I am so so divided on if I should vote for biden or not. I wanna vote third party to at least do something or should I just stay home and protest and advocate where I can? Thoughts?

  • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    You can’t negotiate without leverage. If our votes are guaranteed, we have nothing to offer and they have no reason to listen.

    • silence7@slrpnk.net
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      1 year ago

      The bulk of the US operates with two-stage elections, a primary election where you decide who the party nominee is, and a general election where it’s a contest between parties. The place to not guarantee your vote is in the primary; it’s a smaller election, and each vote there matters much more than in the general election. By turning out in the primary, and choosing a candidate there whom you agree with, you get enormous leverage over policy.

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, and when we tried that with Bernie they destroyed the Iowa caucus with the Shadow App. Then they handed it to a nobody like Pete.

        When Bernie kept winning the other early states, all the other candidates dropped out to form Voltron with Biden as the head and Warren to stay in as a spoiler to stop Bernie. Obama called up the also-rans and guaranteed them positions in the administration.

        The Primary has too little electoral oversight and too much Party meddling. We have no leverage there.

        • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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          1 year ago

          I voted for Bernie after he lost because it meant his supporters were still there to help influence policy.

          And it isn’t like voting keeps you from other firmst of political organization and action. It is just low hanging fruit you can do along with other actions.

          • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            I’m going to vote down ticket for legislators and city council and such, I’m just not voting for Biden without a ceasefire.

            If my vote is guaranteed then I have no leverage. They can just ignore me forever because I’m already locked in.