Khizr Khan, the father of a slain Muslim Army captain who gained national attention by pointedly criticizing former President Donald Trump during the Democratic National Convention in 2016, announced in an exclusive interview with NBC News that he is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and plans to act as a campaign surrogate for her.
In 2016, Khan denounced Trump’s treatment of Muslims and other minorities while holding a pocket-sized U.S. Constitution and challenging Trump to read the document. In his interview with NBC News on Saturday, Khan said Trump has “gotten worse” and that he fears the former president will become a dictator and end democracy as Americans know it.
Im not who you’re responding to but if the Rs are “regressive” and the Dems are not “progressive” but instead “status quo” couldn’t my opinion,
(CW: chinese bot alert! BoTh SiDeS vote suppression incoming!)
“neither party will help us move left” be pretty spot on? That is what everyone on the left wants, yeah? For the Overton Window to move left? We agree? Please tell me we agree on this much.
If we do, how is such leftward movement even possible in the current political climate, with the DNC so hostile to the leftists already in its tent and openly courting ‘left-leaning’ Republicans? They are currently campaigning with right-wing rhetoric like a “lethal fighting force” and a “strong border wall”. Is the way to fight conservatism getting conservatives to join you? I guess I’m too stupid to see how that could work.
I’m not saying Harris needs to make Roe v Wade’s return the number one cause of her campaign, but it and other leftist causes should be talked about waaay more than they have, don’t you think? I do anyway.
Assuming i still have your ear and we agree the DNC is moving right politically, what can a Democratic voter do to slow or stop this rightward trend?
Here’s where you expect me to tell you to vote 3rd party or some other useless shit but naw, the answer is "i dont know and it’s driving me bonkers thinking about how it must. "
To be abundantly clear, please do vote for Harris. I am absolutely serious. I want her to win.
Honestly, my secret fantasy has the Democrats winning a supermajority in all parts of the country and, without the republican bugaboo to point at and blame are either forced to come through on some long-term platform promises to leftists, or the voters are finally forced to see the Democratic Party for who they really are and finally form a party that represents them because it is them.
Or the Dems prove me full of shit and it really was the darn ol’ Rs all along! What a blow to my ego that would be hahaha! I’d still take that L happily tho.
First go check VB’s post history. Some of the criticism is well deserved.
Second, depending on the framing and audience, Democrats absolutely are the left. If you are in heavily socialist places that claim will rightfully get you laughed at. Since we defined it as capitalist vs not. And any type of liberal is staunchly unwaveringly capitalist to a fault. But outside that you’re just talking past people to score points.
Are Democrats progressive? Absolutely. Like a snail is speedy. But snails still get around. It isn’t satisfactory to myself or a lot of others. But it’s nothing to disregard. They’ll eventually get to the right answer after they’ve tried every other option. But they CAN get there unlike Republicans. And we CAN speed it up with cooperation and solidarity where it makes sense.
No Democrats aren’t moving right. If you define right as capitalist there’s nothing right of economic-liberalism/liberals or neoliberals/neoconservatives. Are they wavering somewhat rudderless on social issues trying to check what direction political winds might be blowing to find support? Absolutely. But they still, after far too long, did eventually bring about equal marriage rights for gay couples. And while it’s far from perfect they do provide understanding and support in general to trans groups. They absolutely need to do more and to do better. But they can be worked with and reasoned with. Perhaps just not trusted.