Remember the decades we were told you had to run to the center to win?
Yeah it was always lies.
this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2026
344 points (99.4% liked)
politics
30253 readers
2953 users here now
Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!
Rules:
- Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.
Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.
Example:
- Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
- Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
- No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
- Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
- No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning
We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.
All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.
That's all the rules!
Civic Links
• Congressional Awards Program
• Library of Congress Legislative Resources
• U.S. House of Representatives
Partnered Communities:
• News
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
Yeah it was always lies.
It wasn't always lies. The game changed when the other side started electing their extremists, but worse, those more in the center have done fuck-all with what power they do have to act as a check on those other elected extremists.
I think the reason progressives are winning now is that voters have nothing to lose. Far right extremists will fuck them. Most of those closest to the center won't help them, and there's now a precedent of voting in extremists (currently far right) into high office.
If anything I think the elected far right extremists were the best argument for voting for those farther left. There's also the Overton window. 2008's Obama championing the ACA and the 2015 Supreme Court's Obergefell decision looks quite progressive compared to today's centerists.
Running to the center is why fascism arrived, and Democrats have been espousing it as a strategy since the 80's, while Democrats as a brand have basically given up on the concept that government can be a force for good in peoples lives.
If anything, I would say that running in the "center," abandoning any pretense of hope for a better future for the chance to join a modern aristocracy, is far more of an extremist take than any leftist. If I tell Mamdani the price of bread is too high, he will see it and know it; if I tell Schumer, he won't understand. What is the mark of extremism but the disengagement with reality?
The extremism started because neoliberal centrists abandoned middle America for years.
It wasn't always lies. The game changed when the other side started electing their extremists
Which happened during the first term of Bill Clinton.
I'm not following you. Are you saying Bill Clinton was a left extremist?
No, very far from it!
I'm saying that far right demagogues, under the leadership of Newt Gingrich, took over the GOP during his first term.
Though in truth, the process had its infancy under Nixon if not even earlier.
I always maintain that the timeline split with the assassination of RFK. Had he lived, he would have been elected president, instead of Nixon, Vietnam would have ended much earlier, and America would have gone down a brighter path in the 70s, instead of the dark path we're still on.
More importantly, Nixon wouldn't have resigned, inspiring aides Cheney and Ailes to conceive a Conservative Propaganda Machine, that would start slowly, but pick up speed after the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine under Reagan in 1986, and the rise of Rush Limbaugh, who bears the credit/responsibility of the 1994 Congressional election, which saw Gingrich and the proto-MAGAs take over Congress, and then the establishment of FoxNews.
It's all Sirhan's fault. He may be the most influential person of the post-WWII era.
Rewind it further and Johhny doesn't get assassinated, exposes the remainders of the Business Plot and dismantles the military industrial complex before it gets further entrenched. Those two moves would have cut off a lot of the forces which led to where we are now.
Fucking rush Limbaugh is a majority of the reason that "everyday" people moved to the far far right
I'm surprised what happened to Roe V. Wade hasn't happened to Obergefell
Though I believe Democrats actually codified Obergefell into law... The "Respect For Marriage" act
These candidates are centrists, not leftist. The problem being the centre in US is right wing.
You’re not wrong. America’s Overton window is hilariously skewed, because conservatives have consistently been working to drag it to the right for decades. And the “we need to reach the moderate voters” liberals have been letting it happen, by consistently shifting their own messaging farther right to pander to the new “center”.
DAC is definitely pretty leftist, agreed with the other two (DAC>Valdez>Lander). I still like Lander and aren’t gonna freak out over him unless he just shits the bed (he was a DSA member since 87 so he’s definitely not fake), but his comment (yesterday? today?) saying he’s looking forward to voting for Hakeem as the House Majority leader spooked me.
Get where he’s coming from to not just say, “fuck everyone else in the party, our way or the highway” cause you can’t just do that when you’ve only got 20 or so squad-type House members right now, but please don’t capitulate to the establishment
The only districts a DSA candidate couldn’t win in are districts like whatever the Hamptons and Nantucket are in, and who gives a fuck about them.
This was a primary to be fair, and I don’t think a DSA candidate would suddenly be able to win in most rural districts in the South, but I’d bet if the DSA started running a challenger in each and every district in 2030, we’d win more than half of the primaries if not more.
I appreciate they’re taking it relatively slowly with the races they’re going for, showing their candidates walk the talk and their shit works instead of just going all out right away and potentially dying
Nantucket is in Massachuasets!
This is PROOF that the ONLY way for Democrats to WIN is to ~~Court Left Leaning People!~~ ~~HELP the Working Class!~~ Win over MAGA Voters who would LITERALLY Rather DIE then to Vote Democrat!
LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO
WE ARE SO BACK BABY
This is the way
Espaillat lost because of his pro-AIPAC pro-genocide stance. Dumb traitor learned his lesson too late. Next step is to send his arse to the Hague along with others like him. We will be done when we send them all -- repub and dem-- to the ICC in chains.
Avila Chevalier is also a vocal critic of Israel, calling its war against Hamas in Gaza a genocide
Ugh, fuck this narrative.
Couldn't you find a better source? Israel isn't at war with Hamas. They're committing a genocide, which is by definition a war crime against all the people.
Fuck NBC supporting genocide in this trash article
That... Is exactly what you quoted. So fuck your narrative?
what part about my comment confused you?
They claimed that Israel is fighting a war against Hamas. That is false. Israel is committing* a genocide.
Commiting. Israel is commiting a genocide. They aren't fighting anyone. The people they are slaughtering are incapable of fighting back.
Fixed, thanks
The attacks highlighted her past social media posts, in which she profanely criticized Democratic leaders, including calling former President Joe Biden a “rapist” and writing “F--- Kamala Harris.”
Right on!
Lol they tried to make her look bad by shitting on Biden and Harris? Who wouldn't see that as plus?
People will always pick the pro Palestinian candidate when the general population votes.
Who wants to bet that the Democratic Party will refuse to select the (most popular) pro Palestinian candidate, and loose again?
I didn't understand how racist this country is especially with the white nationalist, and how they justify in their rasist minds supporting Israel? Like what a contradictory thing
It was a great night, very optimistic about the future
Good.
Meanwhile, here is Chicago the establishment dems have such an unbelievable stranglehold on their positions that getting progressives through the door is such an uphill battle it's not even funny.