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Why Buffalo Matters. Why India Walton Matters. Why Democratic Socialism Matters.
Episode 214: Rumble w/ Michael Moore
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The only way we will get real, necessary change in this country and defeat the 3 pandemics we face — Covid, Climate and Coup — is not only by defeating the Republican party into a Whig-like oblivion, but by also replacing corporate, Manchin/Sinema-type Democrats at every opportunity we get with good, honest, working-class candidates who represent the people and not the corporate power elite.
The only reason we may be on the brink of passing a monumental investment in childcare, healthcare and education in this country is because of the people, the movements, the organizers and the voters that have put leaders like Bernie Sanders, Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman and several others in positions of power in Washington. This is not a “fringe” group in Congress anymore. They hold real power. The Biden’s, Schumer’s and Pelosi’s — they are now championing a Bernie Sanders-written piece of legislation. This signifies that we are winning. We are winning the war of ideas. We are winning the policy debates. We are winning elections. And when roadblocks like Manchin and Sinema threaten to get in the way of this progress, the solution is to keep winning more! Find the corporate Democrat (or Republican) who is holding up progress in your state, in your district, in your town, run against them and defeat them!
It works! Just ask AOC. Ask Jamaal Bowman. Ask Cori Bush.
This must be done on all levels of government. Which brings us to Buffalo:
In June of this year, India Walton shocked the political world by defeating the four-term incumbent mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown, in the Democratic primary, setting the table for her to become the favorite to win the Mayoral race in November because it’s a heavily Democratic city.
She would be the first democratic socialist to be elected mayor of a major American city in more than half a century, and the first woman — and first Black woman — to lead New York’s second-largest city.
India Walton is a registered nurse, a union member and organizer, a community activist, a single mother of 4 boys — and come November, we’ll start addressing her as “Mayor.”
Of course, the corporate Democratic establishment only knows how to fight like hell when they are punching left - so India is now facing a barrage of attacks, personal threats, and a write-in campaign from the man she already defeated in the Democratic primary. And it is being funded and supported by some Republicans and Trump-aligned figures. As one commentator put it, “the entire power elite in Buffalo and western New York is somewhat determined to try to stop Walton after she sort of slipped one by them in the primary.”
The general election is next month, on November 2nd. We must all circle-the-wagons and support India Walton in any way that we can. Click here to volunteer or donate to her campaign if you are able:
You can also help by listening to her story in this week’s episode of Rumble with Michael Moore (above on Substack or below on Spotify or one of the other podcast apps) and sharing it with others.
It’s another example of a working-class person, respected in her community, and supported by her family and friends, who thought, “why not me? If these bozos can run cities and hold a powerful office, why can’t I?”
Some of you reading this email are the India Walton of your town. The Alexandria of your town. The Jamaal of your town. The Cori of your town. Some of you reading this are next in line to shock the political world, not because of your political connections, rich dads, or fancy degrees (though I have nothing against you earning one!), but because you care about people. You have a good heart. You are smart. You work hard and are willing to knock on every door in your district to share your story and extend your hand in solidarity to whomever is on the other side of that door. I don’t mean the bullshit “reaching across the aisle” phoniness we hear about in Washington, where corporate Democrats and corporate Republicans find a “third way” and “compromise” and get celebrated on the cable news networks for compromising-away your healthcare, your factory, and your right to an abortion. I’m talking about the real connections we must all be making in our cities, in good faith, because we believe in our values and our arguments and we believe that if we share them with enough people, we’ll be in the majority on election day. Because we are the majority.
Just listen to India Walton’s conversation with me and hear how it’s done.
-Mike
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