Nonsense.
I read a dozen stories with this headline the day after every single election, and they’re all bullshit. They’re not bullshit because I want them to be. They’re bullshit because they’re bullshit, and I’m going to show you why they’re bullshit.
First, let me start with how to spot the bullshit. If the piece you’re reading doesn’t go into which candidate had the most money, it’s bullshit. If the piece doesn’t mention that in America, 94% of all house races (82% for the senate) are won by the candidate with the most money, than the story is bullshit. By the way, this was true of 100% of presidential races since 1960, until 2016, but that one had a major caveat in the form of the billions of dollars in free advertising that Trump got from “news” shows. If the article doesn’t spell out when an endorsement comes with funding, it’s bullshit. Some organizations or people endorse by lending their name. Others like Emily’s List endorse and include an avalanche of money. That’s important information to have, since Emily’s List consistently “endorses” the least progressive candidate in every race they get involved with.
So now that you know the historical numbers, let’s look at how Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, and PCCC candidates are doing. First some quick background. The PCCC (Progressive Change Campaign Committee) has been around since 2009 so less than 10 years. Our revolution was founded in 2016, and Justice Democrats was formed last year.
They should be getting massacred in over 90% of the races they have endorsed candidates in, right? In fact, in order to honestly proclaim that Bernie’s movement is a failure, they would have do perform under that 6% baseline. So how are they doing?
Well, as it happens Five Thirty Eight took a look. Just so you know, they didn’t get into money, but I think it’s safe to say that nearly all, of not all of the candidates that these three organizations ran were outspent. If they weren’t, then it’s because they raised more money from small contribution donors than their opponents did from the DNC or (for example) Emily’s List. I promise you that none of the Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, or PCCC candidates got any outside help at all. Not even from local media.
In 2018, PCCC (who incidentally are nearly solely responsible for giving us Elizabeth Warren) endorsed (and financially supported) fifteen candidates. Of those fifteen, ten won. That’s a pretty fucking awesome 67% victory rate. That’s over ten times better than the 6% overall baseline number.
Five Thirty Eight broke out Bernie’s endorsements from Our Revolution’s. I don’t know why but I’m combining them since Bernie’s endorsements were the cashless version of Our Revolution’s endorsements that come with financial support. They put Bernie’s victory rate at 56%. I’m going to go with Our Revolution’s performance instead. In 2018, Our Revolution endorsed eighty-five candidates. Twenty-seven of those won, giving Our Revolution a 32% victory rate. That’s over five times better than the 6% overall baseline number.
I’d like to pause for a second to point out that if I was trying to bullshit you by trying to create the reality I want, instead of the one that we’re living. I would I would have used the Bernie figure of 56% and you never would have known that I manipulated you. But that’s not how I roll. Wishing doesn’t make it so, and deluding yourself doesn’t change reality. It merely disconnects you from being able to recognize it, and allows you your delusional happy thoughts for a little while longer.
Okay, now onto Justice Democrats. They endorsed (with financial support) fifty candidates in 2018. Seventeen of those candidates won (one more victory was called after the Five Thirty Eight article came out). That’s a 34% victory rate. That’s over five times better than the 6% overall baseline number.
Is Bernie’s progressive movement “dead”? Not even fucking remotely, and don’t let anyone tell you that it is. Don’t let them tell you it is because you want it to be, and don’t let them tell you it is in order to discourage you.
These articles are being written by establishment shills to discourage you from voting for anyone other than their selected candidate. They want to hang onto power, and they will do anything to that end.
I don’t know what sane person thinks that a primary in which a candidate with no money, no comb, and no tailor takes 43% of the democratic vote thinks that the establishment is in good shape. That should have been a major warning sign, but it wasn’t. The democratic establishment is doing exactly what they’ve been doing for the past thirty years, but they’ve added more propaganda to their repertoire to combat the insurgency.
The electorate in America is changing, and it’s not going to change back. So for all the die hard Hillary supporters who are rabidly anti-anything having to do with Bernie (they savage Alexandria Ocacio-Cortez more on social media more than republicans do): you are the ones who will be handing unnecessary victories to republicans because the changes you’re fighting against are inevitable. Liberals, by definition don’t move backwards. Millennials (they’re starting to turn 40 soon, btw), who have been fucked by thirty years of right wing and neoliberal policies are not suddenly going to embrace the democratic party because they suck less than republicans. That’s just not going to happen. Yes, Obama gave us the ACA but he didn’t even try for medicare for all, and Bill Clinton permanently fucked welfare. Democrats suck less. That’s the best thing you can say about them, and that’s how millennials and Gen Z (they’re 22 now) see them.
Fifty-seven percent of self identified democrats (or democratic leaners) have a favorable view of socialism. That’s ten percent higher than the percentage of democrats (or democratic leaners) who have a favorable view of capitalism. This bell isn’t going to be unrung, and it’s going to get louder as the electorate goes out with the old and in with the new. I’m sorry baby boomers, I know this is hard to hear but the changes are going to continue to happen whether you jump on board or not. You had your time, and things didn’t go well for the middle class. Maybe consider the idea that the new generations aren’t foolish (40 year old) kids? They, after all were not the ones who once called themselves proud “Reagan democrats”. Maybe you guys can listen to them? Or not, it really doesn’t matter.
Primaries are for voting your values. You should vote for the candidate who best represents your values and your economic interests. If that candidate for you is the DNC is backed candidate, then have at it. If it’s an “insurgent” progressive, than have at that too.
The general election is for falling in line, and I’m telling you that you have to fall in line in the general election because the worst democrat is going to hurt your interests less than the best republican at this point. That statement wouldn’t be true if you took the best republican from thirty years ago and put (let’s keep it real) him up against the worst democrat. But it’s true now. The republican party is a cesspool of greed, insanity, and corruption these days.
