So, I have this debate a lot with centrist libs. All of this crap about Bernie not being a real democrat, and me not being a real democrat, and blah blah blah.
You know what? Fine, after a lot of reflection, I'll own it. I've never been a 'true democrat" outside of perhaps a couple years when I was transitioning out of conservatism.
And here's why. Democrats are shaped by modern historical forces that do not shape my views. They used to be far more economically progressive, but they moderated starting in the 1990s, when they became controlled by the "new democratic" coalition under people like Clinton, Gore, Biden, etc. The democratic party is also heavily shaped by racism in the United States. They used to be the party of white southerners under FDR but as the civil rights movement gained prominence, they left the party, leading to an extreme racial divide between the parties. Since then the GOP was the party of racists, and appealed to dog whistle politics to push that, while the democrats went hardcore toward identity politics to cement nonwhite voters into their ranks.
This has led, over time, to the democrats becoming a party that is "big tent" on economics, which in reality means centrist, with lefties being forced to play ball because they have nowhere else to go, and highly racial.
And demographically, I'm more "conservative". I'm a white dude who grew up middle class. I'm cis-het, and the only aspect of me that doesn't reflect the normal white profile is my lack of religion. I became a liberal when I became a "new atheist", ie, when I exited the cave of delusions this blog is so aptly named after. And while I no longer hold new atheist views, well, I still culturally have that flair to my politics. But even that screams "white and educated", so it doesn't really change much.
The fact is, I just dont fit the profile of a democrat, and never really agreed with the ideology of democrats. My ideology was similar in a lot of ways, almost parallel, but my own experiences led me to reject conservatism and embrace the form of liberalism I thought the democrats actually were. My politics more fit into FDR's democratic party, and even then I have some weird pre reagan conservative strands in there sometimes, like my desire for UBI over large inefficient bureaucratic programs. But growing up with reaganism I consider UBI a liberal wet dream. I mean everyone gets money without having to work for it? That's *gasp* socialism, isn't it? Lol. Meanwhile democrats push welfare reform and moderation to not piss off the right wing consensus. And on social issues, I never got into the overwhelming identity politics that have taken the party over like a cancer. I mean, I'm "privileged". So that stuff never rang a bell for me, and given how overwhelmingly important that stuff is to democratic coalition building, I just don't fit.
I'm still on the left, but my left represents more like, European leftism based on social democracy (but with my pro UBI/anti work streak), and without the overbearing racial politics. I'm permissive on social issues, but I'm not exactly letting critical theory define every aspect of my politics, and I'm what the idpol people call a "class reductionist" or a "brogressive/brocialist". It's not that I dont understand those issues, but they don't resonate and I consider them secondary.
That said I delve into democratic party politics and end up dealing with tons of people of color, people of weird sexualities, obnoxiously loud feminists, and then these snarky, holier than thou centrists with college degrees who think they're so smart and virtuous because they're neolibs.
And they crap on me for not being a "true democrat". Well, if that's what a true democrat is, yeah, I'm out. I think the democratic party under the guide of the centrist wing is complete and utter trash and I'm proud not to be associated with such a worthless dumpster fire. The only reason I'm still a registered democrat is primaries, and even then, they rig them so sometimes I wonder why I bother. I'm not really a true green either. As I said in my post from a few days ago, I just work with them on common goals. I'm not really hardcore into ecosocialism or whatever. I just want a common sense party that is like "hey on social lives people should be free to live the best lives they want as long as they dont hurt others", and on economics I'm like "yeah, basic income and free healthcare are essential and other progressive ideas would be nice too." Maybe that doesn't make me a true democrat, but what true democrats are these days are trash. As I said, they're not really the party of FDR any more, and as such I see them as garbage. So I'll do me I guess. And I'll only vote for their candidates when I deem it proper to do so.
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