Democratic Socialists or main stream Dems. We've been electing "main streamers" for over 50 years and for

[3Hotdogs]

our efforts, we got "merda" (pardon my Italian.). Nothing to benefit the average commoner since Medicare.

Maybe the Socialists won't do any better than Fetterman, Joe Manchin or Krysten Sinema but I'm willing to give them a try.

[The Wizard]

1. Repubics know how to energize their base

by appealing to their worst fears and lowest instincts. Democrats wear boxing gloves to a gun fight.

[Lovie777]

2. No political party is perfect...................

we are an independent species with a whole lot of faults, especially the fear of being powerless.

Democrats are not trolls neither, but a big tent. The RW of the US is very uncomfortable of what's happening. Democrats in most part are not.

What the corporate media is trying to do is divide us. Not this time. Keep your eyes on the prize.

[ihaveaquestion]

4. Some Democrats are definately not comfortable with Progressive Democrats

And as a Progressive Democrat, I for one am tired of being told I'm "not realistic," etc. Yesterday, I think the voters just slapped the Democratic Party around with some realism and I loved it!

[33taw]

22. What do you mean by "Slapped Around"? It seems the party moved left.

[ret5hd]

29. no, it means the voters moved the party left.

the party didn’t want to move…it got moved…by the voters…that the party wanted to ignore.

leadership needs to listen more closely.

[33taw]

33. Isn't that what always happens?

[ret5hd]

34. well, maybe...just maybe...

sometimes…every once in a while…leadership should lead instead of impede.

what do you think? times of crisis? forward thinking? new ideas?

[33taw]

48. Agree.

[ihaveaquestion]

30. Centrist Democrat incumbents got beat. The voters have always leaned left of center.

The party leadership moved right to the center and beyond in a lazy bid to get corporate money. Leadership said "trust us" and voters went along because there wasn't a viable alternative. It seems that the going along phase is over and centrist democrats need to take note that we are done trusting them to do the right thing when it's obvious that's not their focus.

[Autumn]

58. The Democratic party is still in the middle of the road, Democratic voters have passed them up .

[OhioBack2Blue]

3. Mainstream Dems talk...

...like Rs, thus validating R ideology, so voters just choose the real deal.

Dems have a long way to go to rediscover their unique voice and unique policy stances.
Sad.

During this we lost stability, security, quality and reason and traded it for insecurity, higher risk, junk and mysticism.

We lost:
Wholism
Unions
Pensions
Real, accessible social safety nets
Commonsense gun safety
Financial regulation
Consumer rights
Pluralism
Merit-based employment
Professionalization
Science and reseach
Rational decision-making
Public education
Community
Professional ethics and the common good
The idea and reality of a robust public sector
And more

How is restoring these thing radical left-wing extremism!?

[LexVegas]

5. Yeah, the ACA sucked huh? nt

[sboatcar]

31. It would have been much better with single payer, medicare for all

Unfortunately they negotiated everything that republicans demanded with it, and then still not a single one of them voted for it.

[AStern]

46. Insurance companies L-O-V-E-D it!

That's for sure.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Your statement is incorrect. Have you forgotten the ADA, ACA, the Family and

Medical Leave Act, American Rescue Act, PACT, or Biden's Infrastructure, and Inflation Reduction Acts, to name a few?

[JT45242]

16. BUt how much did we really gain? if Mango and crew can dismantle

The ACA wasn't as good as what was proposed by Clinton. With subsidies eliminated, there are about 27 million uninsured today (about 10%). When ACA went into effect, it was 44 million (about 17%) -- that's progress. But how many have the bad plans in the exchange now?

The ADA is getting gutted by Trump and the dept of education. 504 and IEP severely under attack. Privatizing education will make it worse. I would not put it past the Sinister 6 to call extra services for people with disabilities discrimination against able bodied (especially able bodied whites).

FMLA -- Yes, there are strides there. But if the get SAVE through, there will be little reason to not take that away as married women will find it harder and harder to vote.

How much of the Biden Infrastructure Bill in blue states has actually been spent?

Yes, we passed legislation but we didn't protect it form the Sinister Six and the Project 2025 goon squad.

I hope that if we get the trifecta again we pass -- health care for all with a single payer system; judicial reform with making the supreme court the same number as appeals divisions; ethics laws with bite, especially for judges; overturn Citizens United; a living minimum wage tied to inflation; real tax reforms that make the rich and corporations pay their share; eliminate cap on social security; funding for public schools; the elimination of for profit prisons; (I could go on)

[Martin Eden]

7. When Dems control both houses of Congress and the presidency, they have accomplished quite a bit

A lot of important legislation was passed to get America back on its feet after the pandemic in Biden's first two years. Obama signed the ACA, then the 2010 mid-terms happened.

Lack of progress at the federal level has almost always been due to Republican obstructionism. One of the questions to ask is why, after Democrats actually accomplish things that are beneficial for the vast majority of Americans, do voters put Republicans back in power?

[returnee]

8. Our system needs major revamping.

Who better to do that than democratic socialists?

[LymphocyteLover]

10. Because most Dems do not trust DSA types and a lot of DSA's are unrealistic about how politics works.

Also DSA types create a lot of division in the Dem party and it's not clear how helpful they are for winning elections outside places like NYC.

[3Hotdogs]

12. We laughed at Maggots and called them unrealistic in '16.

In '25 we got the Heritage Foundation's platform for 2025 and we got it shoved straight up our asses. AND we got Miller and Hegseth.

[LymphocyteLover]

19. Is that supposed to give me confidence about electing DSA types?

Honestly, I have no problem with most DSA policies. I just don't like the infighting and attacking mainstream Dems for supposedly not doing anything at this critical time.

[yardwork]

28. Billionaires have a lot of power.

To defeat the billionaires we need good data and excellent strategies.

I don't understand the strategy in this OP.

[moonshinegnomie]

17. and yet the dem socialists seem to be winning actual elections

[LymphocyteLover]

20. in NYC

[mcar]

42. In very liberal NYC

and let's remember that 13 incumbent Dems also won in Tuesday's election.

[Jilly_in_VA]

26. "DSA types" ?

Excuse me, what is a "DSA type" and why shouldn't we trust them? Speak for yourself, O hallowed one!

[AStern]

59. "DSA types" equals New Deal Democrats

FDR would be laughed out of the room.

[returnee]

54. It's exactly the non-"DSA types"...

…that I see as failing in the mission to fulfill the needs of the people. And you may have noticed they have not been able to stop the repubs. I think it’s unfair to say that the “DSA types” are the ones creating division. Division is a two way street in this instance, if you want to call it division at all, rather than a disagreement on policy and strategy under the “big tent.” It’s time for the party establishment to stop giving short shrift to the left wing of the party, as you are doing.

[LymphocyteLover]

9. this is BS, though I don't know exactly what you mean by "mainstreamers"

There are thousands of ways Dems have improved America-- strengthened rights and made life better. Saying they've done nada is just insulting nonsense.

[Mysterian]

11. The reich-wing mass media machine has demonized anything for the public good as "socialism."

And brainwashed half the population to vote for more and more tax cuts for billionaires and less services to the public.

[OGBuzz]

15. I caught a few minutes of The Five on Fox last night just to see the reaction to NY. For these people "socialism"

is no longer an adequate term, it's "communism" now and the Democrats are coming to take everything they own. The disinformation and scaremongering are going to be at Level 10 from now until December.

[crud]

13. The Democratic Party in disarray!

mainstream vs. dem socialist. PPV tickets go on sale soon. Come down and watch the greatest show on earth! This is the fight you've been waiting for America. Don't miss the daily updates from your favorite cable news channel!

[DFW]

40. Fight referee?

Polly Gottawhine?

[S/V Loner]

14. I am convinced that profit has been the...

primary driver of our government for a very long time and that goes for both parties though the GOP took it to another level. It seems to me the government has only given the people just enough support to keep them from grabbing the pitchforks and I am tired of it. No policy is discussed without profit running the show.
Today the GOP has dropped all pretense of doing anything for the people and the citizens are paying the price. The Democrats need to stop this "trying to play both sides" and seriously deal with the issues their constituents are facing. I am not a Democratic Socialist yet but I am ready to support anyone that is serious about clamping down on the wealthy controlling everything in this country.

[Fiendish Thingy]

18. Reminder: data shows that most voters who identify as "moderates" actually prefer progressive policies

https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-04-07-only-8-percent-moderates-actually-want-moderation

[maliaSmith]

21. Socialists elected

I'm sorry Goldman was defeated. I liked him.

[DFW]

41. So did I

This was a Stepford Wife move: “because we can.”

[Boo1]

23. You are suggesting that

Democrats haven't achieved anything in 50 years?

Because that's fucking bullshit.

[Progressive dog]

24. Somehow you missed the ACA

amongst other things. Things like holding on to Medicare and Medicaid through lots of governments not controlled by Democrats should count for something too.
At what point in the last fifty years did Democrats ban socialists from the party?

[SamuelAdams]

25. You're skipping over a lot.

There's the ACA, Dodd-Frank, CFPB, Clinton expanding internet access to rural America, EPA, and the Department of Education, Americans with Disabilities Act, Chips and Science Act, Moonshot to end cancer, Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, etc. Not everything was done with a Democratic president but all these has a Democratic Congress. These bills created good paying jobs, fixed our roads, bridges, tunnels, built major projects, invested in medical research and education, protected consumers, funded renewable energy research and projects, saved thousands of lives. If Democrats haven't done anything in 60 years, why do Republicans spend their time trying to undo what Democrats did?

[iluvtennis]

27. I'm all in - traditional Democrat or Progressive Democrat - I'll be supporting them. n/t

[yardwork]

32. That's the key.

There is a lot of disinformation and emotional manipulation being unleashed by billionaires who want people to vote against Democrats.

Demonizing Democrats is a very successful strategy. It's paid a lot of dividends to the billionaires.

I like Mamdani and AOC because they get things done. I also like some "mainstream" Democrats like my former governor Roy Cooper, now running to take a Republican held senate seat in NC. Cooper gets things done.

It's easy to point fingers and blame. It's harder get things done. Democrats getting elected and getting things done in red districts deserve our respect and support.

[iluvtennis]

36. Well said @yardwork. n/t

[yardwork]

38. Thanks.

It's important to keep pointing out that the emperor has no clothes.

[MineralMan]

35. To Be Effective, Democrats Need to Be the Majority

in our legislative bodies and executive positions. Anything less means what we have right now.

So, as long as we have a majority vote, I'm all for it. If we lose that (for any reason), we fail.

And that's all that matters. Who wins in some state or district is irrelevant. We need the majority or we lose.

[yardwork]

37. This basic fact is known by billionaires.

They are spending millions of dollars on propaganda designed to demonize the Democratic Party and get Democrats to waste their votes or not vote at all.

[MineralMan]

39. Well, that strategy appears to be working.

Unfortunately for all of us.

[Quiet Em]

43. Who are you electing in your House District?

If you want to try a Democratic Socialist to represent you and your district, find one and vote for them.

Every district lets the voters elect who they want for representation.

[DFW]

44. Like Bartelby, "I would prefer not to."

We have had 26 years, or slightly more than half of them, with a Republican in the White House, along with some serious “enemies, domestic” working against us in 2000 and 2016. I’d say the Democrats have done rather well under duress during that time, especially considering that half of their time was spent doing damage control from preceding Republican administrations.

While socialism may have noble-sounding principles, the devil is always in the details. Every time a regime calling itself “socialist” has taken power, the people have suffered under an authoritarian, confiscatory elitist regime that almost never consented to being voted out of power. There was always an attached label, just like Bush II’s “compassionate (ha-ha) conservatism.” There were Soviet Socialists, National Socialists, Unity Socialists (East Germany’s S.E. D.), and whatever it is Chávez called his mess in Venezeula. Now, we are introduced with yet another label, and expected to swallow whole the notion that “but this time, they REALLY mean it!”!

Even when Mitterand won the election in France in 1981, his government used to send terror units to small shops all over Paris with orders to impose fines for imagined offenses (i.e., don’t come back to the office without money), bigger taxes, including the wealth tax, although that one was removed on fine art (the socialist finance minister’s father was a big dealer in fine art). Needless to say, they had to make quite a few concessions to stay in power.

I still remember Miguel de Unamuno’s speech to the Spanish Fascists in 1936: “Ustedes vencerán….pero no convencerán.” You people will conquer, …but you will not convince.” I obviously hope the nominees win their congressional races, but I am not convinced—not by their tactics, and not of their ultimate goals, whatever they really are. No me convencen.

[1WorldHope]

45. Can't we celebrate good things happening

without this infighting? This terrifies me to read, that here on this liberal media we are fighting each other because we won elections in New York. Democratic socialists are not the enemy. They are Democrats with a stupid label that makes us fight against each other. Please let's stand together and not let the 1% divide us again. I don't know how many chances we're going to get to try to get this right. America needs to do better for everyone and that needs to be what we focus on.

[AZProgressive]

47. The Democratic Socialists actually have a higher approval rating than Congressional Democrats

8 Nov 2025
New Poll: Democratic Socialism Is Now Mainstream
https://rosalux.nyc/new-poll-democratic-socialism-is-now-mainstream/


The moderate position isn't always the popular position.

I think one flaw with the strategy mostly since Clinton is the self-described moderates often adopt right wing policies thinking that will help them electorally. It was probably true when their opposition was neocons but with right wing populists I don't agree that compromise is the solution with them.

The reason why I support progressive politicians and policies is because I think they are the right policies and Republicans often have terrible policy. I look at both the Republicans and Progressives and feel Progressives have better policies and they often have them before they are popular.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

49. We played this game on DU in 2016

I see you weren't here then.

[AZProgressive]

51. I logged off of DU at the beginning of that primary season

Probably about several months before the Iowa Caucus. It was very toxic.

I came back after the convention and seen that DU was united probably the most united I have seen the board but after Trump won the general election there was more infighting after that.

[LudwigPastorius]

50. "Mainstream" democrats have made it so that I can afford health insurance (ACA).

They also saved my pension plan from going under. (Butch Lewis Act)

But, maybe I'm not an "average commoner"?

[1WorldHope]

55. Are you self employed, poor or a brown person?

I had the ACA for a couple of years in the beginning. It was a life changer for me. Then I turned 65 and got sucked into managed care for 5 years. But, my daughter who is self employed, as is her husband with type 1 diabetes, got insurance for the first time in his life with the ACA. I was so happy for them, and I felt so vindicated because her husband is a libertarian and thought having no government was the right way to go. He finally had help paying for insulin. But, he is not getting it for $35.00 a month anymore and my daughter has had to pay for preventative things like mammograms and colonoscopy's because they are not honoring the preventative health care part of the law. In the years since the conception of the ACA, it has been severely compromised. If we had universal health care like other countries it could not be so easily degraded. I don't think anyone is saying the Democrats are bad and never accomplished anything. Where would we be without SS and Medicare, Medicaid, the NIH and USAID? We are starting to find out and If we keep letting Republicans win we will find out soon enough what it's like to live without Medicare and Social Security. My god the Southern States are experiencing Jim Crow again. We the people have got to fight harder for those that never experienced the good things some of us have benefitted from.

[LudwigPastorius]

57. Indeed, I am self employed.

If I didn’t get an ACA tax break, my “silver” insurance policy would be $2,098.00 per month.

…completely impossible for me to pay.

[Torchlight]

52. I'll happily vote for either in a given election

should they be the best choice. Easy-peasey, lemon-squeezey. No fear, no uncertainty, no doubt.

[LeftInTX]

53. OK. No one can accomplish anything unless

they are elected.

[wiggs]

56. All of us are democratic socialists to one degree or another (small d, small s), but MSM and pundits are

trying to poison the label much as they did with 'liberal' or 'woke'.

I think tone and messaging might differentiate democratic socialists from 'mainstreamers', along with the extent to which corporatism influences their policies.

So...in my humble and non-academic opinion, progressives in general tend to be a mix of democratic socialism and corporatism and there's a significant range of percentages. GOPrs generally are also both but with a smaller percentage of DS, larger of corporatism, and a healthy percentage of authoritarianism thrown in.

I've kept a DU post somewhere in which the poster describes the last several decades as a battle between the corporatists and the authoritarians, with the authoritarians winning at the moment. I would welcome swing of the pendulum in which a third influential DS presence would look out for the interests of the 90% rather than the top 10% (corporatists) or the top .1% (authoritarians).