But we might be permitted to ask: Is there any figure the Democrats could nominate that Jacobin and the DSA would not claim could “gesture [!] leftward under pressure”? If they selected Genghis Khan, Jacobin would perhaps find something positive to say about the role he played in uniting the tribes of Northeast Asia. Or perhaps Donald Trump himself, (who, it should be noted, donated to Harris’ campaign in 2016), if he were to jump political ship again and run on the Democratic ticket, would be discovered to have some saving grace.
The aim of organizations like Jacobin and the DSA is always to maintain the political domination of the Democratic Party. Whether it is the idea that the Democratic Party is the “lesser evil,” advocating for its reform, or “pressuring” its representatives to the left, the goal is the same: to block what they fear the most--an independent working class mobilization.
As the Democratic Party moves further to the right, the task of these figures becomes all the more challenging. They must attempt to maintain their political credibility among young people who are disillusioned with the Democratic Party while at the same time keeping workers and youth tied hand and foot to the political establishment. They are constantly calibrating their message based on what is necessary to sell it.
-- Genevieve Leigh, "Jacobin Magazine on the selection of Kamala Harris: Stick with the Democrats!" (WSWS).
