Anyone see AOC on Colbert? She was inspiring about what Dems will do if we gain seats.

[JudyM]

I’m betting she made folks sit up and listen. Reasoned argument based on the need for codification of our rights that the supremes are taking away.

Our team needs to speak like that every.time.there’s a mike in front of our faces.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. AOC is a star in the making who is promoting the progressive movement with class and fortitude!!

[brooklynite]

5. Her version of progressive doesn't seem to be playing well in NYC...

After Adams last year, Jumaane Williams lost the Gov race easily.

[Nixie]

7. One of the brogressives lost in the recent Los Angeles mayor's primary, too.

He didn’t even get 10%, and that’s from people who know him best.

[Celerity]

14. NYC mayoral races are hardly a good guage of anything. Look at who

they have elected in the past.

As for Jumaane Williams, no one ever gave him any sort of real chance. He had about as much chance of winning as Republican-turned-Democrat Michelle Caruso-Cabrera did against AOC in 2020 in that primary.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Wall Street-backed Democratic challenger lived in a Trump property for years before moving to Queens in late 2019

https://www.businessinsider.com/aocs-democratic-challenger-lived-in-trump-tower-before-moving-queens-2020-4?r=US&IR=T

2020 New York's 14th congressional district Democratic primary

Candidate Vote %

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 74.6%

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera 18.2%

Badrun Khan 5.0%

Sam Sloan 2.3%

[JohnSJ]

2. Biden and others have said as much. In the Senate we must have a majority of at least two

seats and maintain the majority in the House to make that happen

and those two additional Senate seats must be willing to eliminate the filibuster

[usonian]

3. Progressives are great speakers.

Last edited Wed Jun 29, 2022, 11:17 PM - Edit history (1)

Real short. I agree. We need some fire, not wringing of hands. Apologies if this is too long. I can shorten it later.
edit: I did.

brooklynite posted his concern over messaging here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216852898

My takeaway from all this is that the party has to decide what
• key issues that will unite Democrats and cause them to drop objections when "all six items are not addressed".

• Cultural, yes, cultural issues such as these three

1. hypocrisy, I give a litany of examples of "do as I say, not as I do " ,
2. the big "Election Integrity" grift, because it's painfully obvious and fresh, and
3. the use of people as cannon fodder in the fake elector and Jan 6 schemes. He sent people to the slammer, more to come. Pure betrayal.


• Plain old Tent Revival Democratic Style. So Joe is a mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper. People are unimpressed. So, can he get a team together with a point person on each key issue, with lots of energy and presence? It would demonstrate unity.
That Blues Brothers (1 and 2) music would do it for me!

[Just A Box Of Rain]

8. You do understand that Fareed Zakaria is deeply alarmed

by the "rise of populism in our time," right?

Populism isn't something Zakaria endorses, but rather something he (rightly) fears.

And on "culture" Zakaria is suggesting that Biden has a "Sister Soldja" moment, where he separates himself from some position of the far-left that isn't popular with mainstream liberals and independent voters.

[usonian]

9. Point taken.

I am an old fart and remember when populism meant fighting for the common person against the "establishment" in a lawful way. Not mob rule!!!

I PERSONALLY find most of the progressives more cooperative with mainstream Joe Biden than at any previous time in the history I've seen. Quite startling. I remember when Bernie's followers were called Sander-nistas. And progressives were on the attack, with "establishment" Democrats.

If people think that I am way off base with those comments, I'll gladly delete, because I signed up to help move things forward, and if my humor and photo posts detract from that, I'll gladly stop them.

Anything other than my GOTV page
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216868660

and my Ukraine Relief page
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216497648

And given my focus (I'm relatively new to DU and an get distracted, no kidding)
Anything that takes away from that goal is expendable.

Just watch.
Thanks!

[Just A Box Of Rain]

13. I studied political science at university

Last edited Thu Jun 30, 2022, 12:28 AM - Edit history (1)

and "populism" was always treated as a form of politics where only some of "the people" in a society are The People and the rest (the scapegoats) are "The Other."

The Other are to blame for all of a society's ills (aka the internal enemy) that a populist demagogue demonizes to gain political power.

The Other could be Jews, or Mexicans, or Muslims, or land-holding kulaks, or billionaire industrialist. Doesn't really matter, so much as the need to identify an enemy that one can use to inspire political rage in service of a demagogue's political ambitions.

"Populism" isn't about being on the side of the little guy. Nor is it "mob-rule" exactly. FDR for example, as not a populist. He spoke against fomenting "fear" and political anger. as he tried to relieve the suffering of common people. That's not "populism."

Populism has a very specific and long-established meaning in political science terms.

Goes back to Roman times.

The shorthand version is: Only some of the people are really people.

Fareed Zakaria knows this full well, and it horrifies him. Rightly so.

When populists take over, things never turn out well.

[usonian]

15. I studied physics at university!

During the Vietnam war.

My impression of populism was Howard Zinn, Dr. King and so on.

People trying to stop a war AND racism.

I sympathized with "Dark Night of the Soul" by Daniel Berrigan, and even "The Prisoner" with Patrick McGoohan.

It's not the textbook definition because I never read the textbooks.

I deleted stuff to put the post on focus.

P.S. all the political science students hung out at Fletcher and never mingled, either.

Peace

[Just A Box Of Rain]

16. I'm out of my depth with physics.

Political science, I know.

Dr King was not a populist. He inspired people of all stripes to work for justice. civil rights, and brotherhood. He didn't lead by fueling anger, rage, and division. Quite the opposite.

To quality as a populist one has to identify some portion of one's society as The Other. And then direct political rage towards that group.

MLK did not act in this fashion.

[usonian]

17. Cool. that's what I'm against.

one has to identify some portion of one's society as The Other. And then direct political rage towards that group.


This gets into philosophy/religion and this is not the forum. Rage against people not allowed.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

21. Pretty straight politics IMO.

Politicians and political movements can speak to what is good in people, feed their hopes, and speak with optimism about repairing the world or they can fuel resentment, rage, and blame-making.

One approach advances political reason, the other rage-based political irrationality.

Zakaria is offering a dire warning about populism. He is perplexed that Biden's numbers are not higher, but he's not hoping that Biden will turn "populist." Just the opposite.

Biden is one of those rare politicians--the party could use more--who is firmly not a "populist," while--at the same time--has a common touch with working people. Genuine empathy of their situations combined with a desire to help.

Having a connection with working people is sometimes mislabeled "populism," but it is a misuse of the term. Populism is a different thing.

And sometimes rage towards people is justified by their actions. But not simply because of who they are, who they love, how they identify, what their ancestors might be, or with which religion they may (or may not) ascribe.

I'd agree that this not only is politics, but that it is the essential dividing line between ideologies. Populism and authoritarianism/totalitarianism are inextricably linked.

Where populism and liberalism are anathemas to one another.

[usonian]

23. Nice clarification.

What're the chances of a term being misused in politics?

I was going to add that I try to focus (rage/whatever) on actions/behaviors, because people can and do change, and "stamping" people is wrong.

As for Joe Biden, he practices his core beliefs, has no hypocrisy or guile. My kind of guy.

I'd have written less but I ran out of time. (M.T.)

[Just A Box Of Rain]

24. So many terms are misused in politics. Makes communicating difficult at times.

Nuances (such as where and when rage is appropriate) can get blurred, when the lines are rather bright (in reality).

Nuance is only possible when people are driven by reason. Many political movements are threatened by reason, so they stoke rage and irrationality. That gets rid of nuance as a "pesky" thing.

Biden is my kind of guy as well. He's real. His politics are not rage based, but rather driven by core liberal values.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Here's the video(s) for those who missed it - 3 part interview:

Stephen Colbert: Guest Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017746368

[JudyM]

18. You are everywhere, always on point.

Thanks, Rhi!

[Rhiannon12866]

19. Awww, thanks, my friend!

Colbert has an awesome guest lineup this week - AOC was last night, three part interview - and tonight his guest was Adam Kinzinger! And you can count on my posting Colbert's political guests! (They're his favorites!)

[JudyM]

20. Kinzinger is picking up steam, loved when he commented to Colbert that about 99% of congressional

republicans are nuts/not supporting the Constitution (I’m paraphrasing, but it was along those lines), just stunning that he called them all out!

[Rhiannon12866]

22. He's incredible, did a stellar job when he led the last hearing!

And his closing statement was one for the history books - as Colbert said! Too bad he's not running again since, as you said, he's obviously learned more than we'll ever know...

[LudwigPastorius]

6. She's appealing to reason.

Unfortunately, I don't believe most voters operate that way.

IMO, it is still "the economy, stupid".

Sure, there will be a good number of voters new to the Democratic party because of the heinous SCROTUS (Supreme Court Republicans Of The United States), but candidates still need to hammer away at pocketbook issues.

[DLCWIdem]

11. Abortion is an economic issue

And a health issue and it will bring out women especially of we are taking away her rights

[DLCWIdem]

12. Abortion is an economic issue

And a health issue and it will bring out women especially if they are taking away her rights