28 Comments
User's avatar
Guy's avatar
4dEdited

Yes, it's not really about right vs. left. It's about most voters vs. the corrupt elites running both parties who could care less about what the voters really want. Can't wait for the two parties to implode! They deserve each other.

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Susan Becraft's avatar

Maybe I’m naive, but these two elections gave me a tiny spark of hope. People are finally angry enough to take action where it counts. Voters are finally waking up to the fact that neither party gives a rip about them. The days of treating politicians and the so-called pundits like demigods might be coming to an end, and it can’t happen fast enough.

Thank you Ken for a ray of hope.

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Ken Klippenstein's avatar

they should give you hope imo!

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Tankster's avatar

Scares me. I've been a Democrat who raised $25 for HHH in 1968, selling buttons and other "merch." The Dems have given up the ship to Anti-Jew candidates and endorsing policies like they did in NC. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/politics/democrats-israel-north-carolina It will be like death by slicing. Time to consider Aliya

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Nik's avatar

Can’t agree with Stephen A. Smith more on this point. Democratic leaders are beyond averse to listening to those who elect them. They’d rather listen to moneyed elites and back them as candidates while making ineffective, performative gestures. They need to gtfo so we can start electing people who will actually do something about income inequality, corruption, and all the plethora of issues we’re facing 😤

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RealNoDeuces's avatar

Their leaders gave us “brat summer” but the people deman “hawg summer.” Release the Hunter Hog Files!

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Ken Klippenstein's avatar

lol did you see he just gave an interview to channel 5

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RealNoDeuces's avatar

Nope. But I’m all over it, now.

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Sean M's avatar

Mamdani had the backing of the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA), and Fateh did as well. They did the OTG organizing in Minneapolis.

At the DFL convention in Minneapolis, the major resolutions including the endorsement of Fateh was initiated by a convention-savvy DSA member and city council member.

There is a clear shift happening and clear group who is putting in the work for change, and neither party is stepping up to meet the masses or the moment.

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Kevan Hudson's avatar

The more legit mavericks the better. Much of what is good in my country, Canada, was pushed through with strong public support by elected officials from left to right. This is how we got, for example, British Columbia Ferries (brought in by conservative Premier WAC Bennett), and national healthcare (social democrat Tommy Douglas).

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Clif Brown's avatar

Elephant in the room.

Not a word about what has been a consensus issue for so long but is no longer. Israel. Mamdani has said he is against the genocide. Here in Illinois 9th District, anti-Zionism is avowed by at least three of the top contenders. I have been going through the list of contenders asking them whether they support liberty and justice for all or its antithesis, ethnic cleansing Zionism. What could possibly be an easier question to answer without a second to think about it, yet I am getting several who will not respond. Guess what they support. I will be at the coming debates next year with exactly the same question and will call out the non-responders.

Being pro-Israel is true of all of the traditional Dem and Rep politicians from Hakeem Jeffries to Mike Jackson as AIPAC brags of the people it has put in Congress. The Epstein case threatens to break open the intimate contact of Israel with powerful Americans. It's laughable how "intelligence agencies" are spoken of. Could it be France? Britain? We all know it is Israel. Former Israeli PM Ehud Barak was on Epstein's plane more than 30 times.

The midterm elections will show if our democracy can recover from the power Zionism has had by way of our corrupt political system, both federal and state, everyone reachable with private and corporate money for campaign financing. Trump openly admits serving the wishes of the Adelsons as the occupied territories are cleaned out with full US support for Israel to annex.

Our present and previous presidents are war criminals as surely as is Netanyahu. That this isn't mentioned in the post is astounding.

On the street daily with my anti-Zionist signs and Palestinian flag. clifbrown.substack.com

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Guy's avatar

Both party establishments are willing slaves to AIPAC and their Israel First donors. But it's getting harder as the killing and starvation in Gaza becomes more and more obvious to all. Along with Israel's apparent willingness to drag the U.S. into what could become WW3. The party leaders can only continue feeding at the trough (and showing no backbone) by doing what they do best, ignoring the interests and concerns of the majority of their voters.

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Carolyn Bakula (Madison, WI)'s avatar

I just subscribed and looking forward to reading your stuff.

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Clayton Eskew's avatar

Thomas Jefferson said he never fully subscribed to the creed of any party, viewing such adherence as "the last degradation of a free and moral agent." Then he went out and supported party politics to usurp the Federalists. I turn on anyone or anything that emits the stench of the elites.

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Ken Klippenstein's avatar

love that!

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SAM's avatar

Smith aint wrong but took him long enough to catch on to the program. for as long as i can remember, we've been saying, "republicans fear their voters, democrats despise theirs". i kinda hope musk starts a serious independent party so we can throw a true progressive option in there. although the libs would probably cling to the dems and then blame everyone except their sorry party for losing to president-elect carlson.

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May's avatar
4dEdited

Musk would not support progressives though.

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SAM's avatar

Oh sorry. To clarify, I mean that by starting an independent third party, we would be able to start yet another independent party. Argument being that if the right wing vote is split, there's no reason for progressives to continue hiding/being held hostage by the Democratic party.

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Ana Francesca Hata's avatar

Stephen A. Smith has my respect for this. He put to words exactly how I’ve been feeling. And it is time for anarchy - or as Chomsky put it, to dismantle illegitimate authority. Neither party can demonstrate legitimate authority anymore. Burn it all down! Also, I am here for every Democratic Socialist who can ascend to local leadership with grassroots support. I hope it builds momentum because the DOJ can’t quiet them all no matter how hard they try.

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Lori's avatar

Dem leadership isn't going to like 'vote blue no matter who' this time.....lol

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Carolyn Bakula (Madison, WI)'s avatar

I love your reporting on this issue! Thank you for helping me to educate my clueless blue MAGA circle of "friends." When I said to them at a dinner party recently "the whole democratic party needs to go"; crickets. They looked at me like I had three heads! I think I need to find some new friends.

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Tankster's avatar

Ilhan Omar's CD. A Somali American, not that there's anything wrong with that...What's his stance on the war against hamas?

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Patrick Pagan's avatar

Fun!

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John Velie's avatar

I appreciate your commentary and basically agree, but as someone who was literally there at the Minneapolis convention where the democratic socialist candidate "won" the endorsement I can tell you this: It was full tilt dirty politics where those who disagreed with the democratic socialist's position were literally cheated of their right to participate. You need to dig a little deeper on this one Ken. If someone wins by cheating, did they really win? I don't think so. What actually happened in Minneapolis was shameful. We all know that the MAGA movement is full of lies. Well, there are plenty of lies on the Left as well.

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May's avatar

You accurately called it. Plus infependents want MTG And AOC to work around their diifferences and get someting done forthe people. Universal healthcare /public option would be a popular start.

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