Progressives storm Democratic primaries

[Jim Lane]

89. You completely miss the point. Changing the mind of ANY one Democrat won't get it.

We need, among other things, 218 votes in the House. With Crowley's switch we're one vote closer.

Crowley's district has a Cook PVI of D+29, one of the bluest in the country. It's an obvious place to start if the incumbent isn't with us.

You write that, in some districts, "These Democrats are following the lead of their constituents. Right now the support isn't there." Maybe, maybe not. Running a progressive in the primary is one way to find out if the support is there. If the incumbent never faces any challenge from the left, then people who DO support single payer (and other progressive goals) have no way to express that, except by voting for the Green Party candidate, which obviously hurts the Democrat. Crowley, for one, has perhaps decided that the support is there and that he'd better get with the program.

There's also the lay-the-groundwork aspect. In a district where the support isn't there now, a progressive who runs and loses will bring the idea (single payer, $15 minimum wage, or whatever) to the attention of more people. That's part of how the support gets built. Advances like the Civil Rights Act didn't just happen overnight.