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To: readers across the Aisle

Subject: Do you think that doing communism is cool?

Date: August 19th, 2020

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Full House at the DNC

Over the past four days, the Democratic National Convention has spread a message of unity amidst a growing generational divide within the party. In this newsletter:

  • growing democratic socialist movement 

  • the Establishment 

  • future of the Democratic Party 

Let's take a walk down the Aisle...

The DNC

What: The Democratic National Convention is held every four years to nominate a candidate for President. 

Where: Virtual. For the first time ever. Bill de Blasio, can you please mute your microphone if you're not speaking?

Why: To spread a message of unity, encourage voter participation, and position Biden as the candidate to restore the soul of the nation. Also provides inspiration for President Trump's twitter.

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Squad up 

AOC's 90-second speech mentioned:

  • deep systemic change in response to economic and healthcare challenges

  • a mass movement reclaiming the gov for working class people

  • healing wounds of xenophobia, racial injustice, and colonialism

Plot twist: it ended with her nominating Bernie Sanders for President, per the requirement of symbolic nomination for each candidate who gets sufficient delegates.

Even though it was planned and she congratulated Biden afterwards, it sparked controversy for Democrats who feel like progressives still won't get behind Biden. 

Known as The Squad, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib are known for bringing Democratic socialist values to Congress. They represent a growing movement of young progressives who are tired of compromising with the Establishment. 

Ex: Even Nancy Pelosi faces opposition from the Democratic socialists in the form of her opponent Shahid Buttar, who says she's not progressive enough.

For younger generation: Squad fights for the working class & social justice

For older generation: Squad deviates from traditional American values to radical progressiveness, which is glorifying socialism and will lead to eventual communism

Even as Bernie Sanders called for the party to unite, people are wondering if younger voters, which Democrats depend on to win the election, can get behind Biden. In response, Biden has created a unity task force where members like AOC work on including more progressive policy recommendations for his climate plan.

Right: if Democrats can't unite the party, how will they unite the country?

Left: Progressive leaders have all endorsed Biden as the leader to unite the party and America 

The Establishment 

Colorful Paint Holi Festival Wishes Inst

Although less progressive than the squad, old party leaders rallied around saving the soul of the nation and encouraging Americans to vote like their lives depend on it.

 

Obamas: Trump is not fit for office

  • Michelle: "Trump is the wrong president for our country...He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us."

  • Barack: "Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever."

  • Republicans: oh how the turned tables, remember when the Obamas didn't think Biden was fit for office?

Jill Biden: explained experience uniting the Biden family after the loss of the boys' mother and after their son died; Biden's perseverance & empathy will help heal the country

Kamala: Biden and herself share family values and fighting for the working class

  • Republicans: Harris and Biden showed the infighting of the party very clearly at primaries

Summary: prominent Democrats are using the current pandemic and economic circumstances to explain how high the stakes are for November

  • while progressives tend to focus more on policy/ social justice, these leaders urgently focused on getting Trump out of office in order to unify the country and find common ground

  • Republicans: political division and income inequality grew while race relations worsened under Obama administration, not under Trump

Right: establishment will fail to appeal to the morals of undecided voters; Biden is a Trojan horse for socialism

Left: the only chance for saving the country and American lives is to vote blue 

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Mirror mirror on the wall: who's the most united of them all?

 

It didn't take a crystal ball to know Joe Biden was going to get the nomination. What's not as clear is the future of the Democratic Party.

 

Will it really become the socialist dystopia that Trump warns about or are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the dreamy centrist ticket that undecided voters can get behind?

One thing is crystal clear: all Democrats are united that Trump must go and not much else.

Right: Dems are only united in hating Trump, besides that there's no policy plan

Leftonly together can we defeat Trump

Other controversies

What: War on USPS 

Right: this is a conspiracy by the media; regardless of funding, state regulations will prevent mail-in ballots from arriving on time

Left: Trump is suppressing mail-in votes by defunding the postal service

What: Trump says he's heard of online conspiracy, QAnon, and they are people who love our country

Right: Trump was saying anyone who supports him loves the country but he has nothing to do with the conspiracy

Left: Trump is legitimizing a conspiracy labeled as a domestic terror threat by the FBI

What: Madison Cawthorn (referred to as AOC of the right) picture at Hitler's vacation home goes viral 

Right: Cawthorn calls Hitler evil in the caption and explains that he would have been killed by the Nazis since he is in a wheelchair

Left: North Carolina Jewish population says this is white supremacy, although anti-defamation league does not find it problematic

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Quote of the week

"That is simple, my friend. It is because politics is more difficult than physics."

-Albert Einstein, when asked, "why is it that the mind of man has stretched so far as to discover the structure of the atom, but we have been unable to devise the political means to keep the atom from destroying us?"

Share The Aisle

Thank you for walking across the Aisle with us this week. Now that you have both sides of the story, it’s up to you to decide where you stand. 

 

Regardless of where you end up, we’re thankful that you read ideas that challenged your position, and we hope you’ll leave with a better understanding of the other side.

If you like this: please share this link or forward this email to someone you disagree with.

If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe here.

 

This article cites 16 liberal news sources in blue and 13 conservative news sources in red. 3 sources were considered neutral in gray. 

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