orcrist ,

It also highlights a Republican party that has made an about-face on central policy issues, favoring some big government programs and retreating from commitments abroad.

That's a strange take on history. Of course many Republican politicains have said "focus on the homeland" or whatever while voting for wars, so the stated positions aren't really changing, and I don't imagine that Trump would be anti-war anyway. And big government is also a Republican thing. I can point to specific examples, but we all know about them, so why bother?

Anyway, it's hard for politics writers, no doubt, but this is basic historical knowledge. They can do better.

samus12345 ,
@samus12345@lemmy.world avatar

It will be people (in a few key states) who refuse to vote for Biden due to purity testing or vote third party who put him in office if it happens.

ryathal ,

That is how basically every election has worked for 30+ years. About 40% of people lean republican, 40% democrat, and 20% independent. Campaigns are mostly about getting 100% of your 40% to vote than winning independents or opponents.

samus12345 ,
@samus12345@lemmy.world avatar

Way less people are Republican, but only in pure numbers, which doesn't mean shit when you use the Electoral College (or have 2 senators per state regardless of population, for that matter). The only voters who actually matter for presidents are in the 5 or so states that don't always go red or blue.

whotookkarl ,
@whotookkarl@lemmy.world avatar

We already hit the point decades ago where GOP can't win a federal election without anti democratic institutions like gerrymandering and the electoral college. It needs to be replaced with something actually functional in leading government in policy supporting constituents to compete with DNC. I detest political parties, but the only thing worse than many parties is one party.

Lauchs ,

Dubious methodology says trump in trouble -> upvote

Dubious methodology says Biden in trouble -> downvote to oblivion.

cheese_greater ,

The base of his penis maybe

DarkNightoftheSoul ,
@DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz avatar

He's not winning anything with the base of that shrivelled, syphilitic, shunt of gristle.

MataVatnik , (edited )
@MataVatnik@lemmy.world avatar

I already know three people that said they are not voting. THREE, imagine how that translates to the wider population

zzx ,

It could even be as high as FOUR

MataVatnik ,
@MataVatnik@lemmy.world avatar

CRAZY RIGHT. But seriously, three people that I personally know voted for Biden in 2020, now are thinking about not voting? That's a lot. It's also who these people are that gets me, they are your run of the mill city democrats. Not terminally online Twitter followers eating antibiden propaganda.

laverabe ,

I mean your sample is not really representative of the entire US population, so who knows what's going to happen. I personally know no one who is not going to vote because, that would just be stupid to not participate in the democratic process.

A person's opinion does not matter if they do not vote, at least to those in power. 200 million people could not vote 'in protest'. Doesn't matter. Just means it's that much easier for a bad candidate to take power and gain more control of the executive, legislative, and judical branches of govt that controls many aspects of our lives.

MataVatnik ,
@MataVatnik@lemmy.world avatar

Representative or not, it's giving me anxiety.

ferralcat ,

But what are the chances that one person hangs out with three people who have similar opinions? Sounds impossible if you ask me.

GiddyGap OP ,

On the other hand, there are a lot of Republicans, especially moderates and Republican-leaning independents, who are not going to go vote for Trump if he's the nominee.

Yeah, believe it or not, there are moderate Republicans.

figjam ,

I find it hard to believe because they are so quiet.

MataVatnik ,
@MataVatnik@lemmy.world avatar

I just don't want people to get complacent

GiddyGap OP ,

People remember Trump and his presidency and the chaos and January 6 and Roe and IVF and much else. If he ends up as the Republican nominee, Democrats and independents won't be complacent.

philo ,
@philo@lemmy.zip avatar

Am I seeing things in that picture or is Trump raising a clenched fist a la Huey Newton and the Black Power movement? Boy is his base gonna have a hell of a stroke,

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

He doesn't have to broaden support to win. Biden just has to lose support.

In 2020, Biden won 81,283,501 to 74,223,975.

But the popular vote doesn't count.

What put him over the top were:

Georgia - 2,473,633 to 2,461,854 = 11,779 votes.
Pennsylvania - 3,459,923 to 3,378,263 = 81,660
Michigan - 2,804,040 to 2,649,852 = 154,188
Wisconsin - 1,630,866 to 1,610,184 = 20,682
Arizona - 1,672,143 to 1,661,686 = 10,457

Biden didn't win by 7,059,526 votes. All those extra votes in places like California and New York didn't count.

He won by 278,766 votes in 5 key states. That's it.

Now, since we aren't pushing hard on vote by mail this year, how many voters do you think will disengage and not vote?

GiddyGap OP ,

All true. In the US, you don't have to win a majority to win the election.

But I highly doubt that Democrats are going to sit this one out.

And if they just show up to the same degree as in 2020, Trump still needs to broaden support in the key swing states to actually win them. If he's not doing it nationally, chances are he's not doing it in the battlegrounds.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Without vote by mail, they won't show up to the same degree. Trump's vote was driven by in person votes, Biden by vote by mail.

That's not going to be true this year. And like I showed, the margins in those key states is super slim.

Georgia - Trump +6 to +9
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/georgia/

Pennsylvania - Trump +2 to +5
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/pennsylvania/

Michigan - Trump +2 to +3
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/michigan/

Wisconsin - Trump +2 to +3
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/wisconsin/

Arizona - Trump +3 to +6
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/arizona/

Biden can't win without these states and if the election were today?

PP_BOY_ ,
@PP_BOY_@lemmy.world avatar

it's still too early to call bro polls aren't accurate this far from November bro

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

They are when you track them over time. In each of these states, support for Trump is growing, not shrinking.

GiddyGap OP , (edited )

Maybe, maybe not. You sound very confident in Trump. I'm not.

Sure, there's a risk Trump will somehow pull out a win in the electoral college. But I don't think he's the favorite by any stretch of the imagination.

fluxion ,

Assume he is and act accordingly. Otherwise we'll ll have the the rest of our lives to regret it.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Well, I've been following the polling in these states for several months now and I've watched them go from 1/2 Biden 1/2 Trump, to all Trump by a couple of points, to all Trump by 5 to 6 points.

The momentum is definitely with Trump at this point.

Can he maintain it? Dunno.

GiddyGap OP ,

Dude, we've all been watching. And everyone knows that it's going to be close. It always is. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict that. It's also way too early to conclude anything from polling.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

The whole point is following the trend line. If the trend continues, it's important to have been following it as soon as possible.

GiddyGap OP ,

You can find any trend you want in statistics. The only trend that matters is on election day.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

And by the time you can report on that, it's far too late to do anything about it.

Which is why you follow the trend line now.

MagicShel ,

Whatever the polls say, do you have any idea what a mess the GOP in Michigan is? We're having a primary and two competing caucuses because we have two heads of the state party and they are bankrupt. There is a lawsuit to sell their headquarters to pay their bills. And we came out for abortion rights big time in 22, which Republicans continue to shoot themselves in the fucking head with.

There is zero ground game. I can't believe it's even possible for Trump to win here, polls be damned.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

I've been watching and it's absolutely hilarious, none of which is going to impact the general election.

MagicShel ,

If none of it matters in the general then nothing matters. Money doesn't matter. Organization and unity don't matter. I'm not an expert, but I just don't believe you are correct. For decades I've heard how important ground game is. Heard Hillary's (among others) loss blamed on it.

I just don't see how that can be right.

givesomefucks ,

Hillary didn't just lose because of a lack of "ground game" she lost because of instead of campaigning in states she needed to win, she did a victory lap and only went to states she was already locked in to win.

She took winning for granted and only cared about beating Obama's vote, because she still held a grudge.

frezik ,

Hillary didn't just lose because of a lack of "ground game" she lost because of instead of campaigning in states she needed to win, she did a victory lap and only went to states she was already locked in to win.

That's another way of saying "lack of ground game".

givesomefucks ,

You make it sound like something they couldn't do.

Not something they deliberately choose to ignore

That's the difference. Hillary had all the campaign resources and money to win, hell, she took a bunch from senate races thru a fucked up DNC "donor sharing" program.

Then blew all that money traveling Blue states so people would clap for her.

She didn't just fuck up her race, she fucked up the house and senate as well.

Details and specifics matter

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Clinton had organizers in Michigan and Wisconsin, but she failed to visit the states personally which voters saw as taking them for granted.

When the election rolled around, they did not.

Which was especially stupid for her given how Wisconsin showed a willingness to vote R in statewide elections over and over. She SHOULD have been there.

MagicShel ,

The other responder is correct. This is exactly what I was referring to. Why split hairs between a failure of the local party and self-sabotage resulting in no ground game?

givesomefucks ,

I could copy paste what I told them, but it's probably easier for you to just scroll down since it sounds like you already read it

MagicShel ,

No need, it's just as pointless as it was the first time when you responded to him.

givesomefucks ,

No idea why you responded then, but feel free to keep responding I'll never see them

CaptainSpaceman ,

Michigan became a wierd place last week.

On top of GOP issues, a few dems started fighting against biden for the primary

GOP sinking means MI probably turns blue, right?

MagicShel ,

Biden win here in 2020. Democrats took full control of state government in 22 for the first time since 1983. Arguably the biggest failure of the "red wave."

Will that hold? I don't know but while there are pockets of strong support for Trump, we don't seem to like his endorsed candidates one bit. Given their disarray, I don't see a path to victory for them. But we do have a very large Muslim population which is currently upset with Biden, so it's not all roses.

Ensign_Crab ,

It's neat how we kept DeJoy in charge at the post office after his fuckery in the last election.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Why that asshole has not been removed is still beyond me.

Kbin_space_program ,

Depends if the Democratic leadership decides to go for we can totally flip Texas for reals this time AGAIN. Ignoring all of the increasingly purple formerly hard blue states in the rust belt.

agentsquirrel ,

But I highly doubt that Democrats are going to sit this one out.

I sense there are a lot of young progressives screaming about "genocide" in Gaza who are going to sit it out, not able to grasp the big picture.

Ensign_Crab ,

Scare quotes around genocide? Really?

agentsquirrel ,

It's questionable whether what is happening in Gaza is genocide from a legal perspective. Regardless, being concerned with Gaza but sitting out this election and not voting is asinine. Biden may not being doing enough to help stop the humanitarian crisis and him in office may not save any lives in Gaza, but I can guarantee Trump in office will get more people killed. Trump will happily use US military resources to flatten Gaza, and brag about it. Claims that Biden is facilitating or supporting genocide in Gaza ultimately benefits Trump and will doom the Gazan Palestinians if Trump gets in office.

porous_grey_matter ,

questionable whether what is happening in Gaza is genocide from a legal perspective

Firstly, no it isn't. Secondly, resorting to "a legal perspective" so that you can choose the specific definition that makes it technically kinda not qualify if you squint hard enough is a really shitty, bad faith debate tactic. The stated wishes and goals of average, mainstream Israelis is to kill all Palestinians, burn Gaza to the ground, and take it over. That's genocide, plain and simple.

agentsquirrel ,

I'm not a legal expert and I doubt you are as well, but if you search the 'net there are plenty of articles from respectable news sources covering debates and discussions over whether it's legally genocide or not. I'm not going to debate it with you; I'll leave it up to those who are qualified to determine if it is truly genocide, and pursue war crimes charges as necessary. I never said it was morally correct what Israel is doing. The morality or lack thereof of their actions is separate from the legal definition of genocide. Furthermore, and quite ironically, the 1988 Hamas Charter specifically states as a goal to obliterate Israel in language that rhymes with genocide. While it certainly doesn't justify what Israel is doing right now, Hamas would be doing the same to Israel right now if it was within their capabilities. Israel could have taken over Gaza long ago, if it really wanted to do it. What's going on right now in Gaza is the result of Hamas launching an offensive with no strategic or worthy goals, against an enemy they knew they had no chance of winning against. It's a pretty good assumption that some portion of the cries of genocide are the result of foreign propaganda to both garner support for Hamas and the continuing disruption and outside influence of US politics.

porous_grey_matter ,

not a legal expert and I doubt you are as well, but if you search the 'net there are plenty of articles from respectable news sources covering debates and discussions over whether it's legally genocide or not. I'm not going to debate it with you; I'll leave it up to those who are qualified to determine if it is truly genocide, and pursue war crimes charges as necessary. I

That's exactly my point. The "legal definition", if for some reason it doesn't apply, is just an excuse to avoid confronting the atrocities we are complicit in committing. If the "legal definition" isn't met, then it's simply wrong. Some court case isn't what determines whether it's "truly genocide", it's that Israel, with our support, is and has been trying for decades to eradicate an entire people and culture.

a pretty good assumption that some portion of the cries of genocide are the result of foreign propaganda to both garner support for Hamas and the continuing disruption and outside influence of US politics.

I do agree with this, and it's really unfortunate. But yeah, if I was Hamas I would use the fact that Gazans are being genocided to drum up support too, it's a pretty good argument. To avoid creating a situation where Hamas looks like the good guys, I think the best thing to do would be to, you know, stop murdering Palestinian children.

agentsquirrel ,

The “legal definition”, if for some reason it doesn’t apply, is just an excuse to avoid confronting the atrocities we are complicit in committing. If the “legal definition” isn’t met, then it’s simply wrong. Some court case isn’t what determines whether it’s “truly genocide”, it’s that Israel, with our support, is and has been trying for decades to eradicate an entire people and culture.

I don't think proving actual genocide is a prerequisite or requirement for bringing war crimes charges and holding people accountable. For example, if in war a military unit/leader/solider executes a group of unarmed civilians, it can be pursued as a war crime as it's intentionally targeting and harming civilians, but executing one group of civilians in this fashion isn't genocide, even if they were a specific race, religious sect, etc. Undoubtedly if there was a pattern of this occurring and there was provable support from leadership, it would be considered genocide. Genocide, like other terms like suicide, homicide, germicide, etc., has a specific meaning. Morality is much more subjective, and hence I'd call Israel's action quite immoral. Israel may indeed want to eradicate Gaza as a territory or political unit, however that doesn't mean it's genocide. Otherwise we could call Russia's desire to eradicate or annex Ukraine genocide. And after I write all this, I realize I'm debating the meaning of genocide. But I digress.

a pretty good assumption that some portion of the cries of genocide are the result of foreign propaganda to both garner support for Hamas and the continuing disruption and outside influence of US politics.

I do agree with this, and it’s really unfortunate. But yeah, if I was Hamas I would use the fact that Gazans are being genocided to drum up support too, it’s a pretty good argument. To avoid creating a situation where Hamas looks like the good guys, I think the best thing to do would be to, you know, stop murdering Palestinian children.

On all this we can agree. I don't want innocent civilians killed, either. I take issue with the term genocide and the way it's being used, especially in the context of the US supposedly "promoting or supporting" genocide. That's simply not true. It's a complicated landscape and as we've been discussing this I see there is a ceasefire being pursued diplomatically by the Biden administration. I think the way the term genocide is being used here and elsewhere cheapens it and compromises the severity and seriousness of the term.

givesomefucks ,

Biden won because of the youth vote, millennials and gen z out numbered boomers and silent generation for the first time.

But this year he's only up 4 points in the 18-34 demo.

It's fucking insane seeing so many people insisting we can't talk about these issues while there's still time to fix it.

Biden just doesn't want to actually do things that would get him votes. Even something basic like doing interviews, it's like the 2024 Biden campaign is just going to be hiding him in a closet while the media talks about how bad trump would be and all of Bidens aides claim he's a completely different person off camera

I really don't think it will be enough this time. And it's fucking terrifying

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Saying things like "Well, they're totally different off camera" sank both Dole and Clinton as well.

Pics or it didn't happen.

Add to that the lack of will to do debates...

givesomefucks ,

Neither are doing primary debates, and there's no way a general debate happens.

We won't see either even attempt to answer a difficult question, and they'll both still fuck up the easy ones.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Biden I get, the sitting President doesn't have to debate.

In Trump's case, he has nothing to gain by it, so that also makes sense.

Once they lock down the candidacy though, there had better be debates.

givesomefucks ,

It's tradition to do 3, last time they only did 2.

I'd be surprised if they do 1, especially if either of them answer a difficult question.

So much shit has been thrown out the window already.

Szymon ,

The game isn't to be the best person to fix America. The game is not fucking up.

They tell people what they think online and on tv, you don't need a debate. The only thing that can happen to old men like Trump and Biden on a debate stage is them fucking up.

A massive win on stage wouldnt change their base or sway people more than pundits hammering your point eloquently for you, but a fuck up would end them, so they don't go.

Kbin_space_program ,

Just a note that polling of Millenials and younger is known to be wildly inaccurate since we don't follow traditional news media, so extrapolating a sample to a state or national value is functionally guesswork.

This is why polling stated Obama wasn't going to be re-elected and everyone was expecting a big Romney win.

Ensign_Crab ,

Got a source for that "everyone was expecting a Romney win" thing?

Kbin_space_program ,

Yeah, an in person speech by Angus Reid.

Ensign_Crab ,

Sources are usually verifiable.

Kbin_space_program ,

Yeah, sorry. This wasn't a public speech, but I was there in person. There might be a recording of it, but again, not public.

Ensign_Crab ,

Cool. So one guy at a speech delivered in private that you can't verify in any way said that everyone expected Romney to win.

Kbin_space_program ,

No, he said why the polling was off and why most polls were projecting a Romney win.

frezik ,

Not sure where you're getting that. FiveThirtyEight's presidential model doesn't solely rely on polling, but it's the prominent factor, and it was bang on that year.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/07/nate-silver-election-forecasts-right

Kbin_space_program ,

That was an in person speech I attended by the unofficial god of polling, Angus Reid.

frezik ,

Don't know what you heard in a speech, but Angus Reid's own organization accurately predicted the popular vote that year:

https://angusreid.org/electoral-record-continued/

Kbin_space_program ,

And his group was the outlier.

Anyways I was sharing firsthand knowledge here that isnt acknowledged on the web. That speech has no public recording.

No polling agency talks about why the uncertainty used to be +/-3% and its now often +/- 6 to 10%.

You're just looking for irrelevant gotchas.

frezik ,

It's not exactly a "gotcha" when we just have to take your word for it that this happened.

octopus_ink ,

A: Makes a claim

B: Requests source.

A: You're just looking for irrelevant gotchas. Anyway, she lives in Canada.

 

I mean, you might be totally correct and relating a factual experience with total objectivity. But you gotta admit that's what it sounds like.

ryathal ,

Romney lost once the binders full of women comment happened. Similar to Hillary's deplorables comment.

nullPointer ,

not doing interviews? he told us he likes chocolate chip cookies. what more do you want?

neidu2 , (edited )

The same youths who helped him win in 2020 will be needed this year. And I'm not 100% sure that a senile moderate is enticing enough to bring out the required votes, even if the other guy is a senile fascist-wannabe.

Ensign_Crab ,

Don't worry. If young people don't like how Biden is supporting Netanyahu's genocide and moving to the right on immigration, we can just scream abuse at them until November!

Now I can already hear you asking "won't that alienate them and cause them to stay home?" Well, that sounds like something a Russian Chinese tankie Republican shill trumper child moron bot would say.

CaptainSpaceman ,

I dont think they understood your sarcasm

Ensign_Crab ,

I know they did.

ferralcat ,

But not voting for him means fucking over lgbt, women, and minorities. Good work! You've made a great statement to the world about who you care about.

Ensign_Crab ,

There you go. Just keep that up until november.

limelight79 ,

Keep in mind that it's still February. The election is in November. If he did all of that now, the energy it generates would be worn off by then. Hopefully the strategy is to gear up the campaign in summer.

givesomefucks ,

You're right...

Got to remember Biden is 81 years old and isn't capable of campaigning for a long time...

Surely nothing bad will happen if he waits till the last minute. And it's not like being able to work for 7 months is a constitutional requirement to be president.

/S

limelight79 ,

Even with the /s, this is insane. Campaigning is all about marketing, and timing is critical in marketing. Christ.

ryathal ,

His opponent is currently making appearances while juggling trial dates and is nearly as old. Covid was a good excuse to keep Biden hidden last election, but he's going to have to be much more visible this time.

givesomefucks ,

Yes, everyone knows with a capable, young, intelligent, and capable candidate, the trick is to hide them to the last second as a surprise.

So then hiding Biden has nothing to do with his lack of ability.

This is totally normal!

That's why no one is bothering to talk about the election right now and political stump speeches and advertising doesn't start till Halloween.

ferralcat ,

Wasn't Biden on Seth myers literally last night?

givesomefucks ,

The unannounced 5 minute part where two celebrities talked about how great he is while he sat there looking at stuff other than the person talking?

So you haven't watched it yet?

He talks about the great agenda he has for 2020, spends most of his time waiting on cues he goes early on, talks about being buddy buddy with the leader of China, and rambles on about how America is the greatest country in the world after saying it's not.

Didn't have any problems with stuttering, but it looked like a video you make with an elderly family member during the holidays to send to everyone that doesn't visit the nursing home.

I refuse to believe anyone watches that shit show and came away confident in Biden.

But yeah, before the post got taken down, I even commented on it how it's more than I thought we'd get, and also makes sense why his campaign team is hiding him.

phoneymouse ,

God that’s fucking depressing! Thanks for putting it in perspective.

Ioughttamow ,

If it makes you feel better, he killed his own boombooms with his demented policy choices

nexguy ,
@nexguy@lemmy.world avatar

Don't forget that the ROC had a catastrophic midterm. Also Jan 6th and Roe/Wade were no jokes and will continue to not be joking.

GladiusB ,
@GladiusB@lemmy.world avatar

It's also February. November is coming but alot can change and people can decide to vote after summer. Most people think it's a decision that can be made later.

gmtom ,
@gmtom@lemmy.world avatar

Which is why you suddenly see all these sockpuppet accounts posting about how bad Biden is.

Bytemeister ,

The problem is, I don't believe they are all sock puppets. It would be foolish to think that people on the left aren't as susceptible to disinfo as people on the right. Plus the complaints are totally valid. Biden is too old, he is supporting Israel's genocide, he is just barely a centrist, and he will just enable the status quo instead of affecting real positive change in the country. What's at stake is much more dire. I'm willing to wait another 4 years to try again for a more progressive candidate rather than gamble now on a less than 1% chance of a slightly better candidate and a 99% chance of trump and the likely end of free and fair elections.

sxan ,
@sxan@midwest.social avatar

I have to let this out, and your comment was the trigger. Lucky you.

Three things are pissing me off in this election in particular.

  • Undecideds. There's supposed to be this huge center (well, 30%) of unaffiliated "undecided" voters. Who TF are these people, who look at the modern Republican party and at Trump, and go: "hmmm. I just don't know. Do I vote for the bland old guy, or the fascist, philandering, traitorous tax-avoiding old guy who's under inditement in several states? I just don't know!"
  • Primaries. Lots of liberals - myself included - are furious with Biden about his support of Israel in this ethnic cleansing. The primaries should be the place where we can express our displeasure, and is almost the only forum we have to exert (generally) direct electoral pressure. But we can't, because doing so harms Biden's chances in the general election by sowing discord - c.f. the very relevant Bernie Bros, who refused to vote for Hillary even after Bernie threw in with her.
  • Biden's cabinet. Whoever is in charge of his PR is doing a shit job. I learn more on Lemmy about Biden's accomplishments than I do in the general news. Biden's doing a good job in many areas, but Joe Public doesn't know because Biden's PR staff have their heads up their asses.

It's utterly insane; the electoral college needs to be dumped, there's no doubt about that, and adoption of approval voting, or ranked choice -- almost anything would be better. But even with these issues, the US managed to work for 200 years, until the past few election cycles, and it's just gotten insane.

Daft_ish ,

I'm annoyed the primaries are a foot note in both parties. I know Trump has the gop by the balls but damn.

Biden camp is running the same playbook from 2020. Lay low and hope Trump pisses off more people than Biden does.

Honestly it must be why the GOP keep pushing the genocide joe narrative. Joe won't give them a noose so they are fishing for liberal issues they don't give a shit about hoping his own base will turn on him. Sucks to be the GOP though because how do you pivot from that?

Politics is disgusting and Dems seem to think defense is the only way. For me, it's a shit way to play the game and all it does is run out the clock.

sxan ,
@sxan@midwest.social avatar

🤝

I hate that it seems the only way to win is to use the immoral tactics used by conservatives.

Daft_ish ,

It only seems that way because dems have no balls. I hate the fact the gop latched onto trump but it paid off for them many times over. Was it a risky strategy? I'd say so but in the end it was the old way of doing things that was sure to cost the gop.

Makeitstop ,

The undecideds are people who aren't paying attention. It's easy to not be sure who you'll vote for when your opinion is based on whatever stray bits of politics pop up around you despite your best efforts to remain ignorant. And those people are just as likely to run into lies and propaganda, but won't have the knowledge required to spot the inaccuracies.

RagingRobot ,

Most of those votes weren't for Biden though they were against trump. Trump is still trump last I checked so I will vote against him again and hope for the best

Postreader2814 ,

He needs them to grift. They buy everything he shit out, his nfts, his shoes, his go-fund-me, campaign donations. They fund him.

MedicPigBabySaver ,
@MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world avatar

This insane Cheeto chimp is going to win. America is doomed.

FuglyDuck ,
@FuglyDuck@lemmy.world avatar

Honestly, as the way things are, it doesn’t matter, we’re still doomed. Even if the asshole karks it from one too many hamburgers tomorrow, still doomed.

Ioughttamow ,

I doubt it, the moron killed his own demos with his own policy in 2020. Democrats have over performed every special election since then. Biden now has incumbency as well. It’ll be tighter than it should be, but I bet trump does does worse than he did in 2020

octopus_ink ,

I mean, maybe. But the impact on R votes was fairly small when considering the electoral college, and while Biden has the incumbency he also has a genocide being performed by an "ally" we don't seem willing to stop selling arms to, and he can't seem to find any but the mildest language to begrudgingly indicate that maybe this might not be 100% exactly precisely something he can really support on the part of Israel - not that he's prepared to take any action mind you, but just if anyone is listening he wants people to know this doesn't fill him with joy.

I'm gonna vote for Biden. But he's not doing himself any favors, and the fact that I'd die rather than vote for Trump, and Republicans on the whole are dead to me now, are the reasons he's getting my vote. Not enthusiasm for Biden or because he's the incumbent. Police reform? Forgotten. MJ rescheduling? Token platitudes. Student Loans? Glad he did something, but happier if he did more. Probably not going to offset the "young people angry about Gaza" contingent. Etc.

In 2022 Israel wasn't razing Gaza one hospital at a time while we stood by without so much as wringing our hands. That's gonna change the votes of some folks. The only question is how many.

givesomefucks ,

Meanwhile Biden is losing support, so it doesn't matter if trump just stays the same.

Biden only has 4% on Biden in the 18-34 demo, which is a lot more about Biden's inaction than trump.

https://www.axios.com/2024/02/26/biden-trump-gen-z-millennial-poll

The danger has never been trump gaining voters, it's that Biden is so shit and ignoring the majority of Dem voters that it might depress turnout so much Trump's base could be enough like it was in 2016.

thisorthatorwhatever ,

People only turn up to vote against something... that's the real problem Biden has. Th old say 'you run using poetry, you govern using prose', is apt. Ironically it'll be the anger over Gaza, that will keep the Democratic base home, and if Trump wins he'll claim half of Gaza for himself.

givesomefucks ,

That's like saying a shit sandwich is the most popular meal, and not mentioning there's nothing else to eat.

Lots of people don't turn up to vote, they want something to vote for.

That's how Obama won red states his first election

Mastengwe ,

Imagine knowing why we lost in 2016 and yet- being so willing to repeat it.

Ensign_Crab ,

Downright eager to.

Mastengwe ,

As is the will of the right-wing troll.

Ensign_Crab ,

You misunderstand. Party leadership is downright eager to alienate the electorate again like they did in 2016.

And they're doing a fantastic job.

givesomefucks ,

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the moderator]

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  • Mastengwe ,

    Nope. This account moved from an instance that had far left biased admins that protected tankie shills and removed posts/comments made by those that disagreed with their propaganda.

    But let’s not let this get in the way of your attempt to silence those that call out your right-wing bullshit.

    wakumul ,

    they're not trying to silence you. they're encouraging people to ignore you. an attempt to silence would be like reporting every comment as "misinformation" or something.

    Mastengwe ,

    A right wing troll is encouraging people to block me. Wait… So, basically… all right wing trolls will no longer be able to waste my time with their bad-faith leftist propaganda?

    Please! Block me!

    wakumul ,

    i don't think they're right wing or a troll.

    Mastengwe , (edited )

    Because they’re you. Why would you?

    wakumul ,

    you're making baseless (and false) accusations now.

    Mastengwe , (edited )

    You’re free to block me.

    “Need help finding the button?”

    I heard that from… someone before. Liked it. Decided it’d be nice to use that on someone else someday.

    wakumul ,

    i thought i was already blocked: https://lemm.ee/comment/9631610

    Mastengwe ,

    Why bother, you’ll just harass with one of your many alts. Also- I cleared my block list as I believe it’s mine and everyone’s civic duty to call out right-wing propaganda.

    Mastengwe , (edited )

    The guy accusing me of posting obsessively- posts twice as much as I do, and only anti-Biden rhetoric.

    That should tel you all you need to know.

    Also, if someone is telling you to block an account they themselves won’t block, that should also tell you something.

    sylver_dragon ,

    Considering current polling, his current level of support is terrifyingly close to enough. If we don't want to face down four more years of Trump, Biden really needs a lot better campaigning than, "I'm not that guy." Sure, it's still early and the predictive power of polls at this stage isn't fantastic. But, it seems like a bad place to be starting from.

    MsPenguinette ,

    Every single day Biden continues to support genocide, the closer I get to not being able to vote for him. Among my friends, I'm the most harm reductionist telling people that when election day comes, we have to do what's best with the choice we have. But I'm starting to become viscerally disgusted at the idea of voting for Biden

    thisorthatorwhatever ,

    LOL Trump is best friends with Netanyahu. Trump will want half of Gaza for himself!

    geekwithsoul ,
    @geekwithsoul@lemm.ee avatar

    And by not voting for Biden, how do you expect the issue you care about is going to be addressed by a Trump administration? I’m in my 50s and have never been a fan of Joe Biden or most of the “centrist” Democratic Party - but you can sure as hell believe I’ll be casting a vote for him in November.

    MsPenguinette ,

    I don't know man. I'm the one who makes this argument. I'll probably still vote Biden on election day, but I want to vomit at the thought of him after seeing him support this.

    It's one thing when he is just useless at getting actual shit done. "Nothing will substantially change" is one thing. But if I'm starting to break down on this, then that makes me scared that we are truly fucked

    Worst part is that Biden trusts that he can do whatever he wants with supporting genocide because Trump is his opponent. It's an extra 'fuck you' to all of us.

    cmbabul , (edited )

    I’m 100% voting for Biden, as Trump will both destroy US democracy and put the final nail into our species dystopian coffin with both climate change and the further empowerment of the rich. But we may be fucked in the sense that I think Biden is too unpopular in a vacuum(as in separate from Trump) for most voters to get the numbers out. I deeply hope that I am wrong but each thing he does that is semi divisive, let alone everything involving Israel, it gets harder for me to believe he has the ability to engender any enthusiasm for him

    MsPenguinette ,

    I've gone from being unenthusiastic about Biden to actively hating/despising him. To be clear, there is absolutely no world in which I will despise him less than trump. It's one thing to try to get people enthused, it's another when you have to bank on fear of the worse guy.

    If he had looked the other way for just a month or two, that'd still be bad but at least we could be like "well it was a complicated situation but he made the right decision". It's almost March and it was already an undeniable and unbearable tragedy by Halloween of last year. I think we extremely close to the point of no return.

    cmbabul ,

    I feel that, election is still a long ways off and all kinds of crazy bullshit is bound to happen, but my confidence in his electability is not high. As much as I dread it I’m mentally preparing myself for the worst case scenario.

    Jesus even if Biden kicked the bucket, which I’m not hoping for but it is a very real possibility, Kamala doesn’t give me any more peace of mind. Trump stroking out would give me some brief respite but I think Haley would kick the shit out of Biden purely by not being him or Trump, and the GOP would still push most of their insane agenda through if they can.

    Things do not look good from my perspective, and I used to be an idealist

    MsPenguinette ,

    I thought about mentioning that old age taking it course sooner than later would be good, but didn't want to go that far. But it's wild to think about what would happen if either (or heaven permits, both) were to do what old people do. There is part of me that hopes for it, but Harris as the main president candidate would not be a fun scenario. Right wing discourse would manage to become an even more vile sewage ditch than it is now.

    laverabe ,

    In politics you pick and choose your battles. Biden is a needed stepping stone to get a true progressive in 2028. After 8 years of Obama we almost elected Bernie if it wasn't for the corruption that happened in the primary process. 2028 is the year of progressives.

    Neato ,

    This is what people trying to get Trump elected sound like.

    ChonkyOwlbear ,

    Trump will fucking nuke Gaza if given the chance. He also wants domestic concentration camps. Don't you think for a second there is any comparison between the two. Trump is a monster.

    MsPenguinette ,

    I'll die before voting for Trump (I'm trans so Trump winning well be extremely bad for me). But I'm so discouraged right now that i don't know what to do

    [edit] changed a sentence

    MegaUltraChicken ,
    @MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world avatar

    At the very least, you can take some solace knowing that Biden winning means less dead civilians in Gaza than if Trump had won. I don't think this is even arguable. If Gaza is your issue and you absolutely have to vote based on that issue, voting for Biden is clearly the correct decision. It might not feel great, but Trump will not prevent a single death that Biden has the power to stop. He'll accelerate the process.

    fluxion ,

    Not voting for Trump will buy you no relief when he destroys this country. And he'll still support Israel's genocide on top of it. I withheld my vote in support of the progressive movement under Bernie. The effect was the reverse. We all want better, but we need to stop the bleeding first. If democracy falters we likely won't see it again within our lifetimes. Xi, Putin, Kim, they are nothing compared to a dictator with the economic/military backing of the US economy.

    Wutangforemer ,

    This is like saying you're not going to vote for Biden because he's white. Or old. Or a capitalist. So is the other guy. There isn't another viable option. Trump has just as bad, if not a worse stance on Palestine, even provoking further conflict by moving the embassy during his tenure. You can't expect any US president to go to war with one of our only two legitimate allies in the region, but Biden's at least trying to broker a ceasefire for hostages.

    DarkNightoftheSoul ,
    @DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz avatar

    There's another option. We're just scared to break the glass on the emergency switch. I don't blame you. It is scary.

    Stop pretending "bad" and "worse" are our only options. If we wait too long it will be too late.

    Wutangforemer ,

    viable option

    DarkNightoftheSoul ,
    @DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz avatar

    If you're too cowardly to face the fact that your "viable" options will lead you into fascism and pull the ripcord, then there is only one "viable option."

    Wutangforemer ,

    Uh huh. You first, internet warrior.

    DarkNightoftheSoul ,
    @DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz avatar

    You mean "You first, me never," right?

    May you live long with the consequences of your cowardice.

    gmtom ,
    @gmtom@lemmy.world avatar

    Sockpuppet account

    MsPenguinette , (edited )

    Oh? That's news to me.

    I blow off steam one time about being completly dishearted about the government and Biden after watching a video of a service member lighting themselves on fire and yelling free Palestine and I'm a sock puppet? I get it that some people are able to compartmentalize what Biden is doing right now and the criticality of keeping Trump out of office. But I wasn't able to yesterday when I was still reeling. I wanted to truly appreciate Aaron Bushnell's sacrifice, and with that, I did my best to let myself feel the true gravity of the genocide in Israel. Feeling the full weight of it, I feel angry, sad, dishearted, overwhelmed, grief and disgusted.

    I'm feeling better today. if the election was yesterday, I'd have abstained. If it were tomorrow, I'd probably still vote blue no matter who.

    TropicalDingdong ,

    We're in an era of populism and people are still trying to use the 2000s era to predict today.

    He doesn't need to wide. his base, he just needs to motivate them. He need to to get more people excited about voting for him than Biden does those excited to vote Biden.

    It's about turnout and driving a base. He's wiping the floor with Biden right now in the polls. No one is excited to vote Biden. It's not clear to me he even has a base. Instead taking heads are just trying to browbeat any one left of center into supporting Biden. It won't work at scale. Bidens got to do his own work there, because it's not currently Trump in office, it's Biden. Always harder for an incumbent, especially one who has become deeply unpopular with the coalition of voters that out him into office. No amount of blue no matter who is going to fix Biden as a candidate. Only Biden can do that.

    givesomefucks ,

    Biden and the DNC know that

    It's just what excites voters pisses off big money donors. And they picked the side neoliberals are always going to pick.

    And they're hoping the threat of trump is enough to scare the serfs into line.

    From a psychology perspective, it's a horrible plan. Especially after it has a 50% success rate in the last two elections. 2024 is a coin flip, and it's only because we're using trump as an excuse to run someone who's first presidential primary was 2 generations ago.

    Seriously. A person born the year of Bidens first primary could safely be a grandparent for this one. In some red states, a great grandparent already.

    He's never been a popular candidate, just had the luck of getting the primary handed to him and getting to face the literal worst president we've ever had the general.

    sin_free_for_00_days ,

    It’s just what excites voters pisses off big money donors.

    That is so basic, yet perfectly describes the situation.

    Suspiciousbrowsing ,

    It's nearly like religion and donations should be kept out of politics..

    MotoAsh ,

    But corporations are people, my friend, and people have freedom of speech! and oh look, would you look here, money is speech ... ugh this country is a farce.

    laverabe ,

    A light blue "flawed democracy" is a more accurate description. Whereas Russia is a dark red authoritarian regime.

    Things are rough in the US but they could get worse. Or better. It depends on whether or not people vote in every single election. Apathy breeds authoritarian regimes. Saying the country is a farce breeds apathy.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index

    MotoAsh ,

    I say it to remind people that ALL of those currently in power are incapable. A light blue Democracy is exactly what has allowed a fascist rise. By leaving these clowns in positions of power, the country DOES become a farce.

    If your response to hearing your country is slipping away from anything good is apathy, that very much sounds like a you problem.

    MagicShel ,

    We have to beat the system to change the system. And if we ever do, will the motivation still be there to change it?

    TropicalDingdong ,

    Mean while, blue no matter who out here downvoting like this isn't the case.

    Blue no matter who has proven to be a failed strategy in that it leaves you with weak indefensible candidates in competitive elections.

    Were probably going to get Trump, and it will be 💯 due to Democrats and the Blue No Matter Who coalition. But just like Hillarys shocking arrogance in 2016, these ass holes will yet again fail to understand that they themselves are the problem.

    thisorthatorwhatever ,

    It's not arrogance ... it's that the voting maps are rigged. Democrats win the popular vote.

    TropicalDingdong ,

    Hillary Clinton, was and is, one of the most singularly arrogant politicians to have ever existed.

    She opted out of campaigning in the entirety of the rust belt, because it was 'her turn'.

    She viewed voters as obligated in voting for her. She was wrong. Dead wrong.

    HopeOfTheGunblade ,
    @HopeOfTheGunblade@kbin.social avatar

    I feel like the people who go out to vote for the blue candidate have less to do with the red candidate winning, than the people who have more in common with the goals and outcomes of the blue candidate but get in a snit because they weren't personally campaigned to, or the blue candidate didn't handle an issue exactly the way they wanted, or wasn't the candidate they wanted to vote for.

    Telorand ,

    We can only hope the people who said they wouldn't vote for him, due to having various final judgments against him, will have the conviction to hold to that claim.

    snooggums ,
    @snooggums@midwest.social avatar

    Republicans will vote for him as long as he is the nominee, just like the last two elections.

    autotldr Bot ,

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump appears close to invincible in the Republican primaries and caucuses, but despite his commanding victories, the front-runner’s strength among general election voters remains unclear.

    It also highlights a Republican party that has made an about-face on central policy issues, favoring some big government programs and retreating from commitments abroad.

    So far, almost all of Trump’s backing has come from white voters, who made up the vast majority of the electorate in the first few head-to-head Republican contests — even in diverse South Carolina.

    Trump also maintained high levels of support with evangelical Christians and people living in small towns and rural areas, groups that have significant weight within Republican primaries but comprise a smaller share of the general electorate.

    Instead, Republican primary voters strongly support domestic policies that require significant government investment, like maintaining the current age of 67 for Social Security eligibility and building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

    In the lead-up to the primaries, Republican candidates clashed over these issues, testing whether long-held GOP positions like shrinking the size of entitlement programs and taking a strong hand in foreign conflicts still resonate with the party’s base.


    The original article contains 960 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 80%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

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