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Did Socialism Lose in the 2020 Election

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  • Did Socialism Lose in the 2020 Election

    Source: The 2020 Election Results Look Like a Massive Rebuke of Socialism


    Summarizing the key lessons that Democrats should take away from election results that were much less favorable than expected, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D–Va.) reportedly told fellow members of her caucus during a conference call on Thursday that they shouldn't say the word socialism "ever again."

    This would be good policy advice, whether or not it's good political advice. But as it turns out, socialism is looking like a major political loser this election cycle, with the specter of it likely costing former Vice President Joe Biden his chance at winning Florida. Indeed, this could be a rough couple of years for progressives: A Biden presidency coupled with a Republican-controlled Senate—an outcome that is far from certain, but gaining some degree of likelihood—would make it almost impossible for Democrats to push through the structural changes (such as D.C. statehood or an expansion of the Supreme Court) that could allow the left to take power.

    This is something of a reversal of fortunes. For democratic socialists, the 2020 election cycle began with great promise; the hard left had not one but two ardently progressive primary candidates in Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.), the latter of whom had shown auspicious resilience against Hillary Clinton in 2016. There had also been small, encouraging signs in the years between then and now: the surprise election of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–N.Y.) in 2018, the success of socialist magazines and podcasts, the increasing salience of issues like economic inequality and Medicare for All, the formation of "the Squad."

    But neither Warren nor Sanders could overcome Biden, the candidate who had worked hardest to put serious distance between himself and the term socialist. If anything, Biden needed to work even harder at this, since President Donald Trump's reelection campaign was able to tie Democrats to Latin American socialism in the minds of some Florida voters, leading to a surprisingly good showing for Trump among Latino—and particularly Cuban—voters.

    Progressives often operate under the assumption that their failure to win elections is a result of malfeasance: More democracy, more activism, and more turnout will produce the broad mandate they need to enact change. They also assume that an increasingly racially diverse electorate will override the white voters who don't support fundamental, revolutionary changes to the economy. But the 2020 results are casting doubt on both of these beliefs: Trump is on track to have the GOP's best showing among minorities in decades, and while he will indeed lose the popular vote to Biden, the unusually high turnout did not lend itself to any sort of blue wave.

    Not all of the results are in yet, and it's possible that subsequent election-related developments could change the outlook for progressives. But a GOP-controlled Senate will kill any chances of big, lofty, leftist legislation. The Senate could vote down Biden's judicial picks, and they could thwart liberal Cabinet nominees. Warren's bid for Treasury Secretary will be dead in the water.

    "The Biden presidency will be doomed to failure before it starts," writes New York magazine's Eric Levitz, who correctly notes that progressives are on the brink of catastrophe.

    Democrats are clearly unhappy with this result, and many blame the excesses of the left for putting them in such a position.

    "Democrats' messaging is terrible; it doesn't resonate," Rep. Kurt Schrader (D–Ore.), a moderate Blue Dog Democrat, told The Washington Post. "When [voters] see the far left that gets all the news media attention, they get scared. They're very afraid that this will become a supernanny state, and their ability to do things on their own is going to be taken away."

    Former Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, now a commentator for MSNBC, told viewers on Wednesday she was worried that far-left positions on issues were scaring potential voters away. Her remarks drew a rebuke from Ocasio-Cortez, who said McCaskill's loss in 2016 means she's no expert on winning elections. (McCaskill might have responded that AOC's own victory in an inner-city House district hardly confers a great deal of political expertise.)

    Even some progressives think it's in the party's best interest to at the very least stop using the word socialism.

    "I think Republicans did get some traction trying to scare people on this 'socialist narrative,'" Rep. Jared Huffman (D–Calif.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told The Washington Post. "What's the point of embracing a phrase like that?"

    If a large number of Democrats actually absorbed this message, it would be icing on the cake. Right now, it appears that some of the worst impulses of both parties have been checked, and the next administration will take office with neither a mandate nor an ability to enact transformational economic policy changes.



    Source

    © Copyright Original Source



    Two things to keep in mind.

    First, Biden has promised to be the most progressive president ever.

    Second, very few people think that Biden will still be president at the end of four years and Harris is far more liberal.


    IOW, don't expect a whole lot of resistance from the White House to pushing a Socialist agenda over the next four years.

    I'm always still in trouble again

    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

  • #2
    Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
    Source: The 2020 Election Results Look Like a Massive Rebuke of Socialism


    Summarizing the key lessons that Democrats should take away from election results that were much less favorable than expected, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D–Va.) reportedly told fellow members of her caucus during a conference call on Thursday that they shouldn't say the word socialism "ever again."

    This would be good policy advice, whether or not it's good political advice. But as it turns out, socialism is looking like a major political loser this election cycle, with the specter of it likely costing former Vice President Joe Biden his chance at winning Florida. Indeed, this could be a rough couple of years for progressives: A Biden presidency coupled with a Republican-controlled Senate—an outcome that is far from certain, but gaining some degree of likelihood—would make it almost impossible for Democrats to push through the structural changes (such as D.C. statehood or an expansion of the Supreme Court) that could allow the left to take power.

    This is something of a reversal of fortunes. For democratic socialists, the 2020 election cycle began with great promise; the hard left had not one but two ardently progressive primary candidates in Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.), the latter of whom had shown auspicious resilience against Hillary Clinton in 2016. There had also been small, encouraging signs in the years between then and now: the surprise election of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–N.Y.) in 2018, the success of socialist magazines and podcasts, the increasing salience of issues like economic inequality and Medicare for All, the formation of "the Squad."

    But neither Warren nor Sanders could overcome Biden, the candidate who had worked hardest to put serious distance between himself and the term socialist. If anything, Biden needed to work even harder at this, since President Donald Trump's reelection campaign was able to tie Democrats to Latin American socialism in the minds of some Florida voters, leading to a surprisingly good showing for Trump among Latino—and particularly Cuban—voters.

    Progressives often operate under the assumption that their failure to win elections is a result of malfeasance: More democracy, more activism, and more turnout will produce the broad mandate they need to enact change. They also assume that an increasingly racially diverse electorate will override the white voters who don't support fundamental, revolutionary changes to the economy. But the 2020 results are casting doubt on both of these beliefs: Trump is on track to have the GOP's best showing among minorities in decades, and while he will indeed lose the popular vote to Biden, the unusually high turnout did not lend itself to any sort of blue wave.

    Not all of the results are in yet, and it's possible that subsequent election-related developments could change the outlook for progressives. But a GOP-controlled Senate will kill any chances of big, lofty, leftist legislation. The Senate could vote down Biden's judicial picks, and they could thwart liberal Cabinet nominees. Warren's bid for Treasury Secretary will be dead in the water.

    "The Biden presidency will be doomed to failure before it starts," writes New York magazine's Eric Levitz, who correctly notes that progressives are on the brink of catastrophe.

    Democrats are clearly unhappy with this result, and many blame the excesses of the left for putting them in such a position.

    "Democrats' messaging is terrible; it doesn't resonate," Rep. Kurt Schrader (D–Ore.), a moderate Blue Dog Democrat, told The Washington Post. "When [voters] see the far left that gets all the news media attention, they get scared. They're very afraid that this will become a supernanny state, and their ability to do things on their own is going to be taken away."

    Former Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, now a commentator for MSNBC, told viewers on Wednesday she was worried that far-left positions on issues were scaring potential voters away. Her remarks drew a rebuke from Ocasio-Cortez, who said McCaskill's loss in 2016 means she's no expert on winning elections. (McCaskill might have responded that AOC's own victory in an inner-city House district hardly confers a great deal of political expertise.)

    Even some progressives think it's in the party's best interest to at the very least stop using the word socialism.

    "I think Republicans did get some traction trying to scare people on this 'socialist narrative,'" Rep. Jared Huffman (D–Calif.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told The Washington Post. "What's the point of embracing a phrase like that?"

    If a large number of Democrats actually absorbed this message, it would be icing on the cake. Right now, it appears that some of the worst impulses of both parties have been checked, and the next administration will take office with neither a mandate nor an ability to enact transformational economic policy changes.



    Source

    © Copyright Original Source



    Two things to keep in mind.

    First, Biden has promised to be the most progressive president ever.

    Second, very few people think that Biden will still be president at the end of four years and Harris is far more liberal.


    IOW, don't expect a whole lot of resistance from the White House to pushing a Socialist agenda over the next four years.
    MMT, for all intents and purposes, was implemented as a rescue program during the pandemic, with very little resistance from the senate. The Fed is creating trillions bailing our companies and the unemployed and the debt and deficit blew up. And this happened under a supposed Republican president and majority senate. Dems can pretend we're not going to go full-on socialism under Biden all they want. And the conservatives can pretend a majority senate will prevent this all they want.

    Comment


    • #3
      Conservatives reeeeeeeeeeally need to stop whining about socialism. The US is already partly socialistic.

      Comment


      • #4
        Socialism never has been a winner in the Democratic Party. Bernie Sanders is the closest, but not really, and he was unable take anything much in the primaries. Though Socialism is always be a part of our government, like in terms of Social Security.
        Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
        Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
        But will they come when you do call for them? Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Act III:

        go with the flow the river knows . . .

        Frank

        I do not know, therefore everything is in pencil.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Whateverman View Post
          Conservatives reeeeeeeeeeally need to stop whining about socialism. The US is already partly socialistic.
          I totally agree. We've been at least partially socialism for decades. Today, I honestly don't know what we are, but we are NOT free market capitalism, yet not really full-on socialism (as defined in other socialist countries) either. Some call it corny capitalism, but I think it's more like a form of neofeudalism because there's really nothing capitalism about it.

          Comment


          • #6
            I don't know if socialism lost but the socialism boogeyman won big.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by LiconaFan97 View Post
              I don't know if socialism lost but the socialism boogeyman won big.
              TBH, if you think the democrats represent socialism in any meaningful sense then you'd believe anything anyway.

              The idea that Biden or Harris represent the far left is laughable.

              Comment


              • #8
                The more progressive candidates among the Dems did fairly well this election. "The Squad" increased in size by 50%. Whereas a huge number of moderate and centrist Dems (who ran against Medicare for All and against Defunding the Police) who were expected to win house seats, ended up losing their races.

                Some of the referenda results:
                - Florida passed a $15 minimum wage
                - Montana, South Dakota, Arizona & New Jersey legalized marijuana
                - Colorado passed 12 weeks of paid family leave
                - Arizona increased taxes on the rich to fund education

                Looks like a reasonable victory for progressive causes to me.

                A Fox News exit-poll:

                FoxHealthcare.jpg

                So Fox News is saying "Changing to a Government-Run Healthcare Plan" has a 72% approval rating! It shows that once you take away divisive terms like 'Obamacare' and 'socialism' and actually ask the question about the idea itself, Americans overwhelmingly favor government-run healthcare aka 'socialized medicine'.

                Other poll results I've seen from various outlets over the last few years:
                - "Do you support a proposal that would make public colleges, universities, and trade schools free for all and cancel existing student debt?" 58% Support, 42% opposed. (The Hill / Harris, Sept 2019)
                - "New laws could be written that would be effective in reducing the role of money in politics" 65% agree, 31% disagree (Pew, March 2018)
                - “The very rich should contribute an extra share of their total wealth each year to support public programs” 64% agreed. They reversed the question: "the very rich should be allowed to keep the money they have, even if that means increasing inequality" 54% disagreed. (Reuters/Ipsos, Jan 2020)

                The US voters seem to like policies and candidates at the more-socialist end of the spectrum as opposed to those at the more-centrist end.
                Last edited by Starlight; 11-08-2020, 04:03 PM.
                "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
                "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
                "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by seanD View Post
                  MMT, for all intents and purposes, was implemented as a rescue program during the pandemic, with very little resistance from the senate. The Fed is creating trillions bailing our companies and the unemployed and the debt and deficit blew up. And this happened under a supposed Republican president and majority senate. Dems can pretend we're not going to go full-on socialism under Biden all they want. And the conservatives can pretend a majority senate will prevent this all they want.
                  What exactly do you think "full-on socialism" would look like?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Stoic View Post

                    What exactly do you think "full-on socialism" would look like?
                    In the 21st century, I'm not sure. Maybe something like we have now only with much more government control and oppression. In light of our technology, perhaps something out of a futuristic dystopian horror movie.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by EvoUK View Post

                      TBH, if you think the democrats represent socialism in any meaningful sense then you'd believe anything anyway.

                      The idea that Biden or Harris represent the far left is laughable.
                      I suppose they are more conservative than most conservatives.

                      And leftist won't keep agitating, the socials won't keep cancelling, and snowflakes will coalesce into a great big snowman.

                      And the BLM and Antifa will lay down with the lamb.

                      And Joe will read us all to sleep in our healing souls.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by LiconaFan97 View Post
                        I don't know if socialism lost but the socialism boogeyman won big.
                        I think socialism to these guys is any attempt by government to keep people from starving in the streets, or being obliterated by natural disasters, or standing for handouts at the salvation army soup line because they lost their job, or dying in their beds because their pre-existing medical condition means they can't get medical insurance and their treatment would cost more than they can make in a year each month.

                        I tend to think they might even tolerate the abuses of the workers in 'mill towns' again, no mandates for masks in coal mines, no pollution controls on factories, no clean water standards or environmental standards to limit the profits of industries. They certainly complain about the laws that prevent such things every chance they get.

                        From what I can gather, if the owners of corporations are not free to do whatever they want, whenever they want, especially if it means more $$$ in their bank accounts, then they are being oppressed by 'socialism'.
                        Last edited by oxmixmudd; 11-09-2020, 08:14 AM.
                        My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. James 2:1

                        If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not  bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless James 1:26

                        This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; James 1:19

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by seanD View Post
                          Originally posted by Stoic View Post
                          Originally posted by seanD View Post
                          In the 21st century, I'm not sure.
                          What exactly do you think "full-on socialism" would look like?
                          Dems can pretend we're not going to go full-on socialism under Biden all they want.
                          I see. According to you, we're headed for "full-on socialism", but you don't know what "full-on socialism" would look like.

                          Maybe take a second or two to think about what you're writing before you write it?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Whateverman View Post
                            I see. According to you, we're headed for "full-on socialism", but you don't know what "full-on socialism" would look like.

                            Maybe take a second or two to think about what you're writing before you write it?
                            Fair enough. I'm just not sure what to call it other than "Not Capitalism." Whatever direction we were already heading that isn't capitalism, the Biden admin will push down the accelerator in that direction post pandemic and it won't be anything near capitalism, but he'll have to appease the progressives of his wing tugging him in the direction they want, so it will have socialist programs in the mix as an appeasement.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by seanD View Post

                              Fair enough. I'm just not sure what to call it other than "Not Capitalism."
                              Thank you for that reasonable answer.

                              We're already there; the US economic system is already Not Capitalism, because we've implemented socialistic policies and practices: a heavy tax burden, social security, medicare/medicaid, subsidized industries, etc. US governments routinely give some of their citizens stuff other / different citizens have paid for.

                              We're neither all-capitalism nor all-socialism.

                              So whatever cliff you think it is that we're headed for, it's not Socialism.

                              Comment

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