This discussion came up at the panel on DSA’s electoral strategy hosted by DSA’s Socialist Majority Caucus on July 31. Most NPC panelists agreed that DSA should not endorse Joe Biden. However, what should the most prominent democratic socialists, our elected officials like AOC or Rashida Tlaib, do? R&R candidate for NPC, Philip Locker, put forward a position that our elected officials should help us to promote a socialist message. Our comrade from the Socialist Majority Caucus, Grace Mausser, who is also running for the NPC, had a different take. In this short compilation, we put the statements of Philip Locker, one of the two R&R candidates for the NPC, and Grace Mausser from SMC together, but please listen to the whole debate to hear what other candidates had to say on this too. The first two clips are answers to the question: “Cornel West, […] announced his candidacy for Presidency […]. Meanwhile, many aligned elected officials, including AOC and Bernie, have endorsed Joe Biden. How should DSA relate to these presidential campaigns? Should DSA make an endorsement?” The following two clips are closing remarks of these two panelists, Philip Locker and Grace Mausser.
