The progressive paradox

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My view is that the US needs to adopt a social democratic system, our version of the Nordic Model. This includes universal healthcare, a Green New Deal, much stronger worker protections (including a ban on at-will employment, age discrimination, and right-to-work states), and stronger promotion of equality (including bans on hate speech, as well as a return of affirmative action and DEI issues).

For this to become reality, however, progressive Democrats (or from other social democratic parties if our system would allow it) have to win statewide office in more states than their established strongholds, such as the Pacific region and the Northeast. They have to make gains in the swing states and possibly flip states such as Texas and Florida.

This is what progressives often face. They need to win, but they either lose to a moderate in the primaries, or the GOP candidate in the general.

Here is an example. In Texas, Colin Allred, who lost to Ted Cruz in his Senate race was planning to run for Texas' other Senate seat (the one currently held by John Cornyn). He dropped out of the race, providing an opening for Jasmine Crockett, a progressive, to run. The Dems' other candidate is James Talarico, a state senator. Meanwhile, there is a heated GOP primary between Cornyn and Ken Paxton, our scandal-riddled attorney general.

My hope is that Crockett becomes our next senator, but at the same time, I am worried about her ability to win over rural voters and independents. The state GOP will paint her as a "DEI hire" or a "radical Marxist", and with neo-McCarthyism still a main Republican component, conservatives will eat it up without question.

When Beto was running against Greg Abbott in the 2022 gubernatorial election, Abbott was quick to use Beto's "Yeah, I'm coming for your guns" remark after the El Paso shooting against him. Texas' cultural identity is tied to the pistol-toting rugged cowboy from the Wild West days, and conservatives in my state think that if we have gun control, we lose our identity and "become California".

In the Cruz-Allred Senate race in 2024, Allred focused on healthcare and border security. Cruz's TV and radio ads only dealt with one issue--"boys in girls' sports". Nothing else, and Cruz still won.

I am worried there is no path forward for people like Jasmine Crockett, because rural voters, who are overwhelmingly conservative and pro-Trump, are far more focused on the cultural wars and preserving the Wild West mentality and the white, Christian male hegemony that dominates Texas, despite our changing demographics, than on anything that would improve peoples' lives.

So called "hate speech" is included as free speech in America per the 1st Amendment. I will always vote Straight Ticket Republican.

Hate speech is protected speech. There are two ways this could change.

1. The conservative 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court has to be reversed. This entails waiting for the conservative justices to die and hope a progressive president appoints justices that rule that hate speech is not protected speech

3. Pass a constitutional amendment
Adding a New Amendment to the United States Constitution - Harry Truman Library and Museum

The nordic countries are mostly all monarchies, i thought you all hated monarchies? God save the king!

Rural voters the world over are all more conservative/right-leaning, compared to urban populations, reflecting the needs and experiences of both. The countries that do best such as the nordics seem to be places where differing politic is tolerated and considered rather than opposed.

How are rural communities reacting to "no healthcare?"
A few rich people can't support hospitals so they will close down and folks in rural communities will have to travel a very long distance to get there. I wonder what our European friends think of traveling over 200 km to get to a hospital?

I knew a young teen aged boy that died on Maui, Hawaii because he hurt himself jumping off a fence, waiting for a doctor to help him. They have since improved the hospital on Maui and now have a tier III trama center. I live near a tier I Trauma Center which is the best rating.

On Nantucket, MA the paramedics will put you on a helicopter to get you to medical care.

Problem is, the Nordic model is underpinned with vast oil wealth which allows them to have all that while having lackluster productivity.

I am voting for Ken Paxton.