The Executive Director of the Working Families Party, Maurice Mitchell, visited our set at Netroots Nation 2024 to discuss how to win the 2024 election, creating alliances where necessary.
Maurice Mitchell on winning 2024
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Maurice Mitchell, the Executive Director of the Working Families Party (WFP), is a key figure in the progressive political movement. His recent interview on Politics Done Right lays a clear roadmap for progressive victories in the 2024 election. Throughout the conversation, Mitchell articulated the significance of grassroots organizing, the power of working people, and the imperative to confront authoritarianism head-on. He reminds us of what’s truly at stake—democracy, freedom, and the country’s future.
Mitchell begins by framing politics as more than a spectator sport. Many people, he argues, engage with politics as if they are passive observers, consuming political information like a product or rooting for a political party like they would a sports team. However, Mitchell encourages a more active role. Politics, for him, is an arena where every action matters, where individual and collective efforts shape the future. This understanding of politics as active participation, not passive observation, is fundamental to the progressive cause. It speaks directly to the agency of everyday people and the power they wield when they come together to fight for a better society.
Central to Mitchell’s vision is the belief that progressive power lies in collective action. He emphasizes that major political transformations have occurred throughout history when working-class people unite. Whether through labor unions, political parties, or grassroots movements, the people have the power to bring down oppressive systems and build new, more equitable structures. This idea is at the core of the Working Families Party’s strategy: empowering everyday people to shape their future. This call to action resonates deeply with the ongoing struggles for workers’ rights, fair wages, and economic justice, aligning with the broader progressive vision of a more just society.
As the 2024 election looms, Mitchell highlights the urgency of this moment. He is clear-eyed about the stakes, but he also rejects fear. For him, fear only paralyzes; action mobilizes. He insists progressives must step into their historical responsibility with courage and determination. The upcoming election is a turning point, and failure to act would be a grave disservice not just to progressives but to the broader populace suffering under the current economic and political system.
Mitchell also calls out the contradictions within the right-wing agenda, particularly the MAGA movement. He describes the Republicans’ Project 2025—a nearly 1,000-page manifesto outlining their plans—as out of touch with the needs of ordinary Americans. Instead of focusing on issues like healthcare affordability or economic inequality, the MAGA movement obsesses over restricting freedoms, such as access to information, reproductive rights, and personal autonomy. Mitchell contrasts this with the progressive agenda, which aims to expand democracy, protect individual freedoms, and address the economic struggles of working people.
One of the critical examples Mitchell gives is the battle over drug prices. While progressives are pushing for caps on life-saving medications, the right-wing agenda is distracted by issues like banning pornography and criminalizing librarians. This stark difference highlights the fundamental divergence in values between the two political forces: one focused on compassion and dignity, the other on control and restriction.
Mitchell’s message is about winning an election and using electoral outcomes to unlock greater possibilities for progressive organizing. The 2024 election, he argues, is not about Trump or Biden as individuals but about the competing visions they represent. On one side, there is a future of expanded rights, economic justice, and a government that works for the people. On the other, there is a future of authoritarianism, where the government interferes in the most intimate aspects of people’s lives.
He also underscores that the progressive platform, from workers’ rights to reproductive freedom, is popular with the majority of Americans, even in places like Appalachia, where MAGA dominates the discourse. What’s missing, Mitchell suggests, is not support for progressive policies but the Democratic Party’s ability to effectively communicate them to a broader audience. This failure, he asserts, is one of the biggest challenges progressives face.
Mitchell’s rallying cry to fellow progressives is clear: now is the time to act. The right-wing movement, with its authoritarian tendencies and obsession with control, poses a real threat to democracy. However, the solution is not to retreat in fear; it is to organize, mobilize, and push for the policies that will uplift the lives of everyday Americans. The path to victory in 2024 lies in grassroots action, collective organizing, and a steadfast commitment to expanding democracy.
In his closing remarks, Mitchell delivers a powerful message about the stakes of the upcoming election. He frames it not as a choice between two men but between two realities: one where freedoms are curtailed, and economic opportunities are limited to the wealthy and another where the potential for a truly democratic society exists. The choice, he insists, is clear, and it is up to every progressive to ensure that the country moves toward a future of greater freedom and opportunity for all.
Ultimately, Maurice Mitchell’s vision for 2024 is one of hope, action, and collective power. It reminds us that while the challenges are immense, the opportunity for change is real and within reach. The progressive movement has the tools, policies, and popular support to win. Now, as Mitchell asserts, it’s time to get to work.
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