Yeah, you have powerful interests working against you in both the DNC and the RNC, as well as all the [blood] money in politics if you stand out while trying to get into office. Bernie is a soft progressive and the entire DNC rallied to have all candidates voluntarily drop out and put their support behind Biden when it seemed like Bernie might’ve had a chance.

Going against the grain only really works if it’s an approved version of “against the grain.” Far right politicians are a good example of this. They’re just bootlickers at heart. The further right they go, just the more extreme their bootlicking tendencies become. That’s why the Overton window rarely shifts back to the left. The right can go as far as they want. But move even slightly left of progressive and you’re persona non grata with a huge target placed on your head and you will get fuckin drone struck (metaphorically, I mean. But who knows, maybe even literally).

There’s a reason we don’t get far left politicians winning elections. They would be Sisyphus. An impossible task with the equivalent of the might of the gods working against you.