The Socialist Surge in the Era of Trump

Tomorrow marks one month since @Ocasio2018's upset win in New York. Since then, Democrats have moved from +5.7 to +8.2 on the generic ballot. The national conversation often doesn't reflect what's happening in states. https://t.co/jAfFhpTa4s

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) July 25, 2018

Note: I see that some in comments at earlier posts point out that the Bernie Sanders advance occurred before Trump was elected president.

I have never said there wasn't an advance in socialist support before Trump's election. My point has been that the surge would advance more aggressively after Trump--and it has. It has in a more radical fashion than Sanders.

Democratic Socialists of America membership, though still small at around 45,000, has grown seven-fold since the election of Trump. The members have to be considered the more politically active---that is the very active second-hand dealers in socialist ideas.

Since most of the libertarian movement has been quiet in the age of Trump, not aggressively pointing out his many non-libertarian positions, millennials are much more apt to find socialist objections to Trump.

And as Harvard student Trevor J. Levin correctly observes, kids want an alternative to Trump:

The protectionist, militarist, fiscally catastrophic, and, yes, white-nationalist Republicans are no option.

With  AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez getting major mainstream coverage after her primary victory, kids are looking into socialism. Thus, no surprise the Democrats are gaining after the Ocasio-Cortez win.

-RW  

UPDATE 

Ocasio-Cortez in Charles Koch's backyard:

“[The fight for abolition] is the crucible and the soul of this state,” Ocasio-Cortez said, articulating what many Kansans know but rarely see reflected in modern politics.”

Democrats can put up a fight in every district in America.

(via @Sarah_Smarsh)https://t.co/F8A2RGcLIs

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) July 26, 2018