election night Locally, two of the three city council candidates I supported won. The one I was most excited about managed to net herself a four year term. Went from being the fourth place vote getter in the primary to second in the general. Less locally? The district judge candidate who wrote that? Fucking won. Lee Carter, one of the people politico used for their "Could America’s Socialists Become the Tea Party of the Left?" bit? Fucking won. It's not all riding coat tails of the Democratic party either. Ginger Jentzen straight up ran on the Socialist Alternative ballot line and did pretty damn well.I say all of this to say that while I have not identified as a democratic socialist in the past, I would be honored to have the support of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. To me, being a socialist means acknowledging, confronting, and demanding reparations for social inequalities in no uncertain terms.
Some of the financial guys I follow - conservatives and libertarians all - are suggesting that investors brace for outright goddamn socialism in the next four years. Not because they're fans, but because they see everything in pendulum swings and cycles and they figure the backlash against populism is gonna be epic.
The landscape is definitely changing. It's quiet, but something does seem to be happening. At the very least, Red shaming stopped being an effective firewall while no one was paying attention. Lee Carter sang Solidarity Forever to celebrate victory. The Democrats are still busy rending themselves apart, and that opens the door to the left hijacking more of their ballot lines.