Dems' New Progressive Leader: 'Diet' Republicanism Won't Work

[Autumn]

Texas Rep. Greg Casar talks Trump’s lies, Democrat soul searching, and kicking corporate interest “in the shins”

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/greg-casar-progressive-caucus-chair-democrats-future-1235205448/

I think it’s a moment of soul searching in Washington for Democrats. There are some of us that are really trying to figure out what we should have done differently. And having just been elected chair of the Progressive Caucus, you might expect me to say that we should have just been more progressive. I’m actually here to argue that the party doesn’t need to necessarily run further left or further to the right. We just need to run directly at the issues of working-class people and be authentic leaders for that.

I think that going and trying to pretend to be Republican-light, or to just discriminate a little bit less than Republicans, or to just be the party that isn’t Trump clearly hasn’t worked. It isn’t right for us to allow discrimination against people, but I don’t think that it works politically either. I think what works is if we tell a clear and authentic story to the American people about why they feel screwed over, and that’s something the Democratic Party hasn’t been able to do. We shouldn’t throw trans people under the bus or throw immigrants under the bus. Instead, we should point out that it wasn’t a trans person that denied your health insurance claim; it was a gigantic corporation that went unregulated by the Republicans. It’s not an undocumented immigrant raising your rent; it’s a Wall Street hedge fund that’s doing it, and Trump is appointing those guys to his Cabinet. I think the Progressive Caucus is ready to tell that kind of story, and supercharge that kind of message inside the Democratic Party.

We’ve heard moderate pundits say Democrats should have focused more on housing and child care, for example. Well, that’s great, I’m happy to welcome them into the tent, because it was the Progressive Caucus that pushed for legislation to bring down housing costs, and that pushed for legislation to keep child care costs at 7 percent of a person’s income. It was the more corporate part of the Democratic Party — crystallized by Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin — that actually blocked the legislation to reduce housing costs and reduce child care costs.

I think people can see that the Progressive Caucus has had the ideas on how to address people’s economic strain and that those ideas are widely popular. They’re popular among Republican voters and independent voters. So we have to lean in on those issues. In his first few months in office, Trump has promised to extend and expand his billionaire tax cuts, and I think the Progressive Caucus has a huge opportunity and responsibility to supercharge opposition to those billionaire tax breaks. We have to work to make sure every single Democrat on the Hill votes against it, and that way we can start showing people who changed their votes from Biden to Trump that Trump says one thing, but he does the opposite.

[FoxNewsSucks]

1. Damn right, it doesn't work.

[Autumn]

2. It's a great read. He seems to know exactly what needs to be done. His comment

about solutions to people’s economic challenges was 100% right "Democrats have to be willing to call out the real villain, which we rarely do as a national party."

[Voltaire2]

3. The Democratic Party maneuvered itself deftly into being the supporter of the almost universally despised neoliberal

establishment. It is not alone holding this losing hand. Labor in the UK, Macron's Renaissance in France, the SD/CD alliance in Germany, the Liberal Party in Canada, and numerous other traditional centrist parties that held power during the neoliberal era from 1980-2008 are in the same precarious position.

Until these parties move to the left and start promoting and implementing left populist reform they are going to lose to the only political parties opposed to the established order: the fascists.

We need to get a fucking clue, grow a fucking spine, and fight for working people, all working people, not just white men.

[La Coliniere]

11. Well said.

We also need to continually shine a very bright light on the oligarchs who control the agenda. They are a huge problem and need exposure 24/7.

[Nanjeanne]

4. I was thrilled when I read that Greg Casar was heading up the Progressive Caucus. He is one to watch and

I hope we see these exciting politicians allowed to take more leadership positions. They are the future.

[returnee]

5. My suggestions:

-Fight gerrymandering
-Fight voter suppression
-Fight for open source vote machine software or paper ballots
-Fight repub and foreign propaganda in every instance
-reach out to non-voters
-show the graphs on wealth inequality
-show the data on medical bankruptcy rates in advanced countries
-Boycott
(just a few)

[Lunabell]

13. Fight corporatism!

[returnee]

16. Agreed! nt

[Autumn]

9. Sometimes you gotta get noticed. The GOP had a grip on Texas long before 2020.

[Quiet Em]

7. He's not wrong

It isn’t right for us to allow discrimination against people, but I don’t think that it works politically either. I think what works is if we tell a clear and authentic story to the American people about why they feel screwed over, and that’s something the Democratic Party hasn’t been able to do. We shouldn’t throw trans people under the bus or throw immigrants under the bus. Instead, we should point out that it wasn’t a trans person that denied your health insurance claim; it was a gigantic corporation that went unregulated by the Republicans. It’s not an undocumented immigrant raising your rent; it’s a Wall Street hedge fund that’s doing it, and Trump is appointing those guys to his Cabinet

but he is severely underestimating how Republicans frame it. Saying a transgender person didn't deny your health insurance claim won't work on the people who Republicans have convinced that school teachers are turning, encouraging or brainwashing their children into being transgender.

And Vance and Walz debated on the immigration/housing costs. But Republicans convinced their followers that immigrants are taking their homes, their jobs, eating their pets, drugging their children and making America less white.

I get his point, but it's not as simple as he says. Republicans with the help of the media and social media are winning their propaganda war.

[Wiz Imp]

14. "won't work on the people who Republicans have convinced that school teachers are turning, encouraging or brainwashing

their children into being transgender." Sorry, NOTHING will work on those people. People who believe that shit are the ones who are brainwashed, and banging your head against the wall trying to "reach" them is pointless. Those people are hopelessly lost and need to be treated as such.

[Quiet Em]

15. You are right.

Nothing will work on these people. There is no reaching them.

[Bettie]

8. OMG! I have been waiting for someone to say this for a while!

I'm tired of us being R-Lite...we should just be Democrats, unapologetically.

Ideas that benefit most people, but maybe not 75% the ultra rich, 24% the rich, and 1% the rest of us. Yes, I know R's percentages are more 99% the ultra rich, 3/4% the rich, and that last .25% divided among the rest, and a of demand thanks for the crumbs.

[progressoid]

10. K/R!!!!

[Janbdwl72]

12. Many good thoughts by Congressman Cesar

However, I do feel one thing expressed more than once after the election results were known that makes sense to me is that Democrats need to do a better job listening to the working class. I am not sure if I agreed that Democrats only spoke at the working class, but the approach should and could be better.

Of course, many workers and Union members who voted for the Orange Maniac are certainly going to be disappointed in how little regard this incoming administration will have for their views, while it will eagerly support what the billionaires and millionaires want.

[W_HAMILTON]

17. Demeaning actual progressive accomplishments by calling it """diet Republicanism""" also doesn't work.

Look at all the progressive accomplishments Biden has had during his administration -- and what did it get us?

If progressives want to know why Democrats seem to turn to """diet Republicanism""" ( ), it's because Republicans are (sadly) winning elections.

Casar is a representative in ultra-blue Austin, in a D+21 district. If he and others think that Americans are just foaming at the mouth for more progressive Democrats, start running -- and WINNING -- in red areas. Put that theory to the test. I don't want to hear it from progressive Democrats in D+20 districts -- show me progressive Democrats winning in red districts that say this is the path to electoral success.

[betsuni]

18. Lawrence O'Donnell showed Biden speak about his accomplishments. Of course media shows Trump instead,

whining ensues that Biden is radio silence, insult insult insult. Assume the worst, for Democrats. Don't check or anything or listen to what Democrats say. That would burst the cynical negative Democrat-bashing bubble.

There's never been a flip from heavily red to progressive blue, there won't be -- they're voting for culture wars. Elaborate conspiracy theories about establishment elites rigging the election are the excuse.

[LeftInTX]

19. Bookmarking because I'm falling asleep. Greg seems to have simple, direct, inclusive, on-point messaging.

I like his style. It's just what the party needs. 🤞

My daughter's congressman. She needs to appreciate him.