Thread by @An_Aria_Blooms, I'm seeing a lot of folks compare FTV to Impeachment votes and [...]

I'm seeing a lot of folks compare FTV to Impeachment votes and I want to take this time to break down the differences between the two.

Thread (1/?)

Before I start, I still agree with forcing a vote on the House Floor for M4A. For every reason AOC listed today, using leverage to get a floor vote can be a good idea, done right.

I did not agree with *when* some of you *wanted* the vote done, because (2/)

CPC had not nominated an alternate Speaker, so FTV over speakership would just lead to a second, third, fourth ballot for speakership until Pelosi or Jeffries took it. I agree that CPC should have done this months ago, they didn't. (3/)

But now that CPC has new whip rules (Caucus is gonna have to vote with Ilhan a lot more), and we have a paygo waiver, M4A amendments to healthcare legislation are going to be a lot easier to get on the floor, and @AOC and @RoKhanna should absolutely do that. (4/)

In fact, @RoKhanna outlined when he'd do this: When E&C meet for ACA legislation. Even if we don't get M4A outright, he brought up other amendments to healthcare, like state single-payer programs. This is good stuff. We missed our chance in November, but we have a plan. (5/)

But here are the limitations of using our leverage. The ~10 progressives in Congress are NOT:

1) The Tea Party
2) The Democratic Party

They cannot do what the Tea Party did, and they definitely cannot do what Nancy and Chuck are doing right now. (6/)

1) Right-wing movements in this country have much more support than left-wing ones. From our education to the corporate news media, we are socialized and propagandized in this country to excuse and dismiss the severity of right-wing austerity as "economically responsible" (7/)

When the Tea Party gained traction in 2009, they were met with a curious/bemused news media that downplayed every fucked up thing they did.

Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders supporters were called brownshirts on national television for millions of older Americans to internalize. (8/)

The Tea Party fought until the GOP reflected their far-right views, but also... the GOP was *already* far right. They've been funding endless wars and austerity for 50 years, moving rightward doesn't change much for them. (9/)

2) The same reasons apply for why AOC is not The Dem Party. Dems have an entire media establishment at their call, and it exists in a wretched symbiosis with them. In times like these, the media is in full flight against Republicans. It is damn easy for Dems to do this (10/)

If AOC forced a floor vote over Speakership, can you imagine the negative media against the squad for disunity? Y'all know as well as I do that CNN/MSNBC don't give a shit about healthcare. They love decorum and shitting on progressives. (11/)

I'm not saying no criticism is valid. It is. These are dire times, I want more out of my progressives. But to pretend like these 5-10 people can go fire and brimstone and it will work for them, after our movement was completely bodied by the media last year, is wild. (12/)

We need to keep organizing. We need to keep up the protests for Black lives and add to them with ones for Medicare for All. Bernie Sanders is at the top of the Budget committee using his leverage for a massive infrastructure bill. He cannot do this alone. (13/)

If you don't want to do electoralism, fine, do mutual aid projects. Help out with rent strikes. Be an activist. These are dire times.

If you do want to do electoralism, get informed, get involved. Make every race impossible for centrist dems. (14/)

It's really difficult for Centrist Dems in PA right now. They are having a hard time trying to run against @JohnFetterman, who raised over half a million dollars already for his '22 Senate Run. We can do the same for @ninaturner. We can elect M4A (15/)

One last thing: FTV folks and @AOC are right. Getting people on record is important. She should absolutely get Corp Dems on record, once again, for voting against M4A, ASAP. (16/)

But if you think getting them on record is good enough, I'm sorry but you should probably pick up the phone or canvass. Volunteer for progressive candidates running against corp Dems (or Rs) and you will quickly see that it HELPS, but not nearly as much as you hope. (17/)

It didn't matter that Amy McGrath was on the record for being pro-Trump, that did not change the fact that many KY Dems were so afraid of losing to Mitch they nominated her anyway. It didn't matter that Coons was against GND. Without robust media, we can't change this. (18/)

This country is glued to the corporate media establishment, and all conversations are held there. It is the ultimate forum. Until we have an independent left, or pass voting rights acts and legislation like H.R. 1, we can't change this.

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