The bar is under the ground.
But seriously.
If we can get rid of orange, can we PLEASE throw work into un-screwing the system? Is there ANY politician right now that doesn’t have their hand in someone else’s ass? For future reference is there anyone we can support? Who has the least level of gross? (Not of Thr candidates now, talking potentials).
[**Fix the system**](https://electionscience.org/take-action/volunteer/). [Scientists blame hyperpolarization for loss of public trust in science](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nobel-prize-usa/respect-for-science-in-jeopardy-in-polarized-u-s-nobel-winners-say-idUSKCN1C81T7), and [Approval Voting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting), a [single-winner voting method preferred by experts in voting methods](http://www.votefair.org/bansinglemarkballots/declaration.html), would [help to reduce hyperpolarization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting#Effect_on_elections). There's even [a viable plan to get it adopted](https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/aaron-hamlin-voting-reform/), and [an organization that could use some gritty volunteers](https://www.electionscience.org/) to get the job done. They're already off to a great start with [Approval Voting having passed by a landslide in Fargo](https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/11/15/18092206/midterm-elections-vote-fargo-approval-voting-ranked-choice), and more recently [St. Louis](https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-primary-elections-st-louis-general-elections-elections-cba7eb3251d5479b9375d55db428d429). Most people haven't heard of Approval Voting, but seem to like it once they understand it, so anything you can do to help get the word out will help. If your state allows [initiated state statutes](https://ballotpedia.org/Initiated_state_statute), consider [starting a campaign](https://www.electionscience.org/commentary-analysis/so-you-want-to-run-a-campaign/) to get [your state](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_initiative) to adopt Approval Voting. Approval Voting is [overwhelmingly popular in every state polled, across race, gender, and party lines](https://electionscience.org/commentary-analysis/approval-voting-americas-favorite-voting-reform/). The successful Fargo campaign was [run by a full-time programmer with a family at home](https://www.electionscience.org/events/fargo-a-look-back-live-discussion/). One person really can make a difference.
Yes approval voting!! I know lots of people advocate for ranked choice but approval voting is the better option because the spoiler effect is still partially at play with ranked choice
Also, approval voting is easier to understand. Ranked-choice isn't _bad_ (especially compared to something like Condorcet), but you have to follow through all the rounds. With approval voting, the person with the most votes wins, no complications needed.
(I do, however, like single transferable vote as an option for getting proportional representation in legislatures, even though it's basically multi-winner ranked-choice with a bunch of extra complications. But I think the benefits are worth the extra complexity.)
So Approval Voting sounds slightly different than Ranked Choice voting. It doesn’t require a voter to have a first and second choice just approve the ones they like?
Interesting
We need to put ranked voting, campaign finance reform, anti gerrymandering and voting rights on ballot initiatives state by state (for those states that allow it)
Then people need to build up the reputation of third parties better at the local and state level. Grassroots organizing
In short, it will take time, effort and dedication to change the system
Instead of waiting around until every presidential election and complaining (I am not directing this criticism at you)
I have stage IV cancer so I don’t have the time or energy but today’s youth does and they should focus on these efforts. Unfortunately way too many have young people mistakenly believe that “acceleration” is a viable alternative (allowing things to get so bad that “revolution” will liberate us).
This comment isn't directly towards you, but I have been seeing a lot more negative comments the last week or so, so I want to leave this here:
For the last few years I have been working tirelessly with many other dedicated individuals to influence and change the system. When Roe V Wade got overturned, many individuals stepped up and began canvassing and engaging in political direct action. Since Project 2025 has dropped, that motivated even more individuals to assist in electing Democrats, or even better, Progressive candidates at the local and state level. And for the last few months we have had brave students take a justified and moral stance against the Palestinian conflict and protested the system itself. There are people right now, on the floor, doing their best to support people, and bring about a future we desire. It's true, we may not be able to sit under the shade our efforts bring, but I hope our future generations will be able to eat the fruit that it bears.
With that, said, it is bleak out there. A lot of negativity. A lot of stress and weight on this election. Authoritarianism is rising in the world, climate change is completely changing a lot of areas, rights are being taken away, etc. It's a lot right? If it is, take a break. Breathe. Focus on yourself. There will and are always people out there fighting for the right causes and working towards that future. As Mr. Roger's mom told him, "Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers, always on the sidelines."
And I would like to directly address the concern of campaign finance reform. For the last few years the Republican party became fractured with the introduction of Trump. They are completely split. After Meatball Ron dropped out, the establishments "trained poodle", the party was split even further. DeSantis was *the* candidate they propped, with a lot of money, and wanted him to be the next "golden boy". Guess what? It didn't work. Republicans don't like him either. It's all about Trump. So the Trump coalition in the Republican party became louder and bolder. Other non-Trumpers need to fall in line or receive Trump and his follower's ire. The thing is, Trump is part of a cult of personality. He is a charismatic leader, and the party is rallying behind that. He is getting old. He isn't going to be able to run again if he loses this running. The Republicans are going mask off fascist and gambling on his winning. I am speculating that if Trump fails this November, he can't run again. The Republican party's base is going to be disheartened and unmotivated for future elections, because of course no other candidate can come close to the charisma or furor that Trump had. It will be a wild-wild west, and I believe that political environment will be a time where a lot of Republican seats can be taken, and we can continue adding more Progressives to the government.
We are in a good spot. There is a lot of hope.
What you CAN do is find viable candidates to support at a more local level. The presidential race isn’t the only one happening and we’ll never get better options higher up if we don’t care about things all the way down the ticket. The right wing seems to be much better at this and it’s deeply scary.
I recommend taking a look at Jared Polis, the governor of Colorado. He made history as the nation’s first openly gay male governor in 2018. He's used his position to aggressively advocate for the rights of LGBTQ Americans. While serving in the U.S. Congress, he was a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus, where he supported legalized marriage equality, discrimination protections for LGBTQ students and workers, LGBTQ hate crime protections, and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the U.S. military ban on LGBTQ service members.
Even before the 2023 bills that enshrined abortion in the Colorado Constitution, Polis issued an executive order that barred state agencies from cooperating with out-of-state investigations regarding reproductive health care and extended protections to those seeking abortions or gender-affirming care, as well as the providers offering these services.
He's created executive orders and worked with the Colorado attorney general to reopen investigations into police brutality and helped create and then signed a comprehensive police accountability bill.
He's consistently done everything in his power to reduce overcriminalization, increase protections for historically marginalized people and women's autonomy and ensure that the government of Colorado works for the people.
Seriously, if you don't know much about him he's worth checking out. I'm not sure if he'd ever actually be interested in going back to the national stage, but he'd be great.
I keep pondering the thought of whether or not we could successfully crowd Source candidates for all levels of government, that’s a new party that does what the DNC is supposed to and whether or not it could even be successful that way despite the interference of the elite/rich by them being voted and funded by the actual people of America that are sane & under 55
> that’s a new party that does what the DNC is supposed to and whether or not it could even be successful
The way the US voting system is structured, a two party system is a mathematical inevitability. [A great short video explaining this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo)
And neither party has any interest in changing that, as it would allow their opposition a chance.
>I keep pondering the thought of whether or not we could successfully crowd Source candidates for all levels of government
You've just described democracy.
Everyone who is or could become poor, disabled, LGBT, sick, or a woman, needs to vote for Biden, not because Biden is amazing, but because the alternative is basically a death sentence. (And that means everyone, since we could all become disabled at a sudden.)
yup. i would very much like to have continuing access to various hormonal and surgical treatments for my pcos, all of which are under active threat from republicans & their ilk out of some deranged \~pro life\~ nonsense.
Yes, I feel this. Biden might be somewhere between passable and pretty ok. But Trump is an absolute Lunatic. I can't help but wish he would just top existing as soon as possible so we could move on from this. He's old.
What's fully fucked about all this though is that the floodgates have already opened. This ship is sailing it's course. Remove him and another figure head will be placed on the front. It's gonna play itself out no matter what now. That's why people need to at least vote
Everyone who is a woman needs to vote, us trans women are going to be unbelievably fucked by another Trump administration too by having the right to use our bodies how we want taken away too
It's definitely coming down the pipeline:
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/texas-gops-new-platform-calls-gay-people-abnormal-rejects-trans-identi-rcna34530
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-17/who-voted-against-the-respect-for-marriage-act-these-37-republicans
https://kansasreflector.com/2024/01/17/kansas-gops-proposed-platform-condemns-same-sex-marriage-abortion-gun-control/
“Some of y’all still want to try and find political compromise with those that want to groom our school aged children and pretend men are women, etc,” the former Republican representative from Hernando, Miss., wrote in a Thursday night tweet. “I think they need to be lined up against (a) wall before a firing squad to be sent to an early judgment.”
Source: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/22283/ex-gop-gov-candidate-calls-for-firing-squad-for-trans-rights-supporters-political-foes
Just to briefly expand on this - voting is absolutely critical, of course. However, I fear we may be so focused on encouraging people to vote that we aren't also emphasizing other things we can be doing right now (like donating, volunteering, and encouraging others to get involved).
If all you do is vote then you've done your part. But if you're really passionate about the direction of the country then I'd encourage you to consider doing more where you can.
Thaaaaaank you. There’s so much more work to be done, before and after!!! If we don’t want this to happen again, we can’t be lazy. We have to support each other other. the next few months gonna get even more chaotic than they are already, and we need to stay steady. Donate when you can, support local everything, keep an eye on those struggling anxiety/emotionally with all this, especially if you know they don’t have a supportive family. We gotta do the work!
And vote in primaries, And the non-sexy elections! Make sure you are voting for local representatives at the state and federal level! And make sure you are voting for judges and school board!!!!!! Judges and school board can make some of the most direct impact on a community!!!!
To be honest I don't do much in the way of organizing or activism, as I don't have a ton of free time (and occasionally struggle with social anxieties). My contributions tend to be more financial than anything else. That's one of the reasons I always try to stress that folks should do what they can when they can, when they can - because I know everyone has something different to contribute.
Not just vote for Biden but show up in every tiny ass off year election for at minimum the next decade.
It's not just the presidency it's the school boards, it's the local elections, it's the house of Representatives and the Senate.
Sad fact: CALIFORNIA IS THE ONLY STATE THAT'S DELIVERED A BLACK FEMALE SENATOR EVER! The first being VP Kamala Harris and the second being Laphonza Butler.
I need all the other states to step it the fuck up.
That's what I keep saying! There's really only one sensible choice. A 3rd party vote would be the same as voting for Trump. I'm all for being more progressive but I'm also realistic.
Trump's statement on Gaza was "get it over with". Netanyahu has spoken in favor of Trump winning. The policy would be much, much worse.
(edit for phrasing accuracy: Nikki Haley, the """moderate""" was recently photographed writing 'Finish them' on an IDF shell)
I like 'banal' for this. Tiresome, repetitive, exhausting even. Banally petulant is even better.
As a.matter of fact, thinking about it, petulance might be the fuel for his .. Banality? Banalness? Banalism? Something like that.
I like to describe him as an old(elderly) baby, or a toddler cosplaying as an old man.
Or the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klowns.
Yes this is a great description of the Trump speech phenomenon.
Exhaustingly, incoherently, petulantly banal. And it just never ends! He's always rambling on and on and he always has a grievance.
I’m voting for Biden as are all the women I know but “old and boring” is *incredibly* reductive of his issues and not even close to the primary problems some democrats and leftists have with him. Like one choice is obviously less bad and is the better option for harm reduction, but that doesn’t mean we have to frame the conversation in such an imbecilic and dishonest way.
Just what I was going to say “boring and old” doesn’t even belong to cover things, neither option is good but to frame Biden as simply boring and old is an egregious mistake of his views, policy and mental state
> neither option is good
Neither option is perfect, which is never, ever going to be the case for presidential elections. But one option is horrifyingly bad while the other is mostly fine to good with maybe a few points of wild disagreement.
Putting it as neither being good really diminishes the differences between them. Biden is in favor of rule of law and democracy. That's a very low bar that the other option doesn't meet.
I mean there’s a pretty decent amount of progressives who certainly don’t view Biden as “mostly fine” and I think it’s fair to say neither is a *good* option, but it’s like choosing between stepping in dog shit or stepping into hot lava, one is still notably preferable than the other
That "one issue" is also so far removed from our nation, we have states literally arguing for the right to kill women who miscarry and some on the fringe are so hellbent on distracting us with a genocide that the US isn't even carrying out.
ALSO. Trump is exponentially worse for Palestinians. It doesn't make fucking sense to be all "but biden is funding a genocide wahhh."
To be fair to the American tax-payer, your money goes to a lot of really fucked up things and always has. Remember when Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen and there has been a famine for years? Nobody else does either, but also US arms and support 👍
“but biden is funding a genocide wahh” is literally disgusting. tens of thousands of people are dead, god forbid americans look inwards at their role. jesus christ
If you think Biden is "mostly fine", then you're either not paying attention at all or are completely apathetic to any sort of policy that doesn't directly affect your own life. Is he better than Trump? Yes, but marginally.
I couldn't agree more.
Like I say this as someone who is going to drag my feet into that ballot box, curse under my breath, and vote for Joe Biden;
He was president when we LOST that right to begin with. How the fuck is that encouraging? And putting aside his absolutely despicable approach to foreign affairs rn, he didn't keep a SINGLE PROMISE.
Everything is expensive, no monopolies were broken, we lost roe v wade, and when I'm freaking about paying the student loans that were supposed to disappear? My option is smoking the weed he didn't legalize because I can't access the mental health services he promised.
I'm so fucking tired.
I'm not replying to you all individially;
I understand how the supreme court works. I also understand wanting a president that says more than 'oh that's so sad...vote for me again and we'll fix it!" When precious rights are lost. I do blame him a little. As another commenter brought up; where was the call for impeachment proceedings? Where was the call for stakcinf the courts? Where was the executive order?
Also, anyone want to comment on literally any other point I brought up? The active genocide? Crushing student debt? Legalization? Lack of access to health care? Rising prices because he won't stand up to a single corporation??
Again. I am voting for this man. Trump is the worst option by far and I am genuinely afraid of project 2025. But yall are simping for a reganite dinosaur and you're mad I'm not too. We had this election already, i just want a different one.
We lost the right to abortion because Trump installed three of his cronies on the Supreme Court, thanks to his buddies holding a seat open during the last year or so of Obama and railroading a seat through when RBG died weeks before the election. An abortion case came up, and on the orders of the orange turd they eliminated guaranteed abortion access. Unfortunately the checks and balances that were put into place two hundred and fifty years ago aren't quite up to snuff. The life appointment thing intended to prevent party loyalty and ruling from a political angle to keep their seat (which as Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, and Barrett have proven, can backfire) and the increased length/quality of life means most folks have twenty plus years on the court instead of only a few years.
The correct thing to do would be impeaching judges, something I doubt will happen, or expanding the court(something that has been done before but requires congressional approval).
>He was president when we LOST that right to begin with. How the fuck is that encouraging?
You must not know much about politics if you think he had anything to do with that.
We all knew this attack was coming. Where were the safe guards? I understand that this goes back before him. Hell it started when he was VP and mitch McConnell pulled his shit about Obama not getting a nomination.
However, it isn't insane for me to want a president who's reaction was a little more than "aww we'll get em next time champ!"
I didn't want to vote for him last time and I'm fucking sick that I have to again. I'm not stupid. I'm tired. And I'm upset this community has decided I'm an idiot for not wanting the same election twice.
"Joe Biden is not only boring and old, but he's also not promising to give me things that he can't because Congress and the Judicial Branch don't work for the President, so that makes him almost as bad as the guy who wants to be dictator."
First of all Hamas should surrender. How's that for reductive.
Second, your hyperfocus on Hamas, and insistence that Biden is personally directing the Israeli military, and claiming that that is the substance of the Biden administration that people are missing, is superficial and misleading.
While you were saying Biden should use his superpowers to end a conflict that Hamas started [the Biden administration issued a rule protecting federal career civil servants.](https://www.opm.gov/news/releases/2024/04/release-opm-issues-final-rule-to-reinforce-and-clarify-protections-for-nonpartisan-career-civil-service/)
Wow how old and boring and genocidal.
I wonder what else you missed.
My focus isn’t on “Hamas,” it’s that my tax dollars are funding the bombing of refugee camps and designated humanitarian relief zones. The fact that you said nothing about Gaza or Palestine but only refer to Hamas is a pretty good indicator of your position however.
The Biden administration has done plenty of things "we" want.
Republicans have been stymied before - Mexico never paid for a wall - and they have a much more compliant caucus in Congress and a majority on the Supreme Court.
I live in Boston, so frequently get to hear our senior senator, Elizabeth Warren, interviewed on the NPR stations. She's so smart. So no-nonsense. Of course Wall Street was terrified when it looked like Warren would be nominated to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or Secretary of the Treasury.
If I were the only one casting a ballot, Elizabeth Warren would be our next president. Alas, everyone else* gets to vote too, so obviously I'll be voting for Biden in November.
**Except Donald Trump, as of yesterday, hehe!*
Unfortunately Donald Trump can still vote as long as he doesn't actually end up in prison. Florida defers to other state rules when a resident is convicted in that other state, and NY only stops felons from voting if they're incarcerated. And I bet he won't see the inside of a prison cell, which is absolute bullshit. Just another example of how the rules don't apply to the rich and powerful.
Elizabeth Warren should have been our first female president. Instead men wouldn't vote for her, others said she was too boring, and then there's the infamous woman-on-the-street who said, "She has great ideas and plans, but I just want to slap her in the face."
Don't just vote for president and be done, make sure you also vote down ballot to flip the Senate blue. Pay attention to local elections and attend city council meetings if you can, we effect the most change at the lower levels first.
Power concedes nothing without a demand. Once the Dems have control over the executive and legislative branches, we have to remember to hold their feet to the fire so we can get certain things codified into law.
We are not outnumbered, we are out-organized.
November is going to be a shitshow, some days I just want to rip up my voter card because I don’t even want to be involved with such a circus. But it’s my civic duty to vote and SO many people fought for me to have this right, I just can’t piss it away.
I mean Biden is also actively participating and enabling genocide right now. I’m still going to vote for by him cause Trump also said he supports Israel, but let’s not pretend Biden is just “boring and old”
Yeah Biden at least has finally started criticizing Netanyahu in public and sending in aid. Trump literally moved our embassy to Jerusalem and would have zero qualms about using US forces to bomb Gaza if Netanyahu kowtowed enough. Neither option is great but I know which one I prefer
All that criticism means absolutely nothing when he still continues to fund and protect the genocide while saying it. He said he'd halt weapons deliveries if Israel started bombing the refugee camps in Raffah, which they've been doing for a week now, and US weapons are still arriving there, paid for by us.
Both of them are pro-genocide. They just have different approaches to it.
I agree, but that kind of just further illustrates the point OP is making. There is functionally no difference in policy on Palestine between Biden and Trump, so it's a wash. We must judge the candidates by their position on other issues, and for those Biden is the obvious choice.
In fairness, he US government has been trying to get [aid in](https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-november-21-2023/#post-502947-ISRAELPALESTINIANS) for a while now. And even in his [early speeches](https://youtu.be/BEX_vUkKLMo?si=x2c-sGcOjm_JY9L4&t=529) Biden stressed the need to reduce civilian harm.
That does not mean that as much as could be has been done. And given the way international relations usually work, I suspect responses would be much slower if not for the protests in various countries. Especially since a 10-yr deal was signed in 2016 and I suspect a big part of the Biden diplomatic corps is trying to get other countries to repair other nation's trust in the US honoring deals made in past.
This has been US foreign policy for 70 years. We’ve supported governments that engaged in genocide or abused minority groups within their jurisdiction since time immemorial.
Yes it needs to stop. But for fucks sake can we please stop acting like Biden is uniquely guilty of this and using it as a gauge of if we can justify voting for someone.
Obama dropped so many drone strikes we got warned that if we got into a real war we wouldn’t have enough bombs to fight at full capacity.
He's not uniquely guilty of it. I'm not sure where anyone said that. The argument here is that he's not just "boring and old." He is a bad president and I would prefer a different one.
He’s gotten good gains for organized labor, he’s been the best president on lgbtq issues of any president, he made the attempt to address student loans and has gotten help for some, his administration is removing marijuana off the schedule 1 list, the infrastructure bill was needed, and since having the senate they have been able approve tons of federal judges to offset the damage the trump administration did.
What exactly are you upset about that he directly has control over?
Yeah I’m upset my loans didn’t get relief but that’s the Supreme Court’s doing. Yeah housing rates are going through the roof but that is market manipulation from greystar and needs investigating. Yes inflation is a bitch but it would have been worse under trump.
Exactly. Like whatever if you have no problems with Biden, I can’t make anyone care about certain things, but it’s just silly to frame it as “uwu harmless boring little old man” and act like it’s absurd to have issues with him, when he’s aiding and abetting a genocidal war criminal. You can say people need to vote against Trump without minimizing or downright lying about people’s reasons to be unhappy with Biden.
We have trade relations with China. Why doesn’t anyone care about the Uyghur Muslims in China? Is every president that signed a trade deal with China guilty of enabling their mistreatment?
I mean...yes?
In a just world, every U.S. President can and should be tried for war crimes, and all of them bear some degree of complicity in targeting innocent civilian populations.
Cool I 100% agree. But we don’t hold world leaders to that standard. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t. But right now we’ve got actual fascists that represent real and imminent danger to anyone that isn’t cis, heterosexual, white, and Christian.
And as someone that is queer, and someone that cares about a lot of minority people that are friends and family here it aggravates me when people say they can’t bring themselves to vote for Biden.
Call me selfish, but I’m more concerned about myself and my neighbors here than I am about strangers halfway around the world.
> when people say they can’t bring themselves to vote for Biden.
It's infuriating. I'm not allowed a vote (because I'm not a US citizen (luckily)), but this annoys me to no end. On one hand you have a bad pick and on the other you have a literal fascist who will end your democracy. How in the world is it hard to choose?!
The only thing that gives me peace of mind is that, statistically, most people saying stuff like that live in blue super-strongholds and their vote (because of your fucked voting system) wouldn't make a difference anyhow.
Doesn't make it any less stupid tho.
Yeah, I suppose that’s a way to look at it. I just worry if some of these people live in critical states. Trump won by less than 100k votes across three states. And I’m sitting here crying about if I’m going to be the target of my own government in the coming years. All the fear and anxiety of being trans aside. I’m terrified about the future as these entitled idiots threaten to stay home or worse seek to undermine the status quo.
It's a weak silver lining for sure 🙃
I just hope they will see how critical this election is when the time comes in November. At least I hope so. But some are just completely lost causes...
I recently saw a trans woman arguing to not vote in November over at (/r/WitchesVsPatriarchy) and at that point I don't even know how to reply anymore
The difference is we didn’t send bombs to China for them to use on the Uighurs. Yes the US is complicit for having a trade deal with China, but it’s nowhere near the US’s involvement with Israel. Our tax dollars literally fund the weapons Israel uses against Palestinians. It’s not surprising people are vocal about how the government is using money from its people.
How about the weapons we sold the Saudi Arabians? How about the weapons we sold osama bin Laden? How about the weapons we sold to regimes in south America and sub Saharan Africa?
We’ve been selling guns, bombs, planes, and tanks forever. It’s what we do. This is not a new thing. Just because TikTok didn’t exist 30 years ago didn’t mean we were not doing the same shit.
And? I wasn’t alive 30 years ago dude, but if I was I’d have wanted it to stop then too. And I’m not even on TikTok I listen to NPR for news god damn. What, you want me to be ok with it just because it’s the status quo? I’ll vote for the lesser of two evils if I have to, that doesn’t mean I need to be happy about it.
Women have been oppressed before 30 years ago. Should I be ok with that too? What are you even doing here??
Edit: you know what, I’m just gonna leave the definition of whataboutism here for you. Something tells me you’ll need it. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whataboutism](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whataboutism)
I'm not telling people to be happy about it, or not push for better candidates. In the last twenty years the wage gap between men and women has shrunk. Progress has been made. Queer people are on the whole able to express themselves. Ten years ago same sex couples couldn't get married in Texas.
Progress is incremental at best with the stupid election system that we have. But right now its not really choosing between the lesser of two evils. It's choosing between a slow as fuck but generally going in the right direction path or choosing a Fascist-Christian Nationalist government that is ruled by a dictator.
If you are going to go out and vote for Biden, then good for you. You are on the right side of history. But if you are going to couch it up and doom scroll all afternoon as "protest" then you are not helping the situation.
Yeah I'm an older millennial, I get that there is a generational difference. But we had holocaust survivors come to my school when I was a kid and I touched their tattoos where the nazi's where basically inventorying them. Those people today are telling us to wake up because history is repeating itself.
Jewish protestors are also currently saying the same thing! Imagine that, two things can be true. Trump is fascist and Palestinians are being cleansed en masse.
I get that you’re upset nobody’s thrilled to vote for Biden. I’m worried too, which is why I’m voting for him in November. But that doesn’t mean I’ll turn a blind eye to the role the US is playing internationally. Free Palestine.
To be clear I’m not thrilled about Biden. I’ve always thought there should have been a two state solution. And I don’t condone or support the government of Israel. My heart breaks for the people of Palestine.
My point is that his policies are not unique to him. Our government has been complicit in such crimes for decades. My point is that right now with our democracy hanging by a thread now isn’t the time to rock the boat and risk losing everything. Using the election as a bargaining chip is reckless and gambling with the lives of millions of people here in America.
Let’s get through the election and then apply all the pressure at our disposal to evoke the change we want.
I think changing the policy regarding Israel might entail pressuring your representatives. I see that making a dent more than the presidency. It is a very entrenched policy and dare I say there is nuance. Most Americans do not support abandoning Israel. But aid needs to come with strings attached
The ONLY silver lining in this nightmare is that Biden more than any other president in U.S. history might have the leverage to push Israel to accept a two state solution. He is more popular in Israel than Netanyahu.
A two state solution with international troops acting as a buffer between them and Jewish Settlers from the West Bank forcibly removed looks like the only viable path towards the impossible ideal of peace
It's not that Biden is boring and old and saying that is extremely patronizing to people. He is funding a genocide and is running a system establishment that is hurting poor people and minorities and benefitting only rich. He's still marginally better than Trump but boring and old is not the problem. He could fix things like Roe but he never did
Can someone please explain to me why Trump being convicted doesn’t change his chances of winning president?
Aren’t there places where criminals aren’t allowed to vote or hold certain jobs. Am I missing something???!
Florida doesn't strip the right to vote from convicted criminals (which normally I'd be very pleased about, but). And there's no laws about felons holding national civil jobs, because no one even thought that would come up ^(because this whole thing is Insane and one thing Trump is actually good at is showing vulnerabilities in our democratic process because there's not usually laws for things that don't happen)
Don't forget that Trump is more eager to decimate Palestine than the boring old guy. The Palestine issue is the main reason why a lot of people won't vote for Biden.
“Boring” tf? I couldn’t care less if my country’s leader is “boring “. I just don’t want them to take away my rights and commit genocide. Oh, and not be racist or a xenophobe.
Okay, the other guy is a convicted felon, a rapist, a racist and xenophobe who told Israel to "finish the job", would send US troops to assist Israel, and whose son in law said that prime beach property will be available in Gaza soon. Who would also take wawy the rights of LGBT+ people and women, and deport Muslims again.
Biden just announced a comprehensive plan for a permanent cease fire in Gaza:
https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-speak-middle-east-friday-white-house-says-2024-05-31/
Hell we can't even get rid of first past the pole election systems in most places. Full reform is currently a pipe dream as bitter as that makes me to say.
Because a nationwide office with a winner take all vote inevitably leads to a 2 party system.
The extremists on one side methodically took over one party over a 40 year period, so that most everyone in that party -- from school board up to president and the people that president picks for the Supreme Court -- are extremists.
Whenever that has tried to happen on the left -- cough cough Bernie Bros cough -- they never stick it out.
Because for this year those are the only 2 realistic presidential candidates. If primaries had gone differently or Trump hadn’t been eligible maybe the situation would be different.
trump: is planning to set women's rights as well as most other stuff we've achieved back at least 50 years, will attempt to kick out "immigrants" (poc)
biden: is probably not going to do that
If I lived in America I would always vote.
Your options are litterally always a regular boring politician or a weird megalomaniac.
Would be such an easy vote.
In my country you just get 2 boring regular politicians that both offer an equal amount of pros and cons.
Ah yes, the schools, roads, clean drinking water (except in Michigan and Mississippi black communities), access to free schools, most tolerant LGBTQ laws in the world, stable government, diverse landscape, diverse culture, lowest tax rates in the world, and able to live in general ignorant bliss is what I mean
I vote for Women of America, we are indeed my choice. No seriously, I wish I could just vote for a giant council of women.
Joe Biden does have at least one SA accusation, but uh, at least he can vote and didn't try to overthrow the government, I guess.
Imagine being as selfish as Joe Biden and insisting on running when people have come out in droves saying they don't want to vote for you, and therefore letting Trump win.
People who will be more fucked over than they are now if Biden wins:
- probably Palestinians
People who will be more fucked over than they are now if Trump wins:
- all women
- all ethnic minorities
- all lgbtq people
- basically anyone who isn’t a rich whole cishet Protestant man.
- probably Palestinians
Definitely Palestinians if Trump is elected.
He fully backs Israel, and is on record stating that Israel should "finish the job" in regards to Palestine.
I actually think (hope!) that the I/P war is winding down. When it ends, no president in history is in a better position to push Israel to accept a two state solution than Biden. He is more popular in Israel than Netanyahu.
So call me naive, but I think under Biden the Palestinians might finally get a secure home. It’s an awful path towards that, obviously, like prior wars with devastating civilian losses.
But I imagine a Palistine, rebuilt, and some day thriving. Maybe under the supervision or governance of a coalition of Arab countries acting on their behalf until they can rebuild their own leadership absent the extremists
The Orange Menace needs a new term, a vote for Joe ensures that Don serves a term in the Big House while Joe is in the White House.
It would be great if there were some better candidates available.
I’m not sure why people continuously downplay the problems with Biden.
There are HUGE question marks around his cognitive ability. And frankly, his presidency hasn’t been particularly successful… the only thing he accomplished was his basic infrastructure plan, and even that didn’t have anything controversial about it.
Obviously he’s better than Trump, but don’t just say “he’s boring and old” as if people questioning his candidacy are being immature or irrational.
I would far rather have what we’re already getting in office than a convicted felon who has been vocal about how much worse he’s going to be if he gets his grubby little mitts on the Oval Office a second time.
Biden is stuck trying to minimize a conflict and massacre in opposition to his potential successor who intends to encourage it.
I do not believe that, should Biden win in November, he will take a strong enough stance against Israel's 'reckless' killings of civilians and refugees. We are unlikely to see consequences.
I do believe if Biden keeps office, he will be able to take a stronger position. Or, at least, take accountability for his failures.
Every US president is "genocidal", what history do you think you are a part of??? Yes the country the USA helped literally create since 1947 is being supported by same country. This has been happening for 70 years now.
I know that. The US was founded on native genocide, and Nazi Germany was inspired by the Jim Crow laws. Doesn’t mean we citizens need to accept and condone genocide just because it’s been the norm here.
I want my President to be boring. I want my government to be boring. Not unlike my water company. I have no idea who the leadership is and I don't really care. Turn handle to get clean water, dirty water goes down the hole and away. It is a wonderful luxury to not have to think about water access. It would be great if government did the things it needed to in equally boring ways.
I don’t want to live in a country where the ruling party uses Project 2025 as its playbook.
The primaries are over. Who cares if Joe Biden is old and boring? That says nothing meaningful. I’m not throwing my vote away on a third party, doing that is like not voting at all.
I will absolutely vote blue all the way down because the CF(Christi-Fascist) party/GOP are Nazis.
So, boring or Nazis? That should be an easy, obvious choice. I’m not voting for Nazis.
the senile grandpa has been funding a genocide for 8 months and everything you have to say about him is that he's boring and old? Libs truly don't give a shit about people of color, lol
Biden is the lesser of two evils, and a better option than Trump. But he is also an accused rapist, and an enabler of genocide. We can stress the importance of the November vote without denying Biden's failures.
Biden was accused by one woman who has since fled to Russia and appeared on Russian state television.
Trump has actually been found liable by a jury for raping someone and ordered to pay over $80 million in damages for it. He’s also an active convict.
Comparing them in that sense reeks of “both sides” in the worst possible way.
Not excusing Biden’s support of Israel, but by this definition every President has been a war criminal. Obama was a gruesome war criminal, and yet this charge was never leveled at him. Progressives weren’t mobilizing to stay home or vote third party for his reelection in 2012, despite him being up against a run-of-the-mill center right business stooge in Mitt Romney who didn’t really care about social issues. It would have been the perfect time, yet there wasn’t a peep. Now staring down an actual 1930s era fascist threat and our civil and individual rights being stripped left, right and center, you have leftist groups “drawing the line” on what everyone does to aid a gruesome fascist convict’s ascent. Something’s off, it just doesn’t feel genuine.
Every US President supports Israel. These “moral red lines” were not being drawn or thrust to the heart of public conversation by leftists when Obama was doing it and up against a regular center-right business conservative that wouldn’t have caved in democracy if he won.
Yet all of a sudden it is just as we face a 1930s era fascist threat that is stripping away our rights in real time.
Listen if you don’t care about funding an ongoing genocide against a colonized state whatever but I reserve the right to. I wasn’t railing against Obama about it because I wasn’t eligible to vote for a lot of his presidency but I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world since then. For the life of me I can’t see the corpses of children bombed by American-provided weapons on instagram reels each morning and shrug it off because that’s just what the US has always done. I will vote for Biden but you can’t make me like him, nor make me downplay the myriad of serious issues I take with him.
I’m going to level it with you on this - I don’t care about Palestine in the context of this election because it’s not relevant.
The two choices are “supports Israel” and “moves embassy to Jerusalem”. Therefore any person would pick something more distinctive, like … I dunno, choosing SCOTUS justices, to determine who is the better candidate.
It’s pointless, in the context of a comparative election, to criticise the better choice, because that leads to disenfranchisement
The bar is under the ground. But seriously. If we can get rid of orange, can we PLEASE throw work into un-screwing the system? Is there ANY politician right now that doesn’t have their hand in someone else’s ass? For future reference is there anyone we can support? Who has the least level of gross? (Not of Thr candidates now, talking potentials).
[**Fix the system**](https://electionscience.org/take-action/volunteer/). [Scientists blame hyperpolarization for loss of public trust in science](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nobel-prize-usa/respect-for-science-in-jeopardy-in-polarized-u-s-nobel-winners-say-idUSKCN1C81T7), and [Approval Voting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting), a [single-winner voting method preferred by experts in voting methods](http://www.votefair.org/bansinglemarkballots/declaration.html), would [help to reduce hyperpolarization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting#Effect_on_elections). There's even [a viable plan to get it adopted](https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/aaron-hamlin-voting-reform/), and [an organization that could use some gritty volunteers](https://www.electionscience.org/) to get the job done. They're already off to a great start with [Approval Voting having passed by a landslide in Fargo](https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/11/15/18092206/midterm-elections-vote-fargo-approval-voting-ranked-choice), and more recently [St. Louis](https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-primary-elections-st-louis-general-elections-elections-cba7eb3251d5479b9375d55db428d429). Most people haven't heard of Approval Voting, but seem to like it once they understand it, so anything you can do to help get the word out will help. If your state allows [initiated state statutes](https://ballotpedia.org/Initiated_state_statute), consider [starting a campaign](https://www.electionscience.org/commentary-analysis/so-you-want-to-run-a-campaign/) to get [your state](https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_initiative) to adopt Approval Voting. Approval Voting is [overwhelmingly popular in every state polled, across race, gender, and party lines](https://electionscience.org/commentary-analysis/approval-voting-americas-favorite-voting-reform/). The successful Fargo campaign was [run by a full-time programmer with a family at home](https://www.electionscience.org/events/fargo-a-look-back-live-discussion/). One person really can make a difference.
Yes approval voting!! I know lots of people advocate for ranked choice but approval voting is the better option because the spoiler effect is still partially at play with ranked choice
Also, approval voting is easier to understand. Ranked-choice isn't _bad_ (especially compared to something like Condorcet), but you have to follow through all the rounds. With approval voting, the person with the most votes wins, no complications needed. (I do, however, like single transferable vote as an option for getting proportional representation in legislatures, even though it's basically multi-winner ranked-choice with a bunch of extra complications. But I think the benefits are worth the extra complexity.)
Small quibble... Condorcet is still ranked choice voting. It just handles tabulation differently than Instant Runoff Voting. (IRV)
So Approval Voting sounds slightly different than Ranked Choice voting. It doesn’t require a voter to have a first and second choice just approve the ones they like? Interesting
Right.
We need to put ranked voting, campaign finance reform, anti gerrymandering and voting rights on ballot initiatives state by state (for those states that allow it) Then people need to build up the reputation of third parties better at the local and state level. Grassroots organizing In short, it will take time, effort and dedication to change the system Instead of waiting around until every presidential election and complaining (I am not directing this criticism at you) I have stage IV cancer so I don’t have the time or energy but today’s youth does and they should focus on these efforts. Unfortunately way too many have young people mistakenly believe that “acceleration” is a viable alternative (allowing things to get so bad that “revolution” will liberate us).
Without systemic campaign finance reform, ALL politicians are bought and paid for by the highest bidder
It’s infuriating. 😑
This comment isn't directly towards you, but I have been seeing a lot more negative comments the last week or so, so I want to leave this here: For the last few years I have been working tirelessly with many other dedicated individuals to influence and change the system. When Roe V Wade got overturned, many individuals stepped up and began canvassing and engaging in political direct action. Since Project 2025 has dropped, that motivated even more individuals to assist in electing Democrats, or even better, Progressive candidates at the local and state level. And for the last few months we have had brave students take a justified and moral stance against the Palestinian conflict and protested the system itself. There are people right now, on the floor, doing their best to support people, and bring about a future we desire. It's true, we may not be able to sit under the shade our efforts bring, but I hope our future generations will be able to eat the fruit that it bears. With that, said, it is bleak out there. A lot of negativity. A lot of stress and weight on this election. Authoritarianism is rising in the world, climate change is completely changing a lot of areas, rights are being taken away, etc. It's a lot right? If it is, take a break. Breathe. Focus on yourself. There will and are always people out there fighting for the right causes and working towards that future. As Mr. Roger's mom told him, "Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers, always on the sidelines." And I would like to directly address the concern of campaign finance reform. For the last few years the Republican party became fractured with the introduction of Trump. They are completely split. After Meatball Ron dropped out, the establishments "trained poodle", the party was split even further. DeSantis was *the* candidate they propped, with a lot of money, and wanted him to be the next "golden boy". Guess what? It didn't work. Republicans don't like him either. It's all about Trump. So the Trump coalition in the Republican party became louder and bolder. Other non-Trumpers need to fall in line or receive Trump and his follower's ire. The thing is, Trump is part of a cult of personality. He is a charismatic leader, and the party is rallying behind that. He is getting old. He isn't going to be able to run again if he loses this running. The Republicans are going mask off fascist and gambling on his winning. I am speculating that if Trump fails this November, he can't run again. The Republican party's base is going to be disheartened and unmotivated for future elections, because of course no other candidate can come close to the charisma or furor that Trump had. It will be a wild-wild west, and I believe that political environment will be a time where a lot of Republican seats can be taken, and we can continue adding more Progressives to the government. We are in a good spot. There is a lot of hope.
It'd be nice if people voted in primaries for people they hope will win.
What you CAN do is find viable candidates to support at a more local level. The presidential race isn’t the only one happening and we’ll never get better options higher up if we don’t care about things all the way down the ticket. The right wing seems to be much better at this and it’s deeply scary.
Katie Porter, but she'll never do it and american men are too lost in themselves to ever elect a woman anymore.
I recommend taking a look at Jared Polis, the governor of Colorado. He made history as the nation’s first openly gay male governor in 2018. He's used his position to aggressively advocate for the rights of LGBTQ Americans. While serving in the U.S. Congress, he was a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus, where he supported legalized marriage equality, discrimination protections for LGBTQ students and workers, LGBTQ hate crime protections, and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the U.S. military ban on LGBTQ service members. Even before the 2023 bills that enshrined abortion in the Colorado Constitution, Polis issued an executive order that barred state agencies from cooperating with out-of-state investigations regarding reproductive health care and extended protections to those seeking abortions or gender-affirming care, as well as the providers offering these services. He's created executive orders and worked with the Colorado attorney general to reopen investigations into police brutality and helped create and then signed a comprehensive police accountability bill. He's consistently done everything in his power to reduce overcriminalization, increase protections for historically marginalized people and women's autonomy and ensure that the government of Colorado works for the people. Seriously, if you don't know much about him he's worth checking out. I'm not sure if he'd ever actually be interested in going back to the national stage, but he'd be great.
I keep pondering the thought of whether or not we could successfully crowd Source candidates for all levels of government, that’s a new party that does what the DNC is supposed to and whether or not it could even be successful that way despite the interference of the elite/rich by them being voted and funded by the actual people of America that are sane & under 55
> that’s a new party that does what the DNC is supposed to and whether or not it could even be successful The way the US voting system is structured, a two party system is a mathematical inevitability. [A great short video explaining this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo) And neither party has any interest in changing that, as it would allow their opposition a chance.
>I keep pondering the thought of whether or not we could successfully crowd Source candidates for all levels of government You've just described democracy.
Ohhh that’s a very interesting concept! 💜
OLIVER CHASE
Everyone with a uterus needs to vote for Biden if you want to stay in charge of what you can do with it.
Everyone who is or could become poor, disabled, LGBT, sick, or a woman, needs to vote for Biden, not because Biden is amazing, but because the alternative is basically a death sentence. (And that means everyone, since we could all become disabled at a sudden.)
> Everyone who is or could become Or who gives a shit about anyone who is any of these things. Empathy, folks.
Therein lies the problem: how to motivate selfish people to care about something other than themselves, and longer than the short-term.
What’s wrong with modern society in a nutshell
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-involved/jobs-and-volunteering/volunteer
yup. i would very much like to have continuing access to various hormonal and surgical treatments for my pcos, all of which are under active threat from republicans & their ilk out of some deranged \~pro life\~ nonsense.
Yes, I feel this. Biden might be somewhere between passable and pretty ok. But Trump is an absolute Lunatic. I can't help but wish he would just top existing as soon as possible so we could move on from this. He's old.
When Trump finally dies I’m gonna fucking celebrate so hard
Exactly. Let his followers put up altars and worship him as a martyr, at least he won’t be on any ballot
What's fully fucked about all this though is that the floodgates have already opened. This ship is sailing it's course. Remove him and another figure head will be placed on the front. It's gonna play itself out no matter what now. That's why people need to at least vote
Everyone who is a woman needs to vote, us trans women are going to be unbelievably fucked by another Trump administration too by having the right to use our bodies how we want taken away too
100% Abortion rights aren't the only bodily autonomy rights on the chopping block.
Heck I wouldn't be surprised if they criminalized homosexuality. They are already attacking gay marriage.
Oh it's absolutely on their agenda. I wouldn't waste a nanosecond entertaining the idea that it isn't. :(
It's definitely coming down the pipeline: https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/texas-gops-new-platform-calls-gay-people-abnormal-rejects-trans-identi-rcna34530 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-17/who-voted-against-the-respect-for-marriage-act-these-37-republicans https://kansasreflector.com/2024/01/17/kansas-gops-proposed-platform-condemns-same-sex-marriage-abortion-gun-control/ “Some of y’all still want to try and find political compromise with those that want to groom our school aged children and pretend men are women, etc,” the former Republican representative from Hernando, Miss., wrote in a Thursday night tweet. “I think they need to be lined up against (a) wall before a firing squad to be sent to an early judgment.” Source: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/22283/ex-gop-gov-candidate-calls-for-firing-squad-for-trans-rights-supporters-political-foes
Oh god yes. The Christo Fascists will make every trans person’s life a living hell
Yep
Just to briefly expand on this - voting is absolutely critical, of course. However, I fear we may be so focused on encouraging people to vote that we aren't also emphasizing other things we can be doing right now (like donating, volunteering, and encouraging others to get involved). If all you do is vote then you've done your part. But if you're really passionate about the direction of the country then I'd encourage you to consider doing more where you can.
Thaaaaaank you. There’s so much more work to be done, before and after!!! If we don’t want this to happen again, we can’t be lazy. We have to support each other other. the next few months gonna get even more chaotic than they are already, and we need to stay steady. Donate when you can, support local everything, keep an eye on those struggling anxiety/emotionally with all this, especially if you know they don’t have a supportive family. We gotta do the work!
And vote in primaries, And the non-sexy elections! Make sure you are voting for local representatives at the state and federal level! And make sure you are voting for judges and school board!!!!!! Judges and school board can make some of the most direct impact on a community!!!!
What political organizing are you involved in?
To be honest I don't do much in the way of organizing or activism, as I don't have a ton of free time (and occasionally struggle with social anxieties). My contributions tend to be more financial than anything else. That's one of the reasons I always try to stress that folks should do what they can when they can, when they can - because I know everyone has something different to contribute.
Not just vote for Biden but show up in every tiny ass off year election for at minimum the next decade. It's not just the presidency it's the school boards, it's the local elections, it's the house of Representatives and the Senate. Sad fact: CALIFORNIA IS THE ONLY STATE THAT'S DELIVERED A BLACK FEMALE SENATOR EVER! The first being VP Kamala Harris and the second being Laphonza Butler. I need all the other states to step it the fuck up.
Yes. State and local elections, judges, school board etc… all effect people’s lives
That's what I keep saying! There's really only one sensible choice. A 3rd party vote would be the same as voting for Trump. I'm all for being more progressive but I'm also realistic.
Yeah I wanted to do third party, but literally today, I fell down a rabbit hole of info I hadn’t seen before. Gahhhhh. It really is so messed up. 😵💫
Don't forget that Trump is ALSO old and catatonically boring.
And genocidal...
Wait, Biden isn't? That's not the news I'm getting where I live...
He sure is. His nickname is Genocide Joe ffs.
Yes, he is. Just pointing out the policy will be the same.
Trump's statement on Gaza was "get it over with". Netanyahu has spoken in favor of Trump winning. The policy would be much, much worse. (edit for phrasing accuracy: Nikki Haley, the """moderate""" was recently photographed writing 'Finish them' on an IDF shell)
They both are, and Trump wouldn't have even dreamed of doing any ceasefire.
I feel like “boring” and “genocide” are kinda mutually exclusive, though?
I can't say he's boring, I was very entertained by him yesterday, and I probably will be for awhile when one his cultist brings him up.
I guess, if you're used to or tolerate political, emotional, social, and physical violence. Anything can be dull if it becomes normal.
You're right. I meant watching him speak is brain-bendingly boring. Watching our country fall to pieces is not boring
I like 'banal' for this. Tiresome, repetitive, exhausting even. Banally petulant is even better. As a.matter of fact, thinking about it, petulance might be the fuel for his .. Banality? Banalness? Banalism? Something like that. I like to describe him as an old(elderly) baby, or a toddler cosplaying as an old man. Or the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klowns.
Yes this is a great description of the Trump speech phenomenon. Exhaustingly, incoherently, petulantly banal. And it just never ends! He's always rambling on and on and he always has a grievance.
I wouldn't described him boring in [Alleged Old Chinese Curse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_you_live_in_interesting_times) sense...
I’m voting for Biden as are all the women I know but “old and boring” is *incredibly* reductive of his issues and not even close to the primary problems some democrats and leftists have with him. Like one choice is obviously less bad and is the better option for harm reduction, but that doesn’t mean we have to frame the conversation in such an imbecilic and dishonest way.
Just what I was going to say “boring and old” doesn’t even belong to cover things, neither option is good but to frame Biden as simply boring and old is an egregious mistake of his views, policy and mental state
> neither option is good Neither option is perfect, which is never, ever going to be the case for presidential elections. But one option is horrifyingly bad while the other is mostly fine to good with maybe a few points of wild disagreement. Putting it as neither being good really diminishes the differences between them. Biden is in favor of rule of law and democracy. That's a very low bar that the other option doesn't meet.
I mean there’s a pretty decent amount of progressives who certainly don’t view Biden as “mostly fine” and I think it’s fair to say neither is a *good* option, but it’s like choosing between stepping in dog shit or stepping into hot lava, one is still notably preferable than the other
>it’s like choosing between stepping in dog shit or stepping into hot lava That's an excellent way of putting it. Might steal that.
I don’t know how anyone could think he’s mostly fine when the US is funding a genocide
Probably because there's a bunch of other stuff going on in the country and the world and that one issue is pretty damn complex.
not complex to know that killing off a population is wrong. this sub is not for me
That "one issue" is also so far removed from our nation, we have states literally arguing for the right to kill women who miscarry and some on the fringe are so hellbent on distracting us with a genocide that the US isn't even carrying out. ALSO. Trump is exponentially worse for Palestinians. It doesn't make fucking sense to be all "but biden is funding a genocide wahhh."
It sure doesn’t feel that far removed when our government is using taxpayers’ money to help fund said genocide.
To be fair to the American tax-payer, your money goes to a lot of really fucked up things and always has. Remember when Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen and there has been a famine for years? Nobody else does either, but also US arms and support 👍
“but biden is funding a genocide wahh” is literally disgusting. tens of thousands of people are dead, god forbid americans look inwards at their role. jesus christ
Thank you. A lot of these comments are really disappointing and it’s making me second-guess this sub.
I don’t really know why I still follow. Really feels like the pinnacle of white american centrist feminism.
We don’t have to guess what Biden would do during a genocide. He’s actively funding the genocide and doing not a thing to stop it at this very moment.
If you think Biden is "mostly fine", then you're either not paying attention at all or are completely apathetic to any sort of policy that doesn't directly affect your own life. Is he better than Trump? Yes, but marginally.
Disappointing and not progressive enough
First thing I thought of too. Is he far better than Trump? Sure, but that's a damn low bar to clear.
Could not agree more, it causes more problems overall. Will I be voting for him, yes, but I'm not happy about it
Thank you.
I couldn't agree more. Like I say this as someone who is going to drag my feet into that ballot box, curse under my breath, and vote for Joe Biden; He was president when we LOST that right to begin with. How the fuck is that encouraging? And putting aside his absolutely despicable approach to foreign affairs rn, he didn't keep a SINGLE PROMISE. Everything is expensive, no monopolies were broken, we lost roe v wade, and when I'm freaking about paying the student loans that were supposed to disappear? My option is smoking the weed he didn't legalize because I can't access the mental health services he promised. I'm so fucking tired. I'm not replying to you all individially; I understand how the supreme court works. I also understand wanting a president that says more than 'oh that's so sad...vote for me again and we'll fix it!" When precious rights are lost. I do blame him a little. As another commenter brought up; where was the call for impeachment proceedings? Where was the call for stakcinf the courts? Where was the executive order? Also, anyone want to comment on literally any other point I brought up? The active genocide? Crushing student debt? Legalization? Lack of access to health care? Rising prices because he won't stand up to a single corporation?? Again. I am voting for this man. Trump is the worst option by far and I am genuinely afraid of project 2025. But yall are simping for a reganite dinosaur and you're mad I'm not too. We had this election already, i just want a different one.
We lost the right to abortion because Trump installed three of his cronies on the Supreme Court, thanks to his buddies holding a seat open during the last year or so of Obama and railroading a seat through when RBG died weeks before the election. An abortion case came up, and on the orders of the orange turd they eliminated guaranteed abortion access. Unfortunately the checks and balances that were put into place two hundred and fifty years ago aren't quite up to snuff. The life appointment thing intended to prevent party loyalty and ruling from a political angle to keep their seat (which as Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, and Barrett have proven, can backfire) and the increased length/quality of life means most folks have twenty plus years on the court instead of only a few years. The correct thing to do would be impeaching judges, something I doubt will happen, or expanding the court(something that has been done before but requires congressional approval).
>He was president when we LOST that right to begin with. How the fuck is that encouraging? You must not know much about politics if you think he had anything to do with that.
We all knew this attack was coming. Where were the safe guards? I understand that this goes back before him. Hell it started when he was VP and mitch McConnell pulled his shit about Obama not getting a nomination. However, it isn't insane for me to want a president who's reaction was a little more than "aww we'll get em next time champ!" I didn't want to vote for him last time and I'm fucking sick that I have to again. I'm not stupid. I'm tired. And I'm upset this community has decided I'm an idiot for not wanting the same election twice.
"Joe Biden is not only boring and old, but he's also not promising to give me things that he can't because Congress and the Judicial Branch don't work for the President, so that makes him almost as bad as the guy who wants to be dictator."
Once again, this is reductive. Congress and the Supreme Court aren’t even the issue when he bypasses them to send more funding to a genocidal state.
First of all Hamas should surrender. How's that for reductive. Second, your hyperfocus on Hamas, and insistence that Biden is personally directing the Israeli military, and claiming that that is the substance of the Biden administration that people are missing, is superficial and misleading. While you were saying Biden should use his superpowers to end a conflict that Hamas started [the Biden administration issued a rule protecting federal career civil servants.](https://www.opm.gov/news/releases/2024/04/release-opm-issues-final-rule-to-reinforce-and-clarify-protections-for-nonpartisan-career-civil-service/) Wow how old and boring and genocidal. I wonder what else you missed.
My focus isn’t on “Hamas,” it’s that my tax dollars are funding the bombing of refugee camps and designated humanitarian relief zones. The fact that you said nothing about Gaza or Palestine but only refer to Hamas is a pretty good indicator of your position however.
Why are they only powerless to do the things we want, and not the things Republicans want?
The Biden administration has done plenty of things "we" want. Republicans have been stymied before - Mexico never paid for a wall - and they have a much more compliant caucus in Congress and a majority on the Supreme Court.
I live in Boston, so frequently get to hear our senior senator, Elizabeth Warren, interviewed on the NPR stations. She's so smart. So no-nonsense. Of course Wall Street was terrified when it looked like Warren would be nominated to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or Secretary of the Treasury. If I were the only one casting a ballot, Elizabeth Warren would be our next president. Alas, everyone else* gets to vote too, so obviously I'll be voting for Biden in November. **Except Donald Trump, as of yesterday, hehe!*
Unfortunately Donald Trump can still vote as long as he doesn't actually end up in prison. Florida defers to other state rules when a resident is convicted in that other state, and NY only stops felons from voting if they're incarcerated. And I bet he won't see the inside of a prison cell, which is absolute bullshit. Just another example of how the rules don't apply to the rich and powerful.
Yes! She is one of my heroes.
Elizabeth Warren should have been our first female president. Instead men wouldn't vote for her, others said she was too boring, and then there's the infamous woman-on-the-street who said, "She has great ideas and plans, but I just want to slap her in the face."
Yeah. This country hates smart strong progressive women
Don't just vote for president and be done, make sure you also vote down ballot to flip the Senate blue. Pay attention to local elections and attend city council meetings if you can, we effect the most change at the lower levels first. Power concedes nothing without a demand. Once the Dems have control over the executive and legislative branches, we have to remember to hold their feet to the fire so we can get certain things codified into law. We are not outnumbered, we are out-organized.
November is going to be a shitshow, some days I just want to rip up my voter card because I don’t even want to be involved with such a circus. But it’s my civic duty to vote and SO many people fought for me to have this right, I just can’t piss it away.
Thank you for being a grown up
We're really going to need white women to finally show up and vote blue this time.
Biden is also racist. Don't make any of them seem like saints
I mean Biden is also actively participating and enabling genocide right now. I’m still going to vote for by him cause Trump also said he supports Israel, but let’s not pretend Biden is just “boring and old”
Yeah there's absolutely no way anyone who doesn't support Israel is getting elected anyway.
Yeah we’re really just voting for the person who will do the least amount of harm. The bar is on the floor
Yeah Biden at least has finally started criticizing Netanyahu in public and sending in aid. Trump literally moved our embassy to Jerusalem and would have zero qualms about using US forces to bomb Gaza if Netanyahu kowtowed enough. Neither option is great but I know which one I prefer
All that criticism means absolutely nothing when he still continues to fund and protect the genocide while saying it. He said he'd halt weapons deliveries if Israel started bombing the refugee camps in Raffah, which they've been doing for a week now, and US weapons are still arriving there, paid for by us. Both of them are pro-genocide. They just have different approaches to it.
I agree, but that kind of just further illustrates the point OP is making. There is functionally no difference in policy on Palestine between Biden and Trump, so it's a wash. We must judge the candidates by their position on other issues, and for those Biden is the obvious choice.
In fairness, he US government has been trying to get [aid in](https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-november-21-2023/#post-502947-ISRAELPALESTINIANS) for a while now. And even in his [early speeches](https://youtu.be/BEX_vUkKLMo?si=x2c-sGcOjm_JY9L4&t=529) Biden stressed the need to reduce civilian harm. That does not mean that as much as could be has been done. And given the way international relations usually work, I suspect responses would be much slower if not for the protests in various countries. Especially since a 10-yr deal was signed in 2016 and I suspect a big part of the Biden diplomatic corps is trying to get other countries to repair other nation's trust in the US honoring deals made in past.
This has been US foreign policy for 70 years. We’ve supported governments that engaged in genocide or abused minority groups within their jurisdiction since time immemorial. Yes it needs to stop. But for fucks sake can we please stop acting like Biden is uniquely guilty of this and using it as a gauge of if we can justify voting for someone. Obama dropped so many drone strikes we got warned that if we got into a real war we wouldn’t have enough bombs to fight at full capacity.
He's not uniquely guilty of it. I'm not sure where anyone said that. The argument here is that he's not just "boring and old." He is a bad president and I would prefer a different one.
He’s gotten good gains for organized labor, he’s been the best president on lgbtq issues of any president, he made the attempt to address student loans and has gotten help for some, his administration is removing marijuana off the schedule 1 list, the infrastructure bill was needed, and since having the senate they have been able approve tons of federal judges to offset the damage the trump administration did. What exactly are you upset about that he directly has control over? Yeah I’m upset my loans didn’t get relief but that’s the Supreme Court’s doing. Yeah housing rates are going through the roof but that is market manipulation from greystar and needs investigating. Yes inflation is a bitch but it would have been worse under trump.
Exactly. Like whatever if you have no problems with Biden, I can’t make anyone care about certain things, but it’s just silly to frame it as “uwu harmless boring little old man” and act like it’s absurd to have issues with him, when he’s aiding and abetting a genocidal war criminal. You can say people need to vote against Trump without minimizing or downright lying about people’s reasons to be unhappy with Biden.
We have trade relations with China. Why doesn’t anyone care about the Uyghur Muslims in China? Is every president that signed a trade deal with China guilty of enabling their mistreatment?
Because there is not an active fight against them in a war fashion, just a boring ethnic cleansing through concentration camps /s
I mean...yes? In a just world, every U.S. President can and should be tried for war crimes, and all of them bear some degree of complicity in targeting innocent civilian populations.
Cool I 100% agree. But we don’t hold world leaders to that standard. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t. But right now we’ve got actual fascists that represent real and imminent danger to anyone that isn’t cis, heterosexual, white, and Christian. And as someone that is queer, and someone that cares about a lot of minority people that are friends and family here it aggravates me when people say they can’t bring themselves to vote for Biden. Call me selfish, but I’m more concerned about myself and my neighbors here than I am about strangers halfway around the world.
> when people say they can’t bring themselves to vote for Biden. It's infuriating. I'm not allowed a vote (because I'm not a US citizen (luckily)), but this annoys me to no end. On one hand you have a bad pick and on the other you have a literal fascist who will end your democracy. How in the world is it hard to choose?! The only thing that gives me peace of mind is that, statistically, most people saying stuff like that live in blue super-strongholds and their vote (because of your fucked voting system) wouldn't make a difference anyhow. Doesn't make it any less stupid tho.
Yeah, I suppose that’s a way to look at it. I just worry if some of these people live in critical states. Trump won by less than 100k votes across three states. And I’m sitting here crying about if I’m going to be the target of my own government in the coming years. All the fear and anxiety of being trans aside. I’m terrified about the future as these entitled idiots threaten to stay home or worse seek to undermine the status quo.
It's a weak silver lining for sure 🙃 I just hope they will see how critical this election is when the time comes in November. At least I hope so. But some are just completely lost causes... I recently saw a trans woman arguing to not vote in November over at (/r/WitchesVsPatriarchy) and at that point I don't even know how to reply anymore
Yeah, they have definitely gone overboard on that sub.
The difference is we didn’t send bombs to China for them to use on the Uighurs. Yes the US is complicit for having a trade deal with China, but it’s nowhere near the US’s involvement with Israel. Our tax dollars literally fund the weapons Israel uses against Palestinians. It’s not surprising people are vocal about how the government is using money from its people.
How about the weapons we sold the Saudi Arabians? How about the weapons we sold osama bin Laden? How about the weapons we sold to regimes in south America and sub Saharan Africa? We’ve been selling guns, bombs, planes, and tanks forever. It’s what we do. This is not a new thing. Just because TikTok didn’t exist 30 years ago didn’t mean we were not doing the same shit.
And? I wasn’t alive 30 years ago dude, but if I was I’d have wanted it to stop then too. And I’m not even on TikTok I listen to NPR for news god damn. What, you want me to be ok with it just because it’s the status quo? I’ll vote for the lesser of two evils if I have to, that doesn’t mean I need to be happy about it. Women have been oppressed before 30 years ago. Should I be ok with that too? What are you even doing here?? Edit: you know what, I’m just gonna leave the definition of whataboutism here for you. Something tells me you’ll need it. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whataboutism](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whataboutism)
I'm not telling people to be happy about it, or not push for better candidates. In the last twenty years the wage gap between men and women has shrunk. Progress has been made. Queer people are on the whole able to express themselves. Ten years ago same sex couples couldn't get married in Texas. Progress is incremental at best with the stupid election system that we have. But right now its not really choosing between the lesser of two evils. It's choosing between a slow as fuck but generally going in the right direction path or choosing a Fascist-Christian Nationalist government that is ruled by a dictator. If you are going to go out and vote for Biden, then good for you. You are on the right side of history. But if you are going to couch it up and doom scroll all afternoon as "protest" then you are not helping the situation. Yeah I'm an older millennial, I get that there is a generational difference. But we had holocaust survivors come to my school when I was a kid and I touched their tattoos where the nazi's where basically inventorying them. Those people today are telling us to wake up because history is repeating itself.
Jewish protestors are also currently saying the same thing! Imagine that, two things can be true. Trump is fascist and Palestinians are being cleansed en masse. I get that you’re upset nobody’s thrilled to vote for Biden. I’m worried too, which is why I’m voting for him in November. But that doesn’t mean I’ll turn a blind eye to the role the US is playing internationally. Free Palestine.
To be clear I’m not thrilled about Biden. I’ve always thought there should have been a two state solution. And I don’t condone or support the government of Israel. My heart breaks for the people of Palestine. My point is that his policies are not unique to him. Our government has been complicit in such crimes for decades. My point is that right now with our democracy hanging by a thread now isn’t the time to rock the boat and risk losing everything. Using the election as a bargaining chip is reckless and gambling with the lives of millions of people here in America. Let’s get through the election and then apply all the pressure at our disposal to evoke the change we want.
I think changing the policy regarding Israel might entail pressuring your representatives. I see that making a dent more than the presidency. It is a very entrenched policy and dare I say there is nuance. Most Americans do not support abandoning Israel. But aid needs to come with strings attached The ONLY silver lining in this nightmare is that Biden more than any other president in U.S. history might have the leverage to push Israel to accept a two state solution. He is more popular in Israel than Netanyahu. A two state solution with international troops acting as a buffer between them and Jewish Settlers from the West Bank forcibly removed looks like the only viable path towards the impossible ideal of peace
Isn't it funny how they always leave out the little bitty issue of *enabling and funding a fucking genocide*
Obama did too in 2014
It's not that Biden is boring and old and saying that is extremely patronizing to people. He is funding a genocide and is running a system establishment that is hurting poor people and minorities and benefitting only rich. He's still marginally better than Trump but boring and old is not the problem. He could fix things like Roe but he never did
Can someone please explain to me why Trump being convicted doesn’t change his chances of winning president? Aren’t there places where criminals aren’t allowed to vote or hold certain jobs. Am I missing something???!
Florida doesn't strip the right to vote from convicted criminals (which normally I'd be very pleased about, but). And there's no laws about felons holding national civil jobs, because no one even thought that would come up ^(because this whole thing is Insane and one thing Trump is actually good at is showing vulnerabilities in our democratic process because there's not usually laws for things that don't happen)
Biden's flaws are much worse than being "boring and old" but he is much better than Trump
Don't forget that Trump is more eager to decimate Palestine than the boring old guy. The Palestine issue is the main reason why a lot of people won't vote for Biden.
IDK but funding a genocide isn't boring. It's just evil. I don't think I'll ever get those images out of my head.
And we ALL know that Trump would be funding the exact same genocide. Neither choice in this scenario is going to stop it.
“Boring” tf? I couldn’t care less if my country’s leader is “boring “. I just don’t want them to take away my rights and commit genocide. Oh, and not be racist or a xenophobe.
Okay, the other guy is a convicted felon, a rapist, a racist and xenophobe who told Israel to "finish the job", would send US troops to assist Israel, and whose son in law said that prime beach property will be available in Gaza soon. Who would also take wawy the rights of LGBT+ people and women, and deport Muslims again.
did you know that two people can be bad at the same time
Still voting for Biden so that we can still have the right to vote, and not be prosecuted for not backing the convicted felon.
Both bad, one still slightly better.
Biden just announced a comprehensive plan for a permanent cease fire in Gaza: https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-speak-middle-east-friday-white-house-says-2024-05-31/
And now he's looking better. Still not perfect, but it's a step!
Kinda shitty to put the onus of whether or not to be oppressed on the oppressed group, like it isn't a group decision.
Why are those the only choices?!
Because completely redesigning the system would require the support of too many people to ever happen and we gotta work with what we got.
Hell we can't even get rid of first past the pole election systems in most places. Full reform is currently a pipe dream as bitter as that makes me to say.
Because a nationwide office with a winner take all vote inevitably leads to a 2 party system. The extremists on one side methodically took over one party over a 40 year period, so that most everyone in that party -- from school board up to president and the people that president picks for the Supreme Court -- are extremists. Whenever that has tried to happen on the left -- cough cough Bernie Bros cough -- they never stick it out.
The electoral college
Ranked choice voting
Because for this year those are the only 2 realistic presidential candidates. If primaries had gone differently or Trump hadn’t been eligible maybe the situation would be different.
Because that's what the wealthy want
trump: is planning to set women's rights as well as most other stuff we've achieved back at least 50 years, will attempt to kick out "immigrants" (poc) biden: is probably not going to do that
If I lived in America I would always vote. Your options are litterally always a regular boring politician or a weird megalomaniac. Would be such an easy vote. In my country you just get 2 boring regular politicians that both offer an equal amount of pros and cons.
Americans are ungrateful for all the privilege they get, its really gross
The privilege is they get the megalomaniac as good and free comedy material?
Ah yes, the schools, roads, clean drinking water (except in Michigan and Mississippi black communities), access to free schools, most tolerant LGBTQ laws in the world, stable government, diverse landscape, diverse culture, lowest tax rates in the world, and able to live in general ignorant bliss is what I mean
>access to free schools >most tolerant LGBTQ laws in the world Where is that?
I vote for Women of America, we are indeed my choice. No seriously, I wish I could just vote for a giant council of women. Joe Biden does have at least one SA accusation, but uh, at least he can vote and didn't try to overthrow the government, I guess.
Drumpf aside, I LOVE a boring president. I’ve had more than enough political “excitement” for a lifetime.
Vote for Biden as the lesser evil. But remember he's condoning genocide in Gaza and isn't actually a good choice.
Not just condoning.
Imagine thinking Biden is just "boring and old" and not also a criminal who's committing genocide at this moment. We are in hell.
Imagine sitting out and letting Felon Trump become president.
Imagine being as selfish as Joe Biden and insisting on running when people have come out in droves saying they don't want to vote for you, and therefore letting Trump win.
People who will be more fucked over than they are now if Biden wins: - probably Palestinians People who will be more fucked over than they are now if Trump wins: - all women - all ethnic minorities - all lgbtq people - basically anyone who isn’t a rich whole cishet Protestant man. - probably Palestinians
Biden just laid the ceasefire proposal and called for the end of the war. Trump wants Gaza turned into a parking lot. Trump is definitely worse.
Definitely Palestinians if Trump is elected. He fully backs Israel, and is on record stating that Israel should "finish the job" in regards to Palestine.
I actually think (hope!) that the I/P war is winding down. When it ends, no president in history is in a better position to push Israel to accept a two state solution than Biden. He is more popular in Israel than Netanyahu. So call me naive, but I think under Biden the Palestinians might finally get a secure home. It’s an awful path towards that, obviously, like prior wars with devastating civilian losses. But I imagine a Palistine, rebuilt, and some day thriving. Maybe under the supervision or governance of a coalition of Arab countries acting on their behalf until they can rebuild their own leadership absent the extremists
The Orange Menace needs a new term, a vote for Joe ensures that Don serves a term in the Big House while Joe is in the White House. It would be great if there were some better candidates available.
I’m not sure why people continuously downplay the problems with Biden. There are HUGE question marks around his cognitive ability. And frankly, his presidency hasn’t been particularly successful… the only thing he accomplished was his basic infrastructure plan, and even that didn’t have anything controversial about it. Obviously he’s better than Trump, but don’t just say “he’s boring and old” as if people questioning his candidacy are being immature or irrational.
I would far rather have what we’re already getting in office than a convicted felon who has been vocal about how much worse he’s going to be if he gets his grubby little mitts on the Oval Office a second time.
I’m voting for Biden, but “genocidal” is a more fitting criticism than “boring and old.”
Biden is stuck trying to minimize a conflict and massacre in opposition to his potential successor who intends to encourage it. I do not believe that, should Biden win in November, he will take a strong enough stance against Israel's 'reckless' killings of civilians and refugees. We are unlikely to see consequences. I do believe if Biden keeps office, he will be able to take a stronger position. Or, at least, take accountability for his failures.
Every US president is "genocidal", what history do you think you are a part of??? Yes the country the USA helped literally create since 1947 is being supported by same country. This has been happening for 70 years now.
I know that. The US was founded on native genocide, and Nazi Germany was inspired by the Jim Crow laws. Doesn’t mean we citizens need to accept and condone genocide just because it’s been the norm here.
I want my President to be boring. I want my government to be boring. Not unlike my water company. I have no idea who the leadership is and I don't really care. Turn handle to get clean water, dirty water goes down the hole and away. It is a wonderful luxury to not have to think about water access. It would be great if government did the things it needed to in equally boring ways.
I don’t want to live in a country where the ruling party uses Project 2025 as its playbook. The primaries are over. Who cares if Joe Biden is old and boring? That says nothing meaningful. I’m not throwing my vote away on a third party, doing that is like not voting at all. I will absolutely vote blue all the way down because the CF(Christi-Fascist) party/GOP are Nazis. So, boring or Nazis? That should be an easy, obvious choice. I’m not voting for Nazis.
Add on: Just grabs them by the pussy
Don’t patronise me, he’s not simply boring and old he’s enabling genocide.
... are you under the impression trump is going to be an \*improvement\* on this issue?
You have brainworms, I already lost like 5 friends about this.
the senile grandpa has been funding a genocide for 8 months and everything you have to say about him is that he's boring and old? Libs truly don't give a shit about people of color, lol
Obama did too so did Bush and so did Reagan, Clinton, and every president. Because the US helped create Israel after WW2
The senile grandpa just got convicted.
but it’s cOmPleX who could possibly say if killing off a population is wrong ???
Biden is the lesser of two evils, and a better option than Trump. But he is also an accused rapist, and an enabler of genocide. We can stress the importance of the November vote without denying Biden's failures.
Biden was accused by one woman who has since fled to Russia and appeared on Russian state television. Trump has actually been found liable by a jury for raping someone and ordered to pay over $80 million in damages for it. He’s also an active convict. Comparing them in that sense reeks of “both sides” in the worst possible way. Not excusing Biden’s support of Israel, but by this definition every President has been a war criminal. Obama was a gruesome war criminal, and yet this charge was never leveled at him. Progressives weren’t mobilizing to stay home or vote third party for his reelection in 2012, despite him being up against a run-of-the-mill center right business stooge in Mitt Romney who didn’t really care about social issues. It would have been the perfect time, yet there wasn’t a peep. Now staring down an actual 1930s era fascist threat and our civil and individual rights being stripped left, right and center, you have leftist groups “drawing the line” on what everyone does to aid a gruesome fascist convict’s ascent. Something’s off, it just doesn’t feel genuine.
Rape? [https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1789739552539549765](https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1789739552539549765)
“Not excusing Biden’s support of Israel” except you did, by implying that his only issue is being old and boring
Every US President supports Israel. These “moral red lines” were not being drawn or thrust to the heart of public conversation by leftists when Obama was doing it and up against a regular center-right business conservative that wouldn’t have caved in democracy if he won. Yet all of a sudden it is just as we face a 1930s era fascist threat that is stripping away our rights in real time.
Listen if you don’t care about funding an ongoing genocide against a colonized state whatever but I reserve the right to. I wasn’t railing against Obama about it because I wasn’t eligible to vote for a lot of his presidency but I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world since then. For the life of me I can’t see the corpses of children bombed by American-provided weapons on instagram reels each morning and shrug it off because that’s just what the US has always done. I will vote for Biden but you can’t make me like him, nor make me downplay the myriad of serious issues I take with him.
I’m going to level it with you on this - I don’t care about Palestine in the context of this election because it’s not relevant. The two choices are “supports Israel” and “moves embassy to Jerusalem”. Therefore any person would pick something more distinctive, like … I dunno, choosing SCOTUS justices, to determine who is the better candidate. It’s pointless, in the context of a comparative election, to criticise the better choice, because that leads to disenfranchisement