• assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    How well did becoming more and more liberal to appease progressives work out for Bernie?

    If a commanding majority didn’t turn out for Bernie with free college, universal and free health care, forgiven student loans, and legal weed, I don’t think going further left is going to get Biden a whole lot of votes. The sad fact of the matter is that the middle actually shows up to vote, so you have to cater to them.

    The whole “I’m not going to vote unless I’m inspired” bit has backfired horribly on progressives and socialists. Turnout for Bernie only confirmed the conventional wisdom. Politicians will try to win voters, not non voting complainers.

    • blazera@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      Youre not doin much convincing if it boils down to we should continue doing things worse because its more popular. The goal isnt winning some game at the cost of all of your principles, its implementing progressive policies.

      • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Would you rather compromise on some of your principles to win and get to implement 50% of your progressive policies – or not compromise and lose and implement 0% of them, while conservatives meanwhile implement more conservative policies?

        • blazera@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          Thats not how i see things. On a sliding scale from progressive to conservative, we’re already on the conservative side, further into the conservative side than when Biden started. And we’re just going more in that direction. From union busting, to zionism, more roads and cars and fossil fuels, harsher border treatment, more military spending.

          • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Do you think we’re more likely to get to the future you want if Trump wins or if Biden wins? I highly doubt it would be the same.

            • blazera@kbin.social
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              11 months ago

              I see either winning as moving further away from the future I want. Worsening environmental health, population health, financial health. I assume you see it as Trump regressing us, and Biden progresses us but not as fast as people would like, but I see it as Biden also regressing us, just not as fast as Trump. I cant support either of them.

              • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                That’s an important detail though – you see Biden as regressing us slower than Trump. In all likelihood, it’s going to be either Biden or Trump. Isn’t it better then to pick the presidential option that will regress us less?

                Keep in mind, Biden isn’t all powerful. Congress has massive power, and there is a real chance to move it to the left. House Democrats continue to become more and more progressive. Ten years ago, I think they would’ve voted for an Israel only aid bill. Just this week, they voted against it, and stopped it from passing.

                Congress can still move us towards the future we want, and I think this election cycle presents us an opportunity. Holding the Senate at all costs means progressive candidates will get supported. If they can win WV, that will be huge. And progressives keep winning big in the House.

                I want the same future as you, frankly. And I think we get there by keeping Biden as president to sign bills by a progressive Congress that we elect.