by Karen Duncan
After the disheartening loss in GA 06, I’ve heard a lot of the arguments about why the Democrats should go back to the center – or as some would frame it – become more “pragmatic.” It’s from the same old voices who have been arguing this since forever, while we have lost over 900 state legislative seats, two-thirds of the state’s governors’ mansions, and both the House and Senate. Oh, and the White House. Here is a counter-argument to that, based on the demographics of GA 06 and a critique of that race.
As Richard Eskow, the author admits, anything said is speculative. But that is true for both sides of the debate. We tried moderate, pragmatic, and Republican-lite in the GA 06. And it lost, so we know at least in that instance it didn’t work. We have seldom tried a good solid center-left economic progressive message coupled with strong defense for civil rights, so we actually don’t know if that would work. But it might.
And please spare me your arguments about socialism. I am not a socialist. And trust me. I know what socialism is. I grew up with socialists. And spare me also your diatribes against Bernie Sanders. I did not support him because I am not a socialist. I supported Hillary Clinton. But we need less Third Way and more FDR and Truman in our Democratic politics.
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