Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 23 July 2018
Democratic socialism surging in the age of Trump

By STEVE PEOPLES notes that he's among the
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A few senators backing a
week ago, Maine Demo- plan to guarantee gov-
crat Zak Ringelstein wasn't ernment-backed jobs to
quite ready to consider unemployed adults in high-
himself a member of the unemployment communi-
Democratic Socialists of ties across America.
America, even if he appre- "Embracing socialist poli-
ciated the organization's cies like government-run
values and endorsement health care, a guaranteed
in his bid to become a U.S. jobs program and open
senator. borders will only make
Three days later, he told The Democrats more out of
Associated Press it was time touch," RNC Chair Ronna
to join up. He's now the only Romney McDaniel said.
major-party Senate candi- Despite Ocasio-Cortez's
date in the nation to be a recent success, most DSA-
dues-paying democratic endorsed candidates have
socialist. struggled.
Ringelstein's leap is the lat- Zak Ringelstein, center, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, eats a potluck dinner Gayle McLaughlin finished
est evidence of a nation- during a gathering prior to a meeting of the Southern Maine Democratic Socialists of America at eighth in last month's Dem-
wide surge in the strength City Hall in Portland, Maine, Monday, July 16, 2018. ocratic primary to become
and popularity of an orga- Associated Press California's lieutenant gov-
nization that, until recently, ernor, earning just 4 per-
operated on the fringes of congressional candidate has made it difficult for Republicans, meanwhile, cent of the vote. All three
the liberal movement's far- Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, sympathetic liberals to ex- are encouraged by the rise endorsed candidates for
thest left flank. As Donald a 28-year-old former bar- plain their connection. of democratic socialism — Maryland's Montgomery
Trump's presidency stretch- tender who defeated one "I don't like the term social- for a far different reason. County Council lost last
es into its second year, of the most powerful House ist, because people do They have seized on what month as well. And Ryan
democratic socialism has Democrats last month. associate that with bad they view as a leftward Fenwick was blown out by
become a significant force Her victory fed a flame things in history," said Kan- lurch by Democrats they 58 points in his run to be-
in Democratic politics. Its that was already begin- sas congressional candi- predict will alienate vot- come mayor of Louisville,
rise comes as Democrats ning to burn brighter. The date James Thompson, ers this fall and in the 2020 Kentucky.
debate whether moving DSA's paid membership who is endorsed by the presidential race. Ringelstein, a 32-year-old
too far left will turn off vot- has hovered around 6,000 DSA and campaigned The Republican National political neophyte, is ex-
ers. in the years before Trump's alongside Sanders and Committee eagerly notes pected to struggle in his
"I stand with the democrat- election, said Allie Cohn, a Ocasio-Cortez, but is not a that Sanders' plan to pro- campaign to unseat Maine
ic socialists, and I have de- member of the group's na- dues-paying democratic vide free government- Sen. Angus King, an inde-
cided to become a dues- tional political team. socialist. "There's definitely sponsored health care for pendent who caucuses
paying member," Ringel- Last week, its paid mem- a lot of their policies that all Americans had no co- with Democrats. He is re-
stein told AP. "It's time to do bership hit 45,000 nation- closely align with mine." sponsors in 2013. Today, fusing to accept donations
what's right, even if it's not wide. Thompson, an Army veter- more than one-third of Sen- from lobbyists or corpo-
easy." There is little distinction an turned civil rights attor- ate Democrats and two- rate political action com-
There are 42 people run- made between the terms ney, is running again after thirds of House Democrats mittees, which has made
ning for offices at the fed- "democratic socialism" and narrowly losing a special have signed onto the pro- fundraising a grind. At the
eral, state and local levels "socialism" in the group's lit- election last year to fill the posal, which by one esti- end of June, King's cam-
this year with the formal erature. While Ringelstein seat vacated by Secre- mate could cost taxpayers paign reported $2.4 million
endorsement of the Demo- and other DSA-backed tary of State Mike Pompeo. as much as $32 trillion. cash on hand while Ringel-
cratic Socialists of America, candidates promote a Even in deep-red Kansas, The co-sponsors include stein had just $23,000.
the organization says. They "big-tent" philosophy, the he embraces policies like some 2020 presidential He has tapped into the
span 20 states, including group's constitution de- "Medicare for all" and is prospects, such as Mas- party's national progressive
Florida, Hawaii, Kansas and scribes its members as openly critical of capital- sachusetts Sen. Elizabeth movement and the south-
Michigan. socialists who "reject an ism. Warren, New Jersey Sen. ern Maine chapter of the
The most ambitious Demo- economic order based on In Hawaii, 29-year-old state Cory Booker, New York Sen. DSA for the kind of grass-
crats in Washington have private profit" and "share a Rep. Kaniela Ing isn't shy Kirsten Gillibrand and Cali- roots support that fueled
been reluctant to embrace vision of a humane social about promoting his status fornia Sen. Kamala Harris. Ocasio-Cortez's victory. As
the label, even as they em- order based on popular as a democratic socialist Those senators aren't call- he has done almost every
brace the policies defining control of resources and in his bid for Congress. He ing themselves democratic month this year, Ringel-
modern-day democratic production, economic said he was encouraged to socialists but also not disas- stein attended the group's
socialism: Medicare for planning, equitable dis- run for higher office by the sociating themselves from monthly meeting at Port-
all, a $15 minimum wage, tribution, feminism, racial same activist who recruited the movement's priorities. land's city hall last Monday.
free college tuition and equality and non-oppres- Ocasio-Cortez. Most support the push to More than 60 people
the abolition of the federal sive relationships." "We figured just lean in abolish ICE, which enforces packed into the room. The
department of Immigration Members during public hard," Ing told the AP of immigration laws and led group's chairman, 25-year-
and Customs Enforcement, meetings often refer to the democratic socialist the Trump administration's old union organizer Meg
also known as ICE. each other "comrades," label. He acknowledged recent push to separate im- Reilly, wore a T-shirt featur-
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sand- wear clothing featuring so- some baby boomers may migrant families at the U.S.- ing three roses.
ers, Congress' only self- cialist symbols like the rose be scared away, but said Mexico border. "We could win a U.S. Sen-
identified democratic and promote authors such the policies democratic so- Of the group, only Booker ate seat!" he said. "I want
socialist, campaigned Fri- as Karl Marx. cialists promote — like free hasn't called for ICE to be to say that over and over.
day with the movement's The common association health care and economic abolished, replaced or re- We could win a U.S. Senate
newest star, New York City with the failed Soviet Union equality — aren't extreme. built. Yet Booker's office seat! So, let's do this."q