As a Progressive, I am throwing in the towel

Politics & Elections
1

Except for a period of about 12 years in the middle of my life, where I swung more Right, I have been pretty Progressive (left-leaning). This has been especially true the last 13 years. As a Progressive, I have been vocal in my irritation with the Democrats as ‘taking us for granted’ and ‘You need to tamper down your wishes and let the Democrats swing Right’. I even expressed rebellion as in ‘Ok this is the last time. I will vote for Biden but if you don’t throw Progressives some serious bones, it is over and I will stop voting for you’.

This election broke me. I thought, in my naivety, that it was just lack of effort and that if a huge turnout happened, people would see Progressive strength is strong. That did not happen. Nearly half of the nation went for Trump over Biden. I suspect it is even more than that as some Republicans voted for Biden this time. So, at least half, if not more, of Americans are very far Right.

So, ok. No more threats. I fully realize that the Progressive ideals are not in line with Americans. It depresses the hell out of me, but facts are facts. You win.

I withdraw from politics. No more volunteering. No more donations. No more enthusiasm for ‘the cause’. What I WILL do is vote every election until I die for the candidates that have a (D) after them. That I will promise.

You have beat me. May God have mercy on this country because I do not think it will last more than a few decades and probably fewer and, if it does, will not be a country I want to live in. I am old, thank God, so I won’t have to.

2

Eh, I am pretty far to the right by the standards of this board and I don’t let that get me down and you shouldn’t let what others think get you down either. Think of it this way, if people conceded in the face of overwhelming odds serious social reforms with regards to women’s suffrage, ending slavery, ending Jim Crow, rights for the gays and lesbians would never have happened. So keep up the good fight (even if I don’t align with all your ideals) and don’t be dismayed if the pendulum oscillates.

3

Despite rhetoric to the contrary, The Democratic party is Moderate Right. The Republican party is Far Right. The Dems are going to have to swing MORE Right to compete. Keeping up the fight, as you say, will only hurt the Dems at best. Yes, I will continue to vote for them, but they are not my party and will become less as they move further Right. I can no longer give them my time, money or enthusiasm. Just my vote as the lesser of two evils.

4

I want to address each of you. First @octopus, well said. Thank you for that post.

@BlinkingDuck, I think progressives are just beginning to move the needle now. I think the right, despite the last 2 elections is going to have move from the right as demographics are changing. Warren & Sanders are too old to lead the fight. But those like AOC are taking it up and others with her. Southern states are moving away from racist politics that the Party of McConnell has kind of relied on.

BTW: I’m not a progressive, in fact I’m an independent and very ex-Republican and I’m just relaying what I’ve been observing.

5

This election is remarkable. It’s made BOTH conservatives and progressives throw in the towel. I’ve been seeing “I quit” posts from conservatives on another message board too.

6

Goddammit, BlinkingDuck, this is a long fight. Don’t give up. Rest, recuperate, celebrate where we won, analyze where we lost.

The majority of white America wants a failed state. That’s been true for at least half a century, and likely longer than that. It sucks, it really sucks, but the consequences are too great to give up.

7

Before throwing in the towel, think of what Stacy Abrams achieved in Georgia, and extrapolate that to similar efforts in the bluing Texas, Florida, and North Carolina for the future. Texas and Florida are gaining house seats/EC in the next census at the expense of the rust belt (more conservative) and California (where the votes don’t matter) and those seats are driven by the new demographics. Georgia was the first true sign of the demographic shift everyone’s been talking about, being harnessed by heroes. And the demonstrations and pussy hats of the last few years have given rise to huge networks supporting a new generation of young and exciting politicians taking their seats at the state level, like the R’s did in the 90s.

This battle was a draw or bit of a retrenchment, but the revealed heros in the backwards action will ultimately carry the war.

8

Not a progressive myself - tho likely just short of it.

Another Trump term woulda been disastrous, but I see considerable opportunity for - at the very least - incremental change under Biden. I’m hoping he is a 1-term pres, and uses his term to mentor/advance younger diverse leaders.

9

Personally, if I can square the logistics: I’m giving up. America is very close to a failed state. I’m approaching 60 and I don’t want to retire in such a fucked up place as this country, have my social security and medicare ripped away. I’m going to spend considerable time figuring out how to get out from under this, move to a low cost country and heave a sigh of relief that I don’t have to obsess about this nonsense and my batshit countrymen any longer. I mean, that’s aspirational and I don’t know if I can make it work, but my faith is exhausted.

10

Nicely said.

11

While you’re free to make your own choices, the far-right is not throwing in the towel, and never will.

12

This Umair Haque is way outside of the political discourse I am accustom to. Thank you for the link, it will probably inspire some new topics in the near future.

~Max

13

Who beat you? We just gave our best shot at throwing a fascist out of office. Sorry you’re not proud of that achievement or that coalition; sorry if it wasn’t done as puritanically leftist as you might have preferred.

Looking forward to your followup piece “Why I walked away from the Left and joined the Republicans.”

14

Not pulling any punches, are you?

~Max

15

We just watched half a nation of people use every ounce of determination, resourcefulness, and organizing to throw out the most dangerous criminal this country has ever seen. Including progressives. And this guy is taking his ball and going home because he didn’t get everything on his progressive wishlist. Who needs it? Why indulge the dramatics?

16

I’m giving everybody in my life a lot of slack for the next month.

A chunk of my peeps are dejected, despondent, and in deep despair. A rather larger chunk are a weird combination of elated (at least for now) and existentially exhausted.

Tomorrow, the sun will rise, and who knows what the tides will bring in ?

[“Cast Away”]

To the OP: rest well, weary warrior.

17

The thing is, I actually think progressive ideas can make a comeback - they just need a lot better marketing. I wouldn’t give up on progressivism. But having said that, if it’s a choice between a weak progressive and a fascist, take the weak progressive. Some progress is better than going in reverse.

And yes, vote for D straight ticket: I wish more people would stop this foolishness of splitting tickets, telling themselves that they’re not partisan. FFS, double down on partisanship if it’s for a good cause.

18

I hope you reconsider. Big change is hard. Big change takes a long time, maybe generations. And if you look at the millennials and zoomers, there is potential for further progressive movement. But that won’t happen by giving up. Keep fighting the good fight. Just adjust your expectations. The country is moving in that direction, just not as fast as we would like.

And if you go look at Biden’s platform, it’s actually pretty progressive. Not that anything will pass until 2022 at the earliest, but the Dems have gotten more progressive.

19

I feel you’re intentionally misunderstanding the op to debate with a strawman.

the issue isn’t that progressives didn’t get everything we want. the issue is that we’ve wildly misunderstood the American people.

Medicare for all was never on the ballot. but trump appointed a frat boy serial rapist and a handmaid tale apologist to the Supreme Court to help tear health insurance away from 30 million people and strip pre existing condition protections from 100 million more. and 70 million people are ok with this.

What was on the ballot was things like respect for democracy, rejecting white supremacy, America’s reputation, basic civility, competence in government, intentional malice and an intentional desire to inflict suffering on Americans, and 70 million people voted for trump who is wrong in these things.

whether Biden wins or not is somewhat irrelevant. the fact that it was even close is a terrible sign. generally presidents do worse in their second election. Trump did better.

McConnell and Graham coasted to reelection.

point being, America (unless our election machines were hacked, and if they are I hope statisticians will uncover that) is a much more dysfunctional nation that a lot of us really understood.

The 2004 election hit hard, then 2016 but now 2020 shows the desire for fascism and white supremacy, and rejection of competence and humanity are widely appealing on the national level.

My view is that we should as progressives give up on achieving anything on the national level for a while. our best hope is to try to hold one of congressional chambers or the presidency. if we have one of three we can limit the damage that can be done even if we can’t accomplish anything.

progressives should focus on doing things on the state and local level instead. all the money, volunteer hours and passion may be more effectively used trying to pass UHC in a blue state rather than trying to get McConnell kicked out of office. the general public rejects our values.

20

Perhaps on the Dem ballot. On the Trump ballot it was, “Cry more, libs”.