Nobody puts "socialist" on a school board yard sign. Nobody runs for city council on it either. You'll figure that out after they're in office and start voting — and speaking on the record.
The Wall Street Journal noted this week that Democratic primaries this year have nominated House candidates with Democratic Socialists of America ties in New York and Colorado, a likely DSA mayor in Washington, and a far-left Senate contender in Michigan.
Wisconsin is the one to watch. A DSA member currently leads the polling for the Democratic nomination for governor, on a platform that includes repealing right-to-work, publicly owned grocery stores and a state bank. Trust us, once those folks get a little power, it's obvious.
Ohio isn't Wisconsin. But there are people here who would like to try.
They aren't starting at the top. Movements never do. They start on school boards and city councils, in races decided by a few hundred votes in an off year. In an off year, nobody asks a candidate about their broader philosophy. We assume the job is bus routes and zoning.
Most of you are busy with life. You're earning a living and managing a household. Somebody has to get the kids to soccer, football, or band practice. You don't have time to research seven names on a nonpartisan ballot. That isn't a lack of civic responsibility; it's a math and time management problem all busy people face.
So here's the shortcut. Forget the labels. Watch what people do.
It's worth jumping on YouTube once in a while to catch the school board or city council meeting. If you've never done that, be prepared; it might give you a mild case of depression.
Development gets opposed before anyone reads the plan. Every school funding conversation ends up somewhere other than the classroom. Half a meeting disappears into which holidays belong on the calendar. Vouchers and open enrollment stop being choices families make and start being attacks on public education. Zoning turns into a brake.
None of that requires anyone to call themselves anything. It requires the same handful of positions, delivered with real conviction and wrapped in words like fairness and democracy and equity. From people who found each other before you knew there was a race.
That's organizing, and one side is better at it right now.
Ask your questions in September. Wait for a thoughtful answer, not a lecture. It's cheaper than being surprised after Nov. 3.
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