Democrats are too old.

[Sympthsical]

39. Identarian politics has created a Democratic coalition that is extremely fractious

And once they stop working, as we saw with the Latino community and a portion of Black men in 2024, the Democratic party starts having some serious problems.

This "divide everyone into their constituent identities" form of politics just plain doesn't work anymore. It's no longer the 2010s, and it's time to find a different angle of attack for the world we live in rather than the imaginary one wished, created, and insulated in ideological enclaves that both have no tangible relationship with the average voter and barely end up serving the people in minority communities who are not in the upper echelon of professions. We've spent too long trying to be all things to all people instead of having a vigorous core that does have something to give to everyone, to address commonalities.

I live in California. I see these old politics again and again and again. California. The bluest of the blue, where Republicans are not even a whisper of a hope of a dream electorally. Things are not improving. It's the same people, with the same promises, with the same appeals to identity communities, and I have not seen their lives improve. I have not seen their economic situation improve. I have not seen the education their children receive improve (California is 37th in the nation, wtf?!).

You have to reach a point where you look and realize, "This is clearly not working. Clearly." I don't know if anyone's been to Oakland or Richmond or L.A. lately, but it is . . . not great.

California has been a space where these identarian ideologies have been allowed to flourish for at least 20 years. It's not getting better. Living conditions have gotten worse as politicians make their cynical little appeals.

What will make them better? Strong unions with an emphasis on minority membership and participation. An education system that is accountable and not solely based on the wealth of the location. Housing policies that do not solely benefit the upper middle classes. Do we get that? No. What we get is, "I see you." Great. They see you. They don't help you, but hey, at least there was a shout out at the concert.

I'm done with all this. I see the young people in my family struggling in ways I never did - and I'm in my fucking 40s. This isn't some wish for the 1950s. This is a wish for even 2000 over what we have now.

I'm ready to take a wrecking ball to the system and get some serious reform. And that's going to require the old guard being pastured.

We need a party that not only looks like us but lives our lives. I do not get a sense from the top level that they have clue one what life is like for working people in this country. And I think our politics reflect that. It needs to change very quickly, or the 2030's are going to be a brutal fucking decade.