Summary
Progressives criticized House Democrats for choosing Rep. Gerry Connolly over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the top Democratic seat on the House Oversight Committee.
The 131-84 vote, reportedly influenced by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sparked backlash against the party’s “gerontocracy,” with critics like MSNBC’s Joy Reid and others arguing it prioritizes seniority over fresh ideas.
Connolly defended the decision, citing his experience, but progressives argued it reflects the Democratic Party’s resistance to change, hindering its ability to address future challenges and energize younger voters.
The DNC is a right wing corpo puppet masquerading as opposition.
They’re far more comfortable with a fascist as President than they would a leftist like AOC.
Stare at what their priorities are a month before Trump takes office, sabotaging their most leftwing members. Commuting the sentences of profiteer judges. Herp derp gotta keep moving right after all! (just an aside, I love the neoliberals defending Biden’s corrupt pardons as “just senile/incompetent”)
Reminder: the only leftist congresspeople are spoiler candidates. The DNC promotes solely on the basis of how well you prove you can be bought by large money donors, which tells you all you need to know about who’s side they’re on. The same side as the Fascists on economic policy, as they get the same checks from the same oligarchs.
I’ve voted blue for 20 years, with my nose held hoping for harm reduction. I phonebanked for Sanders in 2 campaigns. I already know it’s all a sham. You can vote whoever you want as long as they’re pro corpo capitalism. But in the 2028 primary, when I see the DNC yet again doing everything they can to kneecap a progressive to install a neoliberal, I’m walking away, as it’s just another system of control. The illusion of choice.
If the people won’t overcome their “free market” propaganda and vote against the shape and priorities of this sociopath owned economy literally legally conning and murdering us for tidy profits, we can’t be saved, and there’s nothing worth saving left.
The DNC is a right wing corpo puppet masquerading as opposition.
This kind of bullshit is so easy to believe, especially with stories like these.
For any of you under-30s just tuning in to the exciting world of corporate politics and wanting to just go along with that idea for funsies I encourage you to actually look at the jobs to be done. Democrats in office in DC are in the bare hundreds while nationally there are many thousands of actual good people doing the best they can to make this entirely fucked up clusterturd run for just one more goddamn day. Because traffic lights have to work. People have to clean the crap out of the sewers. Trees have to be planted by the city and maintained. Boring, entirely decent work being done by Democrats who have no interest in bombing Palestine and say so every chance they get.
Pitching edgy insults at them helps no one including yourself because the alternative to a national party that isn’t owned by trump is absolute worthless chaos. Unless there’s a secret unnamed party that we’re not hearing about. Ten educated punks in a dispensary does not a political party make. It turns out to be much, much harder than that to do.
If you want to burn it down and don’t have any idea what the fuck it does or is, you’re doing trumps work for him. If you have a better idea why are you the only one with it?
Hey, if AOC and Bernie say - everybody go that way, then maybe we’ll have a new party. Works for me. But until something happens at a national scale like that we’ve got one already that’s open for change. It does involve speaking to others without a keyboard though, so that is a downside, but since it’s always been that way I’m not sure we can blame it on corporations, capitalism, (((cabals))) or whatever.
“Until everybody changes i will do no work to change anything”
What point are you trying to make here? You’re basically saying “not all Democrats” while admitting that the party leadership is rotten to the core, and no amount of head down, hard working, stay in line, lower level Dems is going to change that. Like obviously nobody thinks every Democrat is a terrible person. But the ones in charge, who make the decisions and influence the party priorities and values, are entirely bought and sold.
You’re basically saying “not all Democrats” while admitting that the party leadership is rotten to the core, and no amount of head down, hard working, stay in line, lower level Dems is going to change that.
That’s absolutely not what I’m saying, and if that’s a remotely plausible interpretation then I obviously didn’t say it right.
It’s more like this: Party leadership is party leadership to a large extent. There are things they need to do and care about that no one else does. That goes for any party including all the magical non-party parties that some of our lefty friends think are the only way forward. They will ultimately have the same challenge.
To change that, there has to be one of two kinds of effort: intense focused, or overwhelming general. I suppose a combination of those might work too, but party leadership becomes entrenched for the same reasons we pick a brand and stick with it. It worked, it’s fine, we have other things to do. So to break that spell we either need Superperson to charge in there and rock the house down, or an enormous Gathering of the Tribes to chant for change. Again, that’s the same for any national party. Once in a great while we get great leaders who understand the need and pace of change and just step aside to let it happen. Obviously it’s not that great while I guess.
The DNC needs a rebuilt engine, but the seats and tires are fine, the radio shold be upgraded but is servicable, and there’s some cool maps in the glove compartment. People should fix it rather than just start walking and bitching there’s no good cars anymore. Or worse yet, claiming a magical zero emission carbon neutral train will arrive shortly to whisk us away so let’s just stand here.
Progressives fixing the traffic lights and sewers are exactly where Pelosi wants progressives, and no higher.
This attitude right here, which is pervasive among the professional managerial class, is precisely WHY progressives failed to capture the Democratic party post 2016, where-as MAGA was able to successfully take over their corporate party, and bend it to their will.
You think the guy going out to repair a traffic light or keeps the system working is part of the DNC?
People keep the country running, not
parasitespoliticians.No I’m saying there are Democratic officials who do those kinds of tasks and they’re not part of “corporate backed opposition”. Politicians are people not always parasites. And usually when people say they are parasites they don’t know much about politics, or organizations, or national media - all the stuff that’s involved in political party operations.
https://apnews.com/article/business-nancy-pelosi-congress-8685e82eb6d6e5b42413417f3d5d6775
I love how neoliberals are always more concerned with street lamps and trees for the dwindling middle class areas while never bringing up our greatest sin you have no interest in addressing, housing all homeless without condition. That should come before all else, from the worst off citizens upward. They’re dying right now, needlessly. While others live in their compact cars and try to reframe it as a lifestyle because a studio is out of reach.
But they have no bribe checks, and serve capitalism as scarecrows. Dying of exposure, being legislated as not being allowed to exist at all even in supposed leftwing states.
Fuck the pretty commons, the less poors are rooting for the deaths of more poors for the crime of lowering property values while being killed themselves by the rich they trusted, and some still sadly do, to do the right thing by them. But that’s your priority.
Honestly beautifying the commons in the areas protected from our most struggling, while our tent cities burst at the seams is beyond perverse.
People where I live, Seattle, regularly vote to tax ourselves more to try to help the homeless. Somehow nothing seems to ever help very much. We vote for all sorts of different programs. Maybe it just hasn’t been long enough to see which might be working.
You didn’t mention the traffic lights or the sewers. I got the zeal for single-minded politics but in reality that doesn’t work because, well, there are many many other things that have to be done. And not just traffic lights and sewers! Other things too. Uh, schools, hospitals, and . . probably industrial waste or disaster recovery. Good on you for the single thing tho - are you running for something?
I don’t bullshit with a big fake smile, and that’s all Americans are willing to buy, so no, I don’t have what they want to buy to sell.
You’re the one that started with trees and traffic lamps as paramount issues. I started with the capitalist rot, the blight that creates or informs all others. Clearly traffic lights and trees are your top ticket items. Good for you I guess. And we can barely do anything, so I always find it hilarious when you guys talk about us doing many things at once. We can’t. We’ve proven we can’t. The signature legislative achievement in most of our lifetimes was a healthcare bandaid that further enshrined the profit for murder capitalists into the system we begged them to remove and end as an industry. We the people aren’t permitted to effect anything that would diminish private profits for the sake of the public, let alone several at once. Way, way, way too much credit being given.
If we can’t reshape our economy to start rewarding prosocial vocations like teachers and nurses and start actively punishing runaway avarice, very little, and none of the most destructive issues, can begin to be addressed. There is profit to me made in human cruelty and murder, so long as it rolls downhill exclusively.
I always find it hilarious when you guys talk about us doing many things at once. We can’t. We’ve proven we can’t.
I don’t know how you mean - we got here somehow. By doing many things at once, was my take on it.
I don’t bullshit with a big fake smile, and that’s all Americans are willing to buy, so no, I don’t have what they want to buy to sell.
Yeah me either, so I hear you on that one. Still - with all this old “new media” maybe someone will figure out how to run for office with it and we’ll see some fast change for the better.
Doesnt matter much if we dont get a chance to vote for the better candidates.
it’s fine I’ve got experience
A fat lot of good your fucking “experience” has done us lately, wouldn’t you say, Connolly, you ossified, cancer-ridden, insider-trading, neoliberal establishment fuck.
I take issue with using cancer-ridden as a derogatory term, but yeah, experience doesn’t mean anything if you’re working towards the wrong goals
Think if it as a moral cancer.
why are the fucking boomers so resistant of letting go of power? pelosi is 84 years old, she belongs in a nursing house, not politics
It’s sad but true - and a very old story.
Just like, hey here’s 100,000 no strings attached oh can you be at our vote on Thursday? - is a very old story.
A lot of these people are so old they aren’t even boomers… Lol. The oldest boomers are still in their late 70s.
As with most people in that position, they’ve been fucking over people for so long that they’re terrified of someone turning the tables on them. Hence gathering ungodly amounts of wealth and insulating themselves from the world.
They’re like cats with claws stuck in something. They don’t even understand that letting go is a thing they could do
I’m not actually that surprised a vote by a bunch of politicians was decided based on politics and not which candidate was a better fit.
The progress wing should leave the party. Force the dems to come crawling or show their hands as sleeper Republicans
The frustration is real. There’s a movement to create an American Labor Party. I think if it gets enough steam we might see some real change.
I wish it would succeed but am afraid that this would lead to a bipartisan return to McCarthyism and Red Scare at the time when Russia is acting up again. America is allergic to the medicine known as Socialism for all of its illnesses.
I hope it comes to fruition, but the duopoly is quite established.
Seriously. I think frustration with the Democratic party is at an all-time high though, and that might be an important catalyst.
Not holding my breath but I’ll do that I can to help the cause.
I’d be hopeful if it wasn’t mathematically almost impossible for a third party. But as soon as it happens sign me up regardless.
That’s just for the president. There’s no reason we can’t have a third party in the House or Senate.
Its mathematically impossible to have three parties at once that are viable. If enough democrats and republicans move to a third party that it becomes one of the big two, thats fine. The democrats can be the new green party.
404 error on your link
Fixed, thanks! Forgot to add the https://
thanks i’m checking them out
rich old white guy: i have an idea - lets have a rich old white guy do it instead
[all vote yea]
:/
There is NO TIME to do something about the Democratic party better than NOW.
Nothing much going on, no major elections, let’s just get ourselves in shape for 2028. Or 2032 of it takes that long, but DAMNIT, let’s get started!
They want a leadership power struggle? They want to play games, like everything’s ok, “This is fine?” Let’s not. Instead of expressing disgust, wringing our hands, shaking our heads, let’s start something new. RIGHT NOW.
Because even a year from now would be too late.
Jesus Christ, these people don’t learn.
They’re paid not to
Exactly. This isn’t a mistake or incompetence, it’s the point.
It’s what they’re paid to do. War over social issue symptoms with their “opposition” to present a false choice to the rubes who believe they’re “free,” while protecting the completely captured economy exactly as it is… From the people suffering it.
Democrats don’t deserve anymore support. We’ve got to get a party for the working class. It’s just corporate whores in the GOP and DNC.
If you’re interested in that you can always check out the DSA and see if they have a local chapter in your area. They’re not a political party right now but imo if anything is gonna form a true labor third party in the US it will most likely come from there.
The problem with a winner-take-all system like the Electoral College is that if you do not vote for the Democratic Party, you’re just underpinning the Republican Party. The unfortunate truth is that every progressive who sat out the November election for various reasons helped put Trump back in the WH. The Electoral College has to go for a third party to be viable.
That’s true right up until it isn’t. Just ask the Whigs.
Sure on the national level that’s true, but on the local level third parties can definitely make big gains in areas that are safe democrat seats traditionally. Then from there you fight to implement those kinds of systems at the local level and work up from there.
Or you punish the party by removing its political support, until it properly represents your interests and if it is reluctant to do so, you keep organizing for a third party until it takes over.
The claim that the people not voting Dems helped Trump has to be put equally towards everyone that kept voting them no matter what, until they alienated so many people that a candidate like Trump could win. And Trump didnt win once. Hew won twice. The Dems chose to give Trump the victory over reforming themselves to address working class issues. And with all the talk about he would be the end to Democracy they made a point of showing that donors get their way, not normal voters. So their priorities have been made clear.
You can only keep drinking so much, until the hangover comes. But the longer you delay it, the harder it will hit
The ol battle axe was in hospital recovering from hip replacement surgery, but Pelosi still has the heart of a true leader, and managed to get a “young 74 year old” the seat. Way to go Democrats! You fucking idiots are why we have trump part deux.
And the dude has fucking throat cancer
I’m sure when he croaks in a couple months, AOC will get the seat as she was the runner-up, right?
It’s been far less reported but they did almost the exact same thing to Katie Porter in California. She was another rising star that got snuffed out by the DNC machine. They redistrict her seat and then they locked her out of the Senate election and pushed one of their elites in her place.
It was almost an exact repeat of what happened to Nina Turner in Ohio in 2021. Everywhere they can the Democrats lock out progressives. The Democratic party does not give one single shit. All they care about is the money and power they get as politicians. Everything they say is lip service.
Old white men gonna old white men.
Pelosi too
I believe at this point she’s a honorary white old man
Yeah fuck the Democrats. I’m not giving the DNC or any mainstream PACs any more money. It’ll all go through AOC and Bernie from here on out. (Not that my meager contributions mean much to the DNC Corporate whores.)
I’ll believe they are “up in arms” as soon as they actually do anything.
My current opinion is not that schisming from the DNC would be a winning move, but if we do it should definitely happen now rather than later.
