Days of Moderate Democratic Party 'Are Over,' Analyst Declares
Van Jones says Sunday that Calif. Senator-elect Kamala Harris 'is going to become a big deal'
What can Democrats expect from their party going forward?
According to political commentator Van Jones, it's a moment when the progressive wing of the party is going to rise.
Speaking on Sunday to CNN, Jones told host Jake Tapper that the future stars of the party may be surprising, and pointed to Senator-elect for California Kamala Harris as an example.
Harris, Jones, said, "is unreal."
"She's going to be out there defending those DREAMer kids because they're a big part of her constituency, but she's got African-American roots. She's got Asian roots. She's female. She's tough. She's smart. She's going to become a big deal," he said.
Indeed, The Hill described Harris, currently the state's attorney general, as among the "10 incoming lawmakers to watch."
"She's also already the focus of speculation as a potential 2020 White House candidate, and is setting herself up to be a chief critic of [President-elect Donald] Trump," the political site wrote.
Another Democratic lawmakers Jones sees coming to the forefront is Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who in Nov. announced his bid to head the DNC.
Ellison, he said, "is somebody who represents the progressive wing of the party."
Hillary Clinton, Jones he said, didn't pick a progressive running mate, instead choosing Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, "which made it much harder to heal those wounds with the [Sen. Bernie] Sanders and [Sen.] Elizabeth Warren wing."
Ellison, in contrast, represents that wing very well, Jones said.
"The Clinton days are over," he added. "This idea that we're going to be this moderate party that's going to move in this direction, that's going to throw blacks under the bus for criminal justice reform, or for prison expansion, that's going to throw workers under the bus for NAFTA--those days are over."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
What can Democrats expect from their party going forward?
According to political commentator Van Jones, it's a moment when the progressive wing of the party is going to rise.
Speaking on Sunday to CNN, Jones told host Jake Tapper that the future stars of the party may be surprising, and pointed to Senator-elect for California Kamala Harris as an example.
Harris, Jones, said, "is unreal."
"She's going to be out there defending those DREAMer kids because they're a big part of her constituency, but she's got African-American roots. She's got Asian roots. She's female. She's tough. She's smart. She's going to become a big deal," he said.
Indeed, The Hill described Harris, currently the state's attorney general, as among the "10 incoming lawmakers to watch."
"She's also already the focus of speculation as a potential 2020 White House candidate, and is setting herself up to be a chief critic of [President-elect Donald] Trump," the political site wrote.
Another Democratic lawmakers Jones sees coming to the forefront is Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who in Nov. announced his bid to head the DNC.
Ellison, he said, "is somebody who represents the progressive wing of the party."
Hillary Clinton, Jones he said, didn't pick a progressive running mate, instead choosing Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, "which made it much harder to heal those wounds with the [Sen. Bernie] Sanders and [Sen.] Elizabeth Warren wing."
Ellison, in contrast, represents that wing very well, Jones said.
"The Clinton days are over," he added. "This idea that we're going to be this moderate party that's going to move in this direction, that's going to throw blacks under the bus for criminal justice reform, or for prison expansion, that's going to throw workers under the bus for NAFTA--those days are over."
What can Democrats expect from their party going forward?
According to political commentator Van Jones, it's a moment when the progressive wing of the party is going to rise.
Speaking on Sunday to CNN, Jones told host Jake Tapper that the future stars of the party may be surprising, and pointed to Senator-elect for California Kamala Harris as an example.
Harris, Jones, said, "is unreal."
"She's going to be out there defending those DREAMer kids because they're a big part of her constituency, but she's got African-American roots. She's got Asian roots. She's female. She's tough. She's smart. She's going to become a big deal," he said.
Indeed, The Hill described Harris, currently the state's attorney general, as among the "10 incoming lawmakers to watch."
"She's also already the focus of speculation as a potential 2020 White House candidate, and is setting herself up to be a chief critic of [President-elect Donald] Trump," the political site wrote.
Another Democratic lawmakers Jones sees coming to the forefront is Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who in Nov. announced his bid to head the DNC.
Ellison, he said, "is somebody who represents the progressive wing of the party."
Hillary Clinton, Jones he said, didn't pick a progressive running mate, instead choosing Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, "which made it much harder to heal those wounds with the [Sen. Bernie] Sanders and [Sen.] Elizabeth Warren wing."
Ellison, in contrast, represents that wing very well, Jones said.
"The Clinton days are over," he added. "This idea that we're going to be this moderate party that's going to move in this direction, that's going to throw blacks under the bus for criminal justice reform, or for prison expansion, that's going to throw workers under the bus for NAFTA--those days are over."