• Pohl@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    Well I was more talking about the parties generously allowing us to participate in the primary process in a democratic way.

    BUT, there isn’t going to be a party primary when you have a sitting president in this country. It’s suicide. Voters did choose Joe Biden in 2020. Voters in the GOP chose DT in ‘16 and ‘24.

    There isn’t some massive constituency out there hoping for young leftists that got screwed by “the man”. They got washed out by voters who do not want that. I say this all the time on this website. You have to build that constituency from the bottom up. Ignore the presidency for a few cycles and fill your school board and state house with progressives. The party will follow the voters. That is the way it works.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      There isn’t some massive constituency out there hoping for young leftists that got screwed by “the man”.

      Just the majority of California Democrats. But other than that, basically nobody.

      • Pohl@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        3 months ago

        The same people that sent Dianne Feinstein to the senate until she died in office?

        Yeah…

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          3 months ago

          Or Kamala, for that matter. But no leftist candidate in California had access to the kind of funds that either Kamala’s or Feinstein’s campaign enjoyed. Very difficult to establish yourself as a known quantity without decades of name recognition and tens of millions of dollars in your war chest.

          The Sanders campaign was exceptional in large part thanks to their prodigious fundraising capacity. Also helped that he received over a decade of positive media coverage, plus ample coverage during the Bush Era as a reliable opposition to Bush policy. LA City Council candidates Nithya Raman and Ysabel Jurado had significant success thanks to their own success raising tons of campaign cash.

          And this isn’t unique to California. When leftist candidates can find a pool of enthusiastic fund raisers and receptive media coverage, they quickly rise to the top of the pile in crowded races.