Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote ā€˜uncommittedā€™ in Michiganā€™s primary on Tuesday

Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor, pushed back on calls to not vote for Joe Biden over his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying on Sunday that could help Trump get re-elected.

ā€œItā€™s important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote thatā€™s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,ā€ she said on Sunday during an interview on CNNā€™s State of the Union. ā€œA second Trump term would be devastating. Not just on fundamental rights, not just on our democracy here at home, but also when it comes to foreign policy. This was a man who promoted a Muslim ban.ā€

Whitmer, who is a co-chair of Bidenā€™s 2024 campaign, also said she wasnā€™t sure what to expect when it came to the protest vote.

Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who is the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, urged Democrats last week to vote ā€œuncommittedā€ in Michiganā€™s 27 February primary.

  • Ekybio@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Objectively correct take.

    You can validly hate Biden for the handling of Gaza. But not voting for him is just helping the Fascists win.

    Swallow your pride. Do your duty at the ballot and then make the real changes by organising and protests.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      No. Itā€™s not on the voters to show up no matter what. Itā€™s on the politicians to be someone we want to vote for. We already did ā€œvote blue no matter who and pressure them for change later.ā€ And now weā€™re funding a genocide. Thatā€™s over. Now itā€™s pressure time.

      • i_ben_fine@lemmy.one
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        8 months ago

        Absolutely correct. ā€œVote blue no matter whoā€ got us here. The idea failed.

    • Paragone@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      More objectively correct take:

      Thanks to the political-parties highjacking governing-the-country,

      they can commit any crime or abomination, whatsoever, and you only can choose between them, because the rigged-system wonā€™t permit anyone to have any alternative to what the incumbent political-parties offer.

      There: fixed it for you.

      • HandBreadedTools@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        You know 3rd parties run all the time right? We even have multiple senators right now that are independents

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Why do you think the neoliberals running the DNC will let ranked choice happen?

          FPTP is the only reason neoliberals and Republicans can get elected, while they control both parties, weā€™ll never get rid of it.

          To get ranked choice, progressives first have to replace neoliberals, and then win so many elections it doesnā€™t matter what Republicans want.

          RCC isnā€™t the cure, itā€™s what we do after we win. Because itā€™s not going to happen until after we win.

          • Cataphract@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            For anyone confused or refuting this in their mind, look up the DNCā€™s history on ranked choice and the efforts theyā€™ve used to stop it. The only effective legislation passed in a few states was done by citizens with outside state help.

            • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Any reason it canā€™t be done by referendums brought forward by the voters. Just need so rich Hollywood types to put up money and support.

              • Cataphract@lemmy.ml
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                8 months ago

                Itā€™s complicated and I could go into details about every nuanced situation for a few hours. A few highlights,

                There are 24 states that do not provide for statewide citizen-initiated ballot measures (link)

                Alaska for some reason is my favorite example

                Ballot Measure 2 supporters spent nearly $7 million and campaigned for a year and a half ahead of the election (outside state support). Brett Huber, campaign manager of the leading vote-no group, said his team ā€œhad a short amount of time and a lot less money, and we tried our bestā€ (opponents to RCV). Ballot Measure 2 has received the support of 50.55% of Alaskaā€™s voters (link)

                So its slightly possible, with millions of dollars from outside state support, years to campaign, and catching the main political parties unaware of your movements.

    • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Zionism can be equated to fascism. Biden has stated multiple times that he is a Zionist. Neo-liberal fascists are already in power and they are destroying the left. you are saying do your duty at the ballot by saying vote this way or you are wasting a vote (that doesnā€™t actually count anyway because the pop vote doesnā€™t decide the presidency). I will do my duty by not partaking in sham elections for a two party state that I donā€™t have any faith in whatsoever to deliver anything they promise. Because they have no obligation to fulfill anything they say they will do to get into office. That in itself is protest so I am doing the real changes, as you say.

      • Facebones@reddthat.com
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        8 months ago

        They arenā€™t destroying the left, there just has never been a meaningful left in America.

        • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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          8 months ago

          Sure thatā€™s why FDR never won in an absolute landslide.

          Itā€™s why none of the last successful Democrat presidency runs over the last 2+ decades have been based on progressive reform and no Democrat would run with a slogan like ā€œChange we can believe inā€ with only one outlier being the most recent election based on a distinct aversion to fascism.

          America has never created national parks, new deals for farmers, or held up a man who was against war during the Cold war.

          Nah. Left just doesnā€™t exist.

          • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            national parks that still rob native peoples of their land? is that progressive to you? new deals for farmers, on stolen land? donā€™t act like america is anything to be proud of, even the leftest leaning presidents still upheld the empire.

            • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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              8 months ago

              Better than drilling on it. You canā€™t go back and undo history. Itā€™s happened. Itā€™s a shit take to just show it was someone elseā€™s land. It always is. We are all living in someone elseā€™s house and something elseā€™s environment, so Iā€™m and so forth.

              Yes we can be better in the future and should aim for that but just screaming that itā€™s all crap is really derivative of every history of everything.

              • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                Its a shit response to say that everybody has had land stolen. Especially when those peoples are still alive. So if we are to be better, then we need to acknowledge that there is still justice undone. And again these native peoples are still here, they arenā€™t gone. Native Hawaiians are actively being poisoned due to the US militaryā€™s ignorance and neglect of their own infrastructure. Democrats arenā€™t talking about that are they? Hawaii was illegally annexed but Iā€™m sure Democrats vacation there just as much as Republicans. They are still fighting for rights to their land and anyone in Congress or the White House would say they can go fuck themselves.

                • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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                  8 months ago

                  Yes Iā€™m actually fully in agreement that native Hawaiians are being pushed into extinction but thatā€™s part of the now that needs to be fixed. Actions have to be taken for the current issues and there may and very usually is history to navigate within because it does matter but you canā€™t just ask for history to change we need to figure out solutions for now.

                  And yeah rich people of all parties arenā€™t going to be particularly interested and itā€™s obvious our government doesnā€™t work right. Your original point that national parks arenā€™t progressive is bad because even though stolen they are protected wild lands for hundreds of years. The new deal was a huge help to failing farms that are literally needed to feed people. We are facing inequality of massive magnitudes and climate change that is going to cause farming issues of the future, and climate refugees and economic refugees. We have to work with that now, looking at what the future we see from our choices with enough remembrance of the past but not clinging to it.

                  Unless you just want to be angry.

                  Edit: also my point is that eventually no matter what someone else will take your land whether they are your progeny or your replacement. Itā€™s never your land or your stuff. Itā€™s just temporary.

                  • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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                    8 months ago

                    They arenā€™t progressive. You canā€™t forage on them, even if you are native. Its just for the white bourgois to enjoy. They are not protected for hundreds of years. Trump was able to sell some off to oil and natural gas. Biden didnā€™t reverse it or stop it from continuing. You frame me as a child throwing a tantrum. ā€œUnless you just want to be angryā€ Fuck off. If you arenā€™t angry, then you arenā€™t actually affected by it. We should be angry.

        • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          As if this isnā€™t happening across the globe. American politics is not the only domain infested with the neolibs

      • Hadriscus@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Youā€™ll just be forfeiting your vote. The same reasoning can be heard in any country come election time, but in truth youā€™re only making a gesture and its effects are contained in your mind. If you donā€™t vote, even though all you said is true, this election system is a sham, etc. youā€™re still helping Trump in the short term and the harm he will do to women, foreigners, anybody whoā€™s not rich, and the american society at large. Gestures, symbols and statements are good, but not at this price. I live across the world but if I could vote in the american elections, I would, and Iā€™m not even part of any of these endangered demographics. I suppose you arenā€™t either ?

        • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I am an intersection of multiple demographics you mentioned and if you were any of them, you would know that biden and the democratic party has not done anything meaningful for any of them. Roe couldā€™ve been codified, but he didnā€™t. biden couldā€™ve expand the court and add new justices, but he didnā€™t. biden couldā€™ve already secured a cease fire, but he hasnā€™t. biden spat on the rail workers asking for one week sick pay. said nope, fuck you. he also has done practically nothing about amazons union busting. biden didnā€™t give a shit about east palestine. flint michigan still doesnā€™t have clean water. he could be creating legislation to protect trans kids and adults, but doesnā€™t care. so what exactly is your argument about the oppressed demographics having better lives under democrats?

        • Clubbing4198@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          And furthermore, it is not just a gesture. Or at least its as much of a gesture as voting. Its effects are demonstrably not just ā€œcontained in my mindā€ because it is having an obvious effect on you and judging by the 16 upvotes on the comment, perhaps I have inspired or emboldened people to be just as critical as I am being. But you will say we are stupid or foolish or whatever you need to say. I say the fool is the one that continues to perform the same behaviour with no results and then tries to convince people to not do anything different. Look how worried they are of losing their power that they have to tell people that if you donā€™t vote for us, its back to the trump. what a lovely threat from the people that supposedly care about us more than trump. i know they donā€™t, i know trump doesnā€™t care. they donā€™t answer to us and you know it.