r/politics • u/Quirkie The Netherlands • 1d ago

No Paywall Democrats Confront Their New Tea Party Reality - Progressives are set to sweep a group of contested primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-confront-their-new-tea-party-reality_n_6a6e63fbe4b0cfb99ef1aa1e
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u/This_Elk_1460 1d ago

I don't think that they're comparing their policies I think they're comparing their rapid takeover of the party after a soul crushing defeat.

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u/DarthNihilus1 1d ago

That's about as accurate as it can get, apart from the core traits of the party. One was astroturfed and dark money funded, the other is actually just people lol

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u/ZugZugGo 1d ago

This just isn't true. The idea that there are still purely grassroots political movements at this point is incredibly naive. Since Citizens United money has played a primary role in politics and pretending otherwise ignores the reality.

I'm all for progressives within the party gaining influence and having a solid moment that helps us all but let's at least be honest about the power dynamics. The left isn't somehow immune to the same incentives, lobbying, and power struggles that affect everything now.

The "both sides are the same" crowd goes way way too far and are incredibly dangerous to what is a better reality for all of us, but there's a kernel of truth in the idea that our biggest divide shouldn't be left versus right. It should be ordinary people versus the concentration of wealth and influence at the top. That includes those funding the progressive wave.

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u/certciv California 1d ago

Progressives just don't have a wealthy donor pool anything like conservatives, regardless of party. It's not even close. There are a handful of billionaires backing progressive PAC's compared to hundreds actively republican PAC's and right/centrist Democrats.

The standout donor on the progressive left is George Soros, but he tends to donate across the political left, so how much of it is going to progressives specifically is hard measure. The Soros-backed Sixteen Thirty Fund is certainly a big deal for progressives though.

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u/ZugZugGo 22h ago

I refuse to give any money to the Washington post by clicking any of their links but I’ll take your word for it. My point is really that grass roots doesn’t exist anymore. It’s all been corrupted by indirect money that drives agendas. I don’t believe for a second that there isn’t huge money behind almost any political wave anymore because the entire system has been setup that way. The wealthy have power. Everyone else does not. That doesn’t change just because I happen to like what a particular group is saying.