Many Starting To Realize The Democratic Party Is NOT Left-Wing

Protesters seeking Criminal Justice Reform, denied even by the most left of the Democratic Party, Barbara Lee, who voted against reforms because "they weren't good enough." Progressives don't let the best be the enemy of the good, we'll take progress where we can get it! Photo credit: Getty Images.

Since roughly 1992

...and the advent of what were then called "New Democrats", there have always been some on the left who seem sincere but continually try to sheep-dog us back to the Democratic Party. As the Democratic Party has marched ever rightward, the role these sheep-doggers have played has been more and more important, but there are signs now that at least some of the most unwilling to see the truth are beginning to have their eyes open.

For some of us, we've known a very long time that the Democratic Party was shifting right and representing its New Deal values less and less. One could argue that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an aberration, evinced by what happened to Henry Wallace, replaced by Truman in a treasonous act (to the Party) during the 1944 Democratic National Convention. A more convincing date for a clear rightward move would be after George McGovern lost the Presidential race in 1972. While there are many reasons why people vote the way they do, it's reasonable to assume the oligarchic wing of the Democratic Party that had Wallace replaced with Truman took the opportunity to blame McGovern's devastating loss, winning only one state and the District of Colombia, to McGovern's policy of a guaranteed minimum income.

Wherever you want to put the date of the rightward shift, it was after the election and before the inauguration of William Jefferson Clinton as President that I noticed something was seriously amiss. Bill's cabinet was a sure sign of trouble as they were all supporters of the ultra-rich, and I changed my voter registration, from life-long Democrat to Independent to signal my displeasure with the team I saw this New Democrat assembling. I was dumbfounded, angry, and frustrated when I saw the right-wing policies Bill Clinton enacted that a Republican could only dream of doing, like ending welfare as a perfect example. But there were many other Republican-esque policies such as changes to media consolidation rules, NAFTA of course which began in earnest the gutting of industrial America and the blue-collar worker, the Most Favored Nation trading status with China which has, all these years later completely decemated good quality, well paing American jobs, and a great many other disastrous right-wing policies.

And, it got worse and worse for those of us with left values. As bad, we've also seen many of what we thought were our friends and allies side with right-wing policies as if they were left just because they were proffered by politicians with a blue jersey that had a D emblazoned on the front. One such politician was Barack Obama, but I don't want to side-track this article to discuss that in depth. Simply, if you walk through their policies - as now we can do after-the-fact - of both Richard M. Nixon and Barack H. Obama, one can see that Obama was to the right of Nixon. Remarkable, but true. And, it makes the point that by the time we got to the 2016 election, with Obama mostly in the rear-view-mirror, it was completely clear to all with their eyes open that the Democratic Party of 2016 was at right about the same political position on the right / left spectrum of policy as the Republicans occupied in 1980, or perhaps even 1970. Pathetic. And, what's worse are those that have failed to see this rightward march to this day, still supporting the enemies of the policies they want enacted who they confuse to be friends.

My personal rock-bottom

...was the 2016 election which saw the two worst presidential candidates in U.S. History orchestrated to their nominations by a corrupt system of ultra-consolidated media that's now down to five holders of over 90% of all non-internet U.S. media - thanks to the actions of Bill Clinton, by the way - a corrupt DNC which was proven and even admitted cheating in the primary, and their standard bearer, Hillary Clinton, completely devoid of any Progressive values or goals while at the same time claiming the label Progressive. She even declared we would never, ever have single-payer health care in the USA. Giving up before the fight, and especially giving up the fight forever belies the fact that your heart's not in it and it's just empty rhetoric.

And it's not just this. Hillary and company KNOW they're not going to get votes because of their policies - they are devoid of Progressive, left policies and refuse to advocate them whenever there's ANY chance of them being enacted, so they actively work to get WORSE candidates selected by Republicans as the Democrat's only real choice, So, Hillary and Bill selected Trump as an opponent, and it didn't work. (I'd post the picture of Bill, Hillary, Donald and Ivanka but I don't want to make anyone wretch, least of all me!)

On election day, 2016, I hand carried my mail-in ballot to the local registrar of voters and switched my party affiliation from Independent to Green Party specifically to show my disgust with Democrats. ... I'm not independent any more! You mess with our Progressive candidate and steal their candidacy through fraudulent primaries and, for me, it's bye-bye Democratic Party. And the Greens are the best alternative in sight. In the most recent primaries (2018) I voted for some Greens and some Democrats, it's all on a policy basis. I reject identity voting where a candidate is chosen based on identities, I will only vote for someone based on their policies.

Photo Credit: Anand Tech Forums.

Probably nobody reading this needs the reminder, but just to be complete on the point, here's a video of Hillary Telling us we can't have Single Payer (the video was posted January 30, 2016):

Those of us with long memories may well remember Hillary's transition to this position, but for the younger among us or those not paying close attention over the years, here's a great clip from a Thom Hartmann show where Zaid Jilani describes Hillary's shift from Single Payer to Never Single Payer (the video was posted January 14, 2016):

OK, so some of us have known for a long time,

...like most readers here, I'd imagine, but what's remarkable now is how some sheep-doggers for the Democratic Party are starting to come around and I personally see this as a hopeful sign.

Case in point is one Shaun King

... who is an opinion writer for The Intercept. He's extraordinarily pro Democratic Party, no matter how bad they've been. If you do a web search for his work and read a few articles, there are two things they all contain: Black Social Justice Warrioring, and Democratic Party Sheep-dogging. I mostly agree with his main points about Black social justice issues, but strongly disagree with his pro-Democrat arguments - on that subject it's as if he's lost his mind!

However, in his August 19th article entitled When Will the Democratic Party Get Involved in Local and State Law Enforcement Races?, King makes a rather remarkable case for how the Democratic Party is not Progressive! I was shocked when I read it, for it's so unlike King! ...If someone like King is changing his tune, it seems to me like we're starting to see flying pigs!

Way back in the 1970s I recall arguing with my father about all the fake news in the media, and he countered that the main stream media was self-correcting, only later to admit, decades later, that I was right. And perhaps this is something I'll write about some day, but I haven't paid much attention to the Main Stream Media since around the time of the patently illegal war of aggression against Iraq, so I'm maybe not the best source to get overall viewpoints on things from. However, I do like Glenn Greenwald and so I read The Intercept.

The Intercept does a lot of water carrying for the Democratic Party. For example, James Risen posts there regularly, mostly crying about Russian interference in the failed narrative that Hillary wasn't responsible for her loss to Trump it was Russia's fault. And, there are a number of other regular Democratic shills like Shaun King already cited. However, I was rather shocked and encouraged by what is perhaps the best article ever written about how the Democratic Party isn't Progressive and doesn't represent We, The People.

This was done in an article by Briahna Gray entitled Beware The Race Reductionist. In this awesome bit of work Gray weaves together a long, well researched narrative about Identity Politics, how it's weaponized against Progressive Values and describes in good detail a number of examples where the Democratic Party is working against Progressive policies, even when they have - maybe especially when they have - super-majority support among We, The People. A one sentence summary could be that what the article was saying is, firstly that identity politics is a loser and is being used to thwart Progressive goals, and secondly that the Democratic Party isn't left-wing at all.

There are also some pretty good comments below the article I can recommend. If you look for my comments (I post simply as "Art") I identify some of the best of these.

We might well look back on the debacle that was the 2016 election as the best thing that could have happened at the time since it has awaken a huge number of people on the left. People are starting to see that the Democratic Party isn't left, that it needs changing or replacement, and a large number of people are mobilizing toward both of these goals.

I personally support both goals, it's not either / or for me! So long as we all vote based on policy, we're unlikely to have a split vote handing things over to Republicans, but we should enact Rank Choice Voting, just to be sure!

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