Squad Member Summer Lee Says Pelosi Wrong That Harris Should Govern From Center: ‘Progressive Ideals’ Are ‘What Average American Wants’

Yes neoliberals, let's continue to govern from the center. Because that's worked so well the last forty years as the right has moved the Overton window to the point where we no longer have a left wing party.

I think it's worth mentioning again that all this hope and excitement comes with the first candidates that aren't Boomers.

• Americans repeatedly respond to authenticity, even if that authenticity is built on lies (Trump)
• An old white self-avowed Democratic Socialist independent from Vermont overtook a decades-old Third Way household name in under a year, outperforming her in head-to-head polling against Trump.
• Democrats repeatedly water down their rhetoric to appeal to ignorance in the middle-ground
• Said middle-ground is defined by right-wing extremist rhetoric and a shifting of the Overton Window
• Said policies then fail because they watered-down the rocket-fuel too much and it never broke orbit.
• Democrats shocked when grassroots coalition that is the backbone of the party and GOTV movement unenthused.
• Democratic establishment shocked when they lose.

The day Democrats grow a backbone and double-down on progressive policy because it actually works instead of appealing to ignorance is the day Democrats never lose again.

There are some good signs in the party they're moving away from this; notably ignoring a lot of the advice from Hillary Clinton strategists (thank fuck), while also promoting progressive voices on the national stage such as at the convention — AOC, Bernie, Warren speeches. Still, there are remnants of the old that need to go.

Also:

Don't ever shy away from our progressive values. One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness.

- Tim Walz

Pelosi is no political genius. She’s got some parlor tricks but most religious leaders do.

But the fact that my Trump loving family members would vote for Bernie over Trump speaks volumes.

Bernie getting fucked by the DNC was the greatest political blunder in 100 years.

Nobody wants Catholics vs Evangelicals anymore because most people think that shit is garbage.

We want PROGRESSIVES because we want PROGRESS!

People want progressive ideals as policy, but losing the messaging war for 4 decades has taken its toll.

You cannot associate these policies with an ideology. Just call it common sense. Or the Fuck Billionaires Agenda. Whatever.

You can’t undo decades of media programming by telling people that they would all agree with you if they just paid closer attention. Losing strategy.

Man fuck Pelosi. She's just worried about being unable to insider-trade her privileged position to wealth. If the play's not broken, why would they change a damn thing. Fuck these ghouls!

What center?

Between the Democrats and Republicans? The GOP that wanted to brutalize Pelosi on the steps of the capital? The GOP that laughed when a man with a hammer nearly murdered her husband with a hammer? The GOP that wants to roll back all civil rights to a time before the revolution? The GOP that wants to install a fascist dictatorship?

Or do you mean the center of where the American public stands?

The center of what Americans want is a hell of a lot more progressive than you, Nancy.

Pelosi needs to go

Pelosi is STILL against stock buying bans for Congress because the “free market is for everyone”, meanwhile they get to decide who participates in said free market with advanced warning on news

Fuck you Pelosi.

Barack Obama had a lot of great ideas, but I think people have forgotten how many times he gave up without a fight. His motto seemed to be, "We can't win, so why try." I really blame him for the demoralized Democratic base that stayed home and allowed Donald Trump's win.

Harris needs to fight for progressive ideals, even if she doesn't always bring home a victory.

Pelosi is an old hack who needs to take all of her stock market ill gotten gains and go away.

The headline completely mischaracterized what the article (and Lee) said.

Lee is clearly sticking pretty close to the party line, but still emphasizing the appeal of progressive policies. "I have to disagree a bit" is just not the same as saying Nancy Pelosi is wrong.

The article said:

Lee somewhat cautiously said she disagrees “a bit” and that “anecdotal evidence” from around the country indicate it’s better to run “to” not “from progressive ideals.”

And Lee herself said:

I have to disagree a bit. I think that we have data, we have polling, we have anecdotal evidence from American – Americans all over the country, but especially out in Pennsylvania, in a swing state, where we’re not actually asking for our – our candidates to run away from progressive ideals. We’re asking them for – for them to run to them.

Moving to the right and calling it the center is why the "good" party is supporting genocide.

Why the fuck is Pelosi still a voice that anyone in the goddamn party listens to? She's been doing nothing but fucking up since she entered Congress. She's literally almost single-handedly responsible for the absolute deterioration of the Democratic party in our government. The only one who outstrips her in that department is Harry Reid.

Some progressive ideals are what the average American wants. Many are still very hard sells. What the Dems need to realize is that the political-junkie conceptions of 'centrist' and 'progressive' mean very little to the 'swing voters' they're trying to appeal to. They don't want a coherent ideological approach. Not that that seems to stop 'centrist' Dem reps from constantly trying to chase policy rightwards.

Pelosi is now irrelevant since she retired and just wants people to listen to her like the rest of the boomers.

The center that's been pulled to the right of Reagan? Is it that center she means?
If so, she is in fact claiming Harris should govern with traditional Republican policies.
I hope America responds with a roaring NO to that.

If the Overton Window is a real thing then there is no "center" just the context of "i am rich don't rock the boat".

Pelosi Thinking ^TM is why Bernie would never be president.

Beautifully stated. Summer Lee rocks.

How about they shut they all shut the fuck up and let them run the campaign themselves

All these old politicians needs to retire.

If your too old to do a normal job, you sure as hell shouldn't be making decisions for society...

The "center"from what? The GQP is no longer a valid political ideology, they've gone full cult. I doubt it even still matters if you tell them you will consider their proposals, they will still portray her as the devil. Harris should still do the decent presidential thing and help address their problems like those of the border, like Biden tried to do, but she's obligated to the people and their demands, not their party's.

I thought Pelosi was all about old farts getting out of the way and leaving room for the next generations.

Now if only they fucking showed up to vote.

Well they didn’t choose a progressive so…

Could we vote about bunking her (Wheeling dealing Pelosi) with Trump in Gitmo?

itt; a bunch of people that don't know it takes 2/3rds of a majority to pass anything and that a whole bunch of extremely partisan issues will just sail through congress even though the affordable care act barely made it through.

We don't want the center. Her main selling point is that she is not 80+years old. The bar is that low. Nobody gives a shit about policy at this point, it's gotten that bad. Anything but a geriatric convict.

healthcare pls

The only Americans who count to politicians are the ones who vote, and the ones who vote are more centrist on average than the ones who don't.

What the fuck is a "squad member"

Article makes no mention

People like the popular progressive ideals and they don't like the unpopular ones.

Harris should support a higher minimum wage and not support Medicare replacing private insurance or taking money away from the police.

Not sure why people want to generalize the popularity of some of their positions to the popularity of all positions. If all their positions were super popular there would be more people in The Squad.

Yes, they do want them, but they are too stupid to understand that so you have to lie to them about the medicine. Progressives need to stfu for a second and win the election. Go sit in the corner and seeth with Hasan about how kamala is a genocidal bitch or whatever, see you in November.

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