“I beat the socialist” Joe Biden told WLUK Wisconsin in September. “Look at my career — my whole career. I am not a socialist.” We know, Joe; the socialist would’ve won the general by twenty.
The Philly DSA Bulletin Team would first like to congratulate Joe Biden on his victory in last week’s Presidential election over bloated game show host Donald Trump. We would then like to draw your attention to this map:
This is the electoral college map for the 1932 Presidential election between incumbent Herbert Hoover and Democratic challenger Franklin D. Roosevelt. That was the last time an incumbent faced such an uphill challenge in their reelection campaign. Unemployment was sky-high due to a collapse in the financial system that ground the world economy to a halt. People wanted change, and FDR promised it to them: relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the system to prevent another crash. He won by twenty points, was reelected three more times, and has arguably been responsible, through the legacy of the New Deal, for every election Democrats have won since.
In 2020, incumbent Republican President Donald Trump faced a similar uphill battle. Unemployment is sky-high due to a pandemic that has basically ground the world economy to a halt. People want change. “Nothing will fundamentally change,” promised Joe Biden. Medicare for All is not on the table (“Single payer will not solve (this) at all”), and neither are any long-term reforms to the healthcare system.
We’re currently at something more or less like this:
with a 50/48 Republican Senate, and it’s blindingly obvious why. The Democratic Party kneecapped the incredibly popular candidate whose main talking point was “free healthcare” and then wobbled through a general election that was closer than any polls predicted, blaming the left for dragging down a ticket that we more than likely buoyed up (given the impressive 75% win rate for downballot DSA candidates across the country).
“I beat the socialist” Joe Biden told WLUK Wisconsin in September. “Look at my career — my whole career. I am not a socialist.” We know, Joe; the socialist would’ve won the general by twenty. There’s cause for celebration after voting out Trump, but, as Metro DC’s Ben Davis wrote yesterday in The Guardian, this Biden coalition is weak, unstable, and almost certain to fall apart once Trump is off the ballot. “The only path forward for the left,” Davis concludes, “is one of confrontation with the Democratic establishment and a message of economic populism aimed at working-class voters of all races.”
So, once again, congrats, Joe. If you’re trying to raise the minimum wage or cancel student debt or something, we’re here for it.
Next General Meeting Scheduled for Sunday, December 20
Joining us as a guest speaker will be journalist and former Bernie Sanders speechwriter David Sirota! Mark your calendars for our third virtual general meeting.
Are you a union worker affected by the coronavirus crisis? Are you organizing in your shop or workplace to demand higher safety and sanitation standards? PHLDSA’s Labor Commission is convening a series of calls where representatives from unions in the greater Philadelphia area are discussing and coordinating responses. Email Paul Prescod for more information.
Policy Committee Meeting Thursday, Nov 12 | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Virtual
Member Engagement Committee Meeting Friday, Nov 13 | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Virtual
Communications Committee Meeting Monday, Nov 16 | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Virtual
Steering Committee Meeting Tuesday, Nov 17 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Virtual
Marxism Reading Group: Colonialism & The Post-Colony Wednesday, Nov 18 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Virtual
Green New Deal Commission Meeting Monday, Nov 23 | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Virtual
Housing Committee Meeting Monday, Nov 23 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Virtual
Racial Justice Commission Meeting Wednesday, Dec 2 | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Virtual
BuxMont DSA Political Education: Racial Capital and Prison Abolition
Monday, November 16 | 7:00 pm | Virtual
BuxMont DSA supports St Mary's Medical Center Nurses on Strike!
Tuesday, November 17 | 7:00 am | St Mary’s Medical Center, Middletown PA
BuxMont DSA General Meeting
Tuesday, November 17 | 7:00 pm | Virtual
BuxMont Anti-Privatization Strategy Meeting
Thursday, November 19 | 7:00 pm | Virtual
BuxMont DSA "Comrades-giving" Social
Tuesday, November 24 | 7:00 pm | Virtual
Support 👏 Philly 👏 DSA 👏!Local Dues - support our campaign work and cover everyday operating costs like meeting space // Contribute to Philly DSA PAC - help fund our independent electoral campaigns // Accommodations, Accessibility, Childcare - let us know what you need to stay involved // Moved away from Philly? - update your address on the DSA national database.
Harassment and Grievance ProcessIn accordance with Article XIII of our Bylaws, a commission has been formed to receive, process, and review grievances for disciplinary action. To read more about the process or to file a grievance you can do so here.
Stay safe and dry,
Philly DSA Bulletin Team
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PAID FOR BY PHILADELPHIA DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA (WWW.PHILLYDSA.ORG.) NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE.
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