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Fetterman to Democrats criticizing Biden: ‘Get your MAGA hat’ (thehill.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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[–] 7 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

I agree that we shouldn't shame someone in that situation.

But the counterfactual still exists -- if Biden loses, that means Trump wins. And under Trump, things will be far worse. If we're calling Biden genocidal for taking a cynical and cowardly approach to the conflict, then I am not even sure what word can possibly be extreme enough to describe the guy who actively wants all Muslims and Arabs dead.

I fundamentally disagree with the view that your vote is some signal of deep personal convictions. Voting should always be strategic. The more strategic, the better. That's also why how you vote in the presidential election as a resident of California can be VERY different from how you vote as a resident of Georgia. I'd love to see a significant number of people in places like New York and Colorado voting third party in protest -- because it's not going to be enough to influence outcomes in that race, but may have a real and positive effect on future politics.

I just want everyone to think very, very carefully about what the counterfactuals are. In all things.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I am someone who will likely end up voting for Biden. But when Rashida Talib says vote uncommitted, or Bassem Yousef says the same, or Andy Levin in Michigan saying that he understands why. All I can say in response to that is I get it. I wouldn't dream of trying to talk them out of it. What I've seen people on lemmy and in general liberals do, is callously talk about people like them as if they are too dumb to understand what it is that they're saying. I would argue that they've thought about the counterfactuals and completely understand the impact of a trump presidency. They can't support the guy actively causing their people harm. Again. If I was caught between the nazi guy and the guy supporting Nazis overseas, I'd likely not vote for either.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    If I was caught between the nazi guy and the guy supporting Nazis overseas, I'd likely not vote for either.

    Totally understandable. But in our voting system, you're effectively supporting the Nazi Guy. You are lowering the amount of votes he needs to win. People can do whatever they want, but they don't get to act like they aren't participating when they absolutely are. Not voting ≠ not participating.

    If someone understands the counterfactuals and implications of a Trump presidency and chooses to "sit out" they should absolutely be classified as supporting Trump. That's what they're doing. We need to be strategic just as much as Biden needs to be a better candidate and step his shit up.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Nope. This is Biden choosing to tank his presidency. This is not on the voters who are telling him what they need from him. 80% of democrats want a ceasefire. Biden is effectively setting up a Trump presidency all on his own.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 years ago

    Fine, let's say Biden is intentionally tanking his presidency. Let's say he's actually super buds with Bibi and fully supports what Israel is doing.

    Even supposing that, he's still not only a better option than trump on this specific issue, but an entire slew of issues.

    The only way this argument is even viable is assuming that DONALD TRUMP being in power would result in less dead Palestinians. That's absurd and I think everyone knows that.

    Primary, do what you want. Send a message. The general, pick the option that results in less death in Gaza. It's gonna be Biden or Trump who wins, there is no "nobody wins" scenario on the table.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Exactly right. A vote is a chess move, not a manifesto.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Almost no real voters view voting as a chess move. Emotion matters. People can yell at what are essentially political junkies all they want on this message board, but it's not going to influence all those marginal voters with other stuff going on, and they're at risk if there are big emotional issues going on (like a genocidal war). You don't solve that problem by talking about greater evils and strategic voting.

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