Kyle Kulinski Ties Himself in Knots Trying to Differentiate "Insider Democrat vs Outsider Democrat" from "Independent Candidate vs Duopoly Candidate"
AOC was one of the Justice Democrats, a political group born of the idea that the best way to get progressive ideas through (at least legislatively) was is to "infiltrate" the Democratic Party. Kyle Kulinski was a founder of Justice Democrats.
AOC has endorsed Joe Biden for president (super early). Kulinski is supporting Marianne Williams as a primary challenger.
So as a result, we get this:
- That President Joe Biden is measurably more progressive than Senator Joe Biden; and
- Marianne Williamson's decision to run in the Democratic Party was a strategically sound move (compared to running independently).
Here's the thing: Joe Biden's "accomplishments" aren't evident enough to get enthusiastic support from average voters; only people who are knee-deep in Democratic Party politics can even list them. If the average lay person can't name something the president to make their life better, that's just not a good sign. Look at it this way: people still talk about Social Security in a positive light, and the president connected to that has been dead since 1945. Odds are the average voter isn't making any distinction from Biden's time as president versus being a senator; to many of them, he's the same guy only way older.
Second, Williamson's decision to run as a Democrat has not helped her. The DNC has decided not to hold debates, which effectively gives the nomination ton Biden. The media barely covers Williamson aside from the occasional negative story. Her foreign policy (the one area where a president has arguably unilateral power) has more similarities with Biden than differences. Also, as AOC is being a living, breathing witness, there's nothing indicating that Williamson will not make a similar course-correction and end up being assimilated by the party.
Lastly, a majority of the arguments Kulinski makes for Williamson versus Biden can in turn be made for independent candidates versus supporting the duopoly system. Just like Kulinski argues that Williamson as a Democratic Party candidate has a better chance than Dr. Cornel West as a Green Party candidate, President Joe Biden has a better path to being the Democratic Party candidate than Williamson. And just like he says that AOC's politics is more in line with Williamson compared to Biden, they are far more aligned with Dr. West than Williamson's.
In short, at the end of the day Kyle Kulinski is a Democrat, and because of that he can't envision an America where anyone left of the Democratic Party is realistic. The problem is, the Democratic Party will fight against infiltration with the same vigor as they do third parties, so why even indulge in the insider game?
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