In terms of actual criminal justice reform & police reform measures, what counts is local elections. That's where power is. And reformers have been winning big -- in fact much better at winning local elections than mainstream Dems have of late. https://twitter.com/srfeld/status/1335061194118467584

On reason I get annoyed at people lecturing criminal justice reform & police reform movements on electoral politics is that these movements have been playing the electoral politics game very well where it counts: in local elections. https://twitter.com/srfeld/status/1335061194118467584

The other area where criminal justice reform people have been very good at politics is actually getting buy-in from some Republicans. Crucial in a polarized democracy. Again, the movement people are better it this than the so-called pragmatists.

I think we need to reclaim the word pragmatist so it once again means "setting tangible goals and working to achieve them" rather than "loving the status quo & lecturing people about why it can never change."