Democrats Are Wasting Millions to... Stop Their Best Candidates?

You know what’s nuts? Spending $40 million to viciously attack members of your own political party.

Working-class leaders are facing a multi-front war: defending democracy from creeping authoritarianism, dismantling an economy rigged for billionaires, fighting for universal healthcare as a human right, demanding our government stand publicly against genocide, and—oh yes—trying to prevent our planet from becoming uninhabitable for our children.

You might think that this is about party politics, that the biggest risk to policies that benefit working classes and the environment are far-right Republicans. But that’s the thing that is so insane: In almost every one of these battles, we’re actually facing down the core leadership of the Democratic Party itself—the very people who claim to represent ordinary folks on the ground.

The pundits out there want you to believe that this pushback is because so-called "progressive candidates" won’t win. Well, we’ve been winning (left and right, ha) across the country.

And why? Why are these working-class politicians scaring the establishment so dang much? Because our cause is just, and because we’re not playing the game of political expediency. Simply put? They just don’t like us.

But here’s the thing. Political parties are just names on paper. Republican, Democrat—it doesn’t matter! I’d vote for a chickadee if it supported policies that would improve the lives of people in our country.

And yet, at the moment, it’s an emerging voice from within the Democratic Party that has the best chance to make real change. And this utterly terrifies the Party establishment, who have long rested on their too-good-for-you laurels, pretending that they represent the people and not various high-class special interest groups.

This new Democratic Party (one that actually stands for something) is being forged in the fires of primary battles across the country. These are the fights where we’re talking about:

• Medicare for All
• Real accountability for the powerful
• Taxing extreme wealth
• Rebuilding what’s broken in this country
• Ensuring transformative technologies like AI serve the many, not just the elite few

Actual improvements in people’s daily lives.

And in the next twelve days, we have not one but two critical opportunities to accelerate this transformation.

The People Who Could Change Everything

Abdul El-Sayed: The Doctor Who Understands the Cure

In Michigan, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has offered a diagnosis of what is making this country so ill, and he’s writing a prescription for how to fix it.

As a physician, he knows healthcare is a human right, not a commodity. Healthcare is the very life of your mom and dad, your kids, your friends. Healthcare is not some political game to be debated. As a former health official, Abdul gets this. He understands that preventing crisis in the first place—whether in public health or climate—beats treating the symptoms.

And that makes sense, doesn’t it? When I worked as a lifeguard, we wanted to prevent the situation where someone would need to be rescued in the first place. If you wait until someone is already under water, then you’ve failed your damn duty.

Well, Abdul has spent years fighting for working people, trying to keep people above water. His thanks? Millions of dollars in donations to his own party wasted on attack ads.

Kai Newkirk: The Organizer Who Knows How to Win

Meanwhile, in Arizona’s 9th district, Kai Newkirk represents the kind of candidate the Democratic Party should be producing: someone who actually believes in something. A veteran organizer, he’s built movements from the ground up. He rejects corporate PAC cash. He turns away billionaire super PAC money. He won’t take a penny from AIPAC. He’s running on Medicare for All and an economy that works for everyday Americans.

His opponent, Greg Stanton, is a perfect specimen of the old elitist Democrat party—in fact, he currently leads its fundraising arm, which exists solely to elect more politicians just like him.

Oh, by the way, Stanton’s entire breed of Democrat currently polls in the mid-30s. They literally get more hate than Trump. And why shouldn’t they? People can smell hypocrisy and lies. Plus, we’re all tired of seeing these establishment politicians keep losing to authoritarianism.

Kai offers an alternative: a candidate who answers to voters, not donors.

Where Your Support Actually Goes

If you’ve ever wondered where contributions to campaigns like these actually make a difference, consider Kai’s race: It goes to reaching voters. A modest donation can place his message in front of a thousand people online. A bit more can put literature directly in mailboxes alongside ballots. Larger amounts fund radio spots during commutes, or even television time across the district. The largest contributions enable comprehensive mail programs that ensure every Democratic household hears the message.

That’s how democracy is supposed to work—connecting candidates with the people they aim to serve.

Contrast that with the $40 million being weaponized against Abdul. One of these things is not like the other.

The Choice is Clear

Look, one way or another, these primary races will be over soon.

But this is about more than Abdul and Kai as individuals, as amazing as they are. This all comes down to the question of what kind of Democratic Party we want. Do we want one that serves the people, or one that serves the powerful? One that fights for a better future, or one that clings to a failing past?

We need to keep the pressure up. During this primary and during every other election, local or national.

Abdul’s primary is just three weeks away. Kai’s district is voting by mail right now—ballots are already arriving.

So here’s what I’m asking: Stand with them. Share their stories. Talk about their races. And if you can, contribute what you’re able.

STAND WITH ABDUL

STAND WITH KAI

And then? Find the progressives in your area who are actually working for change and fight for them. Fight for them with everything you've got.

The choice is ours. The moment is now. Let’s not waste it.