If we can't be bothered to vote in the primaries, wjy would anyone believe us that a progressive candidate would somehow lure millions more to vote?
As I know the comments will be, uhhh, fun, I've turned off reply notifications.
Progressive here. I vote in every primary and try to rally support for the most progressive in my coalition. Come November, I vote against fascists which means voting for Democrats because they're obviously better in every way.
If you don't vote or vote third party, congratulations, it means you were duped by right-wing propaganda or don't understand how our election system works and the inevitable binary outcome that comes with FPTP and whole you didn't give fascists +2, you gave them +1.
This.
Not voting or voting for a third party hands a win to people you don't want winning. The system is not fair, at all -- but that doesn't mean we should operate in a way we know will lead to a bad outcome. We have plenty of evidence that third parties in the US don't really make a dent, but they do sway elections (and generally not how you want). The rest is idealism.
It's also a good example of why single-issue voting means you'll almost always get more collateral damage, even if you get representation you want on that specific issue.
I've gotten more down votes saying exactly this.
In 2020 Biden won with 81.3 million votes. In 2024 Trump won with 77.3 million votes. All we had to do to avoid the mess we are in is turn out with the same "enthusiasm" we had for Biden in 2020.
I agree with this strategy but I think you have to also concede that anti-electoralists have some good arguments too. Since voting is relatively low investment, my personal view is that it's best to pursue a variety of strategies. But for the vast majority of Americans for whom voting is their only political activity, I would challenge them to figure out what the next step is in becoming a more effective political actor. Frankly, there are a variety of actions a person can take that are way more impactful than voting. And this moment demands more from us than passive participation.
In 2000, Nader won 1.64% of the popular vote in Florida.
If less than 1% of the Nader voters had voted for Gore instead, Gore would have won Florida, become president, and who knows what timeline we'd be living in today.
If your favorite candidate is polling in single digits ahead of election day, maybe... just maybe... you should consider which of the actually viable candidates you want to win and vote accordingly.
I vote in every damn primary fuck you
Democrats haven't held an unbiased presidential primary since 2008, but go off. Superdelegates will save us.
Indeed.
Polls showed Bernie beating Donald head-to-head. Polls showed Hilary losing to Donald head-to-head.
Heard enough from liberals about “electability.”
Based on the timing of this post, I’d assume they’re talking about the midterms for offices like Senator, Representative, County Commissioners, Sheriff, etc, which to my knowledge don’t use superdelegates, but I’d be interested to learn if I’m wrong.
We keep being told that we're not voting in the primaries.
I don't quite believe it. I'm starting to think the primaries are rigged. And this is their excuse -- they get to smugly tell us we're just not showing up to primaries in enough numbers to make a difference. Conveniently puts the blame on us, trying to make us blame ourselves.
The last 2 primaries were a disgrace. You can find a bunch of vocal progressives who didn't vote or voted 3rd part, but the bigger problem has been the establishment completely ignoring trying to get democrats to get off the couch and vote and instead try to court sycophantic far right voters with weird anti-trans rhetoric or pushing class warfare under the guise of deregulation and "small government".
We keep being told that we’re not voting in the primaries.
I don’t quite believe it. I’m starting to think the primaries are rigged. And this is their excuse – they get to smugly tell us we’re just not showing up to primaries in enough numbers to make a difference. Conveniently puts the blame on us, trying to make us blame ourselves.
Is all the polling rigged too, from every major pollster, including notably progressive-leaning ones?
The general electorate, including even the narrower subset of the Dem electorate, is just not as progressive as most of us. Even Mamdani barely managed a majority in NYC, which is hardly as conservative as, say, suburbs in Pennsylvania.
DNC primaries are nothing more than a livestock auction for donors. Libs will cry a big game about FPTP election systems and our need to overturn CU, but will ignore any of those major systemic contradictions when it happens to affirm their worldview
Damn right I didn't vote in the last primary!
... because I was fucking homeless!
Can't vote without a permanent mail receiving residence!
My sources say you can in all 50 states by listing a park, shelter, or other place where you spend time as your residence and shelter, church, etc as your mailing address. You should be able to go to a polling location and get a ballot even if you don't receive one in the mail.
Just saying that I think there are options for you next time if you find yourself in the same situation. You are not without some power.
lol what primaries? As I recall last time we were simply handed Kamala, and everyone I know voted for her despite that. But If Biden had stepped away earlier as he originally claimed to intend to, we would have had time for a real primary. And I would have voted in it.
There's an upcoming midterm election. The Democratic primaries are just getting started for it, in fact the primaries for Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas are starting tomorrow.
Other important Democratic primaries, according to a quick Googling:
So maybe let's get to it. When the election itself comes around you'll have the usual two-party choice of D or R, which isn't really much of a choice. Hold your nose and vote D in that one regardless of anything else, it's the lesser evil. The primaries are where you can express your political desires more freely without handing a win to the Republicans by picking the less-than-optimal choice.
But what if the election is rigged? But what if there are armed squads of killer ICE agents at the polls? But what about if Trump calls martial law and cancels elections even if it doesn't work that way and states can do what they want anyway??? WHAT IF A PLANE CRASHES ON ME ON THE WAY TO VOTE???
Ahh, projection.
Tell me again how Bernie dropping out of the primary and endorsing Hilary lost her the general election.
“Yadda yadda yadda misogyny.”
Or, if you want a more recent example, there’s this progressive who won the democratic NY mayoral primary. Progressives did what we’ve been told to do — disagree during the primary, then vote blue no matter who in the general. Liberal democrats lost their goddamn minds and ran Andrew “Sex Crimes” Cuomo as an ~~Independent~~ spoiler.
Progressives’ biggest mistake was ever believing liberals.
I mean you say that, but in the state I live in a progressive candidate is running and getting huge engagement with the largest primary turnout ever I think but certainly in decades. All while the establishment Democrats are fighting hard against him.
Reminds me of Mamdami! Keep fighting!
Your vote for a third party without ranked choice voting is a waste of your vote
I vote in the primaries, but for the independent ballot. None on the Dem ballot represent me by sticking too close to the centrist/center-right stances the party has. I can always find several people that speak for me on the independent ballot.
Because the DNC will sue to keep them off the ballot and win, and when constituents sue the DNC for not keeping their promises and the DNC will argue they are are a private entity or something (I forgot the exact argument), and under no obligation to keep their promises, and win. 🤷♀️
If they put up Gavin Newsom I'm staying home. Additionally I will encourage anyone I know to do the same. I haven't stayed home for a primary since I've been able the vote.
I refuse to vote for another centrist Democrat and I'm tired of acting like the only option is to choose the lesser of two evils.
Do you know what a primary is?
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