Chris Bowers, Executive Campaign Director of Daily Kos, and Matt Kerbel, the Chair of the Political Science Department at Villanova University, has written an article describing the context of the 2016 Democratic Presidential Nomination Campaign.

At its core, the Bernie-vs-Hillary dispute was as much, if not more, about how political power is best organized in order to achieve progressive outcomes as it was about ideological or policy differences. Their clash over who is the better progressive, on display during the primary debates, often boiled down to this distinction: Clinton believes you have to know and work within the system in order to achieve progressive outcomes, while Sanders believes you have to organize new power from outside the system in order to achieve progressive outcomes. This is why both candidates can claim agreement on 90% of their policy objectives and still engage in such a bitter contest, and why we find self-described progressives on both sides of the debate.

Hillary is the epitome of the philosophy that change is best accomplished by working from within established power structures. She describes herself as an ultra-qualified, experienced and knowledgeable incrementalist, someone who can effectively implement practical solutions within the system to produce real accomplishments for average Americans. Further, she has used that characterization to suggest that Bernie is an idealistic dreamer whose self-described revolutionary ideas are bound to dissipate upon contact with reality.

CLICK HERE to read the entire article.

Chris and Matt has written a book about Next Generation Netroots: Realignment and the Rise of the Internet Left.

Chris writes:

If you have the sense that the American political scene is on the verge of a big shakeup, you are not alone. Our political moment shares with other realigning periods the sense that political parties are failing to address the public interest in a time of rapid change. In an era defined by the collapse of the political center, extreme income inequality, changing demography, and new technologies for political communication and organizing, a second-generation online progressive movement fueled by email and social media is coming into its own.

We draw on unique data and insider experience to answer key questions at the core of our tumultuous politics. What similarities does our own era share with other periods of significant political change? How has Internet activism changed in form and function since the early days of Howard Dean, MoveOn and the blogosphere? How has the rise of the digital media world affected American political power? What are the biggest obstacles preventing the progressive movement from becoming a governing majority?

CLICK HERE for more information and to purchase the book and type the promo code NGN16 at checkout for a 33% discount.











NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker