Agree very much with “try doing something.” Marty, I’m pretty surprised you left out of the economics section: raising the federal minimum wage and stabilizing/expanding social security by raising taxable income caps. Both popular among a majority of Americans.
Also on housing, seems you’re somewhat conflating NIMBY sentiment among moderate democrats in blue districts with progressivism. Although there have been environmentalists who’ve been quite NIMBY and supported policies making it harder to build new housing, I don’t think they fall under the “progressive” umbrella. Their goals have largely been to maintain existing housing values and exclude people of color.
One of the forces making it so difficult for elected Dems to prioritize doing anything is that they’re beholden to corporate donors, otherwise we’d might shoveling cash to defense contractors at a slower rate, paying lower fees on credit card debt, Medicare would be negotiating with big pharma on all drug prices and we’d have far better Medicare and Exhange options for everyone (or even, god forbid, a public option.) Those too are widely popular and would also support narrowing budget deficits, which would appeal across the board as well.
The failure of Dems is not catering too much to progressives but rather not being willing to give up the corporate cash that then binds them to a course of inaction.
I enjoy ready Marty's articles because while he misses the mark on many things, he's very intelligent and hits the mark on most. The points about Bill Clinton were spot on. Stated another way, people are willing to overlook personal flaws in their leadership if the leader is effective. Trump is loud and egotistical, but VERY effective. Every personal insult thrown at him by the left is another vote for him. If the Democrats wish to join governing, they need to stop the insults and join the discussion. In the words of Stephen Colbert- Try doing something.
Hey Marty, what can you say to those of us who are worried - no, terrified - that it’s too late, and we’ve all just voted in the last democratic America election we will see for a long time? That tyranny is at our door?
Agree very much with “try doing something.” Marty, I’m pretty surprised you left out of the economics section: raising the federal minimum wage and stabilizing/expanding social security by raising taxable income caps. Both popular among a majority of Americans.
Also on housing, seems you’re somewhat conflating NIMBY sentiment among moderate democrats in blue districts with progressivism. Although there have been environmentalists who’ve been quite NIMBY and supported policies making it harder to build new housing, I don’t think they fall under the “progressive” umbrella. Their goals have largely been to maintain existing housing values and exclude people of color.
One of the forces making it so difficult for elected Dems to prioritize doing anything is that they’re beholden to corporate donors, otherwise we’d might shoveling cash to defense contractors at a slower rate, paying lower fees on credit card debt, Medicare would be negotiating with big pharma on all drug prices and we’d have far better Medicare and Exhange options for everyone (or even, god forbid, a public option.) Those too are widely popular and would also support narrowing budget deficits, which would appeal across the board as well.
The failure of Dems is not catering too much to progressives but rather not being willing to give up the corporate cash that then binds them to a course of inaction.
I enjoy ready Marty's articles because while he misses the mark on many things, he's very intelligent and hits the mark on most. The points about Bill Clinton were spot on. Stated another way, people are willing to overlook personal flaws in their leadership if the leader is effective. Trump is loud and egotistical, but VERY effective. Every personal insult thrown at him by the left is another vote for him. If the Democrats wish to join governing, they need to stop the insults and join the discussion. In the words of Stephen Colbert- Try doing something.
Hey Marty, what can you say to those of us who are worried - no, terrified - that it’s too late, and we’ve all just voted in the last democratic America election we will see for a long time? That tyranny is at our door?