Biss-Rosa Divorce

As a person who identifies as a Progressive Jew, I feel the need to weigh in on the removal of Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa from Sen. Daniel Biss’ governor’s ticket. It sent shock waves through two communities in which I take part – the Progressive community and the Jewish community – and created angst in the overlapping section of those two circles. (If you're not following Illinois' governor's race closely, here is a good Politico article.)

I think this was a mistake for multiple reasons:

1. Biss has ostracized the young, progressive left flank of the Democratic Party who were excited to see a Democratic Socialist on a major party ticket. I think the Democratic Party needs this demographic if it wants to stay relevant. The Democratic Party, especially in Illinois, needs a populist, anti-corporate, visionary message and platform to compete against the nationalist populism sweeping the country. Bernie far outperformed anyone's expectations, proving that his message resonated with a lot of voters. Illinois' governor race needs that. 
2. I don’t think he was going to get much of the Zionist/Mainstream Jewish vote anyway, I imagine those folks were likely leaning toward Pritzker (or Kennedy?) anyway (but correct me if I’m wrong).
3. I think most people don’t even know what BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) is or why it’s controversial, so what is a lightning-rod issue in the Jewish community does not remotely matter to most voters in Illinois. I do think the average voter probably tends to be pro-Israel, since there is a strong Zionist narrative in both major political parties, but I don’t think a Lt. Gov. being part of an organization that supports BDS is a make-or-break issue for most voters. Instead, I think they’d be more inspired by the progressive campaign Biss and Rosa would’ve run on issues that have a tangible impact on their lives (minimum wage, healthcare, childcare, public education, college tuition).
4. There were other voting blocks that Rosa would’ve appealed to, even if it ostracized (some or many) Zionists. The queer community, the Latinx community, the Socialist community.

I feel:

1. Sick. Period.
2. Angry at how Zionism is used as a wedge issue to maintain the status quo. I think mainstream Democrats were threatened by what a Biss-Rosa ticket would’ve meant for the party. They used Zionism to tear that down.
3. Anxious that this will generate more confusion amongst Progressives, a confusion that conflates Zionism with Judaism, potentially ascribing blame for Biss dropping Rosa to all Jews, rather than to the status quo that benefits.
4. Worried for what will happen with the gov’s race in general. Disappointed that we lost a very progressive ticket. Unsure who to vote for now. Disgusted that it’s even more likely now to be a battle of the billionaires in Illinois. I do not want to live in a plutocracy.
5. Disheartened that membership in progressive organizations (like those that do solidarity work with Palestinians or identify as Socialists) makes people “unelectable.” 

So what now?
I feel more committed than ever to find races to prove the status quo, Democratic party wrong on # 5 above - that progressive champions are 'unelectable.' The far left flank, rather than giving up on electoral politics all together and ceding that power to the centrists, should instead put boots on the ground to elect progressive champions in every corner of the state, at every level of government. We can’t compete against the money status quo candidates can raise, but we can compete with our ground game and our message and our vision.