.@SeanMcElwee gets a lot of shit from the left, and most of it is underserved imo. He’s a brilliant guy who, in his mid-20s, decided to focus on data & polling to get progressives in office. His work is accurate and effective.
He’s probably not as radical as he was at age 24, but to say that 26-year-old Sean sold out 24-year-old Sean is pretty ridiculous. Shit, when I was mid-20s I was pursuing a PhD in music composition & barely followed politics.
I personally think the left needs a more aggressive strategy—both electorally & when in office—but I respect his approach. That may be the weak spot: When they get to Congress, what do they do? Identifying candidates who can win AND will fight the establishment is very difficult.
But this is largely the work of activists. Sean is a pollster now and not as much an activist. Data for Progress is very good at convincing candidates that progressive policies are smart to embrace and run on. Activists’ job is to hold them accountable.
I’m particularly skeptical of Biden, that he’ll be remotely faithful to his climate platform or single-payer option. He’s backing off now even. But the establishment won. Biden needs to be pushed every single day to take the left seriously. If he doesn’t, 2022 will be awful.
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