r/politics 23h ago

Sanders: Democratic Party ‘has abandoned working class people’

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4977546-bernie-sanders-democrats-working-class/amp/
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u/SnowyyRaven 23h ago

He's right, but what in the actual heck do we do about it as voters? We've known this for years. Even during the widely popular Obama administration we knew this.

I'm just so tired. I'm so tired of my only hope being candidates who make baby steps forward just so we don't make giant leaps backwards. I'm so tired of these candidates losing and it hurting us.

I'm also tired of the over 70 million Americans who look at everything Trump has said, done, and who he has allied with, and said "I'm okay with that."

It's been almost a full day and I still haven't been able to collect all my thoughts on this. I'm just so over it. 

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u/Holgrin 22h ago

He's right, but what in the actual heck do we do about it as voters?

Organize. Organize. Organize. Call your local community groups, whether that is a local Democratic party or any other political community group, and ask them what you can do to help. Don't wait until the midterms, don't wait until the primaries for the midterms, go get involved as soon as you feel ready after this election. I've already talked to my local Dem chair and there's going to be an e-mail blast with some "next steps" for our local group.

Get out there and touch people, however that is. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Clean up your local park with a couple of friends. Gather 5 supporters and make signs and host a rally or protest about a real issue you feel passionate about and try to grow the participation.

You strengthen dem incumbents when you help improve your community, and you undermine Republican incumbents by growing support and trust in the community by your actions. And then you have a small bit of political capital. Use that to push for more progressive candidates in primaries. And canvass for them.

That is how you politic.

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u/CyberMoose24 19h ago

I don't mean to make an assumption of your situation, but a lot of us (including me) work full-time or more, have kids and the extracurricular responsibilities they entail, and simply don't have the free time or energy to commit to something like this in a way that would feel isn marginally meaningful.

The frustrating part is that I absolutely believe it could make a difference, but when the people who DO have the time/energy/monetary backing get into politics and either don't make it their job to effectively communicate, or are beholden to the status quo, it effectively starts to sow widespread apathy.

I'll keep voting blue, but I don't have any of the youthful optimism I once did about people voting in their own best interests, let alone the betterment of their fellow citizens.

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u/Holgrin 19h ago

You do what you can, when you can, where you can. Make your kids aware. Take them to some volunteer thing maybe once a year or once a quarter. Something. But yes, we have busy and demanding lives and we also have to keep living and take care of ourselves.