The "Purity Test" Lie

[Emile]

?si=YlkvkHfR_PzFENrT

[AloeVera]

5. Something tells me you didn't watch the video.

It's not what you seem to think it is.

Well worth the watch.

[leftstreet]

2. DURec

Outstanding, and well worth the watch

Thanks for posting

[AloeVera]

6. Yes. It might be a mind-bender for some people.

[JI7]

3. No, they did not end up voting Kamala Harris

[Emile]

4. Who is they?

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. So he hates Democrats. He repeats the tired "just the same as Republicans" bollocks.

He has nothing good to say about any Democrat.

What are we meant to do with this video? Take the piss out of this wanker? Remember that "Antifascist Dad" is a tosser?

[leftstreet]

8. He refers specifically to the centrists n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. No, it's often just about "the Democrats". He does not have a single good thing to say

about any Democrat. Maybe you just half-listened and assumed it would be something OK for DU to think. It isn't.

Here's the core of this bastard's message - he can fuck right off:

"the real purity politics present in the Democratic party is near hegemony on Israel. uh its substantial agreement with the GOP on immigration, its fullthroated support of most military spending, its willingness to militarize the police in urban centers and to send them in to crack the heads of student protesters, its commitment to moneyball reformism, its commitment to resisting economic populism or never substantially challenging the oil economy, and in its near uniform habit of kicking the climate can down the road."

Fuck him and anyone who thinks he's OK.

[leftstreet]

12. He certainly doesn't pull his punches

And the shock value may be too much for DU.

But there must be reasons why 6million+ reliably Democratic voters sat out Harris, but voted for Biden.

Unless the DNC releases the 2024 election autopsy, we can only guess if he's hitting some points shared by Biden voting Democrats.

I don't know

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. There's no "value". He's anti-Democrat.

And every DU needs to realise that. If you don't, you'll make big mistakes. Like Nader in 2000.

If there really were "6 million" who were "reliably Democratic voters" who didn't vote for Harris, then they're dumb shits, possibly ridiculously self-entitled, or misogynist, or racist. That's the reasons you're looking for. But I think that number is made up.

[Fiendish Thingy]

28. The number of 2024 non-voters is based on comparison with the 2020 turnout numbers

As reported by the states.

Depending on which metric used, the number ranges from 6 million to 9 million fewer voters in 2024.

Are they all ridiculously entitled “dumb shits” whose votes should be scorned and ignored in 2026?

I think not.

[muriel_volestrangler]

35. That doesn't mean they were "reliably Democratic voters", as claimed

Anyone who could, in 2024, think it's OK to not vote for the only viable candidate against Trump is a dumb shit. Yes. We, and most of the world, could see what a danger to civilization he is.

I don't want to ignore them. I want to teach them that voting for the non-evil person is important. They desperately need teaching.

[Fiendish Thingy]

39. I think the 2024 abstainers are learning that lesson the hard way

In addition there will be several million new young voters who couldn’t vote in 2024.

Nothing can stop the Blue Tsunami.

[SocialDemocrat61]

41. To be fair,

there were a lot of people who didn't vote for Harris and stayed home because she was a woman of color.

[muriel_volestrangler]

42. Which would still mean they're dumb shits, but for a different reason (nt)

[SocialDemocrat61]

43. True!

[betsuni]

15. "When Democrats use the term purity test against leftists ... same ... hypocrisy ... we're familiar with from fascists."

I almost laughed when I heard the "hegemony on Israel" thing. Nutty! Why is it here?

[JI7]

17. He refers to Kamala Harris who is seen as the problem and the solution is Graham Platner.

[betsuni]

10. It's Democrat-bashing porn. Both Sides porn.

[JI7]

18. Yup , i love how he just dismissed those who did have a purity test

But maybe it wasn't really a purity test as the genocide joe crowd isn't going after Trump while this guy is still spewing Hatred against Harris.

So they were opposed to Biden and Harris anyways.

These people are still attacking democratic women like Hillary, Kamala, and Janet Mills over Trump attacking Iran than they are after Trump.

[betsuni]

26. It doesn't even make any sense, the ideology is hating the Democratic Party and that's it.

Just like Republicans.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. That's not how I heard it

It was definitely an unvarnished criticism of the performative centrists in the party and the hypocrisy in their intolerance for the left wing of the party, who stand firmly with their progressive principles and values.

If Dems are supposed to be a “Big Tent”, then there shouldn’t be a scolding, shunning and silencing of the Left Wing of the party when it challenges the status quo. There should open debate (ignoring “Dems in disarray!” media narratives) on the merits of their positions, principles and values, declaring what each faction stands for, rather than avoiding taking a firm stand and presenting meaningless platitudes and vague noncommittal utterances.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Look again at the quote in reply #11

He never talks about the left wing of the party. There is no section of the Democrats that he has anything good to say about. You may wish to imagine he's defending the left wing of the Democrats, but that's not what he's saying.

[Fiendish Thingy]

20. He does indeed mention the Left

His entire video is premised on the hypocritical projection/confession of centrists onto the left regarding “purity tests”.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. But not the left of the Democrats.

He is supporting "the left", but not anybody in the Democrats. You know, Nader etc. Perhaps communists (he's certainly anti-capitalist - "if maintaining the status quo of late capitalism is your primary value, fine, own it" ).

[Fiendish Thingy]

22. I'm sure he was including AOC, Bernie, Jayapal, Mamdani, Warren etc. in the group scolded by the Centrists

And they’re all Democrats, or caucus with the Dems.

But I guess we hear what we want to hear…(and disregard the rest)

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. Amazing how you're "sure" when he didn't name a single one of them

He names Kamala many times - he clearly hates her and what she stands for - and since he accuses her of supporting genocide while VP, he's accusing Biden too.

The thing is, I like everyone you just mentioned. But they never accused Biden and Harris of supporting genocide; they all supported them when in power, or when each was a candidate. But it's the Democratic Party that the video attacks.

[Cha]

24. Boom.. Mahalo, MV...

I'm so Sick of the Divisive, and Dragging of Dems on this Site.

We're here to Support Dems, and Win in November. Thankfully Dems have been Winning, Overperforming, and Flipping Red Seats to Blue.

[Fiendish Thingy]

30. I wholeheartedly agree

If Republicans can cross the aisle to support Dems in the special elections over the past year, then surely the centrist Dems can respect the Leftist Dems for standing up for their principles and values.

The widespread suffering caused by this administration is unifying the vast majority of voters against Trump and the republicans.



Nothing can stop the Blue Tsunami in November.

[Fiendish Thingy]

27. True, but also true...

Was that every Dem I named has been attacked by the centrists in the party, which was the thesis of his video- that centrists hypocritically attack those on the left, including leftist Dems for standing up for their principles and values.

Think back to Mamdani’s recent campaign, and how the centrists came out and endorsed Cuomo an independent with tons of baggage and no moral compass.

AOC gets passed over for oversight committee ranking member position that gets awarded on the basis of seniority to a geriatric rep who rarely if ever brings the fire of accountability to hearings.

Think about Newsom, who scuttled bills on trans rights, the billionaire tax, and just last week scolded the leftists in his own party saying they needed to move away from “identity politics” and focus only on kitchen table issues.

The video was about that as much or more than it was about the Gaza/Israel division.

P.S. this thread seems to be a good example of the Streisand effect

[muriel_volestrangler]

29. The more I read what he said, the more I reckon he's calling all Dems "centrist"

and he regards "the left" as people further left than the Democratic party.

Take, for instance, his view of "liberal":

"So in reality, the liberal core has erected this wall of ideological certainty and they want to keep it pure."

When someone is attacking liberalism from the left, they're further left than the Democrats.

[Fiendish Thingy]

31. We read/listen with different filters, that much is clear

I don’t hear that as an attack against all Dems, even progressive Dems on the left.

[SocialDemocrat61]

34. He titled his video

"The “Purity Test” Lie: How Democrats Project Their Own Purity Politics"

Sounds like an attack on all democrats. But I guess we hear what we want to hear…(and disregard the rest)

[betsuni]

44. I think he thinks leftists are revolutionary socialists, not a part of liberal capitalist Democratic Party.

So yes, all Dems are centrists by association.

I tried to watch a few more of his podcasts but abandoned ship at the first "Israel" reference. One was about Mamdani, a weird passive-aggressive mess about charisma and cults, one second saying Mamdani's feet must be held to the fire and promises kept and the next saying his charisma isn't cultish and he's nice and the whole thing was completely pointless.

He has a book coming out this month. I wonder if he calls everyone a fascist cultist in cahoots with Israel.

[SocialDemocrat61]

32. Sorry but compare the endorsement of Mamdani vs. Cuomo

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (Democrat)

Elected officials: Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, state Attorney General Letitia James, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velázquez, Adriano Espaillat, Pat Ryan and Yvette Clarke, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, state Sens. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, John Liu, Julia Salazar, Jabari Brisport, Kristen Gonzalez, Gustavo Rivera, Michael Gianaris, Zellnor Myrie, Luis Sepúlveda, José Serrano, Nathalia Fernandez, Liz Krueger, Andrew Gounardes, and Samra Brouk, Bronx Democratic Party Chair and state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assembly Members Micah Lasher, Emily Gallagher, Phara Souffrant Forest, Marcela Mitaynes, Karines Reyes, Claire Valdez, Sarahana Shrestha, Khaleel Anderson, Robert Carroll, Jessica González-Rojas, Brian Cunningham, Steven Raga, Manny De Los Santos, Khaleel Anderson, Bobby Carroll, George Alvarez, Jordan Wright, Harvey Epstein, Al Taylor, Tony Simone, Emerita Torres, Landon Dais, Alex Bores, Maritza Davila, Monique Chandler-Waterman and Jo Anne Simon, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, City Council Members Chi Ossé, Justin Brannan, Shaun Abreu, Carmen De La Rosa, Pierina Sanchez, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Sandy Nurse, Lincoln Restler, Alexa Avilés, Tiffany Cabán, Shahana Hanif, Erik Bottcher, Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph, Julie Won, Oswald Feliz, Diana Ayala, Kevin Riley, Chris Marte, Farah Louis and Amanda Farías.

Others: U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Jamie Raskin, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, former U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez

ANDREW CUOMO (Democrat running as an independent candidate)

Elected officials: Mayor Eric Adams, Rep. Tom Suozzi, state Sen. Sam Sutton, Assembly Members David Weprin, Yudelka Tapia and Latrice Walker City Council Member Inna Vernikov (after initially backing Sliwa)

Others: President Donald Trump, former Gov. David Paterson, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Jim Walden, Elisha Wiesel, the Staten Island Advance, former Rep. George Santos, former New York Attorney General Robert Abrams, the Daily News editorial board, the New York Sun editorial board, Elon Musk

https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/11/endorsements-2025-nyc-mayoral-general-election/406718/

Mamdani got far more endorsements including from so-called "centrists" like Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, and Kathy Hochul.

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. Many of those endorsements came at the very last minute, when it was clear Mamdani was going to win

And you know it.

[SocialDemocrat61]

36. Endorsements are usually staggered for impact.

Even in 21, Hochul and Schumer didn't endorse Adams until the end of October. https://www.nydailynews.com/2021/10/29/gov-hochul-sen-schumer-shower-love-on-eric-adams-ahead-of-nyc-mayoral-election/

If you announce all the candidate's endorsements up front, their impact is diluted by election day.

But either way your statement that "the centrists came out and endorsed Cuomo an independent" is just not true.

[SocialDemocrat61]

37. Let me get this straight

You were accused of only hearing what you wanted to hear and disregarding the rest. But reason you didn't hear it is because it was not ever said.

Is that right?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

9. I'm put off by a guy

who can't figure out his T-shirt message is backward.

[Cha]

25. That's not all he can't "figure out"

[SocialDemocrat61]

38. He looks like a Trump supporter

Old white guy threatened by an intelligent woman of color.

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. Well stated argument.

Wish I could rec more than once.