Edit: Interesting, didn’t expect this post to be controversial. Here’s some of my reasoning:
Democrats became gradually more progressive in their border policy between 2000-2016. In the mid-2000s, many prominent Democrats in Congress supported significant spending on security fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border and were critical of “sanctuary cities.” By contrast, during the Trump administration, Democrats were largely united against most of Trump’s immigration and border security initiatives, including opposing funding for a proposed border wall. The evolution in Democratic views on immigration is clear when comparing the party’s 2012 platform, which promoted a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants but with certain conditions, to the 2016 platform, which removed all caveats on the path to citizenship source.
I feel the early Trump era provided vindication that allowed some real expression of what equity looks like in border policy. (That said, I do readily admit my “chad” symbolism is a bit strong; rather I think it’s just that the DNC allowed more space for these voices at the time.)
However, all this progress has recently been lost since the election of the current incumbent, as Democrats have leaned back into border security, implicitly admitting that the conservative framing of the issue is a valid concern.
Because if progressives hold their noses and vote for a moderate, the moderate gets to appoint the DNC chair and other leadership/voting positions.
Pretty much the only way they lose those positions, is if a more progressive Dem wins the presidency.
If a Republican wins the general, the DNC votes for its own leadership, including all those people the moderate president last appointed. So they usually retain power of the party.
Obama was a little progressive, but he hated the DNC so much he basically abandoned it instead of trying to save it. So it’s been ratcheting to the right for 30 years now.
There was the very very brief window after DWS had to resign where a progressive got to see behind the curtain, and it was a total shit show.
It still is, but it used to be too.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/02/clinton-brazile-hacks-2016-215774/
Those same “moderates” keep telling us we can’t worry about this because of trump, because they know the Dem.party doesn’t want them. They’re just willing to risk trump rather than lose control of the party
This is insightful. Can you connect the dots for me on how it relates to the border stuff?
(mean this genuinely; i’m not crazy educated on these internals of the parties and i didn’t catch your implication)