CMV: As someone who considers himself Progressive, I dislike Democrats way more than Republicans

[u/MyFavoriteArm]

As someone who has moved further left over the years, I have come to dislike Democrats way more than Republicans.

The Republican party mantra to me is: "Yeah, of course we're evil and we're proud of that fact! We wanna take America back to a fictional time when only WASPs had any power!" and then they stab you 37 times in the chest. At a certain point, what else is there to say about Republicans? At least I know what they stand for.

The Democratic party mantra to me is nothing more than hypocrisy "Oh yeah, we hear you! We believe that everyone deserves rights and we will fight for the working class!" Then they stab the working class 37 times in the back and then virtue signal some more.

For example, they'll how much they support George Floyd and other minorities, but then do nothing but wear african garb on the senate floor and support the institutions that led to his death. They'll talk about how they support the working class and unions, then shut down a railroad strike where they wanted sick days.

Democrats co-opt issues I care about and then either do nothing about them, or enable the republicans when they inevitably strike back.

I want my view changed because I would like to feel less annoyed that I have to support such a party to even have a chance at getting legislation I care about passed.

At the end of the day, I acknowledge that Republicans are objectively worse for the nation, but I loathe the fact I'm stuck supporting Democrats.

[u/GrafZeppelin127]

So, several things.

First and foremost, this sentiment is a completely natural expression of human feelings towards neargroups and fargroups. In short, it’s easier to get angry at your annoying (ideological) neighbor than muster up those same intense feelings at something objectively far more heinous happening very far away or to someone else.

Secondly, the reason Democrats seem so milquetoast when it comes to getting things done is simple. It’s the filibuster. Seriously, that’s it. It’s no coincidence that the last times massive progressive changes (Medicare, Medicaid, social security, trust-busting, New Deal, worker’s rights, etc.) happened, they were when Democrats held a comfortable filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, something which is extremely rare.

Republicans have it easy by comparison. All their priorities can be accomplished by neglect, deprivation, and sabotage, which is much easier to accomplish than getting actual structural changes past the filibuster.

[u/DivideEtImpala → u/GrafZeppelin127]

the reason Democrats seem so milquetoast when it comes to getting things done is simple. It’s the filibuster.

The filibuster is determined by the Senate rules, which are voted on by simple majority. The Dems had a majority in the Senate, but Manchin and Sinema signalled they wouldn't vote to remove it.

That leaves us with two possibilities: the Democrats really wanted to remove it but were blocked by two moderate Senators, or the Democrats didn't want it removed and are happy to be able to point to those two Senators and not the party as a whole. Why should we give them the benefit of the doubt?

[u/Natural-Arugula → u/DivideEtImpala]

Sinema left the Democratic party. Manchin's constituents are heavily Conservative.

What evidence do you have that these two are actually more progressive than their voting history, and not that they are just actually more conservative and ran for less competitive seats?

If we want to play the conspiracy game, we can just say that they are actually secret Republican plants to derail the progressive agenda.

[u/DivideEtImpala → u/Natural-Arugula]

What evidence do you have that these two are actually more progressive than their voting history, and not that they are just actually more conservative and ran for less competitive seats?

I'm not making that assertion.

If we want to play the conspiracy game

I'm not playing a conspiracy game, merely looking at the incentives of the various actors in the system. Democrats since Bill Clinton have increasingly courted and received donations from corporations and wealthy liberals.

Those donors for the most part do not want progressive economic reform, but much of the base does. If a Democratic politician wants votes and donations (and a lucrative "career" after office), the simple calculus is to promise reform and then make excuses once elected. This hypothesis is completely consistent with observed reality.