>>2462986I've been in CPUSA for a few years now and I have seen it limp along in a diminished state for most of the time. Tailing the dems is painful but accurate, though things could always change. It is always a presence though, on the street in LA and the neighboring counties during a lot of labor/ left actions- SEIU especially. The leadership in LA is a group of wonderful and committed people; they're also quite old. The SD leadership too, is old and, unlike LA, somewhat doctrinaire. (this may be a personal thing i haven't gotten over;) Like all orgs with small core member groups, the death of a senior comrade or otherwise "stepping-back" of a critical organizer can cause quite the ripple effect as well.
As far as the boomer of it all… we can't fight reality. In my super limited extremely personal experience the olds are a more consistent street presence and voting block for run of the mill labor - read of interest to communist - issues and movements. I once watched as a 70+ y/o comrade was arrested (along with a newly elected city council member, neat!) during an LAX shutdown that was orchestrated in support of the striking hotel workers. Hard to describe the feeling of my able and middle aged ass watching the weathered old man be dragged away by teir-1 barney fife. The active young CPUSA members could not, and were in fact encouraged not to make that sacrifice.