• bdonvr@thelemmy.club
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    16 days ago

    Your abstain or 3rd party vote does nothing to “move the Dems to the left” when in reality you are removing them from power to give it to Trump

    If there’s enough of us that it could seriously endanger the elections for the Dems, their analysts likely know this already and have no choice but to consider concessions to try to regain some of those votes, therefore we do have power.

    More likely, we just don’t have enough to move the needle, and therefore all this hand wringing is a waste of breath.

    Maybe next election people will realize we can’t move the Dems left by unwaveringly voting for them every single election, we have to hold them to account. Otherwise this shitty cycle of choosing the “less bad option” every election because it’s an emergency will not ever end. It is in the Dem’s interest that it does not.

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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      16 days ago

      Any concessions to Leftists will cost far more moderate votes than it would buy Leftist votes. Leftists are NOTORIOUSLY fickle, and one of your leading voices this election is an obvious Russian plant who wouldn’t accept any concessions under any circumstances.

      • freshcow@lemmy.world
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        16 days ago

        Pretty big assumption that “leftist” concessions would only appeal to self-identified leftists. Leftist policies happen to be massively popular. Ask any senior citizen if they want to give up their social security and medicare. Also, you’ll notice that Harris had her biggest boost initially in polling when everyone was excited for the nominee to be NOT Biden. She has since continued to talk about how she’s going to be Biden exactly, but less old, and her numbers have been steadily declining. It’s clear that Biden’s policies, (and not just his age) are important factors. People are eager for change - which almost always comes from challenging the status quo from the left.

        • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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          16 days ago

          Leftist policies happen to be massively popular.

          Not when Democrats want to do them. Because people are stupid. Obamacare vs ACA.

          I do think you have a good point about Harris. “More of the same” is not a good strategy. She needs big, dramatic changes to capture people’s interest.