• Hildegarde@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Not enough for voters who are undecided about whether to vote or not.

      Democrats win when turnout is high. It’s not enough to be better than the opponent, to win they must beat apathy.

      • RealFknNito@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        The two current candidates are so far apart the people who claim to be undecided are ignorant or stupid, willingly or otherwise. I’d understand riding the fence between Biden and Bernie, even if I’ve made my choice between them, but between Trump and Biden?

        That’s the kind of person who is undecided if they want to drive to work or walk down the middle of i-95

        • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          I think you are perhaps uninformed about the economic state of the poor and working class. Biden hasn’t done a whole lot about people’s grocery bills doubling and tripling, or the soaring increases in rent while the housing supply has remained artificially low, but he’s made sure that blank checks for war appear out of thin air at every turn.

          Can’t expect to win an election like this when people can’t afford to miss a day of work.

          • LucidNightmare@lemmy.world
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            Yeahhhh, no.

            Like the original commenter said, you are either ignorant or stupid.

            Anyone who actively lived during Trump’s awful years in office has all the info we need to NOT vote for that fucking orange idiot, and instead CLAMBER to anyone with ANY semblance of sanity.

            If you honestly think that Biden losing will help anyone in any way whatsoever (besides Trump and his little rich bastards who are as evil as he is), you, and anyone else who feels that way, are a lost cause.

            • Hildegarde@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Anyone who is eligible to vote actively lived through the trump years. And a third of those voters disagree with you. Calling them stupid is not an effective way to help them change their minds or voting decisions.

              Day to day economic realities matter to the average voter.

              • LucidNightmare@lemmy.world
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                I don’t give a flying fuck about changing anyones mind any more. If you actively lived through the awful Trump years, you don’t need your fucking mind changed. Most of those “third of voters” are a lost cause, so I do not give a fuck about trying to get them to maybe open their eyes just a little bit.

                Also, yes, I’m sure the “economic realities” really matter to those voters when this is who they will allow back into office.

            • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Like the original commenter said, you are either ignorant or stupid.

              It’s okay if projecting makes you feel better.

              • Please_Do_Not@lemm.ee
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                7 months ago

                Let’s just cut to the chase–is your argument that both sides are the same? Or that voting for Biden is just as bad as voting for Trump, or not voting? Or are you just arguing to stir things up? Trying to figure out where your willful ignorance lies.

            • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              “My candidate is just as shitty as the other guy” isn’t quite the profound defense you think it is.

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                7 months ago

                That is probably the lamest possible misinterpretation you could make, but I’m sure that’s intentional. Nobody is “both sides”-ing them but you.

          • deweydecibel@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Tell me what you think he could have done without Congress.

            Let’s hear it.

            Give me the actual steps that you believe Biden could have done but did not do.

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          7 months ago

          The only Democrat with the power to do anything at the moment is Biden, and his power is limited.

          But he’s been doing a lot within that limited power.

          And I genuinely don’t care whatever some asshole from hexbear with their Lemmy World alt is about to pop in here and reply with, because the fundamental issue is not Biden, it is Congress and the Supreme Court. Congress is absolutely fucked, and that is not Biden’s fault, it’s the Constitution’s fault, and the fault of Red State conservatives that have completely gerrymandered their states to hell, and the Supreme Court that did not stop them. It is not biden’s fault at the Supreme Court is now stacked with corrupt conservative justices that will strike down anything he does that they think they can make a case against.

          It is very, very convenient to forget that the other two branches exist when you’re intent is to make Biden look like he hasn’t done anything or committed to his campaign promises.

    • danc4498@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      What’s your position?

      “Not a fascist dictator that openly wants to kill democracy.”

    • The Menemen!@lemmy.world
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      Honestly, no. In Turkey the opposition used that strategy since 2002 and lost every single vote, except the last local elections where they finally decided to do things a little differently (+ the financial crisis). If your only selling point is “not being the other guy” then your whole election campaign is basically an advertising for the other guy.

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        7 months ago

        In Canada at the federal level the Conservatives are on their way to have a majority using this exact tactic, they’re voting against anything the government tries to do (even stuff they asked for in the past) and they’re promising to make everything better once elected, no one knows how, not even them.

      • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        Exactly this. It just boils down to manufacturing consent for the other guy’s terrible policies, and results in hopelessness leading to voter apathy. Braindead strategy with 0 concept of leadership.

    • Trent@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      This. I’ve never voted for ‘not the other guy’, but I will this time. Honestly, the democrats could run Vinny the Wino and I’d vote for him over Trump.

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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      It’s really not if you’re a wage earner in 2/3 of US states, where it’s still perfectly legal to pay you $7 an hour. Since Idaho got away with criminalizing abortion, 2/3 of the states will soon follow.

      Hell, homelessness jumped 12% in 2023 alone. I’m guessing, for those people, “I’m not Trump” isn’t going to be as persuasive an argument as you might think.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        It’s really hard to vote if you don’t have a home address, so those unhoused people don’t matter in our system.

        • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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          It’s really hard to vote if you don’t have a home address,

          And you’d think after 2016 the Democrats might have realized that they need those votes, but they’re too busy getting wealthier to care.

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          It blows my mind how often people try to argue that someone should be elected on the strength of the economy when said economy isn’t doing jack shit for the poor and working class.

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    7 months ago

    The entire premise is BS because Biden has a list of accomplishments from infrastructure to debt forgiveness, progressive drug guidance, progress in gender/race equality, departments like the ftc and irs being competently run again with actual resources, to judge appointments. Hmm I wonder to who’s benefit it is to ignore all that and label him “not Trump”?

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      Biden bragged about cutting social security, has no desire to reform healthcare, and doesn’t care about income inequality or labour rights. He looks at America’s race-to-the-bottom economy and he’s like “yeah. Everything is working just fine here”

      Also, many of the things you listed here are basically just “not Trump/not Republicans” in their own way. You really think “appointed competent people to run government departments” is a positive and not just a non-negative point (as compared to what his opponents would do)?

      Also, Biden is obviously fucking senile and I’m tired of people pretending he’s not just because they’re afraid it will give Trump power. It’s totally fine to vote for Biden because he was the lesser evil, but let’s not pretend he was ever a good option. When you ignore reality because it makes it harder to like your preferred candidate, you are doing the exact same thing the MAGA idiots do.

      Before you accuse me of anything, you should know I’m Canadian and have absolutely no dog in this fight. This is my unbiased outsider perspective. I could give a shit who wins the next election in the US, but I’m tired of people lying to themselves about either of the candidates not being a steaming pile of shit.

      • Tja@programming.dev
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        7 months ago

        Also, many of the things you listed here are basically just “not Trump/not Republicans” in their own way.

        • substitutes everything the candidate runs on to “I’m not the other guy”, because the other guy doesn’t run on those things

        • accuses candidate of running on “I’m not the other guy”

        • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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          My point was “he appointed competent people to run some departments and gives them enough resources to do their jobs” isn’t a point in his favour. It’s only a neutral point. It’s the baseline that should be expected from someone in his office. You’re saying “Biden doesn’t actively strip the government for parts”. It only makes sense as a point in his favour if you assume that the alternative is “starve the beast” tactics (which TBF it definitely is). It can only be considered a positive as compared to his opponent.

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            7 months ago

            I disagree with you first statement. It is definitely a point in his favor because the election doesn’t happen in a vacuum, you must take into account who the alternatives are.

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              The point is that you should hold the Democrats and Biden accountable for being evil and not doing good things that make people’s lives better (which they absolutely have the power to do). They sit back and watch the world burn, then when election time comes they say “at least we didn’t start any of these fires” (they just don’t bother extinguishing them)

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      Care to offer an actual list? Every time someone tries to offer an actual list it turns out to be meaningless victory laps. With the possible exception of the NLRB Cemex decision. But that’s getting it’s stress test right now so it’s a bit early to celebrate.

      • deweydecibel@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Care to offer an actual list?

        They gave you a list. You go find the links if you’re so hell bent on handwaving them away.

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          If you check my post history you’ll see I do go through the entire list when it’s reasonable. I’m not trawling through a thousand EOs and NSMs for an internet stranger though. That’s dangerously close to trying to prove a negative and will take multiple months. If they want to prove a point they need to support that point. Not do the source version of waving vaguely in the direction of the White House.

    • OccamsTeapot@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      cough supporting a genocide cough

      Until then he was doing great yeah. Bit of a big one though.

      And before you hit me with the usual I know Trump would be worse for Gaza but it doesn’t change what Biden has done

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        1 he always supported it, so if you say “until” you just didn’t care until it went hot, 2 I don’t think it changes it that his opponent supports it harder, but it does speak to your options.

        • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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          He always supported Israel… I think the ‘until’ is in reference to Israel’s more recent and more blatant attack on Gaza - prior to that, Biden’s support for Israel wasn’t nearly as flagrant as it is now.

          Like, no one would bat an eye if I told them I support my wife’s decisions, but if she started breaking into the local NICUs and stomping on people’s babies, my continued support for her decisions would be a tad sus. …especially if I regularly said “honey could you tone the baby-stomping down a bit?” as I handed her a new pair of baby-stomping boots.

          I’m not a both-sides’er (unless I’m talking to a trumpanzee in an attempt to steer votes away from Agent Orange). My vote is going to Biden and I encourage anyone reading this to do the same, but our complicity in the genocide on Gaza is genuinely upsetting, partly because it’s complicity in a fucking genocide, and partly because this WILL cause voter disengagement and could hand that other dipshit the presidency on a silver platter.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          you just didn’t care until it went hot

          Exactly this. It’s astonishing how many people would destroy everything based on an extremely old holy war because the US didn’t suddenly reverse their long established policy when the conflict heats up again.

          The Trumpists are ecstatic how easy it was to flip these morons.

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            It’s almost as if many of these people are just virtue signaling or falling for the propoganda. I don’t see any of these same commenters so vocally opposed to any of the other handful atrocities happening around the world, and yet they fail to think the next thought of what will the situation be like if Trump wins?

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              Yeah, I think a lot of them are just bad actors, faking left leanings. Paid or otherwise. This one guy posts several times every single day about the war and often lays it all at Biden’s feet. If he’s paid, Putin or whoever it is truly does get their money’s worth with so many posts and comments essentially indirectly supporting trump.

              And if you dare to disagree with their bullshit of course the means you love genocide. Literally have had several commenters use those exact words.

              • OccamsTeapot@lemmy.world
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                This one guy posts several times every single day about the war and often lays it all at Biden’s feet. If he’s paid, Putin or whoever it is truly does get their money’s worth with so many posts and comments essentially indirectly supporting trump.

                Are you talking about me? Do you seriously think someone pays me to post rather than me just being a person who is horrified about what’s happening?

                • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Given that your last post was about Bob Dylan and it was 3 weeks ago, I’m kind of struggling to see where you got the idea I was referring to you. Makes me wonder why you thought that…

          • OccamsTeapot@lemmy.world
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            The Trumpists are ecstatic how easy it was to flip these morons.

            I would never vote Trump. “Morons” for having criticism of a president supplying weapons that have killed over 10k children?

            These centrist democrats are ecstatic how a substantial number of their voters have no standards whatsoever and will defend anything as long as it keeps Trump out.

            Downvote all you want. If you can’t criticise Biden for this you’re a piece of shit

            • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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              I don’t need to “criticize Biden”. That isn’t what’s happening anyhow. What’s happening is that people are pretending Biden is the one doing this and threatening to destroy the United States if he doesn’t stop the thing which he is not doing. Sending Israel money is a fuck of a lot older than his presidency.

              • OccamsTeapot@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                Just because it’s been happening for a while doesn’t make it right.

                Why was Rafah a red line until all of a sudden it wasn’t? Because he knows it’s morally wrong and will lead to a lot of death but is too much of a coward to stand up for what he believes.

                • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Just because it’s been happening for a while doesn’t make it right.

                  Just because you care about it now doesn’t suddenly make it more important than every concern, including preventing it from getting far worse.

        • OccamsTeapot@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Obviously it wasn’t as big an issue until October 7th. I did care, just not as much was happening

        • Maalus@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          So if you are against genocide, you don’t get a candidate that can represent you. And americans would rather drag their dick through miles of broken glass than to vote 3rd party.

          • jumjummy@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Voting 3rd party in a primary is throwing your vote away, plain and simple. If we want better candidates, handily defeat the GOP so that it has no choice other than to ditch the completely fascist support, or collapse. That’s the only chance we have of getting more progressive candidates to vote for. Start in local elections, move to state, then get some of these people into higher office.

            Hoping that suddenly the incumbent Democrat candidate will become a super progressive person at the 11th hour is just a fantasy.

            • Maalus@lemmy.world
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              My point exactly with “crawling through miles of glass before voting third party”. A nation of defeatists.

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                Stop the disinformation. Voting 3rd party in this general election is just going to help Trump and the fascists. You’re either a naive fool, or a disinformation agent.

                • Maalus@lemmy.world
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                  Again, my point exactly. You are almost combative about voting for anyone who doesn’t support the genocide. Good job.

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            I don’t need to torture my penis to know it would have a bad outcome to do so, kind of like giving my vote to trump with an extra step while pretending to be a martyr

              • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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                Except for the fact that we know how the system works and third party candidates have no chance

                • retrospectology@lemmy.world
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                  So should people who are not going to vote for a Trump or Biden actively cast their vote for Trump then? It’s the same thing, after all, right?

                  Is not casting a vote for Trump actually a vote for Biden?

      • retrospectology@lemmy.world
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        He was doing pretty bad up to that point, thus why his approval rating was dogshit. Gaza simply made him unelectable by those who might’ve been able to hold their nose to avoid Trump.

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      He certainly did give a ton of handouts to corporations with nice sounding names, yeah.

      And he offered the GOP every fascist policy they want on border with literally no strings attached. Twice. What a great totally-different-from-republicans guy.

      Really knows how to reach across the aisle and be bi-partisan by…-checks notes-…giving the GOP everything they want with no conditions.

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    Stop thinking that you vote “for” someone in a FPTP system. You don’t. You vote against the guy you don’t like.

    It sucks, and I hate it, but don’t delude yourself into thinking otherwise. We’re playing a badly-designed game with a shitty controller and we’re only allowed to press a button once a year at best.

    Think Twitch Plays Pokemon, but with a lot more trolls and no moderation. There will be a constant stream of people voting to do something stupid and destructive, so you spend all of your time voting against them.

    Oh, and their votes count for more, so they can win even if there’s fewer of them. All we can ever hope to do is try to stop them and hope they don’t fuck everything up and give themselves even more power before the next time we’re allowed to pick a move.

    Yay America. Greatest democracy in the world right there.

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      Both Democrats and Republicans have a vested interest in keeping the system as it is. They won’t change it unless citizens make them change it.

      Honestly I’m kind of losing hope that it’s even possible at this point.

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        It is impossible. Most people don’t see a problem with this. Especially the trolls who have more power than they should.

        The only time things have even marginally changed in the US there’s been violence. Civil rights, suffrage, the labor movement, ending slavery: All of them required thugs cracking skulls before they could happen.

        So unless we have about 10% of the population willing to put themselves in harm’s way we’re stuck like this.

      • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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        Do you really believe that nothing has changed over the decades? That seems like a very privileged stance.

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          Well yeah, plenty has changed. I’m talking about fixing our voting system. That would give lasting change, where we don’t have to worry so much about losing all that progress that people before us fought so hard for.

      • scutiger@lemmy.world
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        Sort of. On one side, they already benefit when the system is more fair, while the other side does everything in their power to rig the system in their favor, trying to lock their opponents out of ever having a chance.

        Look at what Texas is trying to do. They’re trying to lock statewide office behind the barrier of number of counties voting for them instead of population. That way Democrats will never again have a statewide office as all the tiny counties with almost no population are Republican-leaning.

        So while one side is happy with the status quo, the other side is fighting tooth and nail to make the rules less fair.

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        You need to study the two parties closely, from honest and reliable news resources. The parties are worlds apart. You will find corruption in any system unfortunately.

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          No you really don’t. It’s pretty fucking obvious that Republicans are awful. They’ll come right out and say it.

          The problem is that Democrats also get me further from my political goals, and will continue all of the bullshit that I hate because they either don’t see a problem with it or they’re hamstrung by the structure of government.

          There isn’t an option to vote for better. Only less worse.

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        They won’t change it unless citizens make them change it.

        They’ll send a fucking SWAT team to the house of any citizen tries to change it.

        Honestly I’m kind of losing hope that it’s even possible at this point.

        At some point, “we just need to vote for the most right-wing Democrat and then blame the leftists any time we lose” is not a productive long term strategy.

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        Except, as far as I can tell, the system is designed such that citizens can’t make them change it-- what are you going to do, vote for nobody and force the government to fix it’s shit before electing a new president? I mean, you could revolt but I think we all know how quickly the government would act to squash any meaningful attempt to. And if Project 2025 is allowed to play out, then military can be dispatched to handle simple protests instead of the police, so good luck pressuring the government to do anything at that point.

        They already put snipers on rooftops at every University for the Palestine protests. Supposedly this was for public safety as there was intel that things would turn violent, but who really knows the truthfulness of such intel or where the order came down from? When the military becomes your police, this act would pale in comparison.

        Remember this when you go to the polls, or when you are considering not to.

        • buddascrayon@lemmy.world
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          Need to stop looking at the big picture first. There’s more than just the presidential or senatorial or even Congressional elections. There are local elections that have a much bigger impact on how your life goes than you realize. Do you know who your mayor is? Do you know who your state senator or alderman is? Most people know who their governor is but do you know who your lieutenant Governor is? Who is your state’s attorney general? Generally speaking the Secretary of State administers your electoral process in your state, do you know who your secretary of state is? Did you vote for your secretary of state? Did you bother to find out who was running against them in the primary election?

          These are the questions most people don’t ask don’t even think to ask, and these are the questions that have the largest impact on how our country is actually run. In the long run the presidential election doesn’t matter as much as these because these are what determine how the president ends up actually getting elected. I almost lament the 17th amendment changing the way senators are chosen. Because when senators were chosen by the legislatures in the state people had to pay more attention to what their state legislature looked like.

        • wanderingmagus@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          The military, among both officers and enlisted, is actually pretty split politically, and a good number can and will refuse to obey an order they perceive to be unconstitutional, or outright commit mutiny. For all that the military warns about insider threats, it is also woefully unprepared to deal with them as well. Military servicemembers are also significantly stricter with the use of deadly force than police from my experience, although that may simply be due to my having served in the SSBN force.

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        Sure. I agree it won’t change unless citizens push for a change. But choosing to not participate is not pushing for a change. That’s just capitulation. Choosing to not vote is not a signal of protest. It’s a signal of someone who doesn’t care what the outcome is.

        Voting is the first and most basic step in pushing for change. Doing more is good, but you definitely can’t skip that step.

    • rayyy@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      If you want a great democracy you must devote time and money to develop good candidate from the ground up, and who besides the rich oligarchs who can hire surrogates has the time or money?

    • buddascrayon@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Technically we get to press the button twice because there’s primaries (and, to a lesser degree, caucuses), but people need to be engaged in the process a lot earlier than the September/October/November period in which most people actually are paying attention.

      • Aabbcc@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        there’s primaries

        Except not really because everyone said they won’t run they’ll just let Biden have it

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          7 months ago

          Stop focusing so much on the president. There are other positions in the party, ones who influence how our elections are handled, who are actually more important in the long run.

              • Aabbcc@lemm.ee
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                7 months ago

                Because Brandon is the worst and the DNC doesn’t care if they win

                • Decoy321@lemmy.world
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                  Right, because he’s the only reason reality isn’t all perfect sunshine and rainbows.

                  My point is that nothing’s perfect. You often have to settle for what’s real.

                  Plus, there’s at least one person I can think of that’s worse than Brandon. Do you need a hint?

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Wrong. You vote for the person you want your states delegates to go to.
      To win a person has to get to 270

      Logically this means you really only have 2 choices if you want to pick a winner. In a dichotomy you’re voting for someone just as much as against someone, really.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      You vote against the guy you don’t like.

      What if I don’t like any of them?

      There will be a constant stream of people voting to do something stupid and destructive, so you spend all of your time voting against them.

      I would simply not participate in a system that sounds this miserable and tedious. I would play a game that’s more productive and enjoyable.

      Oh, and their votes count for more, so they can win even if there’s fewer of them.

      But it doesn’t matter, because casting a vote for Ralph Nader from my bright red state of Texas is still the reason Al Gore lost Florida in a 5-4 SCOTUS decision.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        What if I don’t like any of them?

        Join the club.

        I would play a game that’s more productive and enjoyable.

        That’s not possible. We voted on what game we’re playing and we glued the cartridge into the console. Much to my disappointment we don’t get to change the game, or not play, or even ignore it.

        It’s a stupid world and we all live in it.

        But it doesn’t matter, because casting a vote for Ralph Nader from my bright red state of Texas is still the reason Al Gore lost Florida in a 5-4 SCOTUS decision.

        Exactly: The system is built to let them win as much as possible. You’re not going to ever beat it. It’s like Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy except even more frustrating and without the pleasant voiceovers.

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          7 months ago

          That’s not possible.

          That’s very possible. It’s just not what Americans are used to doing.

          We voted on what game we’re playing

          That’s a naive perspective, as it misses the historical, financial, and sociological roots of the game. You can’t play a game of basketball if the other team picks up the ball and walks off the court.

          This is Lockean Theory 101, and its the entire basis of democracy. We use democratic tools to divine popular intent. But when the democracy is subverted and political leadership is divorced from public sentiment, the institutions fail. But if institutions aren’t failing because people are too afraid to withdraw their support from them, the system is implicitly endorsed and corrupt officials get to continue abusing their social mandates.

          It’s a stupid world and we all live in it.

          Its only as stupid as we make it. Atm, we’ve got a country that’s invested an enormous amount of time, energy, and labor hours in infesting our senior population with brain worms. That needs to change and simply voting isn’t going to be the thing that does it.

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    7 months ago

    “Well, that’s not a very enticing platform! Who is your opponent?”

    “Donald Trump.”

    “You have my vote.”

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    Well, when you make your name into a brand, then mark your followers with the same, and your brand is a plague on the world… yeah, that kinda is enough. I’d vote for an off-cut of shit-smeared shag carpet if it meant I could rest easy knowing that the next wave of vomit being spewed on Twitter wasn’t directed at some of the most vulnerable and under represented peoples on the planet. And if you are wondering if I’m purposefully being ambiguous about to whom I refer, let me sate your curiosity and call former President Trump the cunt he is. Trump is a cunt.

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    When the opponent is Trump, isn’t that exactly the right thing to do?

    FYI: Most of those braindead “am I not allowed to criticize Biden???” comments and posts on social media are a concerted effort by right-wingers from /pol and other such sewers, trying to get people to not vote against Trump. Don’t fall for it. These aren’t “lefties” or “tankies”. Just downvote, report, and ignore.

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        7 months ago

        Election interference. Disguising yourself as the opposite side you’re on is not wanted on any platform.

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          7 months ago

          Oh, I see. What if they call for vote in a third party, is that interference too?

          You guys are so afraid of Trump killing democracy that you’re willing to kill democracy to fight him. You are blind.

    • zarkanian@sh.itjust.works
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      You can’t vote “against Trump”. We’d have a better democracy if we could. I would love to have a vote of no confidence on the ballot.

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        Literally all you can do is vote against Trump or for him…what the fuck are u smoking?

        Dude go back to logic 101. Anyone else you vote for is “against Trump”.

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        Of course, there’s exactly one way to vote against Trump, but something tells me you’re a rightwing troll or some other kind of dishonest player.

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          Accusing everybody who doesn’t see things your way “rightwing trolls” does nothing but help rightwing trolls. When everybody seems to be one the real ones become invisible.

          • suction@lemmy.world
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            I’m not accusing everybody who sees things differently, only those people who repeat the same idiotic talking points about Biden.

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              You attacked a member of the Green Party for not voting for Biden.

              You’d burn down all the third parties out of fear for Trump and then complain when the Democrat President doesn’t give a flying fuck about you.

              Say everyone votes for Biden to keep Trump out. Why would Biden care about you? Why would he care what you want in a candidate? Why would he even bother to earn your vote? You’ll vote for him as long as there’s a Trump.

              All you’re doing is making sure all candidates get worse and worse. You are saying loud and clear you’ll eat every bowl of shit and take everything up the ass as long as it’s not Trump giving it to you. You are begging to be fucked.

              • suction@lemmy.world
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                Calm down, little guy. This isn’t Russia, you can choose who to vote for regardless of party affiliation. So you “endure” Biden for the next 4 years and then you vote for Mr Beast or Dua Lipa or whoever you stylers like. It will not be the end of the world, or maybe if you’re 12 (you sure sound like it), then 4 years might seem like a lifetime to you…but if you fail to vote against Trump, your cute little party will not exist in 4 years. This time though, all hands on deck against Trump, it’s not hard to understand.

                • spirinolas@lemmy.world
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                  “Vote for Biden, or else”. Fear tactics at its best.

                  He doesn’t have to “endure” anyone. His vote is his, that’s it. Deal with it.

                  By the way, I’m 40. And the reason I tell you is because I’ve been listening for that “just this once” crap since I WAS 12.

                  20 years ago Bush Jr. was the antichrist. Now…he was not that bad. Trust me, you can have worse than Trump. A competent one. On either party. And that mindset is bringing it closer everyday, you’re just too blind to see it.

                  So be it. Every empire has to fall, I guess.

    • x0x7@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      “When the opponent is Biden, isn’t that exactly the right thing to do?”

      That’s what the other side is saying. You all should read Hans Herman Hoppe: The God that Failed.

      https://gvid.tv/v/QbkYpm

  • octopus_ink@lemmy.ml
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    I mean… I usually agree with the sentiment the comic is trying to convey, but OTOH the “My Opponent” in this case is Trump.

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    7 months ago

    This year, that is exactly enough for me to vote for “not his opponent.”

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    7 months ago

    I’m hearing this a lot lately too. Not from the Biden campaign, mind you. Just as a straw man in memes and comments in spaces like this.

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    In a system where all the non-winning votes are lost in a step and not counted at the end, like the USA form of weak democracy, this becomes a valid tactic.

    It’s not only the presidential vote that’s like this, but ALL fucking votes. It’s astonishing how weak the US system is.

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    7 months ago

    So to be honest the #1 reason I’m voting Biden by far is that he’s not Trump. But if you want another reason, how about that he finally stuck it to TurboTax and created a free federal tax filing system?

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    No you aren’t. You’re being told that this is all that’s happening, but you aren’t going to look for yourself.

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      To be fair, we should not have to look. Aren’t these people spending money on a campaign?

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        Yes-- campaigns that involve influencing people’s opinions with covert guerrilla campaigns across social media with no accountability. Among the other shady tactics in their playbooks.

      • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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        If you aren’t seeing the campaign because they aren’t reaching you, you still aren’t seeing this, and just being told what to think.

        You’re basically reiterating my point, but somehow appear to be excusing being a sheep.

        • Feathercrown@lemmy.world
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          What? I never said I don’t seek the truth. I said I shouldn’t have to. #bothsides and the rhetoric in the comic are stupid.

          • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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            If you claim the campaign is saying something, but openly admit the campaign is not reaching you, then you are doing exactly what I said: not looking for yourself and just parroting what you were told the are saying.

            • Feathercrown@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              The campaign is not reaching me through advertising, but I am reaching the campaign through Google.

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                Wtf are you even talking about? I’m so confused.

                This isn’t difficult. The Biden campaign is not saying what the OP is claiming they “see a lot of,” he has provided plenty of platform and has seemingly gone out of his way to me minimize mentioning trump (although I expect that the change). The claim that it’s happening a lot is just mindlessly parroting a talking points being fed to them.

                What don’t you understand about this?

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    7 months ago

    Add a smarmy attitude and this is an exact representation of Pierre Polievre, opposition leader in Canada and likely to become the next PM

    20+ years in politics (has never had another job outside of politics) and has only 1 bill under this name to show for (it was a bill to make voting harder)… and in over 2 years as opposition leader, he has yet to utter a single concrete idea other than “I’m not Trudeau”