Why are voters to the left of the candidate?

Earlier this week I told how I decided to vote for Joe Biden in the Michigan primary for Democratic nominee for president. I wish I had read the February 2020 issue of The Hightower Lowdown earlier.

The Lowdown is written by Jim Hightower and discusses progressive causes. In this issue he discusses the state of the Democratic Party. Some of the party establishment is saying going too far left is frightening voters. We don’t want to sound like scary socialists.

But … 81% of Democratic voters want Medicare for All (or some sort of single payer universal coverage). Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax is favored by 77% of Democratic voters and even 57% of Republican voters. And at least 70% of people (Dems and GOP combined) agree that: College tuition is too high. Pharmaceutical companies should be penalized if prices rise faster than inflation. Government should increase jobs by spending $1 trillion on infrastructure. And corporations have too much power and should be strongly regulated (about 80% of Dems, 75% of independents, and even 49% of GOP agree).

Why are we in this predicament in which the voters are much more to the left of the leading candidate? For an answer, follow the money. This isn’t a right-left issue. It’s a top-bottom issue. And nobody lives in the center. Yeah, the Democratic Party is nearly as beholden to Big Money – corporations – as is the GOP. There is a difference – the GOP is obvious in their fealty to corporate interests. The Dems still call for change, but just things that nibble around the edges.

And the message dictated by the corporate overlords is the same one behind the “electability” issue so hot in this campaign – sure, you might be fine with such a progressive program, but your neighbors aren’t. So don’t scare them off.

Well, only 30% of your neighbors might be scared.

Joe Biden is specifically mentioned as one that quietly scoffs at some of these big progressive ideas. I now have grave doubts he’ll get us out of the mess we’re in.