General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Ocasio-Cortez backs campaign to primary fellow Democrats [View all]Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)It's about the role of primaries. To the sincere progressives who choose to go with the Green Party or other minor parties, I say that they're making a sincere mistake -- precisely because Democratic Party candidates are chosen in primaries. If the votes are there to enable a Green to defeat a conservaDem in the general election, then it would be even easier for a progressive to win the Democratic primary. That's part of the system by which elected officials are kept responsive to their constituencies.
Many on DU share my view. This is the basis of the "Fuck Nader" school of thought. He should have run in the Democratic primaries. He would've gotten more votes (as Bernie showed in 2016) and we wouldn't have had Bush in office.
But: It's inconsistent to say that people dissatisfied with the incumbent (or other party establishment candidate) should run in the primary, but then to condemn any primary challenge as "mak[ing] war". This amounts to saying that progressives should just STFU.
There are millions of us who are not going to STFU. It's either a primary challenge or a minor party. As someone who believes in working within the Democratic Party, I resent the way some people are making that choice more difficult, and thus driving some voters into the arms of the Greens.