Transcript:
I’m Thomas Mills for PoliticsNC. Today is March 23, 2025 and the Republic is still standing–and the resistance to authoritarianism is taking shape.
Over the last few days, Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, have been touring swing states and drawing huge audiences. Rallies in Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona tapped into the anger Democrats feel toward the Trump administration. Bernie was the headliner, but AOC got as much attention as the heir-apparent to his movement.
AOC moved away from her roots as a Democratic Socialist and embraced a role as the leader of an opposition movement. She said the divide in the Democratic Party is not between moderates and progressives but between those who will fight and those who won’t.
She was clearly taking a shot at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Earlier this month, Schumer folded in negotiations over shutting down the government when he brought the votes to pass a Republican funding bill. Schumer claimed opposing the bill would allow Donald Trump and Elon Musk to indiscriminately shut down government programs. He said passing the stop-gap measure would protect programs funded by the bill.
But that didn’t seem to pan out. Within days, Trump and Musk shut down Voice of America and issued an order to dismantle the Department of Education. They seemed to be thumbing their noses at Schumer’s move.
Regardless, Democrats wanted a response to Trump and Schumer failed to give it. AOC is picking up the mantle of leader of the resistance. She’s focusing on economic issues in an attempt to broaden the Democratic coalition and she’s offering a new generation of leadership.
It’s too early for Democrats to start focusing on presidential candidates in 2028, but they need to fill the leadership void that’s emerged since the election. AOC is stepping up. More leaders are likely to follow. Expect to see Pete Buttegieg start moving around more now that he’s announced he isn’t running for the Michigan Senate. Watch Jasmine Crocket, the firebrand Texas Congresswoman who’s made a sport of ridiculing Republicans. And there are others.
Right now, Democrats want fighters and need leaders. They’ll reward politicians who take stands against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. They are looking for a vision for our future that is more inclusive than divisive. Expect the opposition to emerge organically. It will be broader and less ideological. It’s a reckoning the Democratic party needs.
Whether you supported Bernie Sanders or AOC in the past is largely irrelevant. What they are doing right now matters. They are giving voice to the frustration felt by Democrats across the country. They are providing an outlet to that frustration at rallies that bring people together.
We have plenty of time to argue over who would be the best presidential nominee in 2028. Right now, we need leaders willing to stand up to authoritarians and give people hope and a sense of purpose. AOC and Bernie Sanders are doing just that. The resistance is rising. Get on board.
I’m Thomas Mills signing off for PoliticsNC.
The Democratic Party has seen a significant drop in popularity, with favor-ability ratings hitting a record low of 24% due to widespread frustration. A new leader is needed—someone who embodies a centrist philosophy.
While Obama once fulfilled this role, he is no longer eligible to run for president. The potential of figures like AOC or Bernie Sanders to step into Obama's shoes remains uncertain. Bernie Sanders is close but is advancing in age. What the party needs is a figure who can inspire hope, someone with proven experience like Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. He has served his country honorably, unlike the current president who avoided military service through dubious means and has a history of legal troubles including tax fraud and predatory behavior.
Chuck Schumer, I heard, went on the View to shill his new book "Antisemitism in America: A Warning." He lamented the mass rapes and the numerous babies killed on October 7th. There has been no corroborated accounts of a rape occurring on Oct 7th. There is no legal accusation of anyone committing the act of rape. (unlike of course, the videos anyone can watch of an IDF soldier raping in a Palestinian; not to mention the hilarious placing of a phone in a man's anus, and yuk, yuk, listening for the ring) No charges have been brought or sought for any rape by a Palestinian. There was one baby killed on Oct 7th. The baby was killed by the Israeli counter attack. There is no evidence of babies beheaded. There were no babies beheaded. There were no babies in ovens. No babies were found in ovens.
If the leadership of the Democratic Party is going to spuriously talk about things he is either too ignorant to know, or worse, just plain lying, why would I vote for it, or him, or her? It appears that our government is not exactly putting "America" first.
I'll help democrats: Whether we have medicare for all is a political decision not an economic one. "Anything we can actually do, we can afford." Keynes said. If people think the federal government is constrained economically like a family on a budget both the Republicans and the democrats have you right where they want you. Dumb
Happy, ever hopeful to see and hear how the "leadership void" is becoming populated by voices mentioned here. And--yes--smart, visionary leaders are needed at this moment who are as noted, "fighters." We need vibrant visionaries who will fight in new ways who are not yet smoked and cooked to death. I'm thinking along the lines of "freshly harvested" for changes necessary for THIS moment, firm and not stale. Crisp. A couple of other pieces of the resistance shaping up include town halls, whether or not elected officials show up or not--meetings continue. Statewide Committees on Public Education are also being called upon to answer the real questions we should be asking about vouchers and how Education Savings Accounts are being used. Getting into granular details must continue to be addressed because as is, the voucher bills and rhetoric surrounding these in the states most often end up being a parental guise that never aligns with serious learning theories or critical practices. It's stupid. Who can argue about parents choosing what is best for their children? But we all know what voucher bills are really about. I could say tons more about thoughts I have regarding dismantling the Department of Education, but this is not the place. I'll just say these early rumblings are creating a stir.
I agree LuElken, and I share your idea for a need of something new, fresh, and innovative. We wnt from 250 to 350 people attending protests 1 and 2at Tillis office. Then, to 1000 oeople attending a town hall he refused to attend,
Mobilizing our base is a good thing and these appearances should be affective. We have a huge billboard here in Greenville SC calling out our Representative William (do nothing) Timmons as being AWOL. He's never held a townhall. The main effect is that local TV news thought it was newsworthy and we need more of that. This is perhaps the most conservative area in the country, courtesy of Bob Jones University and Christian nationalism.
And what about Chris Murphy???
exactly, I think he's been a warrior from the beginning of this madness.