SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The voters I spoke to at these events are fighting for change. They want an economy that puts workers first. (Photo: Ron Adar/SOPA Images/LightRocket?Getty Images)
Voters Want Change, Not Centrism
Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and other candidates aiming for the so-called center do not inspire voters.
Dec 26, 2019
I spent last week at a series of events in eastern Iowa that we called "The War against Workers," sponsored by Our Revolution and by Labor for Bernie. We were seeking volunteers to "adopt" the 5,000 Our Revolution supporters in these pivot counties that had voted twice for Barack Obama and then went for Donald Trump.
We met in union halls, and the industrial workers who filled those halls clearly do not believe that any old Democrat will do.
Our goal, in this case, is mobilizing those members to caucus for Bernie Sanders in the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus, but then to sustain the involvement of those voters for the Democratic nominee through the November election and beyond. Those pivot counties are much like similar counties that stretch across Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, all states like Iowa that narrowly went for Trump in 2016.
Like it or not, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and others aiming for the so-called center do not inspire the voters I saw. Those who attended will not vote for Trump in November, but they also will not be inspired to be active by candidates who reflect the Democratic Party's past. Their health care costs, even with a union, are rising every year, and trade deals backed by Democrats and Republicans alike have gutted their workplaces.
The voters I spoke to at these events are fighting for change. They want an economy that puts workers first. They want clean drinking water from the tap, not water polluted by factory farms. They want a green economy that expands employment and ends new investment in fracking and pipelines that harm their communities. They want union organizing and collective bargaining rights in the public and private sectors.
That's why they will caucus for Bernie Sanders, and that's why they volunteered to mobilize 50 other voters in their county to do the same.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
© 2023 USA Today
Larry Cohen
Larry Cohen was the president of the Communications Workers of America, a 700,000 member labor union representing workers in Canada and the United States. Cohen was first elected by acclamation, in 2005, and left office in 2015. In 2015, Cohen joined presidential candidate Bernie Sander's campaign as a liaison to organized labor.
I spent last week at a series of events in eastern Iowa that we called "The War against Workers," sponsored by Our Revolution and by Labor for Bernie. We were seeking volunteers to "adopt" the 5,000 Our Revolution supporters in these pivot counties that had voted twice for Barack Obama and then went for Donald Trump.
We met in union halls, and the industrial workers who filled those halls clearly do not believe that any old Democrat will do.
Our goal, in this case, is mobilizing those members to caucus for Bernie Sanders in the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus, but then to sustain the involvement of those voters for the Democratic nominee through the November election and beyond. Those pivot counties are much like similar counties that stretch across Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, all states like Iowa that narrowly went for Trump in 2016.
Like it or not, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and others aiming for the so-called center do not inspire the voters I saw. Those who attended will not vote for Trump in November, but they also will not be inspired to be active by candidates who reflect the Democratic Party's past. Their health care costs, even with a union, are rising every year, and trade deals backed by Democrats and Republicans alike have gutted their workplaces.
The voters I spoke to at these events are fighting for change. They want an economy that puts workers first. They want clean drinking water from the tap, not water polluted by factory farms. They want a green economy that expands employment and ends new investment in fracking and pipelines that harm their communities. They want union organizing and collective bargaining rights in the public and private sectors.
That's why they will caucus for Bernie Sanders, and that's why they volunteered to mobilize 50 other voters in their county to do the same.
From Your Site Articles
Larry Cohen
Larry Cohen was the president of the Communications Workers of America, a 700,000 member labor union representing workers in Canada and the United States. Cohen was first elected by acclamation, in 2005, and left office in 2015. In 2015, Cohen joined presidential candidate Bernie Sander's campaign as a liaison to organized labor.
I spent last week at a series of events in eastern Iowa that we called "The War against Workers," sponsored by Our Revolution and by Labor for Bernie. We were seeking volunteers to "adopt" the 5,000 Our Revolution supporters in these pivot counties that had voted twice for Barack Obama and then went for Donald Trump.
We met in union halls, and the industrial workers who filled those halls clearly do not believe that any old Democrat will do.
Our goal, in this case, is mobilizing those members to caucus for Bernie Sanders in the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus, but then to sustain the involvement of those voters for the Democratic nominee through the November election and beyond. Those pivot counties are much like similar counties that stretch across Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, all states like Iowa that narrowly went for Trump in 2016.
Like it or not, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and others aiming for the so-called center do not inspire the voters I saw. Those who attended will not vote for Trump in November, but they also will not be inspired to be active by candidates who reflect the Democratic Party's past. Their health care costs, even with a union, are rising every year, and trade deals backed by Democrats and Republicans alike have gutted their workplaces.
The voters I spoke to at these events are fighting for change. They want an economy that puts workers first. They want clean drinking water from the tap, not water polluted by factory farms. They want a green economy that expands employment and ends new investment in fracking and pipelines that harm their communities. They want union organizing and collective bargaining rights in the public and private sectors.
That's why they will caucus for Bernie Sanders, and that's why they volunteered to mobilize 50 other voters in their county to do the same.
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy