Ah Bernie, what could have been... - eviltoast
  • lennybird@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    I appreciate much of your list and accept the danger of the third party vote.

    And while that’s partly a result of right-wing and foreign operatives seeking to wedge-drive the Democratic coalition, it’s also a reflection of lack of voter enthusiasm and greater apathy.

    Like it or not, for better or worse, elections in the US are popularity contests akin to shitty reality TV. It’s not about who is more qualified; it’s not about experience or education. As much as it should be, it IS NOT a job interview.

    Whoever stands out, for better or worse, tends to win. Obama was different. He stood out; he won. JFK was different. He stood out; he won. Trump was different. He stood out; he won.

    Hillary was boring. Uncharismatic. Anything but new. Carrying the baggage of decades of right-wing smere. Poll after poll of voter enthusiasm was in the gutter.

    Voter enthusiasm for Biden was shit, too. But Biden stood out because he was at least different from Trump.

    If Dems wanted to ensure victory they’d yank Biden and run someone fresh, young, charismatic, likable. Easy win. Why? Because they stand out, the right-wing taking-points and marching orders wouldn’t be prepared, and people would be excited for something different.

    • Neato@ttrpg.network
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      5 months ago

      Changing the winning candidate at the eleventh hour for a nobody is definitely the worst thing Democrats could do.

      Who would they even pick that the majority of Americans have heard of?

      • lennybird@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        If the news dropped at the right time, it would be free publicity across social media and every corporate media outlet nonstop until election day. Not necessarily a nobody, but just someone less in the spotlight.

        I’m pretty certain given my previous arguments that a young and semi-charismatic individual could sweep the election solely on age and freshness alone. And I’d say Kamala, but she’s uncharismatic and conservatives already have talking-points written up for her.

        Considering the current polls, leaving Biden in is frankly just as if not more risky in my view. (disclaimer: I’m voting for Biden, of course).

        • Neato@ttrpg.network
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          5 months ago

          That’s impossibly risky and there’s already been primaries. And the fact you don’t have a name and are proposing this shows there simply isn’t anyone.

          Republicans would eat them alive. So close to the end it’d scream desperation of the worst kind by the Democrats and everyone would assume Biden was dying.

          I can’t come up with a plan that would ensure another Trump presidency with more certainly than that.

          • lennybird@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            As I said, it’s impossibly risky right now as it is. In what should be an obvious slam-dunk, Biden has largely remained stagnant in polls with Trump catching up in fundraising no less. There are no perfect options; only dilemmas. Clearly I’m spit-balling here and I’m no advisor so that’s not lost on me. However: I’m not the only one talking about this. Just yesterday’s Washington Week round-table episode on PBS had them talking about this.

            The fact that I don’t have a name is quite honestly irrelevant. There are are PLENTY of candidates on the left that fulfill that niche of youth and charisma: Booker is one example if you really need one. Nevertheless it’s irrelevant because if we can’t name it, then Republicans can’t predict it. And we know the right-wing media largely controls the narrative in this country; and the less time you give them to develop talking-points, the better. I’ve already proved that Likability, Youth, Charisma are the KEY adjectives to winning elections for Democrats. WHO within that subset almost doesn’t even matter – for we know what issues concern the vast majority of voters RIGHT NOW: Age of candidates, and they’re sick of both of their faces. That’s quite literally all the info we need to know. So if you accept the premise that we run an American Idol contest for Presidency, then I believe my argument is quite solid.

            There’s no desperation in giving the electorate what they are asking for. Look at the polls for yourself detailing their reasons for apathy or dislike for the candidates.

            Finally, Primaries don’t reflect general election performance. Hillary beat Bernie; but Bernie would’ve likely done better against Trump. It’s not like Democrats who voted Hillary would suddenly not vote for Bernie come November with Trump on the ballot.

    • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      What I see a ton of on Lemmy is the supposed logical voter. Who’s waiting for the logical policy, and the logical platform, and the logical position. And they will logically wait for it, and until then they will logically not vote, in logical protest, to send a logical message. Because they are the be all of logic.

      And what I’m saying is that if you want to be productive and effective in moving the window left, you accomplish that by electing Dems. Consistently and overwhelmingly. Because every time they lose they go to the center to find votes.

      • lennybird@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I agree. I also think it’s important to note that the nature of entropy dictates it’s far easier for Republicans to cripple the nation and set us back than to rebuild let alone add extensions. So for me a vote for Biden is above-all damage control.

        Still I only wish we could curate better candidates because I think we can eat our cake and still have it. This appeal to the middle in terms of policy; this watering down our rhetoric tends to shoot ourselves in the foot in the long-run.

        • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Stagnation (and regression) is easy.

          Progress requires effort, hard work, and time. And all 3 houses (house of reps, Senate, presidency) to actually pass anything.

          • lennybird@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Don’t disagree with that either. I just think:

            • Voter enthusiasm is vital to winning elections.
            • You inspire the grassroots coalition who actually does the canvassing, the phone-banking, the viral fundraising, the viral word-of-mouth, the pushback against trolls on social media, and the convincing of parents and uncles at Thanksgiving Dinner by inspiring said grassroots who make up the foundation of a solid Democratic campaign.
            • Once you have YOUR base who believes in their candidate strongly, then that becomes influential in drawing others to your banner as well.
            • So I hope in time, Democrats stop watering down their rocket-fuel of policy to appeal to ignorance of this magical moderate or Republican swing-voter, which then just backfires because the fuel is too watered-down to have the policy breach the atmosphere, and then we have the next cycle go, “well we gave Democrats a chance and look what they did.” In time, I hope we stand by our policy the way Republicans stand by theirs. Such conviction is persuasive.
            • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              I already said, I am talking to the supposed logical voter that I see everywhere on lemmy, who logics and you know what I already said it all.