Wins by the far-left set up challenge for Hakeem Jeffries
This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).
Source: The Hill
The growing wave of primary victories by democratic socialists is poised to pose a major challenge for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) if Democrats retake the House in the midterms.
...
The arrival of the far-left Democrats, and the anti-establishment energy they represent, could leave Jeffries confronting some of the same issues that have plagued House GOP leaders: managing a broad ideological coalition with little room for defection.
...
Asked whether she would support Jeffries for Speaker, Kiros told HillTV she would not be supporting anybody for leadership that takes corporate PAC money.
...
Progressive Democrats have increasingly described Israels military campaign in Gaza as a genocide and have called for conditioning or halting U.S. military aid to Israel, while some moderate Democrats have continued to back Israels right to defend itself.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5952236-democratic-socialists-challenge-jeffries/
Beyond the semantics of "socialist" and "progressive" and "moderate", the article suggests that the main ideological differences within the Party seem to be taking corporate PAC money (and, by extension, delivering legislation and regulations favorable to corporations) and whether Israel is committing "genocide" or exercising its "right to defend itself."
Polls just released by the Brennan Center for Justice show huge bipartisan support for severely limiting corporate influence on elections. Pew Research showed similarly bipartisan opposition to Israel's actions (including 80% of Dems).
The "challenge" for Jeffries is whether or not he will continue to push the Party to accept massive contributions from corporations and pro-Israel lobbyists, or get in line with hugely popular positions. It seems to me that taking the moral high ground allows the Dems to go on the attack against corruption and lay out a vision centered squarely around affordability, rather than scrambling to define the incremental differences.
I have little interest in primarying Jeffries, but he does need to feel pressure to get in step with where people in the Party are at right now. Focusing on the semantics between "socialist" and "moderate" only obscures the heart of the matter, to the detriment of our Party.
oldmanlynn
(887 posts)This should never be the case and I dont know if this is just mainstream media pushing Republican talking points. We should never have an issue with other Democrats winning no matter how they won. Listen to the people.
Drum
(10,827 posts)-misanthroptimist
(2,013 posts)Far left would be nationalizing industry or elimination of private property or other extreme measures. There is no far left in American politics.
Universal healthcare, low cost education, living wages, etc. are simply "left" -center-left in most of Europe.
I'm really sick of hearing that doing good things for the People (and the nation for that matter) is somehow radical.
Response to -misanthroptimist (Reply #3)
Earth Bound Misfit This message was self-deleted by its author.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,785 posts)Their online YouTube channel got rid of Crystal (forgot last name) who was the left of center host, who sat with a right of center. host. But they got rid of them and now its all far right.
Earth Bound Misfit
(3,606 posts)"Dems in disarray"
Bayard
(30,791 posts)And I think taking big corporate, "donations," make us no better that rethuglicans taking bribes. So, I guess I'm in the far Left column, but that certainly doesn't mean I won't support a Dem every time.
creeksneakers2
(8,127 posts)Although if they want us to cut off aid to them its a tall order with all the influence Israel has and the fact that probably no GOP will vote for it I hope at least the party will find a way to put at least some pressure on Israel.
As far a corporate donations, can we make up the money elsewhere? We have to have money. We can refuse to give in to wishes that are contrary to our beliefs.
Martin68
(28,388 posts)TBF
(37,744 posts)and he's like "I'll work with anybody". He is not doing this BS splitting. Just stop.
h2ebits
(1,041 posts)I have told people for many years that Israel was just a bunch of thugs. What is happening there now is criminal and I consider it to be genocide that WE are participating in--regardless of presidential party affiliation.
I'm 78 years old, live in Colorado, and delighted to see younger people stepping up and, in some places, replacing long time incumbents.
The world has changed dramatically in a very short time frame and, I feel, that our politicians are out of touch with the people that they are supposed to be representing. They appear to be more interested in keeping their jobs and raising money to get re-elected by any means available to them. We the People are only getting appeasement and the occasional token tossed our way.
The advent of computers first in business and then in personal computers; the use of the Internet; the apps accessible to the general public; the trolls; the overwhelming disinformation drowning out facts; the greed and wild grasping for every dollar; the unbridled quest for power and control that is overwhelming us all--I only hope that I live long enough to be able to feel that I have successfully done my part in trying to get us to a place where our government is BY the People and FOR the People.
Politics be damned! The games need to be stopped. . . .
Omaha Steve
(110,813 posts)This is a FEATURE story. Not LBN. Can be posted in GD.