervilleTom says
n/m
Pablo says
As one who has been a frequent critic of Evan Falchuk and his third party, I am more than willing to welcome him home. We need strong progressives in the Democratic party to build support for a progressive agenda and to win some primaries and general elections.
Hope we have a chance to sip a few beers together at some point in the future.
Pablo says
I would favor shifting the tent to have some solid policy themes, and to make sure those who would wear the label of Democrat adhere to some core precepts. We can start with the Democratic elected officials who show up at Trump rallies and endorse Republican candidates for election. While it might mean fewer Democrats in the legislature, our margin is large and the nonsense damages our brand.
While we’re at it, lets also make “Democrats for Education Reform” an oxymoron.
JimC says
This is the old dilemma. I’m with you on the solid themes. I guess I’d put it as “If you’re with us on these core issues, you’re a Democrat, welcome in.”
jconway says
So my big takeaways from 2016 are that third parties are always going to be weak and on the periphery since it’s a two party system. That reality won’t go away. But the two parties are also quite weak structurally and open to takeover by outsiders willing to do the hard work and insiders willing to give them a seat at the table.
That’s the genius of Trump and Sanders who both represented outside the mainstream ideology and weren’t members of the parties they ran primaries in. Had either run third party or independent they would be irrelevant. Instead their movements are now running the two parties.
So this is a prime moment of opportunity-we can use this popular resistance to build a truly 50 state party in places where we haven’t competed before while at the same time running on a bolder economic message that appeals to swing voters.
Swing voters aren’t ideologues-they just want the pocketbook issues put front and center and and their economic rights firmly fought for. This is a historic moment of opportunity for the center-left to come together to defend democracy itself as well as our social contract with one another. Failure is not an option.
JimC says
I’m not sure if anyone is big enough to propose this, but it would be good to see.
jconway says
Since it brings together the economic and social pieces. Trump has done nothing for the white working class voters who elected him since his cabinet is full of Goldman Sachs hacks and his tax polices are the same old cuts for the wealthy at the expense of working families.
What he has “delivered” are ill conceived and poorly executed immigration policies that weaken America and betray its values. The Dems have to continue to play defense on civil rights but there is a ton of space to play offense on the economy. Falchuk is right to argue that-and Mass Dems would be wise to listen.
JimC says
Right now that would feel like a desperation move.
jconway says
Let’s see how these races go. I think a lot of people are coming off the sidelines and getting involved. I think pushing a progressive agenda-even far away stuff like basic income or universal healthcare on the Senate floor is exactly the kind of base firing offense we need to play. Basically think like a Republican (obstruct everything, push your most extreme policies to the forefront, make the media cover you) but act like a Democrat (social and economic justice reinforce one another).
JimC says
I’m for a big vision either way.
“Democrats: building a better future”