A shift in power in the Democratic Party
If political power comes from money, then things are changing in the Democratic Party.
On one side is the DNC.
The Democratic National Committee raised $9 million in October but burned almost as much cash to get there. The committee entered October with $8.6 million in the bank and exited the month with just $8.7 million on hand and $7 million in debt.
Without cash how much influence can the DNC have?
On the other side, is this from AOC.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised more money for reelection than any other House Democrat in the third quarter of 2019, an achievement the New York Democrat touted as a testament to the power of grassroots fundraising over schmoozing with corporate lobbyists and wealthy executives.
Ocasio-Cortez raked in $1.42 million between July 1 and September 30, outstripping Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), who raised $1.26 million over the same period, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), who raised $1.26 million.
While many try to belittle a progressive agenda that centers working people & the public good, in truth it’s more powerful than ever.
I haven’t picked up a phone once this year to dial for dollars, & I don’t meet w/ corp lobbyists.
That is the power of your grassroots support. https://t.co/BDxvMETBnS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 27, 2019
Plus there is Bernie (of course).
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced that his campaign for president has received over four million individual donations.The news means Sanders is the fastest candidate in history to reach the mark, putting him in a league of his own when it comes to donor contributions. While poll numbers can be a strong indicator of a candidate’s prospects, individual donations are often a sign of voter enthusiasm.
“Working-class Americans across the country are chipping in $3, $18, $27, or whatever they can to help elect Bernie Sanders because they know he is the only candidate who will fight for them and take on corporate greed and corruption,” campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement. “This is what momentum looks like.”
There are many levers of political power, such as media power and infrastructure power. Those are still firmly in the hands of the establishment.
But cracks are showing.
Comments
Double clutch
that power shift
in the wink of an eye
DNC will burn rubber
before going progressive
I see it that way, too.
It's not like the Democratic Party is going to turn Left. And why should they? Democrats are a huge, cohesive alliance of dedicated Members. They have some Liberal tolerance, but they are most comfortable in an ambience of cosy conservative values. The last thing the Democrats want to do is change anything. Changing things is too risky and upsetting. They are the guardians of the status quo. The Democratic Party is where the Democrats belong.
The Left may have some mild influence in the Party, but the Party is not moving Left. It's moving right, with stronger ties to the Neocons. They embrace the Empire and all that comes with it. They renewed the Patriot Act two weeks ago and the Media Monopolies agreed not to mention it. I read not a single Republican voted for the Bill. This demonstrates the ideology of the Democrats.
The Left is oppressed by the Democratic Party whether they are inside the party, or standing outside. When the Left finally manifests as a Party in the US, it will be via a charismatic populist outsider. I think they can capture a majority of Americans at the Presidential level. And that's maybe all you need for a decade or two. Executive power is enough to get a foothold. Because building a new Party infrastructure within the Federal election system is legally and logistically blocked by the Duopoly and the Billionaires, no matter how many Americans are affiliated with it.
But, then, it's not like we have a functioning democracy in the first place. We're Totalitarians who "show vote."
Upbeat news!
Sometimes things go the way they oughta. Unfortunately this will just encourage the DNC to grovel to the 1%, and pander to the rest of us, all that much harder.
A gem from Epoch Times
Bernie and Pol Pot?
Groan!!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
No, really
Painting Bernie as a commie
works with the rooskie propaganda
scary realization
if you don't follow the mainstream line
get the hell out of dodge
go back to that socialist / commie
shit hole you got those unapproved
ideas from
democracy is for wimps
sellum fascism
yeah, that's the ticket
the infamous khmer Rouge of Norway
/s
Everyone else is in the pocket of the C’mere Riyadh instead. n/t
a
@lotlizard Lotlizard, I don't
Lotlizard, I don't think I have mentioned lately how much I love your sense of humor. I do, a lot.
Why, thank you / mahalo! n/t
Thanks for the entertainment
I checked out the webpage for Trevor Loudon, self-proclaimed "communism expert" based in New Zealand who's drawn the brilliant connection between the "Bernie movement" and Pol Pot.
One of his other current obsessions is Beto O'Rourke's "Marxist support network".
He's also written a book exposing Barack Obama's radical Marxist anti-capitalist agenda.
(That Obama. He's always up to something. He must be playing a reeeally long game.)
"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi
"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone
quite likely bloomberg's
already written the check
Growing cracks
Bernie broke the mold in 2016 and the powers that be are trying their best to deny it ever happened. They're even trying to give all the credit to Elizabeth Warren for President.
Those of us with long memories know that the Democratic Party has backed the conservative candidate over the progressive time and again.
Carter wasn't the progressive. The progressive was Ted Kennedy.
Mondale wasn't the progressive. The progressive was Jesse Jackson.
Dukakis wasn't the progressive. The progressive was once again Jesse Jackson.
The Democratic Party backed Bill Clinton in 1992 over Thom Harkin.
2000 they backed Al Gore over Bill Bradley.
2004 they backed John Kerry over Howard Dean.
2008 they backed Barack Obama, but only after they made sure John Edwards was out of the race.
2016 they torpedoed Bernie Sanders and we saw what that got us.
The Democratic Party establishment is afraid of the Left. They're afraid of us because they know we're right. They know we vote. And now they know we can raise some money.
"The enemy is anybody who is going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on." Yossarian
The Democratic Party ought to give
...Russia a jingle. Maybe the Russians would be willing to drop a handful of anti-left, baitclick ads on Facebook — you know? Those weird ads that magically swayed our entire nation into electing Donald Trump for President. I bet Robert Mueller still has their phone number. The Dems could mention a quid pro quo and offer to lift some of our sanctions.
You're right. They are obviously much smarter with their
advertising dollars.
Politicians spend millions and don't get the results that RUSSIA! got with 100K.
Not just millions. Billions.
$2.4 billion was spent on the Presidential race, alone. Hillary outspent Trump two to one. They both received billions of dollars worth of free air time on the cable news networks, as well.