Candidate Characteristics:

• Independent-minded, libertarian-leaning progressives who fight for both freedom and social programs.

• Support constitutional rights like free speech and gun ownership, while rejecting corporate elitism and means testing.

• Grounded in the struggles of everyday people—workers, farmers, and families—not the agendas of corporations or academia.

Reject Party Elitism:

• The Democratic Party is not living up to its “big tent” promise. Cliquishness, corporate ties, and inconsistency have alienated voters.

• Mimicking Republicans doesn’t win votes—it exposes Democrats as two-faced. Real victories require bold, independent solutions.

Real Progressive Agenda:

• Push for strong social programs and modernized safety nets.

• Offer legitimate pathways to citizenship for migrants.

• Address gun issues without bans, respecting constitutional rights.

• Shun big business in favor of farmers, workers, and unions—the true Democratic base.

Strategic Coalition:

• Democrats should embrace progressive independents as allies.

• Independent candidates can go where Democrats fear—rural America—and win credibility.

• Together, this coalition can build the two-thirds congressional majorities needed to stop authoritarianism and enact a people-first agenda.