It becomes increasingly difficult to write about the slow bleeding out of democracy in America; To witness a shift from what was already fragile governance to a klepto-theocratic autocracy is a challenging thought. Democracy is slumped up against a wall with an open wound bleeding out on the sidewalk, as 30% of those eligible to vote walk past muttering, “I hope you die bitch,” but that’s not the real tragedy. The real tragedy is that Democratic leadership seems to have decided to cross the street and pretend their hands are tied when it comes to helping. This, my friends, is how democracy really dies in America.
I want to take a moment today to clarify my position on the Democratic Party. Few within the modern Democratic base appear to agree that the Party now represents their values. They feel it has become disconnected from the sentiments and aspirations of everyday Americans. The base sees a very different vision from that of the Democratic establishment, which appears to simply want a quiet life in which legislators can continue to profit from public service. They understand that the only way they can achieve this is to dress corporate America up in a blue suit, pretending that they can be the calming influence on out-of-control greed. There is absolutely no evidence to support this assertion.
No party can call itself the voice of the people if it never listens to their fears and concerns, instead acting as a brake on social ambition, mobility and equality. A party that lives in fear of using the words ‘equity, diversity and inclusion’ can never be a ‘people first’ party, because it’s sold its soul to a lack of ambition that is suffocating the audacity of hope. Fair representation of the people does NOT have to be about fighting innovation and wealth creation, nor does it have to be about crippling regulation. Governing has to be about compromise. Unfortunately, the MAGA approach to government has been to pursue only greed-driven profit at the expense of anything that stands in the way.
Decades of corporate-sponsored political brainwashing has led Americans to believe that anything standing in the way of corporate exploitation is Communism, Marxism or Socialism. This is really easy to achieve when 54% of the population has a literacy rate at or below 6th grade, while 21% are illiterate. The propaganda is nonsense, always has been and always will be. Sometimes, you have to look in the bathroom mirror, splash ice-cold water on your face, and open your eyes to the reality that you’ve been played, not just by corporate America and the oligarchs, but by those who have long pretended to best represent your interests. The truth is often hard to hear, but necessary to remove barriers to societal progress.
Just as the tyranny that Trump has imposed on America needs to be defeated, so does the hold of corporate Democrats on their party. Unless this can be achieved, it can’t in good conscience call itself an opposition. You can listen to the DNC claim the party is on its way back, but there is little indication that this reflects voter sentiment, as shown below:
Democrats are almost 24 points underwater at a time when Trump is burning the country to the ground. Now you can call me a ‘Dem-basher’ all you like, but this is what the uncomfortable truth looks like, and this is AFTER supporters have been pouring money into the DNC on the highly questionable promise that their hard-earned cash is all that stands between the Democrats and a massive comeback. PLEASE WAKE UP. Democrats spent over a billion dollars on the 2024 campaign, the DNC claimed would seal victory. Instead, they lost the House, the Senate, the White House and the popular vote.
I’m struggling to understand which part of the 24 points underwater people are struggling with. I concede that the polling is based on the final quarter of 2025, but even if we give Dems a 5-point bump, it’s only on parity with the party that has unleashed masked thugs into communities across America, instituted an 18% federal sales tax masquerading as tariffs, raised inflation, and lost over 1.1 million jobs. That’s before we talk about the doubling of healthcare insurance costs under the ACA, the removal of food nutrition assistance and now federal child care funding in states considered hostile to Trump’s agenda. They should have a 20 point lead.
It’s time to stop hoping for and depending on a Trump protest vote, and to present a coherent, people-first proposition to the American people. I don’t believe that the Democratic base wants to be part of this lamentable ‘wait and see’ or ‘what can we do’ strategy. There needs to be a ‘Where are our leaders?’ campaign, spearheaded by a donation blackout to the DNC. Until the party starts listening, funding should halt. Just as I advocate supporting local businesses, I advocate providing direct support to Democratic candidates who have proven worthy of your trust.
The base needs to stop behaving like an abused spouse and begin arranging the hand towels in the bathroom randomly; they need to stop sleeping with special interest enemies within the party. They need to demand to see the autopsy conducted with their money to determine what went wrong in 2024. How can any party move forward without learning from the mistakes of the past? A criticism they are all too happy to lay at the feet of Republicans for ignoring.
It is beyond my comprehension to think of a rudderless opposition party in the alleged most powerful nation on earth. Here in the UK, it is completely alien for us to think that when you lose an election, you run around for two years without a leader; it’s absurd. Democrats in the House should nominate a placeholder leader to steer the ship and select a shadow cabinet to present a public-facing rebuttal to key policy briefs, so voters can see what Democrats would do in government. A contrast and compare if you will. Despite being an effective and responsible way forward, it will never happen because politics has already replaced people-focused representation long before the campaign even begins.
I’m sure many of the runners and riders of the 2028 campaign (NOT ALL) are or have already met with corporate donors in smoke-filled rooms to select the most compliant corporate Democrats for the next presidential race. It’s not an open race based on who will best serve the American people; it’s a race where PAC money steroids will decide which candidates will worship at the altar of special interests. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be like that. 90 million Americans chose not to vote in 2024.
This race should not be about wasting time chasing MAGA votes from the cult; it should be about re-engaging those who have no trust in either party and tapping into independents, of whom 75% are against what Trump is doing. This is NOT rocket science, it’s about reimagining what the Democratic Party stands for, and I firmly believe it’s not for the same old same old ride on the Washington gravy train. The Democratic base is now the beacon leading a more progressive agenda for representation, with a focus on people and community over party.
Before anyone jumps in with the old ‘you’re not living in the real world’ argument, wind your neck in, because that’s nonsense. As part of my upcoming Political Truth Portal, I’ll be exploring the practical operation of social democracy in the Nordic countries in some detail. However, to give you some food for thought, I’ve included a video below to walk you through the basics.
The transformative change needed in the US requires bold social ambition from the grassroots up. This is about securing healthcare as a right, affordable childcare, paid family leave, and a living wage. Then, it’s about these key cornerstones needing to dovetail with opportunities for all. In an economy that is greed-centric, real Democrats have to step up and drive forward a compelling vision. Which is something we’ll talk about in PART TWO of this two-part article.
For any of this to work, there has to be a revolution within the Democratic Party, and that’s what the Democratic establishment fears most. The depth of the party's political talent has never been more evident. It is the job of a people facing coalition, (the donor base), to shape the way forward, giving a voice to ‘we the people’. Just as trade unions delivered better wages and working conditions, the donor base needs to reshape the political direction of travel to demand accountability and bold ambition from their party.
We need to stop living in the past and utilise the deep bench of political talent available, not just in Washington, but also the outstanding wealth of messaging talent that allowed Zorhan Mamdani break through in spite of his own party. The depth of talent within the Democratic content community is inspiring; that talent needs to be allowed off the leash to be bold in selling the message of a brighter and better tomorrow.
Let me draw a line once and for all regarding my support for the Democratic Party. They are the only game in town in terms of political infrastructure, etc. However, it is in my opinion, currently unfit for purpose as demonstrated by being 24 points underwater with voters. The grassroots need to change that, as only they can. The likes of Indivisible, Demcast and other advocacy groups can deliver change by marshalling collective resources to redefine American politics. Is it ambitious? ABSOLUTELY it is. However, let me leave you with this thought. Never has America been more receptive to sociopolitical change than it is in this moment.
The off-season elections, along with special elections, have proved the American People HATE what Trump is doing and are willing to lend Democrats their protest vote. This was NOT because Democrats won back their trust; it was a cry for help, which an arrogant establishment wrongly interpreted as a change in fortune. That’s not the kind of leadership that wins elections; it's the type of leadership that prays for the other guy to face-plant, so they don’t have to expend too much energy to jump back on the corporate gravy train.
On January 27th, the Political Truth Portal project will begin a three-year journey with the aim not just of helping preserve American Democracy but also to be a contributor in helping to maintain the global rules-based order. I am not so arrogant as to believe I am anything other than a grain of sand on very a large beach, trying to help fend off an army of oligarchs with bottomless pockets, but every grain of sand on a beach makes it just that little bit more difficult for the enemy to advance.
Will the project have an impact? I have absolutely no idea, but I do know one thing for sure. I’m retired, so I have all the time in the world. Add to that, I have about a decade, maybe 15 years, to give, and it’s a hill I’ve decided I’m prepared to die on to secure a better future for my grandchildren and their children. I’m funding the project with my own money, revenue from Substack subscribers and individual small donations. Mechanisms are now in place to contribute if you want to become a stakeholder in my work here and/or the project. I understand that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so I understand if you prefer to wait until you see the project in operation, you won’t have to wait long.
Your rant is intense and depressing. Many of the people I know literally show up to march EVERY week, no matter the weather, against the current administration, and for Democracy. We write to our Congressmen and Senators, and we hold rallies. We remain ants in our society...as you have said. But still we rise. And vote, if and when we can. No one I know is walking blindly ...or blithely assuming our country is safe from perfidy.
The democrats also can take a lesson on how to be a SOB from Mitch McConnell, after all he was the minority leader for his party.