Sacramento, Calif. -- By: Robert J Hansen
The time is now for Progressives.
Progressives have an opportunity to challenge Republicans for its place as one of the two major political parties in the United States of America.
It may take another 10 or 20 years, but the Progressive party could do it.
President Lincoln wasn’t the first Republican to get elected into office. The 37th Congress had 29 Republican Senators when it began session in March 1861.
Ironically, at the time, the GOP supported economic reform and classical liberalism while opposing the expansion of slavery.
So the squad, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are a good start but not nearly enough to challenge Republicans.
Not yet anyway.
Progressives look to a new future, with renewable energy and equity in the workforce and STEM academics as will be needed moving forward.
The racism being witnessed in the Republican Party will consume itself. Unfortunately, history seems to indeed repeat itself. And politically, today's issues are similar to the time in history when the Republicans replaced the Whig party, which dissolved in 1856.
And it was from both parties, the Democrats and Whigs, not addressing slavery.
And now, the very same party that was the symbol of equality, embraces an ideal long held traitorous and un-American.
Progressive policy is no longer “progressive," either.
Eugene V. Debs' 1912 Socialist Party supported the abolition of capitalism altogether according to Eric Foner, history professor at Columbia University.
Those who no longer feel the GOP is representative of their values and don’t prescribe to Libertarianism, may quickly find they are progressive once the country can see past skin colors.
In order for Progressives to begin to challenge the GOP, it needs to have representation at every level of government.
The police reform most of the Country wants, in some shape or form, can only happen at the local level. That means Progressives have to run for city council and county supervisors.
Progressives Mai Vang and Katie Valenzuela are two Sacramento city council members elected to office last year. A young law student and environmental advocate, Duke Cooney, who is running for Sacramento County Supervisor for District 2 in 2022, is also a Progressive.
The time for new ideas is now.
Republicans literally have no platform or whatever the former President’s platform is these days ostensibly.
Run for Something (RFS), a non-profit is partnered with the National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) that is working on doing just that.
RFS and NDTC support candidates 40 years old or younger running for state or local office.
The new ideas necessary for expanding the electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, mass adoption of bitcoin and equity for transportation and housing is crucial and Progressives are the ones who could make that happen.
Progressives have an opportunity to become one of this Country's two major political parties, they just have to start running for office.