In a letter published Wednesday on Medium, an anonymous group of Biden’s campaign staffers demanded the president call for a ceasefire in Gaza, citing concerns that not shifting his policy on the issue could hurt his 2024 chances.
“Biden for President staff have seen volunteers quit in droves, and people who have voted blue for decades feel uncertain about doing so for the first time ever, because of this conflict,” the Medium letter read.
“It is not enough to merely be the alternative to Donald Trump,” the campaigners continued. “The campaign has to shift the feeling in the pits of voters’ stomachs, the same feeling that weighs on us every day as we fight for your reelection. The only way to do that is to call for a ceasefire.”
Do you really have no other choice but one of those two over there?
It’s the structure of our “first past the post” system. Basically, each party gets one representative on the presidential ticket. The two major parties have primaries where the top candidates compete in a vote within themselves, and the winner gets put on the presidential ticket for that party.
The obvious problem with that is that the party convention picks the candidate, not the voters. So it’s possible to buy a party’s candidate or for the conventions to snub popular choice in favor of not shaking things up too much in the status quo.
The latter point, the democratic party picking lukewarm candidates that are moderate at best because the establishment doesn’t want to disturb the status quo, has been a problem for a long time and is a major reason democrat voters don’t go to the polls.
Their system automatically makes a winner of the biggest party. In any country that uses that system, it automatically leads to two main parties alternating in power. The advantage is that you don’t need “messy” and “unstable” coalitions, but can have strong leadership with a solid base instead. Except that perhaps string leadership is a dangerous thing to have in many cases, and except that if the balance tends towards 50/50, you can easily have problems getting anything done.
We really have no other choice
Hmm, let me see. Ceasefire in a country that has nothing to do with us and doesn’t effect us in the slightest
OR
We elect a literal fascist who actually admitted he will be a dictator and use the military against his enemies at home
Tough choice
Ceasefire in a country that has nothing to do with us and doesn’t effect us in the slightest
a brutal lie in the first part, a gross lie in the second part. mind you, I’m not pushing for any of the two octogenarian that will be elected.
Sure, still going to vote for Biden over Trump. All Biden has to do is not be Trump and he is the better option.
This thread is wild… is it seriously shocking to people here that Biden campaigners (plurality young people) are upset about his response to the genocide in Gaza?? Yes, obviously we need to vote for him, but it’s crazy that criticism is labeled as astroturfing or attempts to sabotage his chances.
Also why the fuck are people working for free lmao
I really hate that every time someone criticizes him, some dumbass replies with “Yeah well Trump is way worse”
Yeah no shit lol, just because I hate the current president doesn’t mean I’m automatically selecting the deranged orange.
I’m upset too, but there is more than one issue in the world. These people need to put things in perspective. If Trump wins, America is literally over.
Too bad trump and Biden are the only two people so I just have to be pro genocide.
You don’t have to. You can have your own views and make the best decision available to you given the circumstances.
So you’re saying not to vote? Or that we should write-in a vote for a non-genocider?
No I’m saying that you can vote for someone and not agree with everything they stand for because that’s the best option you have. We do need reforms in America, but is that a reason to not vote or to wait around until all the conditions are perfect for you to vote your ideals?
So what is the move? It’s clearly wrong to vote for Biden and you say not voting is a waste. So be frank and say what you’re thinking clearly and plainly.
Vote people that has naunces on the downballot.
They did say it clearly. But let me see if I can’t help.
You can have a slap in the face
Or a rusty shank to the neck
One or the other.
If you don’t pick, one will be picked for you.
I get not wanting to vote for him. I do. But not all of us get that luxury.
I’m gay. Me and my boyfriend are talking about leaving the country. He’s got one last semester of nursing school. Lots of places are desperate for nurses. We can probably get out. If we do, then I can say we get to move.
If the Republicans win, it won’t just be get to, it will become need to as well. Any queer person who stays is taking a big risk. But not everyone will be able to leave.
Between the push for a fascist theocracy with Trump as the dictator as he uses phrases pulled from the Nazis and gives us their plans under Project 2025, I don’t get the luxury of saying “Well, let’s see if we can’t come back from this.” When we talk about being terrified of a Republican presidency, we are not exaggerating.
This isn’t a light decision to make. I hate it. Even if the dems win, we might still leave. Project 2025 will just turn to Project 2029. Project 2033. Eventually they will win. But in the mean time I have to decide between voting for Joe who supports Isreal
Or risk Trump who supports Isreal, but also supports the same thing here
It’s Biden or Trump
A slap in the face or a rusty shank to the neck
So, genocide is a “single issue” which means it should be ignored? How can you hope for any semblance of change if you start by overlooking literal genocide
How can you hope for any semblance of change…
You balance it against your other priorities
