“I don’t feel like I’ve left the label; it’s just more that it’s left me.”
An interesting line with a lot of history to it from Sen. Jon Fetterman on dumping the “progressive” label he used to use.
“I don’t feel like I’ve left the label; it’s just more that it’s left me.”
President Reagan would often quip, “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me.” Similar lines have been used by everyone from Bill Maher, “It’s not me who’s changed, it is the left” to Elon Musk.
It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on with Fetterman after his medical issues, but a dividing line seems to have been the Left’s support for Hamas, but he’s also embraced a species of economic populism, fighting against land sales to China, and Japan’s takeover of U.S. Steel.
While Fetterman had never been a foreign policy guy, he did explicitly break with the far left on Israel during his campaign.
“I would also respectfully say that I’m not really a progressive in that sense,” he added. “Our campaign is based on core Democratic values and principles, and always has been, and there is no daylight between myself and these kinds of unwavering commitments to Israel’s security.”
Still, Fetterman said he was “eager to affirm” his positions on the record, lest there be any uncertainty among supporters of Israel who have similar questions. “I want to go out of my way to make sure that it’s absolutely clear,” he told JI, “that the views that I hold in no way go along the lines of some of the more fringe or extreme wings of our party.”
The Left did not take that seriously and assumed he was just pandering. Now they’re finding out that he really meant it.
So this did not come out of nowhere. And it’s not just about Israel.
He has also publicly encouraged Democrats in recent days to engage in border negotiations with Republicans, talks that have outraged progressives who object to efforts to clamp down on migration through the United States border with Mexico.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have a secured border,” Mr. Fetterman said in the interview, conducted over Zoom. “I would never put Dreamers in harm’s way, or support any kind of cruelty or mass expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people. But it’s a reasonable conversation to talk about the border.”
Now this may be a canny rebranding.
A moderate Democrat who emphasizes economic populism, border security and steers clear of crazier leftist stuff, has much better odds of holding on to a Pennsylvania Senate seat.
Fetterman would never have taken office if Republicans hadn’t run a Turkish Muslim leftist trainwreck like Mehmet Oz who appealed to no one except Oprah viewers (and they mostly vote Democrat anyway). Next time, Republicans may actually find a candidate that people might actually vote for. But next time around is a long time away and Fetterman doesn’t need to be picking fights with the Left.
The short version seems to be that he may be a leftist, but he’s an old-school leftist who actually doesn’t much like the Left.
The media castigates him for associating with Bernie Sanders, but Bernie was actually an old-school leftist who used to be against identity politics, culture wars and open borders. Under pressure, he jettisoned all of his views and became a generic woke. (At which point most people lost interest in him. Eventually so did the Left.)
Fetterman has pushed back against the pressure. Unlike Bernie, he refuses to be intimidated by people screaming at him.
Despite the headline, he hasn’t left the Left, but he’s not interested in the progressive label which tends to signify upper class wokeness.
The Pennsylvania senator said he still aligns with many progressive goals, including a $15 minimum wage, universal health care, legalizing marijuana and abolishing the Senate filibuster.
But he said he no longer relates to the overarching label of “progressive” — especially as the left has become more interested in demanding what he described as “purity tests.”
“It’s just a place where I’m not,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve left the label; it’s just more that it’s left me.
“I’m not critical if someone is a progressive,” he added. “I believe different things.”
Fetterman is currently for fracking, and also for lots of social welfare. That is old-school leftism. It’s also fairly popular.
There’s a whole lot more support for social welfare than there is for culture wars, drag queens and Islamic terrorism. Not to mention radical environmentalism.
The old progressives used to argue (not even all that long ago) that they should run on a straight class warfare platform while shedding all the other garbage. This used to be the main argument for a Bernie Sanders campaign. Except that garbage is hard to shed. Just ask Bernie.
Fetterman is shedding a lot of the garbage. This doesn’t make him an ex-leftist or a friend to conservatives, but it makes him something worse: a serious threat to the Left as it currently is.
Wellington says
Perhaps. But there is a theory here in Pennsylvania respecting why Fetterman is sounding so non-Progressive lately, to wit, because it is a way to help get Robert Casey Jr., the senior Senator from Pennsylvania, re-elected next year over the probable Republican candidate, Dave McCormick, who would have easily beaten Fetterman in 2022 had Trump endorsed him but instead Trump made a major mistake in endorsing Mehmet Oz (and I can tell you that many admirers of Trump like myself were ticked off that Trump did this, that it was a bone-headed move by Trump).
Many Democrats in various states that are purple, neither blue nor red (like Pennsylvania), are doing their best to presently run away from the Progressive label since Progressivism is just a new name for increasingly destructive Democratic policies. So, trying to steer clear of the Progressive characterization may just be a ploy to get another Democrat elected under false pretenses. Not sure here, and maybe Fetterman is really sincere, but I for one remain skeptical and am beginning to smell a rat. Time will tell.
jaime says
I do think there are some Dems that are left but not far left just as in Canada some Liberals are not far left.My MP who is with the Liberal party but many of her view are right leaning and not far left leaning.
Wellington says
I agree, jaime.
But traditional liberals who may be wrong on certain policy issues when seen from a conservative perspective like mine, have nonetheless still been patriots and not devoid of reason, but to the extent that such traditional liberals continue to vote for Far Leftists, which is certainly the case in one Western nation after another, in Canada, in America, in Australia, et al., to this very extent are they betraying their traditional values and aligning themselves again and again with fanatics, complete loons, very foolish and malevolent people, who are determined to destroy the West.
People like Trudeau, Merkel, Biden, Obama, Pope Francis, the EU come to mind and traditional liberals should have nothing to do with such swamp creatures. But they still do and herein lies a major tragedy still in the making.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I am impressed that there are still (D) senators who are trending towards the center, after Kristen Sinema and Joe Manchin. I’m surprised to see a recovered stroke patient Fetterman finding his bearings on this, as opposed to anyone else
Yeah, Trump made a major mistake endorsing Dr Oz, & Kathy Barnett ended up as the head of Ramaswamy’s campaign in Pennsylvania. I do think that McCormack’s China connections are still gonna damage him: maybe Doug Mastriano should have run for this seat, just like Kari Lake is in Arizona
Wellington says
Infidel: Thanks for your reply. Yes, McCormick is in some ways that problematical kind of creature, i.e., a moderate Republican (which so often includes being compromised by China as you noted—and may I state here I look forward to the possible day when no American politician is compromised by China, which nation means only ill for America and all the West and which never, ever, should be trusted) though not necessarily a RINO (e.g., Mitt Romney). In any case, McCormick, if Trump had endorsed him instead of the pathetic, carpet-bagger Oz, he would have beaten Fetterman (Hell, even Oz almost did) and the US Senate would have been better off for this.
As for Kathy Barnett, I voted for her in the PA primary and she was the best of the bunch—easily. And being black, she was symptomatic of what needs to occur in America if America is to be saved from the Democratic Party, which is presently destroying America, and that is a large number of black Americans finally realizing that their best interests, and the best interests of all Americans, lies with the Republicans, feckless as they often are, rather than with the Democrats, who I continue to maintain are a greater enemy of America than all others, including Islam, China, Russia, etc.
jaime says
The issue is most of the black voters said they would not vote for Trump.While is is the front runner now if the GOP wants the black vote it would not shock me if GOP picks someone who appeals to the black voters.
Wellington says
But more black voters than ever are ready to vote for Trump (finally waking up to the fact that the Democratic Party has substituted itself for the white plantation master). If even 20% of black Americans vote for Trump, the Democratic Party is in huge trouble. which for America’s sake, I surely hope will prove to be the case.
celtictothebone says
Do you Boyos understand the name difference between “McCormack” and “McCormick”?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
celtictothebone, No
gravenimage says
Thanks for that background, Wellington.
somehistory says
Also out of PA
“APhiladelphia suburb school district issued a memo instructing employees to remove Christmas-themed decorations and attire, following complaints from parents.
The district later clarified that holiday displays are not banned, but employees should aim to create an inclusive environment.
“As per Dr. Marseille” — Wagner Marseille, the superintendent of the Wallingford-Swathmore School District — “he has been receiving complaints from parents concerning District employees displaying ‘Christmas’ themed decorations and/or wearing clothing of the same nature,” the memo read”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/teachers-banned-from-decorating-for-christmas-in-democrat-led-city/ar-AA1lUQY2?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6de73a16c3ef418981a3204e62c919eb&ei=45
Biggles says
It may well be a hackneyed expression, but hey, cliches are true. That’s why they are cliches, right?
PatriotLiz says
Maybe now his Democrat Communist party will acknowledge that Fetterman has brain damage due to his stroke and verbal agnosia. I did assume he would be another puppet with handlers like cognitively impaired Biden.
I would like to see video of Fetterman answering impromptu questions w/o any electronic device assist.
WPM says
In a recent interview I saw him in he did look like a different man from just 2 months ago. He was not talking in a halting manor ,and was talking in complete sentences that made sense. He did not seem to be using any electronic device to assist him. Even his facial expressions and emotions seem more normal .If the only issue that he is strong on is not blindly supporting many terrorist groups of Jihadist here and aboard that many in the democratic party seem to do now that is at least one plus .He seem to be in better shape then the house plant current occupant in the oval office.
James Lincoln says
I am pleasantly shocked by Fetterman’s recent behavior.
Only 1/2 a loaf, for sure, but at least 1/2 a loaf.
gravenimage says
Agreed, James.
James Lincoln says
Is it possible that the Dems that “selected” him now have egg on their face?