I’m going be brutal here, because there just isn’t any nice way to say it:

Democrats are trading on social progress to advance neoliberal economics, while Republicans trade on social regression to advance more extreme and toxic to the poor and middle class economics.

I am unabashedly progressive. That means real left, “New Deal” type left, and as far as most people like me are concerned, party performance for the middle class has been terrible.

A majority of Americans struggle economically today. Their cost and risk exposure continues to climb, while wages stay flat, and or decline as more new jobs pay less than the ones we are losing.

Frankly, the idea of this being a race issue is laughable! I do not intend to marginalize social matters. We’ve got a lot of trouble in this nation, and electing Trump didn’t help any of that at all. There is no real debate on any of that, and “the left” as a whole knows it.

That all said, yes! There is a very significant divide, and it’s rooted in economics, not racism, or social issues.

In fact, here is another brutal reality:

Tepid economic performance has done more to put the social agenda at risk than anything else! Democrats, and I am a Democrat who is super pissed over all of this, have lost over 1000 seats since Obama was elected!

Social progress isn’t good enough people!

Today, Americans can be roughly characterized into three economic classes: Elite, professional, and that majority of struggling Americans.

There are two parties, and neither party actually represents the majority of struggling Americans, which includes everyone below the upper middle class Americans! Put another way, neither party appears willing or able to represent the majority of Americans economically, and that is a much bigger problem for Democrats than it is Republicans! Everyone expects the right to do what it’s doing. That is who they are. But what excuse do Democrats have for saying they are the left party, the opposition, but not actually being that left economic party, that meaningful opposition?

None.

That is the root cause behind so many seats lost too. People have checked out, they don’t believe in the party, they don’t see reasons to get out there and vote, and many of them have had to resort to working more jobs, or more time, or living with a lot less, just struggling to get by. All of which leaves a lot less time and motivation for politics, right when the left really needs all of that to happen, and needs it in a big way!

The biggest way actually.

Notice nobody is talking about the possibility for the GOP to call for an Amendment Congress? Why is that when we are just one State legislature away from that happening?

Does anyone actually believe we, the left, progressives, Democrats will come out ahead on all that given how little power we currently hold in government today?

Does anyone hold any illusions on how toxic that process will be to basic ideas like health care, wages, the environment?

How will social issues play out, given the left is marginalized through brutal amendments?

You think the risks are high? Yeah, so do I, so we all need to get together and win, right?

So tell me then, how come my fucking party, Democrats, continue to insist the wins will come from “Romney Voters?” How come progressives continue to get told they are not needed? Why is it we can’t seem to get behind the number one issue, Health Care?

Nothing on the progressive agenda is unreasonable. Not a damn thing. The rest of the world can put together sane health care policy that does not put their citizens at insane cost and risk exposure. We can do that, we need to do that, and for some reason, probably big money donations, Democrats consistently tell us it’s impossible, or it’s not the right time, or get this: It costs too much, to save billions every year! ...or some other damn thing, while people die, lose homes, go bankrupt, die early, suffer in pain and god knows what else!

I lost my home by the way. My financial future is a mess, and I’m not even sure what I’m going to be able to do when I retire, if I can even retire, despite living modestly, following all the rules, even doing well financially in life.

All it took was someone getting sick at the wrong time, a time when a one percenter decided that a trip around the world was more important than health care for the people who helped them make the money to do that. Boom, gone, no longer really part of the middle class.

And when people like me look for representation? You know, the kind of politics we can get behind, that matter? There are an awful lot of people like me out there too. Enough to win, but we’ve got to put something out there for them to really get behind.

We get told it’s not possible, we aren’t needed, there are other priorities, and every other thing except for, “yes, we can do that, let’s go win together!”

Know what all that really means?

It means Dems are going to lose big again these mid-term elections, that’s what it means. And they are going to lose because the people they need to win aren’t seeing the representation needed to get them out to vote, get them excited, get them to believe in politics.

Now, it’s said it’s on them to vote. Ok, well I have been given some NGP VAN numbers, and Democrats are looking pretty sad in a lot of important states. Even the strongholds are down, fund raising is down, activity is down, registration is down. Way down. Ugly.

Our leaders need to lead, or we will fail, and have been failing, because the leadership, the representation, that public promise to do right by the people simply has not been a priority!

That has all got to change. Now. Before it’s really too late.

The threat of Trump and the GOP isn’t enough. These up coming elections aren’t about moving right to capture those “Romney Voters” in some attempt to just blunt the harm. Doing that is acceptance we’ve lost, and it’s all over but for potentially rendering the very worst decisions into less worse ones.

More people will die, more will go hungry, health care won’t happen, nor will the wins we need, and with those wins goes the social agenda we all value and believe in.

Moving right economically won’t improve on social regression in progress right now!

In fact, doing that will put it at even more grave risk than it already is. Women’s rights are under full assault! Civil liberties are under attack. Trans, gay, minorities, of all kinds, under threat.

But that message isn’t enough! When there isn’t enough money, the priority isn’t getting along. It’s about survival.

Politics today, as seen by that growing majority of struggling Americans, is survival politics! Read it again:

Survival politics.

Economics.

This election is all about people who could be voting, who are registered, who could register, and who need a reason to vote. They need to see representation aimed right at them, or they are going to remain checked out. And with them goes any chance the left has to salvage this mess and make progress.

Blame them, shame them, guilt them, harass them, whatever floats your boat. All of those are post fact things. We have already lost the seats, the regression is already in progress and for most of us ordinary people, the price is going to be paid, and paid hard as we see just how ugly a Trump administration can be.

Some may say, “get him out!”

Hello President Pence! Do you honestly believe that’s going to be so much more appealing? Appealing enough to get those people we need out of the woodwork?

Not a chance. Really.

Now do you know who won’t really be so affected by all of this? Wealthy people, most career politicians, and others who are reasonably secure. The rest of us are going to pay really hard.

One issue; namely, sane health care policy, people actually getting health care, not health care insurance they pay too much for, not the promise of health care, not health care in return for their homes, just reasonable health care for every American citizen will win the elections we need to win.

Economics!

And with those wins, we return to being in a position to improve on social policy, we can stop regression, maybe even return to making progress.

And that, make no mistake, is what these up coming mid-term elections, and frankly, every future election will be about.

People aren’t able to live reasonably, they can’t see the doctor, they are losing homes, they are dying, suffering, taking halfsies on their meds, skipping, and it’s time we put an end to it.

Either we put something on the table people can VOTE FOR, or we are going to lose our asses, and with those losses, so goes more social regression.

Quit telling me I’m not needed. I’ve fought hard for this party since Bill Clinton. Quit lying to me about what is possible and what is not. Quit telling me I’ve got to move right, when I know damn well that’s not going to do me, mine, nor that struggling majority any real good.

Quit telling ordinary Americans they have to vote for people who aren’t willing to represent them, because the other people who also aren’t willing to represent them are worse!

That’s madness, and frankly, a grave insult. Is there any wonder we’ve lost 1000 seats?

None, and that’s the hard, ugly truth.

Tell me we are gonna win. Tell me I’ve got something to vote for, tell me it’s gonna get better, and make direct, clear statements about how that is all gonna happen.

I don’t want to hear about the big money donors. I don’t want to see consideration given to these massive corporations who clearly could give two shits about how many of us have to die for their quarterly growth numbers to look as good as they want them to be.

I do want to hear all about how we are going to do health care. Not support it. Not talk about it later. Not plan for it. Not the taste of it. Not just for some people, or other people.

That will win elections. Democrats stand for health care for all Americans and won’t accept anything less.

Do that? We win.

Don’t do that? Watch as that social agenda continues to erode as economic pressure drives everyone into getting what they can long before they even think about getting along better.

TL;DR: Be the economic left, or forget about being the social left, because economics. No fucking joke.

Read more, join the fight at http://www.wayofthebern.com

ONWARD!

Because someone has to.