Trump Resistance- Progressism And/Or Abundance

As Trump and the Republicans wage war on our democracy in the courts and the streets, pockets of resistance are emerging. Outside of the court rooms, these often manifest as spontaneous actions in response to some Trumpian thuggery that horrified community members simply couldn’t stand by and watch. It’s a visceral, and human response to the immediate harm, that tragically, all too often is met with escalating violence from Trump’s goons.

For now, these expressions of resistance will likely grow in response to the ghoulishness of Trump’s authoritarian crackdown, but without a larger vision to coalesce around, it’s likely such spontaneous actions will prove insufficient. Debates are already raging as to what vision should serve at the tent pole under which the resistance gathers. Currently, two major narratives have risen to prominence, the “populist” narrative championed by figures like Bernie Sanders and AOC on their fight oligarchy tour, and the “abundance” agenda introduced by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson in their eponymous bestselling book.

Champions of populism point the finger at a corrupted system in which they claim corporations and wealthy individuals have captured our government to enrich themselves at the expense of the many. The abundance agenda takes a more technocratic approach, focusing instead on onerous, even if well-meaning, regulations, which they claim have often been weaponized in cities and locales across the country stifling growth and hamstringing good political projects. It should be noted that these diagnoses are not mutually exclusive, both have valuable critiques of the current political environment which should be implemented, but to be the tent-pole of a political movement, the agenda needs to be more than good policy, it needs to be good politics as well.

A recent poll from Demand Progress has helped shed light on which messaging works better with the electorate. The results of this first poll clearly show that a populist framing is more popular, especially with Democrats and Independents. However, it’s important to note both ideologies were received favorably, with voters saying they would be more likely to vote for candidates expressing populist (56%) and abundance (44%) views.

With nearly a quarter of respondents undecided, there is clearly plenty of room for movement on these numbers, but the striking favorability of populism over abundance framing supports what DSOT has long maintained, a populist agenda resonates more with Americans.

There is an added benefit to pursuing populism over abundance, to take back our government from Trump and the oligarchy, it will take not just political, but economic power wielded on behalf of the people. The populist agenda clearly centers the corrupting influence of money making it much easier to organize economic solidarity. So join us each Tuesday in growing solidarity, as we pursue a popular populist agenda for all.

#DSOT