Out of the Wilderness

“We deserve so much better. . . an extreme concentration of power and corruption is taking over our country like never before. And we are here because we do know that a better world is possible . . . We are witnessing an Oligarchy happening in America . . . and our political system is ill equipped to face this abuse of power.” -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, speaking in front of a crowd in Greeley, Colorado. 

In a time when the Trump Administration is kidnapping and attempting to deport lawful permanent residents for political stances; advocating for the takeover of countries; closing congressionally created agencies;  calling for the disbarment of a judge who blocked deportations, attempting to strip protections for federal workers, cancelling billions in already federally approved health grants, and disregarding a judicial order; the Democratic party needs to be clear about the vision of America that the democrats can offer, and how they are fighting the creep of authoritarianism. 

The main-line response has been underwhelming. In a town hall in Oregon City, Oregonians from the Northwestern part of the state, representing rural and urban areas, were told by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Representative Janelle Bynum next to nothing of notable democratic resistance, and only “offered . . .  paltry suggestions to call our representatives and vote blue next election cycle.” Chuck Schumer, after stating he would not vote for the Republican funding bill, voted for the Republican funding bill. 

It often feels as if the mainline Democrats are carrying on as if it is business as usual, asking for voters to turn out in 2026 and 2028 in order to regain the House, Senate and White House. Mainline democrats seem unable to face the facing the terrifying truth-that we are facing an ongoing existential threat to American Democracy. 

However, in the progressive flank of the party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders have answers for fighting back.

On March 21st, 2025 Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) stood in front of a crowd of more than 10,000 people in Greeley, Colorado (in the conservative county of Weld). As a stop on their “Fighting Oligarchy Tour” the two progressive politicians, both from the East Coast, stood in front of a crowd full of Coloradans. 

The choice of Greeley as a stopping point appears strange. The next day, Bernie and AOC drew in record numbers in a rally in Denver, a city that seems far more likely to have two East Coast progressive hold a rally. With the larger city of Boulder, CO nearby, and likely to have more Bernie/AOC supporters, why stop in Greeley? 

It is an argument that both AOC and Bernie are making- that their leftist economic policies are popular in conservative areas. The rally in Greeley continued a trend that has been happening during the duo’s tour; having large crowds show up for Sanders and AOC in districts that voted Republican in 2024. As one Greeley resident stated “I didn’t think things like this happened in Greeley. People would always go to Fort Collins. So it’s just like a little bit of hope.”

One member of the crowd from the small town of Lyons, CO remarked to Colorado Public Radio, "I'm really concerned about poor people in the United States, [the] working class. I'm really disappointed that the Democrats in some sense seem to have abandoned working-class people. And this is something I really admire about Bernie and AOC."

In a time where political commentators are decrying that Democrats are lost in the wilderness, AOC and Bernie Sanders have chosen a clear path, leftist economic policy and helping the working class. But in addition to that, for voters to engage in class solidarity.

"Our task here is to build community. That's the deeper, deeper, deeper mission that we have . . . Elections, they come and go. We do our work, we set the board, but in the meantime we need to build our bonds with each other as communities, building community—block associations, neighborhood groups, volunteer groups, church organizations, PTAs. Because community is the most powerful building block we have against fascism, to defeat authoritarianism and to root out corruption."-AOC, speaking in Greeley, CO. 

AOC is not being idealistic when arguing for building community and engaging in solidarity. She has directly advocated for Trump voters and families of trans kids to organize together, while admonishing that “this movement is not about partisan labels or purity tests . . . It’s about class solidarity. The thousands of people who came out here today to stand here together and say, ‘Our lives deserve dignity, and our work deserves respect.’”

Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez directly pointed out in Greeley that Representatives Gabe Evans (whose district includes Greeley) and Lauren Boebert (representing the next district over), voted to cut Medicaid. Evans and Boebert are the two representatives whose areas covers the rural eastern plains of Colorado.

In Colorado, Medicaid covers 1.2 million people. It is believed that cutting Medicaid coverage and funding for Colorado will “lead to clinics closing and more expensive care, particularly in rural areas of the state.”

The path of the current Administration will hurt all of us, not just Democrats or Republicans. Plans to privatize USPS will lead to “Approximately 51.3 million rural addresses . . . impacted” by the need to add surcharges to deliveries to rural people in order to be profitable. Cuts to Medicaid will directly harm health care in rural areas. The closure of the Department of Education will harm rural areas by cutting necessary funding, or hampering the ability for funding to reach those areas. 

It might be tempting for urban democrats to feel that voters deserve this in rural areas, since rural areas are more likely to vote Republican than urban ones. This is not the correct response. Coalition building will take time, and inherently means that democrats and liberals and leftists will need to attract former Trump voters or voters who are conservative. After multiple GOP lawmakers have been booed or jeered at in town halls with their constituents, it seems there is an opening for a new coalition to be made. Rural and urban voters, Trump voters and Harris voters, will need to come together in order to protect the working class, and save American democracy.

For more blog posts about rural politics, rural areas being ignored by democrats, and democrats attempts to appeal in rural areas, look here, here, and here.