There are growing concerns in the party that the political war is not going as planned — that the juice may not have been worth the squeeze and could, in a nightmare scenario, result in a net gain for Democrats.
And within broader GOP circles, misgivings about the strategy heightened last week after California voters overwhelmingly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts in a manner that Democrats hope will flip five House seats in their direction.
The difference between now and with FDR is huge though. Even if we elected FDR today he would not have as much leverage to get stuff done. One of the main reasons the capitalist class paid lip service and allowed social reform was not because of FDR. It was because they genuinely feared a 1917 style October revolution in America.
In those days there were militant unions. Literally workers that would arm themselves and take over the factory floor. The thought of that happening today at Amazon is sadly laughable.
I guess what I mean, is that unless the material backing like unions, workers parties, communist and socialist groups exists than the electoral politics is all for naught. Which is why I get frustrated by all momentum being in electoral politics and almost none in local organizing (though I am seeing that grow slowly).
FDR wasn’t some savior of the working class. FDR was the protector of the capitalist class. He convinced them that reform was needed in order to prevent revolution. And he was absolutely correct.