Summary
Sen. Bernie Sanders is touring Iowa and Nebraska to rally against “the oligarchy,” aiming to energize progressives rather than launch a 2028 presidential bid.
At 83, he seeks to shape the Democratic Party’s future, arguing it lost in 2024 by neglecting working-class voters.
He hopes to influence budget battles and the 2026 midterms, targeting GOP lawmakers in battleground districts.
With Democrats lacking clear leadership, Sanders’ prominence and focus on economic inequality could define the party’s direction in the Trump-Musk era.
Defeatism sucks.
It’s not defeatism, it’s an acknowledgment that we need to look beyond electoralism within the Dems. Mutual aid, dual power, direct action. If electoralism, build a grass roots infrastructure for a new third party or help an existing one rise.
Third party success won’t happen with just running someone for president every four years. It has to start at very local level, and engage with the public between elections.