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[deutsey]

98. I see it this way

Did Eugene Debbs or other socialists in the early 20th century have smashing electoral victories? Some won state and local elections, a few even went to Congress, but they didn't win the White House or large majorities. They gave wealthy elites a bit of a scare before the red scare after WWI, but they were electorally marginalized with the post-war crackdown.

However, they had also helped to circulate ideas or plant seeds (to be poetic) that would later take root during the Depression and the popular agitation that resulted in the New Deal.

The New Deal is dead and all we've had until recently is tired old Reaganism and its sour-faced little grandchild austerity with no viable competing economic approach counterbalancing them. Even quite a few Democrats say they revere Reagan and push various forms of austerity.

I want Bernie and others (like Kshama Sawant) to push an alternative view to all of that. I'm glad Kshama won her election (I honestly wasn't expecting her to do so) and I support Bernie's candidacy and hope he wins. Frankly, I see that as a long shot and I expect Hillary to be the nominee. She'll have my lukewarm support and I'll vote for her, but even if Bernie doesn't make it, I am looking forward to him presenting an alternative to the standard spectrum of corporatism we usually get.