Not all Democrats are the same

Milwaukee Beagle covered a number of the recent Democratic primaries, throwing our well-informed support behind candidates such as Ryan Clancy, Deisy España, Enrique Murguia, Amillia Heredia, and  Nate Kieso. While each of these races and candidates have their own unique nuances, there is something that ties them all together. All of these races represent the two very different types of Democrats in Milwaukee politics and are representative of the current tension in the local Democratic Party. All Democrats are not the same and it is crucial for us to recognize this. Because there are only two parties in this country, everyone who is simply “not Republican” can only be part of one party with near-term electoral prospects, the Democrats. So what should we call these two opposing sides within the Democratic Party? There are a lot of different terms we could use, but for the purpose of this article we will use Corporate Democrats and Populist Democrats. At Milwaukee Beagle we unabashedly support populist politics and will not hesitate to criticize those who stray to the more corporate side. We do this not because we want to divide the Democratic Party and allow Fascist Republicans to win, but rather because we firmly believe that the only way to systematically beat Republicans is with Populist Democrats.

So, how can we tell the difference between a Populist Democrat versus a Corporate Democrat?  It can be hard. Given that the buzz words of ‘progressive,’ ‘equitable,’ and ‘voice of the people’ have become standard talking points in all Democrats’ campaigns, we need to be able to distinguish between the candidates that actually embody these values versus the ones that are simply saying what their consultants have advised them to. From a high level, Corporate Democrats will never bring about any radical positive change and will only make modest reforms on the margins. They are the allies of the status quo, the wealthy, and corporate interests.

But let us do a deeper dive into what this actually means. 

The first thing to look at when it comes to figuring out where a Democrat lies on the populist to corporate spectrum is: where do they get their money from? Who else is supporting them? Corporate Democrats often have funding and endorsements from landlords and realtors. In Milwaukee some names to look out for are County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, the Concerned Realtors Committee, The Katz family, and Michael Maistelman, to name a few.  Republican-backed shadow groups like Wisconsin Workers United (WWU) and Wisconsin Infrastructure Investment Now (WIIN) will also throw their support behind Corporate Democrats. And of course the Milwaukee Police Association will always side with a Corporate Democrat over a Populist one. Essentially anyone who has power and resources and is against the changes we seek will prefer Corporate Democrats. Candidates typically share more values with those donating towards their campaign and endorsing them than whatever talking points happen to appear on their website. Rich donors know that Corporate Democrats will defend their interests while Populist Democrats threaten them.

Populist Democrats often have the support of organizations that represent the working class, such as Wisconsin Working Families Party, Citizen Action, Voces de la Frontera, etc. Unions (especially those in the building trades like Operating Engineers, Laborers and Plumbers) often make it difficult to determine which side they are on, as some have simply devolved into reactionary conservatives. Not all unions have populist interests, but some that can consistently be relied on are the UAW local and Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA).

All of these organizations played a role in the recent Democratic primary; be on the lookout for a future Milwaukee Beagle deep dive into the finances of those races. 

Anything Corporate Democrats propose will likely profit, or at least not ruffle the feathers of those financially backing them. The types of solutions that they propose more often involve privatization of public goods, most commonly in Milwaukee politics this means support for charter/voucher schools. Populist Democrats instead seek deep systemic change, and are not afraid to stay true to their values even when the going gets tough. They prioritize results and real impact over appearing ‘bipartisan.’ Taking power away from private interests and returning it to the general public is a driving motivation.

However, Corporate versus Populist Democrat is a spectrum and politicians can move and change positions. Some Democrats have always been Corporate Democrats, like Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Johnson consistently prioritized inviting the Republican Convention to our city for the now-disproven economic benefit for businesses over the protests of his constituents. Other Democrats start with populist platforms but then become corporate over time, like how Governor Evers went from proposing to freeze all charter/voucher school funding to giving them one of the largest funding increases ever. Politicians are not static and it is only with pressure that we are able to hold them accountable. The other side –the landlords, the corporations, the police– are all trying to win these same politicians over with money. Without consistent pressure, only the most devout populists will stay that way. The siren song of money is just too powerful to resist. 

And speaking of populists, recently re-elected Ryan Clancy is an example on the populist side of the Democrat spectrum. While in office as Milwaukee County Supervisor, he secured legal aid for people facing eviction, created a travel fund for county employees seeking abortion, made Milwaukee a sanctuary city for trans and non-binary people, reduced costs of connecting with loved ones and meeting basic needs in county carceral facilities, and much more. These are the types of policies we support, but you can be assured: should Clancy stray from his/our values, we will be the first to call him out.

And even Corporate Democrats can have a populist moment, which is why we specifically created our recurring series of Democrats Do and Don’ts to highlight the good that Democrats do, provide concrete examples of the change we want to see in the world, and hold accountable those that are letting the power go to their heads.