thenation--2020-11-09--Cameroonian Asylum Seekers Say They Face Violent Persecution Upon Deportation

“ I had a swollen face , I spat blood .
My whole body was hurting .
I was scared that I might die , ” Giscard wrote last May from an immigrant detention center in Louisiana , describing the torture and persecution he had fled in the Republic of Cameroon .
( Our correspondence was published as part of The Nation ’ s Migrant Voices series . )
When he wrote those lines , he had been in US immigrant detention for two years , fighting to find a legal avenue to protection .
Giscard ’ s initial asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative ruling , but his appeal , too , was denied .
Still fearing a return to a country he was certain would detain , torture , and maybe kill him , as Covid-19 spread , he wrote , “ What I think awaits me now is nothing but death.
” He appealed again to the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit , still hoping to find safety : “ I ’ m tired of all this and I need my freedom back.
” But since early October , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE has been transferring Cameroonians to a detention center near Dallas , allegedly coercing and even violently forcing some of them to sign deportation papers .
A complaint on behalf of the Southern Poverty Law Center ( SPLC ) and Freedom for Immigrants submitted last month to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security ’ s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties detailed ICE ’ s threats , including “ excessive use of force , including physical abuse and pepper spray ” used to force Cameroonians to sign their deportation orders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of physical force by ICE officers is abusive , unlawful , and tantamount to torture , ” the complaint summarizes .
ICE did not respond to comments on the multiple allegations reported in this article .
I spoke with multiple detained Cameroonian asylum seekers who described the abuse .
One of them , who asked not to be named for fear of retribution , told me he was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed in the face ( both practices are corroborated by the complaint ) .
He was then dragged and thrown into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone for three days .
‘ An Experience I Wouldn ’ t Wish My Worst Enemy to Undergo ’ In the end , Giscard and 56 other Cameroonians were deported on October 13 , sent back to a country in which they allege their very lives could be in danger .
Perhaps most troubling for the future of other detainees currently awaiting deportation , advocates claim these removals were part of an election-season rush to deport as many as possible before a new administration can take over in Washington .
Dozens of Cameroonians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as soon as Tuesday .
“ Mass deportations to the Central African region do not appear to be isolated , ” Sarah Gardiner , policy director of Freedom for Immigrants , told me via e-mail .
“ They are occurring largely in secret while the public attention is focused on the election and a potential change in administration.
” Asylum is increasingly , almost vanishingly , hard to come by in the United States .
People showing up at the US-Mexican border seeking safety are summarily expelled .
And yet , despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s concerted and relentless efforts to undermine the asylum system , there is no shortage of danger and targeted persecution throughout the world still causing people to flee .
Though most asylum seekers in the United States come from Central America and China , West Africans , especially as they are blocked from finding safety in Europe , are starting to make the long and perilous journey to the United States to seek safety and freedom .
Over 1,500 Cameroonians applied for asylum in fiscal year 2020 , which is up from fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many are fleeing deadly sectarian violence , which some are describing as genocide , as the Francophone ruling party of Cameroon is violently cracking down on the Anglophone minority .
Tens of thousands of Cameroonians have fled the country in recent years .
As of September , more than 3,000 Cameroonians—the vast majority of them seeking asylum—had cases backlogged in US immigration courts .
When the 57 Cameroonians were deported last month , one woman was physically restrained and shackled to a seat of the bus taking them to the airport .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asked that I not share his name , told me about the flight .
“ During the deportation I was handcuffed for 14 hours .
I had to urinate , and they let me go to the bathroom but didn ’ t take off the handcuffs .
I peed on myself.
” The situation got significantly worse upon landing .
There was a pervasive fear that they would be immediately detained upon arrival by Cameroonian security officials .
After two days of quarantine , some of them were released to family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 30 of them were detained .
A lawyer and advocate in Cameroon told me he could account for at least 13 who remain in detention almost a month after their deportation .
According to immigrant advocate and volunteer with Free Them All San Diego , Anne-Marie Debbané , many of the deported Cameroonians who were released had to pay bribes for their freedom .
Some went straight into hiding .
Giscard was initially taken to a police station .
He told me he knew what was coming .
Before the deportation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of documents handed over to Cameroonian authorities upon his deportation not include his political affiliation card for the Southern Cameroons National Council ( SCNC ) , a group openly critical of the country ’ s ruling party .
“ I demanded the ICE officer for opportunity to discard documents in our property that could put me in trouble back home , ” Giscard wrote to me in a letter that he sent to me via WhatsApp .
But his SCNC card ended up in the hands of Cameroonian officials .
According to Giscard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested , he was interrogated about his political affiliation , shown his SCNC card , and then informed that he would be charged under a new anti-terrorism law .
“ Some officers were beating me saying that it is people like me that have made their jobs to become hard .
I also had beatings from inmates I meet in prison.
” After six days in detention , during which he says he was tortured , Giscard ’ s family scraped together $ 1,000 dollars and paid a bribe for his release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his paperwork and identifying documents .
He has since gone into hiding , spending time at a church that has offered him refuge , and in nearby abandoned buildings .
“ The fear I have now has grown bigger , ” he told me in a series of WhatsApp audio messages .
He sent along photos of himself , shirtless and appearing sleep-deprived in a bare , half-walled room .
“ All documents I had that identified me as a Cameroonian have been seized .
Presently I can say I am stateless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s why I am in hiding .
The level of persecution is so high.
” In having bribed his way to at least temporary freedom , Giscard may be lucky .
I spoke with the sister of another deported asylum seeker who remains in a maximum-security prison in Cameroon .
His current status is unclear , and she fears she may not see him again .
Gardiner from Freedom for Immigrants said , “ The fact that ICE continues to conduct mass deportations of Black immigrants to danger in Cameroon—in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fighting for an end to a system that cages people simply for crossing a border in search of safety and a better life .
According to advocates , there are at least 37 Cameroonians currently detained in the Prairieland Detention Facility , near Dallas , Tex .
Some of them have been told that they will be deported as soon as Tuesday .
Once again , there are reports that some of the asylum seekers are being forced to sign their deportations .
According to another letter to the DHS Civil Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SPLC and Freedom for Immigrants , “ The use of violent force to obtain signatures in violation of immigrants ’ rights appears to be part of an ongoing pattern and practice of ICE officials and their agents within the New Orleans ICE office.
” The letter includes testimonies from six asylum seekers detailing ICE ’ s violent coercion tactics .
According to one of the anonymous testimonials : I said I could not sign without talking to my attorney .
She insisted I sign , saying if I didn ’ t we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
She then called in five ICE officers who told me if I didn ’ t sign these documents they would force me to do so .
When I continued to refuse , one ICE officer demanded the others bring handcuffs .
They cuffed one of my hands , trying to bring the two hands together to cuff them and take my fingerprints , but I resisted .
There were eight ICE officers and representatives holding me aggressively , pressing my body down , pushing on my shoulders , and trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes of struggle , they forced my index finger on the paper .
I spoke with Daniel Legwengong , the brother of Jones Mbemg Bonkem , who was recently transferred to the Dallas detention center , where he has been informed that he will be deported shortly .
Like Giscard , he also has an appeal pending in the Fifth Circuit court .
His brother told me he will be picked up by Cameroonian security forces as soon as he is deported .
The family fears “ prolonged imprisonment or that they [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silently and nobody will ever know what happens to him.
” Legwengong added , “ The American government should not be responsible for sending people to their early graves.
” Read Giscard writing about his deportation , the torture he underwent , and his current situation below .
My name is Giscard .
I was among the 57 Cameroonians that were deported from the United State of America on 10/13/2020 .
After seeking for asylum or protection from the USA as a member of a particular social group called Southern Cameroon National Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the restoration of former Southern Cameroon ) , I was forcefully shackled and put in the plane without having the chance to hear on the ruling of my case .
I had to take my case to the level of the 5th Circuit Court and endure time in detention because I knew what awaits me if I was made to go back.… At my individual hearing , at the request of the judge I handed copies of support documents including my SCNC card and the judge requested to see the origins of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handed the card to the government attorney for forensic evaluation and it was never handed back to me .
Few days before deportation at Prairieland detention center Texas I demanded the ICE officer for opportunity to discard documents in our property that could put me in trouble back home .
I then requested to have my Cameroonian ID card and I was told it is their policy to hand them to the pilot who will hand them to the authorities of my country .
Little did I know that my SCNC card was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I meant to say here is that this policy has put my life in more jeopardy because they handed over my SCNC card to the authority of Cameroon thereby failing in the agreement we made when I was seeking asylum which was not to disclose anything I say or give them to my government… .
On October 14 , 2020 when we touched down the Douala International Airport , all the different security forces were present to receive us and security was tight .
After we were received by these tight security I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airport for interrogation by members of the security forces.… At the end of the questioning with an exhibit of my SCNC card they told me I will be charged with the new anti-terrorism law and I was taken to the Yaounde Gendarmarie Prison under torture and beatings .
Some officers were beating me saying that it is people like me that have made their jobs to become hard .
I also had beatings from inmates I meet in prison.… It is also good to know that our deportation has gained international attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in Cameroon were also involved in my release with the indefatigable effort from my family and friends who finally paid bribe of $ 1000 dollars for my partial release .
I say partial release because I am not totally free .
I have been stripped from all documents I had that could identify me as a Cameroonian .
My Cameroonian ID card has been seized… .
Currently I am in hiding… .
A church has offered to help and I will be going there for refuge for the moment .
I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let me end by telling someone that has the power that be to if not help me at least help some Cameroonians back there in the US who are facing deportation because I do not want them to experience what I have and also to say that the crisis in Cameroon is still very well on and it is real people have died and are still dying… .
This is the very problem I had escaped from and thought I had seen the light at the end of the tunnel only to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life-threatening situation .
God please help me .
Done this day of 11/01/2020 Giscard

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“I had a swollen face, I spat blood. My whole body was hurting. I was scared that I might die,” Giscard wrote last May from an immigrant detention center in Louisiana, describing the torture and persecution he had fled in the Republic of Cameroon. (Our correspondence was published as part of The Nation’s Migrant Voices series.)
When he wrote those lines, he had been in US immigrant detention for two years, fighting to find a legal avenue to protection. Giscard’s initial asylum claim was denied. He appealed the negative ruling, but his appeal, too, was denied. Still fearing a return to a country he was certain would detain, torture, and maybe kill him, as Covid-19 spread, he wrote, “What I think awaits me now is nothing but death.” He appealed again to the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, still hoping to find safety: “I’m tired of all this and I need my freedom back.”
But since early October, even as the Fifth Circuit decision remains pending, ICE has been transferring Cameroonians to a detention center near Dallas, allegedly coercing and even violently forcing some of them to sign deportation papers. A complaint on behalf of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Freedom for Immigrants submitted last month to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties detailed ICE’s threats, including “excessive use of force, including physical abuse and pepper spray” used to force Cameroonians to sign their deportation orders. “This pattern of coercion and unwarranted use of physical force by ICE officers is abusive, unlawful, and tantamount to torture,” the complaint summarizes. ICE did not respond to comments on the multiple allegations reported in this article.
I spoke with multiple detained Cameroonian asylum seekers who described the abuse. One of them, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, told me he was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed in the face (both practices are corroborated by the complaint). He was then dragged and thrown into a solitary confinement cell where he was left alone for three days. Migrant Voices ‘An Experience I Wouldn’t Wish My Worst Enemy to Undergo’ John Washington
In the end, Giscard and 56 other Cameroonians were deported on October 13, sent back to a country in which they allege their very lives could be in danger. Perhaps most troubling for the future of other detainees currently awaiting deportation, advocates claim these removals were part of an election-season rush to deport as many as possible before a new administration can take over in Washington. Dozens of Cameroonians currently in ICE detention could be deported as soon as Tuesday. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
“Mass deportations to the Central African region do not appear to be isolated,” Sarah Gardiner, policy director of Freedom for Immigrants, told me via e-mail. “They are occurring largely in secret while the public attention is focused on the election and a potential change in administration.”
Returned to Danger
Asylum is increasingly, almost vanishingly, hard to come by in the United States. People showing up at the US-Mexican border seeking safety are summarily expelled. And yet, despite the pandemic, despite the Trump administration’s concerted and relentless efforts to undermine the asylum system, there is no shortage of danger and targeted persecution throughout the world still causing people to flee. Current Issue View our current issue
Though most asylum seekers in the United States come from Central America and China, West Africans, especially as they are blocked from finding safety in Europe, are starting to make the long and perilous journey to the United States to seek safety and freedom.
Over 1,500 Cameroonians applied for asylum in fiscal year 2020, which is up from fewer than 150 only five years ago. Many are fleeing deadly sectarian violence, which some are describing as genocide, as the Francophone ruling party of Cameroon is violently cracking down on the Anglophone minority. Tens of thousands of Cameroonians have fled the country in recent years. As of September, more than 3,000 Cameroonians—the vast majority of them seeking asylum—had cases backlogged in US immigration courts.
When the 57 Cameroonians were deported last month, one woman was physically restrained and shackled to a seat of the bus taking them to the airport. Another deported Cameroonian, who also feared retribution and asked that I not share his name, told me about the flight. “During the deportation I was handcuffed for 14 hours. I had to urinate, and they let me go to the bathroom but didn’t take off the handcuffs. I peed on myself.”
The situation got significantly worse upon landing. There was a pervasive fear that they would be immediately detained upon arrival by Cameroonian security officials. After two days of quarantine, some of them were released to family members. One independent African media outlet claimed that 30 of them were detained. A lawyer and advocate in Cameroon told me he could account for at least 13 who remain in detention almost a month after their deportation. According to immigrant advocate and volunteer with Free Them All San Diego, Anne-Marie Debbané, many of the deported Cameroonians who were released had to pay bribes for their freedom. Some went straight into hiding. Giscard was initially taken to a police station. He told me he knew what was coming.
Before the deportation, Giscard had asked ICE that the packet of documents handed over to Cameroonian authorities upon his deportation not include his political affiliation card for the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), a group openly critical of the country’s ruling party. “I demanded the ICE officer for opportunity to discard documents in our property that could put me in trouble back home,” Giscard wrote to me in a letter that he sent to me via WhatsApp. But his SCNC card ended up in the hands of Cameroonian officials. According to Giscard, upon landing in Cameroon and being arrested, he was interrogated about his political affiliation, shown his SCNC card, and then informed that he would be charged under a new anti-terrorism law. “Some officers were beating me saying that it is people like me that have made their jobs to become hard. I also had beatings from inmates I meet in prison.”
After six days in detention, during which he says he was tortured, Giscard’s family scraped together $1,000 dollars and paid a bribe for his release. The police kept his ID and all of his paperwork and identifying documents. He has since gone into hiding, spending time at a church that has offered him refuge, and in nearby abandoned buildings. “The fear I have now has grown bigger,” he told me in a series of WhatsApp audio messages. He sent along photos of himself, shirtless and appearing sleep-deprived in a bare, half-walled room. “All documents I had that identified me as a Cameroonian have been seized. Presently I can say I am stateless. I can’t move. That’s why I am in hiding. The level of persecution is so high.”
In having bribed his way to at least temporary freedom, Giscard may be lucky. I spoke with the sister of another deported asylum seeker who remains in a maximum-security prison in Cameroon. His current status is unclear, and she fears she may not see him again.
Gardiner from Freedom for Immigrants said, “The fact that ICE continues to conduct mass deportations of Black immigrants to danger in Cameroon—in the middle of global pandemic—underscores exactly why we are fighting for an end to a system that cages people simply for crossing a border in search of safety and a better life.
Another Deportation
According to advocates, there are at least 37 Cameroonians currently detained in the Prairieland Detention Facility, near Dallas, Tex. Some of them have been told that they will be deported as soon as Tuesday. Once again, there are reports that some of the asylum seekers are being forced to sign their deportations. According to another letter to the DHS Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Office, written by the SPLC and Freedom for Immigrants, “The use of violent force to obtain signatures in violation of immigrants’ rights appears to be part of an ongoing pattern and practice of ICE officials and their agents within the New Orleans ICE office.” The letter includes testimonies from six asylum seekers detailing ICE’s violent coercion tactics.
According to one of the anonymous testimonials:
I said I could not sign without talking to my attorney. She insisted I sign, saying if I didn’t we would have to do it the hard way. She then called in five ICE officers who told me if I didn’t sign these documents they would force me to do so. When I continued to refuse, one ICE officer demanded the others bring handcuffs. They cuffed one of my hands, trying to bring the two hands together to cuff them and take my fingerprints, but I resisted. There were eight ICE officers and representatives holding me aggressively, pressing my body down, pushing on my shoulders, and trying to move my fingers. After about five minutes of struggle, they forced my index finger on the paper.
I spoke with Daniel Legwengong, the brother of Jones Mbemg Bonkem, who was recently transferred to the Dallas detention center, where he has been informed that he will be deported shortly. Like Giscard, he also has an appeal pending in the Fifth Circuit court. His brother told me he will be picked up by Cameroonian security forces as soon as he is deported. The family fears “prolonged imprisonment or that they [the Cameroonian government] will kill him silently and nobody will ever know what happens to him.”
Legwengong added, “The American government should not be responsible for sending people to their early graves.”
Read Giscard writing about his deportation, the torture he underwent, and his current situation below.
Selections from Giscard’s Letter, November 1, 2020
My name is Giscard. I was among the 57 Cameroonians that were deported from the United State of America on 10/13/2020. After seeking for asylum or protection from the USA as a member of a particular social group called Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC, a pressure group fighting for the restoration of former Southern Cameroon), I was forcefully shackled and put in the plane without having the chance to hear on the ruling of my case. I had to take my case to the level of the 5th Circuit Court and endure time in detention because I knew what awaits me if I was made to go back.…
At my individual hearing, at the request of the judge I handed copies of support documents including my SCNC card and the judge requested to see the origins of my SCNC card. The judge then handed the card to the government attorney for forensic evaluation and it was never handed back to me. Few days before deportation at Prairieland detention center Texas I demanded the ICE officer for opportunity to discard documents in our property that could put me in trouble back home. I then requested to have my Cameroonian ID card and I was told it is their policy to hand them to the pilot who will hand them to the authorities of my country. Little did I know that my SCNC card was inside the file as well. What I meant to say here is that this policy has put my life in more jeopardy because they handed over my SCNC card to the authority of Cameroon thereby failing in the agreement we made when I was seeking asylum which was not to disclose anything I say or give them to my government….
On October 14, 2020 when we touched down the Douala International Airport, all the different security forces were present to receive us and security was tight. After we were received by these tight security I was then taken to a room at the airport for interrogation by members of the security forces.… At the end of the questioning with an exhibit of my SCNC card they told me I will be charged with the new anti-terrorism law and I was taken to the Yaounde Gendarmarie Prison under torture and beatings. Some officers were beating me saying that it is people like me that have made their jobs to become hard. I also had beatings from inmates I meet in prison.…
It is also good to know that our deportation has gained international attention. Human rights organizations in the US and in Cameroon were also involved in my release with the indefatigable effort from my family and friends who finally paid bribe of $1000 dollars for my partial release. I say partial release because I am not totally free. I have been stripped from all documents I had that could identify me as a Cameroonian. My Cameroonian ID card has been seized….
Currently I am in hiding…. A church has offered to help and I will be going there for refuge for the moment. I have developed stress and anxiety plus depression….
Let me end by telling someone that has the power that be to if not help me at least help some Cameroonians back there in the US who are facing deportation because I do not want them to experience what I have and also to say that the crisis in Cameroon is still very well on and it is real people have died and are still dying….
This is the very problem I had escaped from and thought I had seen the light at the end of the tunnel only to be brought back to an even more bigger life-threatening situation. God please help me.
Done this day of 11/01/2020
Giscard


thenation--2020-11-09--John Kasich Contributed Nothing to Biden’s Election, So Why Should Democrats Listen to His Claptrap?

Of all the Republican grifters who attached themselves to the Democratic bid to upend Donald Trump ’ s presidency , few came out of the 2020 election with so little to show for it as former Ohio governor John Kasich , the anti-choice , anti-labor charlatan who failed in his 2016 Republican presidential bid , remade himself as a “ Never Trumper ” and landed a prime-time gig at last summer ’ s Democratic National Convention .
The theory was that Kasich was just the guy to swing Republicans and self-identified conservatives in battleground states—such as Ohio—to Joe Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2016 , Trump won the state by 8.1 percent of the vote .
In 2020 , he won it by 8.2 percent .
Ohio didn ’ t flip .
Yet there was Kasich on CNN , minutes after Biden ’ s victory had been declared Saturday , arguing that Democrats would have done better “ if they ’ d have been more clear in rejecting the hard left.
” “ The best thing that ’ s happened to Joe Biden is the fact that the United States Senate is either going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Kasich , who is reportedly angling for a cabinet post .
“ And the far left can push him as hard as they want .
And frankly , the Democrats have to make it clear to the far left that they almost cost him this election.
” That ’ s nonsense .
Outgoing Congressional Progressive Caucus cochair Mark Pocan of Wisconsin summed up the absurdity of deferring to Kasich when he told The Nation , “ I hardly think someone with experience only in electing Republicans , someone whose own state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credible source for explaining what happened in a presidential election where Democrats flipped Wisconsin , Michigan , and Pennsylvania.
” Yet the Kasich line was being picked up by pundits and Wall Street–friendly Democrats who have a vested interest in fostering the fantasy that progressives are the problem , as part of their ongoing effort to constrain the ambitions of the party as it reclaims the presidency .
There were even House Democrats , stung by setbacks in 2020 congressional races , who unloaded during a call last week on the supposed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s prospects by progressives who advocated Medicare for All , a Green New Deal , and major reforms in policing—even as exit polls showed 70 percent of Americans favor “ changing the health care system so that any American can buy into a government-run health care plan , ” 68 percent favor “ increasing federal government spending on green and renewable energy , ” and 72 percent think racism in policing is a serious problem while 68 percent say the criminal justice system requires major changes up to and including “ a complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ End to Mitch McConnell ’ s Grim Reaping When and How Joe Biden Should Declare Victory After Kasich finished pontificating Saturday , historian Barbara Ransby expressed frustration that CNN would give a platform to a Republican “ who has no credibility or following , as he lashes out at the very people who offer the excitement , energy , hope for the Democratic Party.
” Highlighting the work of progressives such as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , Ilhan Omar of Minnesota , Rashida Tlaib of Michigan , Pramila Jayapal of Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ransby explained , “ Biden did not win this , movement organizers did.
” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted : “ John Kasich , who did not deliver Ohio to Dems , is saying folks like @ IlhanMN , who did deliver Minnesota , are the problem .
Please don ’ t take these people seriously and go back to celebrating and building power.
” AOC went to the heart of the matter when she added , “ I ’ ve been thinking so much of @ IlhanMN .
Trump made Minnesota explicitly about HER .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
Many Dems in DC believed him , & marginalized her .
That burden wasn ’ t fair , but she took on the challenge anyway .
She won .
Credit and respect her .
@ RashidaTlaib too.
” While votes are still being tabulated in Arizona and Georgia , where Biden maintains narrow leads , results from Great Lakes battleground states have given the Democrat the Electoral College votes needed to claim the presidency .
In 2016 , four “ blue wall ” states that backed Barack Obama in 2008 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio—voted Republican .
And a fifth , Minnesota , came within 45,000 votes of doing so .
This year , Trump ’ s strategy was to hang on to Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Ohio , and to flip Minnesota .
On election night , Kasich ’ s Ohio went early for Trump .
And it didn ’ t look good in the other states .
But then the votes started to be counted in Minneapolis , Milwaukee , Detroit , Philadelphia , and other big cities .
Minnesota held firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
Then Michigan .
Finally , on Saturday , Pennsylvania was called .
In each of those states , determined grassroots organizing drives , which mobilized multiracial , multiethnic working-class neighborhoods and talked up progressive policies , succeeded in delivering essential support for the Biden-Harris ticket .
Consider Minnesota , where Trump declared in September , “ How about Omar of Minnesota ?
We ’ re going to win the state of Minnesota because of her , they say .
She ’ s telling us how to run our country .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
How ’ s your country doing ?
” Omar ’ s response to Trump ’ s racist appeal was a massive organizing drive to bump turnout in her overwhelmingly Democratic congressional district .
The goal was to increase the statewide Democratic vote in a way , she told me , that would “ make sure that this is a completely embarrassing election for [ Trump ] .
” Though her reelection was assured , Omar ’ s campaign hired organizers to hit the streets in Minneapolis , knock doors , and explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show up , be counted , and then have our voices heard.
” The representative also worked with unions and grassroots voter mobilization groups , earning praise from Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party chair Ken Martin , who told The Washington Post that Omar “ recognizes that she has a responsibility to drive up turnout ; it ’ s really important for all of our statewide races , especially the presidential race.
” The strategy worked .
In 2016 , in Minneapolis and surrounding Hennepin County , the Democratic presidential ticket received roughly 430,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total .
In 2020 , Democrats won more than 530,000 votes , 71 percent .
“ We knocked doors .
We made calls .
And we turned out more Biden voters than anywhere in the state , ” explained Omar , whose district ’ s almost 90 percent turnout contributed mightily to Biden ’ s 52-45 victory in Minnesota .
Joe Biden : The Decency Is the Point A similar story played out in Wisconsin , where Pocan restructured his campaign to highlight the top of the ticket in vote-rich Madison , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MooreAction ” drive to bump turnout in Milwaukee .
Organizers recognized both cities for their roles in reversing the 2016 result in the state and giving Biden a 20,000-vote win .
In Michigan , where Trump won by barely 10,000 votes in 2016 , Tlaib went to work in Detroit and surrounding Wayne County .
“ Our team knocked doors , called , and texted residents , and registered folks who had never voted before , ” she said .
This year , Detroit gave Biden 233,908 votes to just 12,654 for Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 150,000 votes .
Like Omar , Pocan , and Moore , Tlaib was quick to share credit with grassroots groups that worked to increase turnout .
“ I love how we do it in Detroit , ” she told me Thursday .
“ You had people organizing on the ground , so much hard work in every community.
” But newly elected US Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York did not hesitate to explain that Omar and Tlaib “ were MAJOR factors in delivering Minnesota and Michigan for Joe Biden .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bowman ’ s right .
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib and the movements they work with made meaningful contributions—unlike John Kasich—to swinging the battleground states that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
They ’ re the ones media outlets and Democratic strategists should be listening to .

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Of all the Republican grifters who attached themselves to the Democratic bid to upend Donald Trump’s presidency, few came out of the 2020 election with so little to show for it as former Ohio governor John Kasich, the anti-choice, anti-labor charlatan who failed in his 2016 Republican presidential bid, remade himself as a “Never Trumper” and landed a prime-time gig at last summer’s Democratic National Convention. The theory was that Kasich was just the guy to swing Republicans and self-identified conservatives in battleground states—such as Ohio—to Joe Biden. So what happened in Ohio? Nothing. In 2016, Trump won the state by 8.1 percent of the vote. In 2020, he won it by 8.2 percent. Ohio didn’t flip. Yet there was Kasich on CNN, minutes after Biden’s victory had been declared Saturday, arguing that Democrats would have done better “if they’d have been more clear in rejecting the hard left.”
“The best thing that’s happened to Joe Biden is the fact that the United States Senate is either going to be Republican or very close,” said Kasich, who is reportedly angling for a cabinet post. “And the far left can push him as hard as they want. And frankly, the Democrats have to make it clear to the far left that they almost cost him this election.”
That’s nonsense. Outgoing Congressional Progressive Caucus cochair Mark Pocan of Wisconsin summed up the absurdity of deferring to Kasich when he told The Nation, “I hardly think someone with experience only in electing Republicans, someone whose own state went for Trump, is the most credible source for explaining what happened in a presidential election where Democrats flipped Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.” Yet the Kasich line was being picked up by pundits and Wall Street–friendly Democrats who have a vested interest in fostering the fantasy that progressives are the problem, as part of their ongoing effort to constrain the ambitions of the party as it reclaims the presidency.
There were even House Democrats, stung by setbacks in 2020 congressional races, who unloaded during a call last week on the supposed “damage” done to the party’s prospects by progressives who advocated Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and major reforms in policing—even as exit polls showed 70 percent of Americans favor “changing the health care system so that any American can buy into a government-run health care plan,” 68 percent favor “increasing federal government spending on green and renewable energy,” and 72 percent think racism in policing is a serious problem while 68 percent say the criminal justice system requires major changes up to and including “a complete overhaul.” More From John Nichols A GOP Debate Without Trump Is the Definition of Pointlessness August 11, 2023 A Win for Abortion Rights, a Win for Democracy: Ohio Voters Reject Issue 1 August 9, 2023 The Biggest Threat to Donald Trump Could Be the Constitution Itself August 4, 2023
After Kasich finished pontificating Saturday, historian Barbara Ransby expressed frustration that CNN would give a platform to a Republican “who has no credibility or following, as he lashes out at the very people who offer the excitement, energy, hope for the Democratic Party.” Highlighting the work of progressives such as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ransby explained, “Biden did not win this, movement organizers did.” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: “John Kasich, who did not deliver Ohio to Dems, is saying folks like @IlhanMN, who did deliver Minnesota, are the problem. Please don’t take these people seriously and go back to celebrating and building power.” AOC went to the heart of the matter when she added, “I’ve been thinking so much of @IlhanMN. Trump made Minnesota explicitly about HER. Said he’d win because of her. Many Dems in DC believed him, & marginalized her. That burden wasn’t fair, but she took on the challenge anyway. She won. Credit and respect her. @RashidaTlaib too.”
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While votes are still being tabulated in Arizona and Georgia, where Biden maintains narrow leads, results from Great Lakes battleground states have given the Democrat the Electoral College votes needed to claim the presidency.
In 2016, four “blue wall” states that backed Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012—Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio—voted Republican. And a fifth, Minnesota, came within 45,000 votes of doing so. This year, Trump’s strategy was to hang on to Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and to flip Minnesota.
On election night, Kasich’s Ohio went early for Trump. And it didn’t look good in the other states. But then the votes started to be counted in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, and other big cities. Minnesota held firm for the Democrats. Wisconsin went for Biden. Then Michigan. Finally, on Saturday, Pennsylvania was called. In each of those states, determined grassroots organizing drives, which mobilized multiracial, multiethnic working-class neighborhoods and talked up progressive policies, succeeded in delivering essential support for the Biden-Harris ticket.
Consider Minnesota, where Trump declared in September, “How about Omar of Minnesota? We’re going to win the state of Minnesota because of her, they say. She’s telling us how to run our country. How did you do where you came from? How’s your country doing?” Omar’s response to Trump’s racist appeal was a massive organizing drive to bump turnout in her overwhelmingly Democratic congressional district. The goal was to increase the statewide Democratic vote in a way, she told me, that would “make sure that this is a completely embarrassing election for [Trump].” Though her reelection was assured, Omar’s campaign hired organizers to hit the streets in Minneapolis, knock doors, and explain, “We have an opportunity to show up, be counted, and then have our voices heard.” The representative also worked with unions and grassroots voter mobilization groups, earning praise from Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party chair Ken Martin, who told The Washington Post that Omar “recognizes that she has a responsibility to drive up turnout; it’s really important for all of our statewide races, especially the presidential race.”
The strategy worked. In 2016, in Minneapolis and surrounding Hennepin County, the Democratic presidential ticket received roughly 430,000 votes, 63 percent of the countywide total. In 2020, Democrats won more than 530,000 votes, 71 percent. “We knocked doors. We made calls. And we turned out more Biden voters than anywhere in the state,” explained Omar, whose district’s almost 90 percent turnout contributed mightily to Biden’s 52-45 victory in Minnesota. On Joe Biden Joe Biden: The Decency Is the Point Joan Walsh
A similar story played out in Wisconsin, where Pocan restructured his campaign to highlight the top of the ticket in vote-rich Madison, while US Representative Gwen Moore launched a “MooreAction” drive to bump turnout in Milwaukee. Organizers recognized both cities for their roles in reversing the 2016 result in the state and giving Biden a 20,000-vote win.
In Michigan, where Trump won by barely 10,000 votes in 2016, Tlaib went to work in Detroit and surrounding Wayne County. “Our team knocked doors, called, and texted residents, and registered folks who had never voted before,” she said. This year, Detroit gave Biden 233,908 votes to just 12,654 for Trump, as Democrats carried the state by roughly 150,000 votes.
Like Omar, Pocan, and Moore, Tlaib was quick to share credit with grassroots groups that worked to increase turnout. “I love how we do it in Detroit,” she told me Thursday. “You had people organizing on the ground, so much hard work in every community.” But newly elected US Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York did not hesitate to explain that Omar and Tlaib “were MAJOR factors in delivering Minnesota and Michigan for Joe Biden. My sisters are movement and nation builders.”
Bowman’s right. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib and the movements they work with made meaningful contributions—unlike John Kasich—to swinging the battleground states that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They’re the ones media outlets and Democratic strategists should be listening to.


thenation--2020-11-09--From Philadelphia With Love and Rage

From Philadelphia With Love and Rage

It all came down to Philadelphia .
It was only fitting that the most acrimonious presidential race in recent history would meet its end in a city that takes pride in its underdog status and refusal to back down from a fight .
Electorally speaking , Pennsylvania is always a big deal , and when the prolonged nightmare that was the 2020 presidential election finally heaved itself across the finish line and the race was called for Joe Biden , it was clear that the Keystone State ’ s coveted electoral votes had been the tipping point .
Its biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long suffered the indignities and insults of Donald Trump and his cronies .
As the rest of the nation anxiously waited , by Saturday morning , at least one of Trump ’ s many campaign smears had proven true .
Turns out bad things do happen in Philly… if you ’ re a racist , fascist jagoff like him .
And as anyone who lives here can attest , the mantra “ No one comes for Philly ” is less a slogan than a battle cry .
The city ’ s tough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned the truism “ Nobody likes us , we don ’ t care ” into a point of pride , and has happily adopted a gleefully violent , goggle-eyed antifa chaos beast named Gritty for its unofficial mascot .
It ’ s the city whose sports fans are feared and reviled from coast to coast , whose gastronomic delicacies revel in fatty excess , and whose denizens are famous for throwing batteries at Santa Claus and flipping cop cars for fun .
I grew up across the river in rural South Jersey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either visiting or living here , and finally made my way back after a decade in ( sorry ) New York City .
That time away didn ’ t rob my vocabulary of its love for Wawa or water ice or jawns various and sundry , or my pride in this city ’ s radical history or its “ Fuck me ?
Nah bud , fuck you !
” attitude .
Of course Philadelphia and its people are so much more than those colorful stereotypes , but as the election drew to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made apparent .
Trump tried to come for Philly—and , true to form , Philly beat his ass .
That victory wasn ’ t immediate , though .
On Thursday , as vote tallies stalled and voters ’ anxiety spiked , a “ Count Every Vote ” rally convened outside the Convention Center and morphed into a cathartic block party , complete with conga lines and a DJ .
Inside , poll workers continued counting the thousands of votes that the sitting president was already swearing were somehow “ illegitimate.
” When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lead had narrowed , and the party was still going strong .
As a small crowd of bedraggled Trump supporters gathered inside a penned-in , police-protected space to protest the fact that the election wasn ’ t going their way , hundreds of Philadelphians danced , sang , chanted , and generally had a grand old time around them , pausing occasionally to heckle the shrinking “ Stop the Vote ” contingent .
Signs implored the poll workers to “ Count Every Jawn ” and invited the Trumpers to “ Kiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an elegant bit of foreshadowing , one sign warned Trump himself , “ This Is Philly , We Will Fuck You Up !
” The Trump fans ’ indignant murmurs were no match for DJ Neeek Nyce ’ s soundsystem ( let alone Philly Elmo and the Positive Movement drum line ) .
There was no stopping the dance party or quashing the convivial mood .
In the background , a huge banner proclaimed , “ The people have spoken !
” The air felt electric , and the party went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slunk home .
Even in a time of great uncertainty and unrest , there remains at least one inalienable truth : Philly goes hard , especially when we win .
This Is a Horror Story : How Private Equity Vampires Are Killing Everything The rally was scheduled to pick back up where it had started the next morning , but plans soon changed .
Moments after I read that CNN had called the state for Biden , a cry went up around the city—starting with my neighbors , who ran down our South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump !
” It was a phrase that would be echoed around the city all day , as groups of Philadelphians gathered at Independence Hall , at the Convention Center , and at City Hall to celebrate Trump ’ s defeat , strolling freely between the three landmarks as the National Guard looked on .
YG and Nipsey Hustle ’ s anthemic 2016 single “ FDT ( Fuck Donald Trump ) ” wafted through the air ( and climbed the Billboard charts ) as a crowd surrounded an inflatable dummy with Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venting .
It showed up on T-shirts , on signs , and on the lips of Philly residents who hollered at their friends down Broad Street and out car windows on Market .
As the sound of steel drums filled the air , the prevailing sentiment was that his loss was our gain , and with that came an overwhelming sense of raucous joy—and relief .
Despite the widespread celebrations , Philly remains a city built on contradictions , some of which were thrown into sharp relief as the electoral drama dragged on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American democracy and takes pride in symbols like the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence , yet remains the country ’ s poorest major city and has continually failed its houseless residents and those who are struggling with opioid addiction .
A proud abolitionist tradition contrasts with a modern legacy of segregation , disenfranchisement , and violence against the Black community .
And what was a moment of revelry and rebellion for some was one of deep sorrow for others .
On the same day that Center City ’ s streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Baptist Temple Church in North Philadelphia , the family of Walter Wallace Jr. said goodbye to their son , brother , friend , and father .
Two police had shot and killed the disabled 27-year-old in front of his weeping mother a week prior , mere blocks away from where the city ’ s 1985 MOVE bombing killed 11 people and leveled an entire Black neighborhood .
The murder spurred protests and renewed calls for police reform and abolition , and on Friday evening , a march calling for justice for Wallace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” demonstration .
It was a reminder that there are multiple Philadelphias , and that disposing of Trump is far from a cure-all for the myriad ills that afflict the city and its residents .
On Saturday , steps away from hundreds of jubilant Biden supporters ( and even more Trump haters ) , the Philly United Front held an assembly in front of City Hall .
The group called for an end to the war on Black and brown communities ; decried racist , ableist police brutality and white supremacy ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist and teacher Ant Smith , who has been detained on federal charges since October .
As a massive papier-mâché eagle puppet “ flew ” down Broad Street and an antifa clown juggled bowling pins nearby , this coalition of Philly voices left the assembled crowd with an important reminder before leaving them to their merrymaking : that “ whoever ’ s elected , the struggle continues .
”

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It all came down to Philadelphia. It was only fitting that the most acrimonious presidential race in recent history would meet its end in a city that takes pride in its underdog status and refusal to back down from a fight. Electorally speaking, Pennsylvania is always a big deal, and when the prolonged nightmare that was the 2020 presidential election finally heaved itself across the finish line and the race was called for Joe Biden, it was clear that the Keystone State’s coveted electoral votes had been the tipping point. Its biggest city, heavily Democratic Philadelphia, had long suffered the indignities and insults of Donald Trump and his cronies. As the rest of the nation anxiously waited, by Saturday morning, at least one of Trump’s many campaign smears had proven true. Turns out bad things do happen in Philly… if you’re a racist, fascist jagoff like him.
And as anyone who lives here can attest, the mantra “No one comes for Philly” is less a slogan than a battle cry. The city’s tough, acerbic reputation is well-earned. It has turned the truism “Nobody likes us, we don’t care” into a point of pride, and has happily adopted a gleefully violent, goggle-eyed antifa chaos beast named Gritty for its unofficial mascot. It’s the city whose sports fans are feared and reviled from coast to coast, whose gastronomic delicacies revel in fatty excess, and whose denizens are famous for throwing batteries at Santa Claus and flipping cop cars for fun.
I grew up across the river in rural South Jersey, but spent most of my formative years either visiting or living here, and finally made my way back after a decade in (sorry) New York City. That time away didn’t rob my vocabulary of its love for Wawa or water ice or jawns various and sundry, or my pride in this city’s radical history or its “Fuck me? Nah bud, fuck you!” attitude. Of course Philadelphia and its people are so much more than those colorful stereotypes, but as the election drew to a close, a kernel of truth was made apparent. Trump tried to come for Philly—and, true to form, Philly beat his ass.
That victory wasn’t immediate, though. On Thursday, as vote tallies stalled and voters’ anxiety spiked, a “Count Every Vote” rally convened outside the Convention Center and morphed into a cathartic block party, complete with conga lines and a DJ. Inside, poll workers continued counting the thousands of votes that the sitting president was already swearing were somehow “illegitimate.” When I stopped by on Friday afternoon, Trump’s lead had narrowed, and the party was still going strong. As a small crowd of bedraggled Trump supporters gathered inside a penned-in, police-protected space to protest the fact that the election wasn’t going their way, hundreds of Philadelphians danced, sang, chanted, and generally had a grand old time around them, pausing occasionally to heckle the shrinking “Stop the Vote” contingent. Signs implored the poll workers to “Count Every Jawn” and invited the Trumpers to “Kiss Philly’s Queer Ass!” In an elegant bit of foreshadowing, one sign warned Trump himself, “This Is Philly, We Will Fuck You Up!”
The Trump fans’ indignant murmurs were no match for DJ Neeek Nyce’s soundsystem (let alone Philly Elmo and the Positive Movement drum line). There was no stopping the dance party or quashing the convivial mood. In the background, a huge banner proclaimed, “The people have spoken!” The air felt electric, and the party went on long after the Trumpers gave up and slunk home. Even in a time of great uncertainty and unrest, there remains at least one inalienable truth: Philly goes hard, especially when we win. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Related Article This Is a Horror Story: How Private Equity Vampires Are Killing Everything Kim Kelly
The rally was scheduled to pick back up where it had started the next morning, but plans soon changed. Moments after I read that CNN had called the state for Biden, a cry went up around the city—starting with my neighbors, who ran down our South Philly block screaming, “Fuck Donald Trump!” It was a phrase that would be echoed around the city all day, as groups of Philadelphians gathered at Independence Hall, at the Convention Center, and at City Hall to celebrate Trump’s defeat, strolling freely between the three landmarks as the National Guard looked on. YG and Nipsey Hustle’s anthemic 2016 single “FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)” wafted through the air (and climbed the Billboard charts) as a crowd surrounded an inflatable dummy with Trump’s face to indulge in some collective venting. It showed up on T-shirts, on signs, and on the lips of Philly residents who hollered at their friends down Broad Street and out car windows on Market. As the sound of steel drums filled the air, the prevailing sentiment was that his loss was our gain, and with that came an overwhelming sense of raucous joy—and relief.
Despite the widespread celebrations, Philly remains a city built on contradictions, some of which were thrown into sharp relief as the electoral drama dragged on. It is hailed as the birthplace of American democracy and takes pride in symbols like the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence, yet remains the country’s poorest major city and has continually failed its houseless residents and those who are struggling with opioid addiction. A proud abolitionist tradition contrasts with a modern legacy of segregation, disenfranchisement, and violence against the Black community. And what was a moment of revelry and rebellion for some was one of deep sorrow for others. On the same day that Center City’s streets overflowed with happy crowds, at the National Baptist Temple Church in North Philadelphia, the family of Walter Wallace Jr. said goodbye to their son, brother, friend, and father.
Two police had shot and killed the disabled 27-year-old in front of his weeping mother a week prior, mere blocks away from where the city’s 1985 MOVE bombing killed 11 people and leveled an entire Black neighborhood. The murder spurred protests and renewed calls for police reform and abolition, and on Friday evening, a march calling for justice for Wallace merged with a “Count Every Vote” demonstration. It was a reminder that there are multiple Philadelphias, and that disposing of Trump is far from a cure-all for the myriad ills that afflict the city and its residents.
On Saturday, steps away from hundreds of jubilant Biden supporters (and even more Trump haters), the Philly United Front held an assembly in front of City Hall. The group called for an end to the war on Black and brown communities; decried racist, ableist police brutality and white supremacy; and demanded the immediate release of West Philly activist and teacher Ant Smith, who has been detained on federal charges since October. As a massive papier-mâché eagle puppet “flew” down Broad Street and an antifa clown juggled bowling pins nearby, this coalition of Philly voices left the assembled crowd with an important reminder before leaving them to their merrymaking: that “whoever’s elected, the struggle continues.”


thenation--2020-11-09--The High Cost of Defeating Donald Trump

The High Cost of Defeating Donald Trump

Joyous celebrations spontaneously broke out all over America , and indeed many parts of the world , on Saturday as news outlets declared Joe Biden ’ s victory in the presidential contest .
The raucous public festivities of the day were testament to the importance of defeating Donald Trump , a singularly dangerous president whose mixture of demagoguery , incompetence , and corruption was a threat to American democracy .
Defeating Trump was absolutely the most important political goal of 2020 , and Biden achieved it .
Nor , despite the fact that Biden didn ’ t win the landslide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his victory be gainsaid .
True , his Electoral College win was narrow , built on tiny edges in a handful of states .
But even on those terms , Biden secured some essential victories , rebuilding the necessary “ blue wall ” of Rust Belt states ( Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania ) and making important inroads in Arizona and Georgia .
Beyond the Electoral College , Biden currently has a lead of roughly 4.5 million votes : 75,404,182 ( or roughly 50.7 percent of the total ) , against Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But there are nearly 9 million ballots uncounted , many in heavily Democratic states such as California , Illinois , and New York .
When the total count is finished , Biden could approach a lead of nearly 7 million votes ( or between 51 and 52 percent ) .
Biden will be only the third Democrat to get more than 51 percent of the vote since the death of Franklin Roosevelt , joining the exclusive company of Lyndon Johnson and Barack Obama .
This huge numerical victory is all the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely difficult .
Most presidents that run for reelection succeed .
In the past century , only five presidents have been defeated in their bid for another term : Herbert Hoover , Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , George H.W .
Bush , and Donald Trump .
Of these five elections , Biden is heading toward a better showing than anyone who has defeated a sitting president since Franklin Roosevelt beat Herbert Hoover in 1932 .
But in one very important way , Biden has done worse than Franklin Roosevelt , whose party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House of Representatives and a minority status in the Senate .
In the 1932 election , this was turned into strong majorities in both houses .
Biden , by contrast , has had little or no coattails .
Indeed , in the House of Representatives , the Democrats have lost four seats , giving them the thinnest majority in 18 years .
In the Senate , they have so far netted one seat , giving them a total of 48 .
Georgia ’ s two Senate seats will be decided in a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is possible the Democrats could win both , which would give them a majority in the Senate .
But it is going to be an uphill battle to win those two seats .
By Ignoring Latino Voters , Biden Has Made the Election Too Close Centrist Democrats and their allies among Never Trump Republicans are trying to blame the poor congressional showing on progressive Democrats .
The argument is that slogans like “ socialism ” and “ defund the police ” scared off centrist voters .
House majority whip Jim Clyburn ( D-S.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if “ we are going to run on Medicare for All , defund the police , socialized medicine , we ’ re not going to win.
” These claims are absurd and a transparent attempt to scapegoat and silence the party ’ s activist wing .
It ’ s worth recalling that Biden , the party ’ s standard-bearer , repeatedly expressed disdain for Medicare for All ( promising to veto it if it ever passed ) , socialism ( boasting that he had beaten the socialist Bernie Sanders ) , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more federal funding for the police ) .
Socialism and defunding the police are activist causes , with little or no bearing on congressional Democrats , and explicitly rejected by many .
The poor showing of the congressional Democrats has nothing to with socialism and everything to do with the main message promoted by Biden .
He pursued a successful strategy to build an anti-Trump coalition that extended from the militant left to Never Trump conservatives .
Biden ’ s list of supporters ran the gamut from the radical Noam Chomsky to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his grand anti-Trump coalition , Biden also undermined congressional Democrats .
Trump and Biden both worked very hard to maximize the number of Republicans who would vote in 2020 .
Trump pursued this goal by trying to bring in new people to the Republican Party : courting African American and Latino voters by emphasizing the job growth of the pre-Covid world .
Biden encouraged a different type of Republican to come out by courting erstwhile Republicans , mainly in the suburbs , who were disenchanted with Trump ’ s vulgarity .
Biden did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters permission to vote for a Democrat .
He had Republicans like former Ohio governor John Kasich speak at the Democratic National Convention .
Biden touted the endorsement of Cindy McCain , wife of the former Republican presidential nominee John McCain .
Biden repeatedly boasted about his own ability to work with Republicans .
In using Republicans to delegitimize Trump , Biden was also in effect legitimizing the Republican Party .
His implicit argument was that the only real problem was Trump and that once Trump was out of the way , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation .
Biden completely ignored the extent to which the GOP had become Trumpized and major Republicans like Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had been deeply complicit in Trump ’ s corruption .
Biden gave voters who leaned Republicans a plausible argument to vote for him .
But he also gave those voters , and also many centrists , permission to split the ticket .
After all , if the only problem is Trump , why punish the GOP ?
If Biden knows how to work with Republicans , why not have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election is that if you run a Republican campaign , you will get Republican results .
Democrats had better hope that Biden is merely a placeholder president and that in 2024 he ’ ll be replaced by a Democratic leader who runs a Democratic campaign .

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Joyous celebrations spontaneously broke out all over America, and indeed many parts of the world, on Saturday as news outlets declared Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential contest. The raucous public festivities of the day were testament to the importance of defeating Donald Trump, a singularly dangerous president whose mixture of demagoguery, incompetence, and corruption was a threat to American democracy. Defeating Trump was absolutely the most important political goal of 2020, and Biden achieved it.
Nor, despite the fact that Biden didn’t win the landslide that polls predicted, should the scale of his victory be gainsaid. True, his Electoral College win was narrow, built on tiny edges in a handful of states. But even on those terms, Biden secured some essential victories, rebuilding the necessary “blue wall” of Rust Belt states (Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania) and making important inroads in Arizona and Georgia. Beyond the Electoral College, Biden currently has a lead of roughly 4.5 million votes: 75,404,182 (or roughly 50.7 percent of the total), against Trump’s 70,903,094 (47.7 percent). But there are nearly 9 million ballots uncounted, many in heavily Democratic states such as California, Illinois, and New York. When the total count is finished, Biden could approach a lead of nearly 7 million votes (or between 51 and 52 percent). Biden will be only the third Democrat to get more than 51 percent of the vote since the death of Franklin Roosevelt, joining the exclusive company of Lyndon Johnson and Barack Obama.
This huge numerical victory is all the more impressive because defeating a sitting president is extremely difficult. Most presidents that run for reelection succeed. In the past century, only five presidents have been defeated in their bid for another term: Herbert Hoover, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Of these five elections, Biden is heading toward a better showing than anyone who has defeated a sitting president since Franklin Roosevelt beat Herbert Hoover in 1932.
But in one very important way, Biden has done worse than Franklin Roosevelt, whose party had a small majority status in the House of Representatives and a minority status in the Senate. In the 1932 election, this was turned into strong majorities in both houses. Biden, by contrast, has had little or no coattails. Indeed, in the House of Representatives, the Democrats have lost four seats, giving them the thinnest majority in 18 years. In the Senate, they have so far netted one seat, giving them a total of 48. Georgia’s two Senate seats will be decided in a special election in early January, and it is possible the Democrats could win both, which would give them a majority in the Senate. But it is going to be an uphill battle to win those two seats. More From Jeet Heer The Indigenous Roots of Robbie Robertson’s Rock and Roll Revolution August 14, 2023 Why Does This Racist Keep Getting Silicon Valley Money? August 11, 2023 When Phallocrats Go Limp August 4, 2023
Centrist Democrats and their allies among Never Trump Republicans are trying to blame the poor congressional showing on progressive Democrats. The argument is that slogans like “socialism” and “defund the police” scared off centrist voters. House majority whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) warned in the caucus call that if “we are going to run on Medicare for All, defund the police, socialized medicine, we’re not going to win.” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
These claims are absurd and a transparent attempt to scapegoat and silence the party’s activist wing. It’s worth recalling that Biden, the party’s standard-bearer, repeatedly expressed disdain for Medicare for All (promising to veto it if it ever passed), socialism (boasting that he had beaten the socialist Bernie Sanders), and the movement to defund the police (advocating more federal funding for the police). Socialism and defunding the police are activist causes, with little or no bearing on congressional Democrats, and explicitly rejected by many.
The poor showing of the congressional Democrats has nothing to with socialism and everything to do with the main message promoted by Biden. He pursued a successful strategy to build an anti-Trump coalition that extended from the militant left to Never Trump conservatives. Biden’s list of supporters ran the gamut from the radical Noam Chomsky to the neoconservative Bill Kristol. Current Issue View our current issue
But in building his grand anti-Trump coalition, Biden also undermined congressional Democrats.
Trump and Biden both worked very hard to maximize the number of Republicans who would vote in 2020. Trump pursued this goal by trying to bring in new people to the Republican Party: courting African American and Latino voters by emphasizing the job growth of the pre-Covid world. Biden encouraged a different type of Republican to come out by courting erstwhile Republicans, mainly in the suburbs, who were disenchanted with Trump’s vulgarity.
Biden did everything in his power to give those voters permission to vote for a Democrat. He had Republicans like former Ohio governor John Kasich speak at the Democratic National Convention. Biden touted the endorsement of Cindy McCain, wife of the former Republican presidential nominee John McCain. Biden repeatedly boasted about his own ability to work with Republicans.
In using Republicans to delegitimize Trump, Biden was also in effect legitimizing the Republican Party. His implicit argument was that the only real problem was Trump and that once Trump was out of the way, the two parties could go back to normal cooperation. Biden completely ignored the extent to which the GOP had become Trumpized and major Republicans like Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had been deeply complicit in Trump’s corruption.
Biden gave voters who leaned Republicans a plausible argument to vote for him. But he also gave those voters, and also many centrists, permission to split the ticket. After all, if the only problem is Trump, why punish the GOP? If Biden knows how to work with Republicans, why not have a divided government?
The real lesson of the election is that if you run a Republican campaign, you will get Republican results. Democrats had better hope that Biden is merely a placeholder president and that in 2024 he’ll be replaced by a Democratic leader who runs a Democratic campaign.


thenation--2020-11-09--Could Elizabeth Warren Be the Next Treasury Secretary?

As Joe Biden ’ s transition team begins to assemble a cabinet , the former vice president is facing pressure from both the right and left of the Democratic Party over possible appointments—with the question of whether to put Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren in charge of the Treasury Department as one of the top issues for progressives .
Warren is lobbying for the position and is expected to have a private meeting with the president-elect to make her case .
To Warren , running the powerful Treasury Department means she would have a chance to effect the big structural change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But reporting from New York magazine in late October indicated that Warren was unlikely to get the nod , because “ Biden advisers worry there ’ s no obvious fit that wouldn ’ t concern a big swath of the candidate ’ s moderate backers.
” And whispers from unnamed members of the Biden campaign downplaying a possible Warren role in a Biden administration for a number of reasons—including the composition of the Senate—have left the Massachusetts senator ’ s allies angry and feeling betrayed over the perceived dismissal of a stalwart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biaggi , a strong Warren supporter , said she saw rejecting Warren as an insult to those in the progressive movement who have energized the Democrats throughout the Trump era .
“ In many ways , this is like a smack in the face to the people who have been pushing so hard for these past three and half years to push back and grab the power in a way that will give Democrats a voice , ” Biaggi told me .
“ And I don ’ t think you can deny that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate is still in doubt and will likely not be clear until two Georgia special elections in January .
Should Democrats narrowly win with a 50-50 split , every seat will count , meaning that Warren would be unlikely to get the position , since Governor Charlie Baker , a Republican , would select her successor .
Supporters of Warren , however , argue that the Massachusetts legislature , which has a Democratic supermajority , could force Baker to appoint someone of the same party to the seat .
While this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so has thus far been put forward .
Biden is also reportedly considering a blanket ban on appointing sitting Democratic senators to the administration to avoid losing any votes in Congress .
But if the GOP retains control of the Senate , New York State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou said , she is skeptical about what the chamber could accomplish and wonders if Warren ’ s talent might be best used elsewhere .
“ If we don ’ t have a Senate majority , then the Senate will still be in deadlock , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So maybe we just have to have a stronger executive branch , just like the Republicans did.
” While Biden may not appoint any Democratic senators , he is considering another constituency : Republicans .
Politico has reported that Biden is looking at former Ohio Governor John Kasich and businesswoman Meg Whitman for roles in the administration , a move that came in for criticism from progressives already uneasy with the president-elect ’ s closeness to conservatives .
Jeff Yang , a writer and Warren surrogate from California , told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s part to bring in people of differing political views , a focus on accommodating the right wing at the expense of the left is not going to work .
“ Biden will be a president for all Americans , ” said Yang .
“ But if he doesn ’ t have progressive , responsible representation in the cabinet , then it ’ s going to be a lot harder for progressives—who have , by and large , rallied around him—to believe that that extends to the left wing of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it “ startling ” that Warren is not being considered and that Biden ’ s people appear set on finding excuses to keep her out of the cabinet .
It reminded Yang of the vice presidential search , he said .
“ Many progressives were promised essentially up to the very moment that she was actually in the hunt for the vice presidency , ” said Yang .
“ And it turns out that the ticket was the ticket they planned from the beginning.
” To Yang , the Biden camp ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters seriously is sending a bad message to a part of a coalition that the former vice president will need as he confronts generational crises that will only get worse over the next three months .
It ’ s an all-hands-on-deck moment , Yang said , and to ensure success , the incoming Democratic administration needs to get progressives on board .
“ We need to have the best team possible in place to solve the profound and extreme problems we ’ re facing with the country , ” said Yang .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what other issues there might be behind the scenes—anybody can doubt that Elizabeth Warren would be a player on that team.
” Passing by Warren , Biaggi said , is also an indication that the Democratic Party doesn ’ t understand how to work with its own coalition .
“ Part of why we won back the House in 2018 was because of organizing a majority of left-wing people who , even if the person that they were organizing for was a little bit more moderate , still understood they needed to organize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the House , ” said Biaggi .
Sara Nelson , the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants–CWA , offered a different perspective .
Nelson said that complaints over Warren were an example of allowing “ disappointment and anger ” over cosmetic issues to get in the way of working for actual systemic change .
“ There ’ s a lot of issues to organize around and , frankly , organizing around whether or not Elizabeth Warren should be Treasury secretary is lost on the vast majority of Americans , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s where we ’ re starting from as a progressive , we ’ ve lost already.
” Nelson also told me that she sees conversations around who gets what cabinet position as indicative of an ongoing issue in left organizing that places personalities and celebrity over the interests of the working class .
“ I ’ m missing how they ’ re going to actually organize the American people and make a change in politics , ” said Nelson .
“ That is the problem with left politics right now—the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so self-selecting and elitist.
” But she added , “ Of course , I want Elizabeth Warren as Treasury secretary.
” Biaggi doesn ’ t see it that way .
She said that in her view , Biden ’ s spurning Warren , Sanders , or both would lead to “ trouble for the Democratic Party ” down the line—in keeping with her analysis that the presidential election was a nail-biter because voters weren ’ t compelled by the arguments from the top of the ticket .
A dismissive approach to progressives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s future , she said .
“ I don ’ t think that ’ s a very wise decision for building a party as strong as we need to be to fight the real enemy , ” Biaggi said .
Niou also disagreed with Nelson , expressing the need for vigilance on every front as the country gets on the path to recovery .
That includes the cabinet , she said , and pushing for change inside of the White House .
“ Right now , we are fighting for our lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is important that we have these ideas everywhere , and we have to have all of our leadership be pushed to fight for us as working people here and in all of our country.
” “ We would love for the budding administration to be a more progressive administration , ” said Jamaal Bowman , representative-elect for New York ’ s 16th district .
“ That ’ s where the energy of the party is , and that ’ s where the energy is for people across the country.
” Bowman told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the incoming administration ’ s treatment of the progressive movement .
While Biden is not expected to reverse his long-standing political positions and take a sharp left turn , Bowman cited “ some movement to the left ” by the former vice president .
“ When you look at the commitments to environmental justice , when you look at the conversation around universal child care , in conversations around the $ 15 minimum wage—all those things are good for the Biden administration , ” Bowman said .
“ The American people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now.
” For Bowman , a Biden cabinet that leaves out Warren raises concerns about the president-elect ’ s priorities once in office .
“ This is the time for us to govern in a way that truly centers working-class people , ” said Bowman .
“ So it ’ s frustrating to see the private sector , particularly Wall Street and the corporate elite , still being a part of the debate and conversation and it seeming like that ’ s who he ’ s leaning towards for cabinet positions.
” Bowman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an economic scholar , a senator , the founder of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , and a former presidential candidate , is an ideal candidate to take on rebuilding the economy after Trump .
Because of the near-universal understanding of the stakes , Bowman said , the incoming administration will be expected to make real changes to how our government and economy function , and that creates an opportunity .
“ I believe Joe Biden and the Biden-Harris administration will respond to that pressure , because it ’ s not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s people who are practical , who understand we have to fundamentally rebuild our political and economic system .
”

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Sign up for our Wine Club today. Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine?
As Joe Biden’s transition team begins to assemble a cabinet, the former vice president is facing pressure from both the right and left of the Democratic Party over possible appointments—with the question of whether to put Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren in charge of the Treasury Department as one of the top issues for progressives.
Warren is lobbying for the position and is expected to have a private meeting with the president-elect to make her case. To Warren, running the powerful Treasury Department means she would have a chance to effect the big structural change she ran on as a presidential candidate.
But reporting from New York magazine in late October indicated that Warren was unlikely to get the nod, because “Biden advisers worry there’s no obvious fit that wouldn’t concern a big swath of the candidate’s moderate backers.” And whispers from unnamed members of the Biden campaign downplaying a possible Warren role in a Biden administration for a number of reasons—including the composition of the Senate—have left the Massachusetts senator’s allies angry and feeling betrayed over the perceived dismissal of a stalwart surrogate.
New York state Senator Alessandra Biaggi, a strong Warren supporter, said she saw rejecting Warren as an insult to those in the progressive movement who have energized the Democrats throughout the Trump era.
“In many ways, this is like a smack in the face to the people who have been pushing so hard for these past three and half years to push back and grab the power in a way that will give Democrats a voice,” Biaggi told me. “And I don’t think you can deny that is a real issue.”
Control of the Senate is still in doubt and will likely not be clear until two Georgia special elections in January. Should Democrats narrowly win with a 50-50 split, every seat will count, meaning that Warren would be unlikely to get the position, since Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, would select her successor.
Supporters of Warren, however, argue that the Massachusetts legislature, which has a Democratic supermajority, could force Baker to appoint someone of the same party to the seat. While this is likely true, no effort to do so has thus far been put forward. Biden is also reportedly considering a blanket ban on appointing sitting Democratic senators to the administration to avoid losing any votes in Congress. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Current Issue View our current issue
But if the GOP retains control of the Senate, New York State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou said, she is skeptical about what the chamber could accomplish and wonders if Warren’s talent might be best used elsewhere.
“If we don’t have a Senate majority, then the Senate will still be in deadlock, no matter what,” said Niou. “So maybe we just have to have a stronger executive branch, just like the Republicans did.”
While Biden may not appoint any Democratic senators, he is considering another constituency: Republicans. Politico has reported that Biden is looking at former Ohio Governor John Kasich and businesswoman Meg Whitman for roles in the administration, a move that came in for criticism from progressives already uneasy with the president-elect’s closeness to conservatives.
Jeff Yang, a writer and Warren surrogate from California, told me that while he understands the urge on Biden’s part to bring in people of differing political views, a focus on accommodating the right wing at the expense of the left is not going to work.
“Biden will be a president for all Americans,” said Yang. “But if he doesn’t have progressive, responsible representation in the cabinet, then it’s going to be a lot harder for progressives—who have, by and large, rallied around him—to believe that that extends to the left wing of his own party.”
Yang said he found it “startling” that Warren is not being considered and that Biden’s people appear set on finding excuses to keep her out of the cabinet. It reminded Yang of the vice presidential search, he said.
“Many progressives were promised essentially up to the very moment that she was actually in the hunt for the vice presidency,” said Yang. “And it turns out that the ticket was the ticket they planned from the beginning.”
To Yang, the Biden camp’s reported refusal to take Warren and her supporters seriously is sending a bad message to a part of a coalition that the former vice president will need as he confronts generational crises that will only get worse over the next three months. It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment, Yang said, and to ensure success, the incoming Democratic administration needs to get progressives on board.
“We need to have the best team possible in place to solve the profound and extreme problems we’re facing with the country,” said Yang. “And I don’t think—regardless of what other issues there might be behind the scenes—anybody can doubt that Elizabeth Warren would be a player on that team.”
Passing by Warren, Biaggi said, is also an indication that the Democratic Party doesn’t understand how to work with its own coalition.
“Part of why we won back the House in 2018 was because of organizing a majority of left-wing people who, even if the person that they were organizing for was a little bit more moderate, still understood they needed to organize people because they understood they need to get the House,” said Biaggi.
Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants–CWA, offered a different perspective. Nelson said that complaints over Warren were an example of allowing “disappointment and anger” over cosmetic issues to get in the way of working for actual systemic change.
“There’s a lot of issues to organize around and, frankly, organizing around whether or not Elizabeth Warren should be Treasury secretary is lost on the vast majority of Americans,” said Nelson. “So if that’s where we’re starting from as a progressive, we’ve lost already.”
Nelson also told me that she sees conversations around who gets what cabinet position as indicative of an ongoing issue in left organizing that places personalities and celebrity over the interests of the working class.
“I’m missing how they’re going to actually organize the American people and make a change in politics,” said Nelson. “That is the problem with left politics right now—the fact that it is so fractious in that way, so self-selecting and elitist.”
But she added, “Of course, I want Elizabeth Warren as Treasury secretary.”
Biaggi doesn’t see it that way. She said that in her view, Biden’s spurning Warren, Sanders, or both would lead to “trouble for the Democratic Party” down the line—in keeping with her analysis that the presidential election was a nail-biter because voters weren’t compelled by the arguments from the top of the ticket. A dismissive approach to progressives would be harmful to the party’s future, she said. Related Article Elizabeth Warren Is Prepared to Prosecute Trump John Nichols
“I don’t think that’s a very wise decision for building a party as strong as we need to be to fight the real enemy,” Biaggi said.
Niou also disagreed with Nelson, expressing the need for vigilance on every front as the country gets on the path to recovery. That includes the cabinet, she said, and pushing for change inside of the White House.
“Right now, we are fighting for our lives,” said Niou. “And it is important that we have these ideas everywhere, and we have to have all of our leadership be pushed to fight for us as working people here and in all of our country.”
“We would love for the budding administration to be a more progressive administration,” said Jamaal Bowman, representative-elect for New York’s 16th district. “That’s where the energy of the party is, and that’s where the energy is for people across the country.”
Bowman told me that there is some reason for hope in the incoming administration’s treatment of the progressive movement. While Biden is not expected to reverse his long-standing political positions and take a sharp left turn, Bowman cited “some movement to the left” by the former vice president.
“When you look at the commitments to environmental justice, when you look at the conversation around universal child care, in conversations around the $15 minimum wage—all those things are good for the Biden administration,” Bowman said. “The American people are really excited about the progressive movement right now.”
For Bowman, a Biden cabinet that leaves out Warren raises concerns about the president-elect’s priorities once in office.
“This is the time for us to govern in a way that truly centers working-class people,” said Bowman. “So it’s frustrating to see the private sector, particularly Wall Street and the corporate elite, still being a part of the debate and conversation and it seeming like that’s who he’s leaning towards for cabinet positions.”
Bowman added that Warren, with her experience as an economic scholar, a senator, the founder of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and a former presidential candidate, is an ideal candidate to take on rebuilding the economy after Trump. Because of the near-universal understanding of the stakes, Bowman said, the incoming administration will be expected to make real changes to how our government and economy function, and that creates an opportunity.
“I believe Joe Biden and the Biden-Harris administration will respond to that pressure, because it’s not just the radical leftists,” said Bowman. “It’s people who are practical, who understand we have to fundamentally rebuild our political and economic system.”