- Utopic News
- Posts
- A New Populist Agenda for America
Our politics really is rigged.
But it’s not rigged by some shadowy conspiracy.
It’s rigged by money.
Billionaires are now spending 39 times more on federal elections since Citizens United in 2010.
Most politicians are loyal to their donors, not you.
They’re more worried about losing their campaign funds than losing votes.
That’s why so many bills with broad public support get blocked by as little as one vote.
We need a new populist political movement.
Focused on issues that affect everyone every day:
Issues like universal healthcare and universal preschool, federally guaranteeing home loans for first-time buyers, and creating millions of new federal jobs for Americans to help rebuild America.
We can do this, and so much more, if we elect more populists at every level of government.
This means elevating a new class of politicians who create and pass bills that the majority of all Americans will support, fighting strong opposition by establishment politicians and corporations.
We need to focus on the fundamentals: healthcare, education, jobs, housing, and justice.
This will require compromises, such as creating a single-payer health system while guaranteeing that a private option is always available. And cutting wasteful defense spending so we can afford to protect social security and ensure seniors get the benefits they paid into for decades.
This is what the majority of all Americans want.
Our politics can be so much better if we measure success by what gets done, not which party won.
By focusing on issues with broad public benefit and bipartisan support, we can build momentum for a new type of positive politics and bring back America’s ambitious optimism.
Here are the top 10 issues I’m fighting for now as a populist political activist:
These bills are very popular with most American people.
The public option has 80% support among Democrats and 56% among Republicans.
83% of Americans (95% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 71% of Republicans) support allowing the federal government to negotiate drug prices.
82% of Democrats, 61% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans believe that the federal government should do more to address the cost of housing.
So why haven’t these bills passed yet?
Because a few corporations, lobbyists, and special interests fought these reforms behind closed doors with large donations and lots of negative PAC spending against populists and progressives.
For example, the original Inflation Reduction Act included strong negotiating powers for Medicare.
But after tens of millions of dollars in lobbying and attacks by pharmaceutical companies and trade groups, most Republicans opposed the provision, which got watered down to allowing Medicare to negotiate for the prices of just 10 medications starting in 2026.
The fastest way to get Congress to work for the people is to elect populists one district at a time.
11 House bills this year were decided by just one vote, including multiple bills prohibiting funds from being used to combat global warming.
The Universal Pre-K provision in Build Back Better was blocked by a single senator.
I know it can feel like one vote in a Presidential election doesn’t change much.
But you can change future laws by focusing on specific races where populists can win now.
Don’t just vote. Run for something! Encourage your friends to run!
We need to organize the power of our populist majority to finally make these changes.
A new Populist Caucus with at least 10 members from each party could swing over 30% of votes.
When elite Democrats and Republicans see our movement, they’ll be pressured to vote with us too.
Our generation needs to stop waiting for the world to change.
If we want younger politicians in Congress, we have to run, organize, and volunteer.
No one is coming to save us.
This is our time.
Here’s how you can get involved now:
Run: Challenge a weak incumbent or find an open seat!
Look around you at the local, state, and federal levels for open elections in ‘24.
Less than 20% of incumbents lose re-election, so open seats are easier.
Find an incumbent with a bad history of not doing their job, and challenge them.
AOC defeated a 10-term Democratic Rep. in the 2018 primary with a populist campaign that focused on knocking doors and registering voters.
Organize: Influence politicians, corporations, and institutions to support populist policies.
One of the best forms of activism is using collective action to change the public’s mind.
By voting with our time and money, we can convince companies to act differently.
Large companies and trade groups already lobby our government every day.
We need our own independent voices lobbying the government directly!
Volunteer: Find candidates you love and support them with your time and money!
Don’t just apply online. Show up in person! Knock on doors with the candidates!
This is the best experience you can get to prepare for running yourself.
It just takes a few good leaders to change the entire direction of our politics!
If you want to run for office as a populist now, reply to this email or DM me!
And if this inspired you, please share the whole post!
Thanks,
Neil