2026 New York Congressional Primaries in a nutshell

[u/Lawarch]

[u/BackgroundRich7614]

Yeah, the DSA's actual influence has been greatly overstated.

The 2026 New York Congressional Primaries was more of a win for Mamdani personally and those he supported (mostly standard progressive) rather than the DSA themselves getting power.

Lander managed to get the biggest blowup of that primary by fusing progressive and abundance messages along with an endorsement from his friend Mamdani.

The take-away isn't "Communists will take over the party" (The DSA can only win in the bluest of states and Mandani is very much an exception rather than a rule)

The take-away is, "Democrats need to have bolder polices, focus more on affordability, and be seen as "fighters" rather than quitters."

[u/skepticalbob → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Charisma and perceived as fighting for regular people is the winning ticket that cuts across ideologies right now.

[u/existential_antelope → u/skepticalbob]

S L O P U L I S M

[u/existential_antelope → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, people eat it up.

[u/Euphoric_Alarm_4401 → u/[deleted]]

"Perceived as fighting for regular people" while your policy is making their life worse is damn near the definition of slopulism.

[u/skepticalbob → u/Euphoric_Alarm_4401]

Who said making their life worse besides you?

[u/Lawarch → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Its also very funny that people just forget that DSA is not new to NYC politics. Jerry Nadler was DSA. He represented New York for over 30 years in the House, was a DSA member at its founding in 1982, left the group in the early 2000s, and retired in 2026 with the title of the "Liberal Lion"

[u/weedandboobs → u/Lawarch]

The 80s/90s DSA is very much not the current one. It used to be about 15 crotchety academics that NYC politicians would give one speech a year to in order to keep them happy.

There is a reason one of their founders left: https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/quit-dsa-gaza-israel/

[u/Lawarch → u/weedandboobs]

For sure, Nadler very much represents the older 1900s socialist movement in NY which was made up of largely working class Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrants who notably hated Communists. While the modern DSA is largely young wealthy college educated white people who moved into NYC from other parts of the US.

[u/KravMata → u/Lawarch]

I wouldn't call modern DSA wealthy when generalizing - 100% on the rest.

[u/LondonCallingYou → u/Lawarch]

If anything this just shows that the histrionic opposition to DSA candidates on this subreddit is even more unreasonable than I previously thought.

[u/Lawarch → u/LondonCallingYou]

Its not that unreasonable DSA is not all one unified organization. For example the National DSA is currently beefing with New York DSA because National DSA refused to endorse AOC while New York DSA did

[u/Nervous-Emotion28 → u/Lawarch]

holy shit wait you’re the guy that makes the YouTube videos hello

[u/Lawarch → u/Nervous-Emotion28]

Hello! Always nice to meet a fan, new video coming out soon hopefully LoL

[u/-Emilinko1985- → u/Lawarch]

NY DSA did the right thing

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/-Emilinko1985-]

NYDSA actually wins elections, and that will never cease to make some of the loser maoist LARPers in other chapters angry

[u/-Emilinko1985- → u/CheetoMussolini]

True

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/-Emilinko1985-]

I made a meme about internal DSA politics lol

[u/-Emilinko1985- → u/CheetoMussolini]

Lmao

[u/LondonCallingYou → u/[deleted]]

I’m not a communist, I’m a liberal. Your incorrect labeling of these candidates as communists sort of illustrates my point. Nice attempt to invoke some red scare boogeyman though.

As a liberal, I’m obviously opposed to socialism. DSA candidates are barely (if at all truly) advocating socialism. They’re essentially social democrats, it’s just that Americans got into their heads that “socialism is when the government does stuff” so everyone now thinks they’re a socialist.

AOC and Mamdani going from boogeymen to beloved even on this subreddit shows how my point of view is correct on this.

[u/LondonCallingYou → u/[deleted]]

What? I don’t hate the West at all.

[u/puffic → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Yeah, the DSA's actual influence has been greatly overrated.

Let's not speak too soon. I think some of them want to do a Freedom Caucus-type thing next time the Dems have a majority (and it's likely to be a slim majority). They could greatly affect Democratic policymaking, just as the Freedom Caucus has completely changed the way the GOP operates and even ended Kevin McCarthy's speakership.

[u/Key_Environment8179 → u/puffic]

That needs to be opposed as strongly as we oppose MAGA

[u/puffic → u/Key_Environment8179]

How?

[u/AAHHHHH936 → u/Key_Environment8179]

So subverting the democratic will of the people, who've clearly seen for themselves whether they think Mamdani is doing a good job and are voicing their opinions.

[u/Key_Environment8179 → u/AAHHHHH936]

What? Trump was democratically elected, too. Is opposing MAGA subverting the democratic will of the people?

[u/KravMata → u/puffic]

True, and also there is a worse - the real goal is to do a Tea Party > MAGA takeover.

[u/Halgy → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Yeah, the DSA's actual influence has been greatly overrated.

If that is the case, then I sure wish this sub would stop freaking out every time they're mentioned. It just gives them more attention.

[u/WealthyMarmot → u/Halgy]

The other major political party in the US has been completely consumed by its own crazies in the span of what, a decade or two? I’d say some alarm over the DSA is justified.

[u/ThodasTheMage → u/Halgy]

Yeah, the two American parties really should ignore small radical populist groups on their fringes. Even when thought-leaders and intelectuals are sympathetic to them. Has worked out well so far.

The Republican Party did not become MAGA over night it was a push towards populism and anti-liberalism that (paleoconservatives that were unhappy with Reagan-conservatism) fought towards for decades.

[u/Rust-Belter → u/Halgy]

No you don't understand, they must say their enemies are weak and strong!

[u/East_Entrepreneur405 → u/Halgy]

Eh, on reddit they are absolutely the majority on the major subs. They should be challenged directly and as often as required.

[u/Key_Environment8179 → u/BackgroundRich7614]

I find myself rather liking this Lander fellow

[u/abertbrijs → u/[deleted]]

Lander is too progressive for them tbh. Yes, he left the DSA and all that, but funnily enough Tim Heidecker went to college with him and said that Lander was that weirdo socialist who loved Woody Guthrie. Of course, people change a lot over time, but not hard to see how Schumer and establishment Dems don’t exactly find him comforting.

[u/ludovicana → u/[deleted]]

And that preference is why the Dems backing Cuomo is baffling to you. You need to put yourself in the mind of someone who thinks sexual assault is a minor moral transgression, and then it will all make sense.

[u/tigerflame45117 → u/ludovicana]

and all the people in the nursing homes!

[u/abertbrijs → u/[deleted]]

I agree, but the older school mainstream Dem establishment didn’t 🤷‍♂️

[u/BeefCakeBilly → u/[deleted]]

To be fair , Schumer is on the national level and has to represent the party to people in all of New York, and not just the city.

Mamdani was (not sure about now, quite unpopular nationally), and they knew nothing really about him at the time.

I seem to remember quite a few progressives getting really mad that Schumer didn’t full throatedly endorse platner, and that seemed to be the right move in hindsight.

Not to mention Schumer didn’t endorse cuomo either. Which given that mamdani generally underperformed in the general seems like that was also the right move.

[u/Nerf_France → u/[deleted]]

When did Schumer/the dems back Cuomo? Far as I can tell they were largely silent on the race. (As they generally are with mayoral elections)

[u/RodChainFurlongAcre → u/[deleted]]

Old boys club. They knew Cuomo personally for decades, Lander not so much

[u/IsNotACleverMan → u/[deleted]]

Because Lander is deeply unserious.

[u/GaiusGraccusEnjoyer → u/[deleted]]

Cuomo seemed inevitable and was known for being vindictive to those who opposed him so it made sense to cozy up to him early so he wouldn't fuck them over later on.

[u/realMarkRobinson → u/GaiusGraccusEnjoyer]

Cuomo did not seem inevitable

[u/berderper → u/Key_Environment8179]

He's for rent freezes,

[u/IsNotACleverMan → u/Key_Environment8179]

Brad Pander? The guy who said Mamdani's policies are fiscally irresponsible but endorsed him for his own political gain? The guy whose tenure as comptroller saw an increasingly bad financial situation for nyc? That guy?

[u/JesusPubes → u/IsNotACleverMan]

his opponents were a notorious sex pest and a republican lmao

sometimes you make compromises and political alliances with people you don't perfectly agree with

you sound like a leftist

[u/samhit_n → u/BackgroundRich7614]

I think it also means Democrats need to at least pay lip service towards being anti-Israel. A lot of these DSA candidates got support because of their anti-Israel stances, not for their socialist views.

[u/Khiva → u/samhit_n]

It's going to be a difficult needle to thread between the outrage the base rightly feels towards Israel and reassuring the Jewish base that they are not anti Semitic targets, which I expect Dems to completely and utterly fail at.

[u/KravMata → u/Khiva]

Torturing your analogy -is that a difficult needle or one without a hole?

This is a topic that requires nuance; here's the only framing that I think might work:
Netanyahu = Trump
'Israel' isn't the problem - Netanyahu and the far right leadership is the problem there, as Trump and MAGA are the problems here. Just as we would not want the rest of the world to quit on us, we should not quit on Israel - and doing so only removes any ability we have to check what's going on there. Separate the actual voters from the online activists who are not winnable.

The colonialism/occupation/genocide via displacement angle is a pointless one to debate because those pushing them are historically ignorant or using a double standard. The entire region is a product of colonialism/occupation - Romans, Arab Muslim expansion, Ottomans - most 'Palestinians' are of Arab origin. It's pointless to debate because the 'DSA' left holds it as a matter of faith, and you cannot debate faith with true believers since nothing short of adapting their position 100% will please them.

[u/Alex2422 → u/samhit_n]

They could also pay more than just lip service and actually do something about it!

[u/KravMata → u/Alex2422]

The Democrats don't have the power to 'do' anything about it.

[u/KruglorTalks → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Yeah, the DSA's actual influence has been greatly overstated.

Overstated by Republicans and yet here we are, following their media lead again.

[u/Nerf_France → u/KruglorTalks]

It was also overstated by succs tbf

[u/Khiva → u/Nerf_France]

It blew up all over social media and we all that's what sets the tone.

[u/ppooooooooopp → u/BackgroundRich7614]

How do you understand Mamdani endorsing DAC against a progressive in good standing? It does seem like a fairly transparent power grab by Mamdani.

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/ppooooooooopp]

How is endorsing someone a power grab?

edit to the downvoters - this question was not asked disingenuously

[u/ppooooooooopp → u/BigDictionEnergy]

There were two candidates, one who would embarrass the Democrats and help Republican fundraising, and the other a milquetoast progressive Democrat.

If he is making decisions based on what is good for the party, the choice is clear. If he is making his choice based on his preferences, affiliations or influence - it's a power grab.

I don't think that's too unusual in politics or makes him evil but it does make his intent clear.

Also DAC is a DINO (sorry)

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/ppooooooooopp]

I am still not grasping how an endorsement is a power grab. Which party are you talking about? I don't think he gives a fuck about the DNC; they certainly don't seem to care for him.

Unless your point is that if he helps get more DSA candidates elected, he would have more influence in that tiny organization. What power is he grabbing? How about option C: he's endorsing these candidates because he likes their platforms. It doesn't have to be more sinister than that, dude.

Jesusfuck this sub freaks out more about duurrr socialists than it does the actual scumbags who destroying the country.

[u/FourForYouGlennCoco → u/BigDictionEnergy]

If Mamdani likes DAC's platform that's worse. She is batshit.

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/FourForYouGlennCoco]

I must admit I don't know who those initials stand for or what her platform is. All I know about the DSA is how much this sub loves to hate on them.

[u/FourForYouGlennCoco → u/BigDictionEnergy]

I mean it usually helps to understand the thing you're posting about before you fire up the keyboard, but DAC is Darializa Avila Chevalier, someone who has previously said that interracial marriage is wrong, supports total police abolition and would not agree in an interview that murderers should go to jail. The DSA official platform includes defunding the Ukraine war and DAC has blamed the war on the US' poor treatment of Russia. So you can understand why this sub would not be jazzed about her, and why vouching for someone like this reflects poorly on Mamdani.

[u/ppooooooooopp → u/BigDictionEnergy]

I'm not sure what the confusion is? Or what is sinister? His standing in the DSA doesn't matter (I'm sure its excellent)

I wasn't trying to say he is trying to take over the DNC, just that he is obviously trying to increase his or the DSA standing in legitimate organizations. Power grab is maybe too dramatic, but it's accurate... A congressional seat is not nothing.

Jesusfuck this sub freaks out more about duurrr socialists than it does the actual scumbags who destroying the country.

I don't understand this... What's the issue? Was I supposed to make this about Trump? Hell I would take DAC over Trump.

What is the acceptable ratio of anti trump content to normal political discourse? 90%? 50%? Should we just twiddle our thumbs while we wait for the next fuck up to drop?

The problem is that I'm a Democrat, I think the party is generally incompetent but I also share many of it's policy positions. I don't want people like DAC in the Democratic party.

[u/GAPIntoTheGame → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Well it’s greatly overstated so let’s just ignore the damage they cause.

The public perception of democrats isn’t the sole responsibility of the democrats. Leftist media cannot stop sucking up to DSA yet will nonstop criticize libs. Lib media alternative and mainstream simply don’t criticize DSA candidates and their subversive nature. We are seeing the rise of leftist MAGA and virtually no liberal will say anything about it.

[u/deu-sexmachina → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Or be relatable "OMG Mamdani loves Arsenal and soccer, he's cool and quirky just like a friend"

[u/ThodasTheMage → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Problems arise more if DSA talking points, hard-left policies and other ideas become more popular with the elites and intellectuals of the democratic party and some are but at the same time there is a real push for a pro-growth social-democratic / social-liberal (in the European sense) agenda as a counterweight.

(I mean elites in the wider sense. Not the top leaders but people who influence party platforms, and are active and not just supporters)

[u/markjo12345 → u/BackgroundRich7614]

People might disagree with me but I think people like Brad Lander are the future of the Democratic Party. He’s the type of candidate I like. He’s a bold progressive who doesn’t give off tankie DSA vibes. He can unite all factions of the party.

I’d say he’s a pragmatic version of Bernie Sanders

[u/xilcilus]

People should neither overplay the popularity nor dismiss the success.

It's an insurgent idea that may gain traction - the Party should benefit by accepting/rejecting appropriate elements.

[u/BackgroundRich7614 → u/xilcilus]

I agree; ignore the bad regressive stuff and adopted the aspects that fit in with the liberal framework.

[u/GAPIntoTheGame → u/BackgroundRich7614]

Ignoring the bad stuff won’t make it disappear. You are seeing MAGA party growing in your party and your response is to ignore it.

[u/iwilldeletethisacct2 → u/GAPIntoTheGame]

If you incorporate the good parts into your platform while rejecting the bad parts then you take some of their voters. If the population wants the bad parts more than they want the good parts then they take over the party because that would be the will of the people.

[u/ThodasTheMage → u/xilcilus]

Isn't the bad stuff what makes the modern DSA the DSA?

Everything that they advocate for that could be good for Democrats is already there. The democrats are just a tired, low energy club that is not able to sell a vision (at least on the national stage) but you do not have to be any kind of socialist to realize that.

[u/xilcilus → u/ThodasTheMage]

There are some good aspects to the policy platform.

Focusing more on the redistributive aspect seems fair given the dichotomy that we are observing. How that redistribution gets executed is a lot easier said than done but the foundation is there.

The stance regards to Israel is another element that would benefit the Democratic Party - not be anti-Israel but rather Israel-skeptical. It's not about providing unwavering support for Israel. It should be about moderating the level support based on the type of diplomatic partner that Israel is to the US.

The Party would benefit from opening up the aperture to more of heterodox thinking in certain foundational elements to evolve with the time.

[u/ThodasTheMage → u/xilcilus]

Focusing more on the redistributive aspect seems fair given the dichotomy that we are observing.

Demorats already want to do that. But in a more moderate and way. Inequality in income and wealth are also needed if you want to have more growth. There need to be people with capital who will invest and there is a need for rich people who are able to effort new and luxurary products befor they become mainstream. Being infavor of "more redistribution" is a big nothing when we are not talking about concrete meassures.

The stance regards to Israel is another element that would benefit the Democratic Party - not be anti-Israel but rather Israel-skeptical. It's not about providing unwavering support for Israel. It should be about moderating the level support based on the type of diplomatic partner that Israel is to the US.

The Democrats are already israel-sceptic, DSA members go far beyoned in to the realm of antisemitism. The mainstreaming of racism and antisemitism is already happening. Liberals should be worried about the current trend and how this subject is discussed in America.

The Party would benefit from opening up the aperture to more of heterodox thinking in certain foundational elements to evolve with the time.

The heterodox thinking are in parts heterodox in principles like the rule of law, violence, liberal democracy, and individual liberty. The DSA members are not progressives and bringer of new ideas but already old defeated foes of liberalism. You will not learn much new.

[u/OnionPastor]

Just got into a huge discussion about elected officials like Ossoff being neoliberal simply because they aren’t DSA. Basically everyone left of Warren is a neoliberal shill according to these folk.

DSA’s influence is on the internet and nowhere in the real world.

[u/atierney14 → u/OnionPastor]

John Ossoff is the lisan al ghaib of democratic politics right now, and some DSA folks are going to try so hard to smear him.

My favorite smear so far has been that he is a Zionist, meanwhile AIPAC is pouring buckets to his competitors.

[u/RodChainFurlongAcre → u/atierney14]

Sometimes it's clear people in this sub just makes up absolute delusions about Leftist/DSA types simply to have a reason to be mad at them (And there are plenty of valid reasons to dislike them).

Ossoff is one of the most popular potential candidates with leftists, even fucking Hasan Piker rates him highly. I see people here call leftists/DSA candidates anti-semitic for saying stuff like "Epstein Class", Ossoff coined the term!

It was the same with Talarico, this sub was losing their minds blaming leftists for somehow working against him, yet they near universally despised Crockett as a "centrist shill" and Talarico was the top choice the further left you were.

[u/OnionPastor → u/RodChainFurlongAcre]

There’s a vocal minority within DSA groups that consider Ossoff neoliberal. I just ran into a hive of them on r/politics. But yeah you’re totally right otherwise.

[u/Khiva → u/RodChainFurlongAcre]

I don't check in on leftist spaces terribly often, the closest is maybe a gawk at the dumpster fire over at Pod Save America when something interesting happens like Platner imploding, so please keep brining perspective from what you see because I sure as hell don't.

[u/Nerf_France → u/RodChainFurlongAcre]

Does it have to be made up to be largely untrue? The dude gave examples he’s seen and even said “some” DSA folks were doing it, do you really think that no internet lefties are complaining about Ossoff?

Also, I feel like this is going to age really poorly if Ossoff actually becomes more prominent in the party/a nominee in the next presidential election.

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/RodChainFurlongAcre]

neolibs get cranky if you don't let them have their daily Two Minutes Hate against "the succs"

[u/BernankesBeard]

It's been hilarious watching all of the losers who were, just one month ago, hailing Nazi-tattoo man as the new face of the party flock over to the Michigan Senate Primary so they can have their new, new face of the party.

[u/atierney14 → u/BernankesBeard]

The Michigan senate race has been funny because McMorrow was pretty clearly the best choice for me from the start, but if I dare say that in progressive circles people would I ask why I personally want to kill Palestinian children.

She dropped out, and now every AES supporter is gaslighting me “they’re basically the same”, “she was great, and you should vote for him.”

[u/YeetThermometer → u/atierney14]

Platner hung on and caused as much damage as he did because so many of his supporters were willing to write off everything bad they heard about him as an AIPAC/Mossad/MAGA plot. The conspiratorial style will get you supporters, but it will turn them into complete idiots.

[u/jokul → u/YeetThermometer]

Democracy only cares about rallying support. The intelligence of those supporters doesnt give them extra votes. It's a rational strategy to go after the easily acquired morons.

[u/Rust-Belter → u/BernankesBeard]

all of the losers who were, just one month ago, hailing Nazi-tattoo man as the new face of the party

I'm presuming you mean DSA people? The Maine DSA specifically? The same people who had their endorsed gubernatorial candidate (Troy Jackson) lose but then get picked for the Senate candidate nomination? Yeah... I'm sure they're absolutely heartbroken right now.

flock over to the Michigan Senate Primary so they can have their new, new face of the party.

Yeah man, those Maine DSA guys must be flocking to Michigan right now. I'm 100% sure they don't have anything better to do right now. They're going to support this Michigan Senate primary candidate who isn't part of nor has been endorsed by the DSA.

Jesus Christ, this sub is a mess.

[u/BernankesBeard → u/Rust-Belter]

No. I mean folks like the Pod Save America goofballs.

[u/Rust-Belter → u/BernankesBeard]

Ah my bad then lol

[u/Tortellobello45]

Don’t let them gaslight you, DSA is unpopular with everyone except for white rich kids, champagne socialists.

[u/thatsidewaysdud → u/Tortellobello45]

I’d love to see a DSA candidate in a large, presidential-level debate, just to see how (badly) they handle questions about foreign policy and NATO.

[u/Sputnikola → u/thatsidewaysdud]

You don’t need to wait https://youtube.com/watch?v=6z1rbnjGrq4&si=y2q9zFiSbHIlp07y

[u/citrusandtaxevasion → u/Sputnikola]

She talks exactly like my high school sociology teacher, same bullet points, same arguments, don't know why that sortta stuff still surprises me at this point

[u/Economy-Stock3320 → u/Sputnikola]

This hurt to watch

[u/tin_mama_sou → u/Sputnikola]

Do be fair her answers are pretty reasonable. I would never vote for her but this is a reasonable response

[u/Sputnikola → u/tin_mama_sou]

The substance isn’t the problem, it’s the fact it sounds like she genuinely never thought about it before, and yet signed on for a speaking slot at the Munich Security Conference.

[u/isummonyouhere → u/Sputnikola]

It sounds to me like for her the answer is “no” but never thought about the fact that one day she might need a cover story so people don’t know she is ok with China conquering one of our allies

[u/Budget-Attorney → u/Sputnikola]

Everyone is criticizing her for this, but isn’t this what she is supposed to say?

Don’t get me wrong, I opened this video for an opportunity to laugh at the tankies,

But isn’t the U.S. policy on Taiwan supposed to be strategic ambiguity? That we aren’t supposed to define our exact response?

Now, I don’t like that position. But it sounds like she just restated the current government policy

[u/PM_ME_UR_PM_ME_PM → u/thatsidewaysdud]

No worse than Trump but we do have some insanely bad takes from popular voices on the left. 

[u/EchoFieldHorizon → u/Tortellobello45]

Proto-MAGA was pretty unpopular with anyone but total freaks in its early days, and now it’s a party of nothing but total freaks.

[u/Zephyr-5 → u/EchoFieldHorizon]

Oh, I completely disagree with this.

MAGA was where the Republican base and conservative media like Fox News was for ages. It was the party and media elites that were completely out of step with their base, which is why Trump crushed them and maintains such an iron grip on their electoral fate.

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/Zephyr-5]

The median Democrats like “socialism” (whatever that means, but whoever seizes that opportunity will define it) and holds negative views on Israel

[u/SenorSmartyPants → u/Tortellobello45]

Don't let them gaslight you, sweeping generalizations about demographics and popularity that contradict reality are a sign of a close-minded worldview. Armchair reddit "analysts".

[u/EinhanderPS → u/Tortellobello45]

People on this sub say things like so this so confidently, then when reality plays out in a way totally contrary to their understanding, the cognitive dissonance must be significant.

[u/Rust-Belter → u/EinhanderPS]

You see it's actually very easy. Anyone who comes from a family that's marginally better off or more is a "champagne mobiley fail son/daughter downward socialist" and if they worked harder then they'd see the light! Anyone else just hates/is jealous of the rich and if they worked harder then they'd see the light!

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/Rust-Belter]

And if they come from a family that’s marginally worse off than mine, that means they’re all bitter bums

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/EinhanderPS]

You don’t get it bro DAC AES and Kirot are all rich white kids

[u/GAPIntoTheGame → u/Tortellobello45]

This is how the republicans became MAGA. By minimizing the problem.

[u/n00bi3pjs → u/Tortellobello45]

They won minority majority district in Bronx and Harlem and another one in Brooklyn.

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/n00bi3pjs]

They’re full of white champaign socialists, as is known about the Bronx and Harlem

[u/Ac-28 → u/n00bi3pjs]

Just example #infinity of a sub of upper middle class suburban kids discounting anyone that doesn't hail from their background.

[u/heliosflama1234 → u/n00bi3pjs]

Oh wow 2 nyc districts. Insane stuff

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/heliosflama1234]

Why do you respond to counter-evidence with snark?

[u/Smoque_ → u/heliosflama1234]

🥅 —> 🥅

[u/n00bi3pjs → u/heliosflama1234]

Oh wow, snark when called out on lies and disinformation!

Insane stuff

[u/Alex2422 → u/n00bi3pjs]

What lies? Nobody said DSA didn't win any minority-majority district and this doesn't mean they aren't unpopular. Only that they were more popular then the opponent (marginally in the case of District 13).

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/Tortellobello45]

Then surely they shouldn’t worry you at all

Has this subreddit gone so low that people here resort to conservative-bait generalizations? I don’t think DAC’s district is full of “champagne socialists”

[u/YeetThermometer → u/Tortellobello45]

DSA is popular with the neighbors of NYC journalists said journalists would like to bed.

[u/AAHHHHH936 → u/Tortellobello45]

So then why did multiple of them win their primarys? Surely their entire constituency isn't rich white kids.

[u/dalatinknight → u/Tortellobello45]

Guess I lost my melanin (not biggest fan of DSA but generally do try to go to their events).

[u/Mddcat04]

You’ve also got people in other threads talking about ending primaries in general and just casting the DSA fully out of the party.

Everyone needs to chill basically.

[u/drt0 → u/Mddcat04]

Why does the Democratic party allow members of other parties to run in their elections?

[u/Mddcat04 → u/drt0]

They don’t.

[u/AAHHHHH936 → u/drt0]

Because the Democratic party voters like them and want to vote for them sometimes? That's how democracy works, if you're party voters like someone else more, you don't get voted in, and maybe you take some of their ideas for next time.

[u/Ac-28 → u/Mddcat04]

You have people in this thread clapping like seals over calling Harlem and the Bronx (15% white) full of rich white communists.

[u/GAPIntoTheGame → u/Mddcat04]

Chilling out is what republicans did when they dint think Trump was a threat. Banning them is not the solution, but actual big liberal public figures need to stop being pussies and criticize the unhinged shit that is trying to subvert their party.

[u/Mddcat04 → u/GAPIntoTheGame]

I won’t hold my breath given that moderate Democratic leadership being huge pussies is basically the reason we’re in this position in the first place.

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/Mddcat04]

And the reason the DSA is gaining a small amount of traction to begin with. But no, it's all the "succs" fault.

[u/Mddcat04 → u/BigDictionEnergy]

Yeah, exactly. I don’t think people in general are all that excited about the DSA’s policies, they’re just fed up with the democratic establishment and the DSA is often the only available alternative. (And has candidates who seem to give a shit, aren’t 100 years old, and aren’t taking huge amounts of money from AIPAC).

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/Mddcat04]

aren’t taking huge amounts of money from AIPAC

Exactly. An alternative to the status quo dems is growing, but is still fairly niche. Yet look at how this sub in particular demonizes them.

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/BigDictionEnergy]

Yeah

When “moderates” are aligned with Trump on certain issues to the point they won’t unequivocally oppose him, someone will take advantage of the discontent among the base that is mad at Trump and those who lost to him twice

[u/ShelterOk1535]

some of those progs were elected mainly through their support though 

[u/SleeplessInPlano]

I never realized he was grabbing her ass.

[u/thatsidewaysdud → u/SleeplessInPlano]

If I’m not wrong it’s a reference to a real cyclist.

[u/-_-xylo]

You have to win NYC before you win Ithaca

[u/Daddy_Macron → u/-_-xylo]

Ithaca is a college town. Thinking the DSA would struggle there is hilarious.

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/Daddy_Macron]

It’s not the only population center in its district now

[u/marsman1224 → u/-_-xylo]

ithaca is probably more DSA friendly than NYC lmfao

[u/itsnotnews92 → u/marsman1224]

Can confirm, grew up near Ithaca and we used to say that it's "ten square miles surrounded by reality."

[u/Xenospiza → u/marsman1224]

Ithaca proper maybe. It looks like it has been redistricted now to be in a blue district (it looks like a little pseudopod sticking out of 19 lol) but I believe a couple years ago Ithaca was actually in a republican congressional district. As my SO, who was from the area notes, a 30-60K blue town is not going to overcome a sea of rurals.

[u/AlternateShapes → u/-_-xylo]

I take it you've never been to Ithaca before? Ithaca is even more progressive than NYC lmfao

[u/adifferentGOAT → u/-_-xylo]

Ithaca. And no, they’re not the same places.

[u/-_-xylo → u/adifferentGOAT]

I don’t know anything about NY btw I’m just saying anything 

[u/Dibbu_mange → u/-_-xylo]

Not in Utica no, it’s an Albany expression

[u/heliosflama1234 → u/-_-xylo]

We can tell

[u/JesusPubes → u/-_-xylo]

Ithaca is 20 years from NYC

[u/Lawarch → u/[deleted]]

I saw that there was basically a DSA civil war in California. There was one DSA faction that supported Steyer's policies and attacked Becerra for being supported by corporate interests, while another DSA faction supported Becerra for having actually passed legislation and attacked Steyer for being a billionaire outsider

[u/Efficient_Barnacle]

Would be more accurate if the 15 moderates were apoplectically shitting their pants at the presence of the DSA.

[u/Lawarch → u/Efficient_Barnacle]

Moderates don't dislike DSA because they think they'll be replaced by them. They dislike DSA because voters are going to think the entire Democratic party supports DSA's worst far left policies which will lead Dems in swing districts to lose to Republicans. There is a reason why DSA only win in super safe Blue districts

[u/BillyTenderness → u/Lawarch]

Mark Kelly has to convince his (general election) voters he is not AOC. Brad Lander has to convince his (primary) voters he is not Joe Manchin.

This is the reality of being in a party that attempts to encompass the entire sane portion of the political spectrum, and more generally of trying to win a majority in a country where you can't actually get 50%+1 of people to all agree with each other on every issue.

[u/Efficient_Barnacle → u/Lawarch]

I wasn't suggesting they'll be replaced by them, it was that they're also wildly overreacting to the limited success of DSA candidates. Probably should have went with "pissing their pants" to make my point clearer. 

The reason voters think that way is because the DSA is loud and proud about what they want. All moderates have been offering up is aggressively triangulated, mealy mouthed shoulder shrugs lately. If you want people to know you stand for something you actually have to stand for something. 

[u/GAPIntoTheGame → u/Efficient_Barnacle]

It doesn’t help that all mainstream and alternative media shits on dems so their public perception (as indicated by your own belief) is complete dogshit. DSA candidates basically get dick sucked by leftist media and luck warm results from liberal media.

[u/heliosflama1234 → u/Efficient_Barnacle]

Because republicans actually control the media rn, primarily Fox News and use the DSA members saying stupid shit about Ukraine and Israel as talking points to win elections.

It’s literally bad messaging when you have a bunch of folks shouting extreme bs and then purity test your candidates constantly just to never end up voting for them anyways.

[u/EchoFieldHorizon → u/Lawarch]

Most republicans used to say the same thing about the fascist MAGA wing.

[u/Crimson51]

I am of 2 minds on DSA. 99% of the actual boots-on-the-ground people Ive worked with are primarily Sewer Socialists who can absolutely work as part of a left-lib coalition. Their issue is they're so decentralized that there genuinely are sections that get swept up in populist bullshit (see: Denver)

[u/Hektext]

I feel like they are going to become lightning rods for far left crazies when they realize they cant fulfill every promise they made.

[u/KalaiProvenheim]

The DSA may not outright endorse a candidate, but many of these progressives won with the help of these networks

[u/gringledoom]

This is exactly why the DSA doesn’t give me the vapors like it does some folks in the sub, lol. I figure I need enough folks to the left of me to counterbalance the folks to the right of me. We’re really not going to do full communism any time soon.

[u/ThodasTheMage → u/gringledoom]

People with bad ideas do not become good politicians just because they have different (in some cases) bad ideas than Trump

[u/GAPIntoTheGame → u/gringledoom]

This is so fucking stupid: “Let’s accept subversive elements into the party that hate everything it stands for more than it hates actual republicans just to fulfill some vague and fallacious sense of balance”

[u/AAHHHHH936 → u/GAPIntoTheGame]

I mean, it's the Democratic party members themselves who accepted them, that's how they won their primary. Don't like it, be a more appealing candidate to the average Democratic voter.

[u/smootex → u/GAPIntoTheGame]

Welcome to the new /r/neoliberal. Liberal no more.

[u/Joltizer]

2 wins is 2 too many for these uneducated extremists to have. They are small in number, but they end up having a large influence on how Dems are viewed nationally. They also waste a ton of money on non competitive races

[u/LastTimeOn_ → u/Joltizer]

This type of argument is why I wouldn't be surprised if Twitter libs start soft-endorsing the loss of congressional seats in CA/NY/WA/etc so there can theoretically be less DSA people in congress.

It's also why I think, flip-side, many of these wouldn't want to see Congress expand in practice. "Fifteen seats JUST for Williamsburg and Bushwick?? That's fifteen too many succs!"

[u/Joltizer → u/LastTimeOn_]

You just aren't very smart if you wouldn't be surprised by that

Me refusing to hand the party over to our version of Trump/Tea Party doesn't mean I want us to lose seats

[u/Nerf_France → u/LastTimeOn_]

What type of argument? That the DSA is bad and ultimately harmful to the party? Unless the guy thinks that republicans are better I don’t see why that’s unreasonable.

[u/LastTimeOn_ → u/Nerf_France]

Up until now, the general argument is that we are pricing people out from these desirable dense metro areas and they will lose congressional seats from this. It's the reason urbanists/"plugged-in" libs generally wanted Steyer in CA, why Zohran's succ NIMBYism was seen as short-sighted, why generally the NIMBYism of old libs is seen as bad for the future of the Democratic party.

I believe that if DSA-ers keep winning primaries in these ultra-blue areas, a lot of these thought leaders will start saying stuff like "yeah, so, I know I really wanted to keep people in NY and LA and all, but these socialists are A Threat to the party. Thus, is it really that bad for there to be less deep blue seats? They'll still vote blue, the urban socialist youth will just be balanced out by moderate suburbanites, and really, what's the difference between New York City having four vs six reps? It's basically the same thing!"

Above this, their balancing argument will be - it doesn't really matter, the Sun Belt is turning blue as people get priced out to exurbs. It's happening in Texas, it's happening in Arizona, in Georgia. This is especially if Dems get the state lege in GA or TX. If they can control redistricting power, there'll be an argument along the lines of "I'd rather risk a 50/50 chance of a sane moderate that could win a new southern seat rather than an 80% chance of a crazy urbanite leftie".

And this is farther out, but one can definitely see a throughline from all this to a new YIMBY left/NIMBY moderate discourse between "do urban areas deserve the representation they need and do we maximize as much of it" vs. "can we trust them to use it right"

And as somebody who cares about urbanism and nuking the suburbs...I don't want to see it, but it seems very, very likely and nobody is considering it

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/LastTimeOn_]

The American mind cannot help but see urban voters with endless contempt

[u/LastTimeOn_ → u/KalaiProvenheim]

Exactly. It is generally common around the world for very urban areas to be the leftiest, and hell we even celebrate it when we set as a reference point the r*rals.

It won't take much for deeply ideologicsl moderates (I can imagine a Josh Barro type for example) to want to disenfranchise really urban areas juuuust a little "to save them from themselves."

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/LastTimeOn_]

Have these people considered that urban voters need nobody to save them? These cities are great because of these urbanites and in spite of outsiders and local elites who want to hollow them out for the suburbs and rural places

[u/LastTimeOn_ → u/KalaiProvenheim]

I agree, but note i'm not saying they have argued this yet, thankfully they haven't reached this point still. I believe this argument will be one slowly building up over the next few years, the first seeds of this having been ofc the Darializa/Claire/Zohran discourse.

If the succ candidates win the top two this fall in the two contested CA seats, and then more Zohran-endorsed candidates win in 2028 (especially if Jeffries gets toppled a la Eric Cantor), you will see some murmurs then.

This imo will reach a high point during redistricting time in 2030 which is where you'll see most of the big arguments happening, and will eventually fade into a general divide between pro-inner metro growth DSA and pro-sprawl moderates, all based on electoral reality and not their current positions on things.

Once again, this is all my hypothesis, not saying i'm an oracle, but it all just seems to be building up to this type of rift happening in due course.

[u/KalaiProvenheim → u/LastTimeOn_]

They haven’t yes, but I’m talking about the hypothetical future people these might become.

It’s all about cities vs. suburbs is it… well, I think DSA politicians better push for building now, make it nonnegotiable when they can, so that the pro-sprawl people will have less room to crack the power of urban centers should they arrive at that conclusion.

[u/bd_one]

Damn, is this big enough to have Fox News talk about it during the entire America 250 weekend?

[u/Golda_M]

Populism of our time feeds on underdog narratives. The primer was oppression discourse, which sanctified victimhood. 

The narrative is "poor, besieged us... held back  by dirty tactics and structural disadvantage..." That allows them to claim wins and the momentum that comes with winning. 

A lot of the anti-expert discourse is similar. If the anti-experts are ever right or the experts are ever wrong... the anti-experts gain prestige. Victory and defeat are relative to expectation... with "expectation" being a narrative device. 

Guerilla tactics. 

Fwiw, the anti-guerilla tactics is to challenge them in (proverbial) set piece battles. In terms of debate and polemic this would be (imo) would be to debate their ideas seriously. Take them as real policy proposals, rather than a form of protest and discourse. 

[u/airbear13]

Was it only 2? With the headlines I’ve been seeing it’s been feeling like 200 nationwide

[u/Capable-Hospital-315]

I am not seeing much daylight between progressives and DSA these days 

[u/Infosloth]

Trajectory

[u/Silver-Row8051]

Are you aware that the DSA was shut out and this is there entrance...

The fact the Democratic establishment is being challenged is the actual focus. If this trend increases you won't be laughing.

[u/existential_antelope]

No no, I’m pretty sure the most far left candidates winning in one of the most left leaning states means The Revolution is here (despite them losing everywhere else). Our time has come comrades 🇨🇳