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Progressive Leftists can’t stop losing because they care more for ideological purity than they do for actual winning, according to David Leonhardt in the New York Times. In the wake of the apparent collapse of Bernie Sanders’ democratic-socialist campaign, are Americans “profoundly Progressive” but just haven’t found a candidate who inspires them? Or are they much more centrist than the panjandrums of statism proclaim?
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11 replies on “Berned Over: Why Progressive Leftists Can’t Stop Losing”
Hey Bill, I’m not so sure the progressives have lost the long game. Hopefully they go down in 2020, but social programs are like a ratchet, they seem to only go in one direction; combine that with the massive indoctrination in the public schools and universities – I think our first socialist president is on “their” way within a few cycles.
The funny part is how Lefties are in denial over Sanders. Apparently everyone loves Bernie’s ideas but for some strange reason don’t vote for them when the time comes. It’s almost as if the Sandernista’s ideas don’t appeal to most people…
The problem with compromising with poison is that poison can kill you. After which no compromise is possible. So too with compromising with a poisonous political idea.
The poisonous political idea wins what it could not otherwise have won. The challenge is knowing which is poison and which is not. If you start out with the idea that compromise is good in and of itself, you will eventually lose everything because you will be blind to the fact you are compromising with poison. Every time you do that, you will lose more than you gain. Eventually, you will have nothing left. Not even your life.
Progressive Leftist are going to lose because most Americans don’t want any of those things that writer said. They have intellectualized their theories into non-existent reality. They want to rule the masses, not be controlled by them. They will never rule as long as we remain an armed and determined free people.
What might trip up some (or just re-enforce their bubble created mind-picture) is that some people might say they like some of the ideas… until they find out how much they cost or how they impact their very real lives. Sure, less fracking, until I realize its $4 per gallon of gas time again. Abortion without limits wouldn’t really be in the list, most people have probably picked a line in the sand for that and if there is any movement is up toward early, not late term. Immigration is fine until you or someone you know is hurt by someone that snuck in, or took your kid’s spot in school or affected you some way. Or you’re black and out of a job because someone brown is getting paid less than you can live on.
I suspect a lot of the theory isn’t on the “this is good for society and will make things better” scale and more on the “people should want this because we told them to, and if we can do this it makes it easy to control them” side of things.
I’m surprised that neither of you threw out an obvious Devil;’s Advocate question – couldn’t you argue the same of our side’s “efforts” to repeal Obamacare?
Bob, I am sorry but I don’t follow. Could you expand on your thoughts please?
Sure, fair question. I’m writing this strictly from the perspective of a Lefty, not my own opinion:
Those Teabaggers just can’t accept that Obamacare is here to stay. They spent years passing fake repeal laws, insisted that voters give them the Senate and presidency, and their idea was so unpopular that they still couldn’t pass the repeal. Now they insist on ideological purity and are pushing their extreme agenda of taking away Americans’ health care.
Luckily, they never learn, and now their extremism has given Democrats total control of once Republican Virginia. And these aren’t even old school “Blue Dog” Democrats but true Progressives! Keep living in denial that you’ve already lost, Republicans!
So how did I do at sounding like a Leftist? =8^)
I think you sounded enough like a lefty, but the easy counter to the first argument is “sure, you passed it and then lost the House for the rest of the President’s term, so it must not have been all that great of an idea.” Unlike Dems that vote in lock step like puppets on the strings of Marionette Pelosi, the Republicans are less of a hive mind and actually have several good ideas. Too bad we had to do it all ourselves and none of the Demo-ants had enough mind and heart to break with their hive queen.
With Virginia “sure you took the Commonwealth’s seats but all of your “populist” voters were from the DC area and only turned out because they hate Trump, and he wasn’t even on the ballot!” So we’ll see what happens this year when he is and people see what complacency bought them. If the “Progressives” can keep Virginia, then yes the tide turned there, and welcome to Californa-on-the-Potomic. Enjoy your misery.
And I can respond as myself now =8^)
Obamacare might have cost the Dems over 1000 seats nationwide, but (from their perspective) it was a worthy sacrifice. The pendulum swings, and they just regained many of the seats they lost. And now they have a key step in place toward their Holy Grail of single payer. Electoral bloodbaths are inconsequential compared to the long term goal of “fundamentally transforming” this country. I honestly wish GOP leadership could whip their votes into place as well as the Dems did.
As for Virginia, it wasn’t just the DC suburbs (where I live), but a long term strategic game that Dems have been playing for a decade. In addition to expanding the dormitory for the Federal Govt. that is NoVa, they’ve spent the last decade importing immigrants who will cast the votes that Americans won’t.
On the other side of VA politics, while Democrats have been united in Californicating our state, our GOP has been divided between the half that believes in Conservative principles vs. that half that has been working to negotiate a full surrender. The national GOP gave up on us long ago, too. My first taste was back in 2010 when Ken Cuchinelli was running against Terry McAuliffe for Governor. A Tea Party Conservative (and I know he isn’t perfect) versus a flawed Clintonista – no problem, right? Wrong. The Dems bombarded the airwaves attacking KC while the GOP made a perfunctory effort here while wasting money on Chris Christie’s slam dunk effort to get re-elected in NJ. So basically us Normals have had to fight not only Dems, but also the GOPe both on a state and national level here. (For that matter, why hasn’t the national GOP made Governor Klan Hood Blackface Coonman someone every Democrat across the country should have to defend?)
I’m hoping that the Dems’ radical agenda in VA has awoken the state, but I’m not optimistic. I saw what they did to NJ, where I grew up, & see it repeating here. I had no delusions of retiring in the house that me & Sister Babe bought a decade ago, but now I’m just hoping we can hold on until Little Bob graduates high school. I’m not optimistic about Virginia’s future.
Purity and preaching.