Miwa Nakamura
George Takei 
🏳️🌈🖖🏽It’s finally clear as day. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has announced he will run as an independent for president. He’s backed by GOP funders, and his goal is to peel away Democratic voters from Biden. Don’t be fooled by shiny third party traps. To stop Trump, we need to unite behind Biden. A vote for anyone else is a vote for Trump.
Joanna Czechowska@georgetakei He will take Republican voters not democrats.
acm@JoCzechowska name (non)recognition does unfair work.
Chuck Taggart, Private Eye@JoCzechowska @georgetakei I already know a longtime Democratic voter that's been bamboozled by him.
Richard Michael Blaber@georgetakei Trump shouldn't be in the running anyway! Section 3 of the 14th Amendment says he isn't eligible to run for President, & there are two conservative legal scholars saying so. If he's allowed to run, there is something VERY seriously wrong with the American political system! He should never have been allowed to be President in the first place!
volkrisThat’s not what Section 3 of the 14th Amendment says.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27#xiv3
The Constitution: Amendments 11-27
[get-content name="print-page-left" include-tag="false" /] Constitutional Amendments 1-10 make up what is known as The Bill of Rights. Amendments 11-27 are listed below. AMENDMENT XI Passed by Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795. Note: Article III, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 11. The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.
@volkris I suggest you read the article in The Atlantic (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/donald-trump-constitutionally-prohibited-presidency/675048/) & the paper in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review (https://deliverypdf.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=154065122118096007005003068095082113055012055001044017064069069099009012127000074104122033059034098017008106003010030088000082104037039036017099024000097028101090037016062009091111005083025079087031098070103108069003113082089116071091070070022001085&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE). I defer to the expertise of these people. Do you?
shrug I suggest we read Section 3 of the 14th Amendment if we want to know what it says.
If other sources reliably quote it great! If they don’t that’s a shame. But no matter whether they’re reliable or not (and The Atlantic is hardly reliable), the amendment says what it says.
We can read it for ourselves, so let’s go right to the source to see what it says.
@volkris I'm not at all sure YOU'VE read it, & I'm certainly not sure you've understood it. If you don't trust The Atlantic (why not, pray?), then trust the conservative legal scholars who wrote in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Trump took an oath to "preserve, protect & defend" the US Constitution when he was sworn into office as POTUS. He then instigated, & took part in, an "insurrection & rebellion" against the United States. He trashed the Constitution he'd sworn to uphold!
Why would I trust conservative legal scholars, particularly if they are identified with a bias so intently, when I can go straight to the document?
It’s like, either I can look outside and see that it’s not raining for myself, but hey, let’s go trust these umbrella sellers instead!
If these people have their agenda so front and center, that doesn’t make them more trustworthy compared to our own eyes.
We can clearly see that the amendment says nothing about running for office. Anyone saying otherwise is making stuff up that’s not in the clear text of the amendment.
climate voter/degrowthist@georgetakei He's a crank and a fool.
Florrie@tmstreet @georgetakei and that's putting it nicely!
Ken Disbrow@georgetakei Yes but…if anything Kennedy’s Q crazy approach to things seems to cater more to the Trump cult than Dems. Still you’re right here…don’t vote for him.
bk@georgetakei So, basically, a Republican…
MatthewFor those who believe in third parties, maybe this educational animal video will show how our First Past the Post (or Winner Take All) voting system will always favor 2 parties and cause 3rd party votes to favor the candidate we dislike the most.
Why Your Vote Doesn't Count
Help support videos like this: https://www.patreon.com/cgpgrey
Joe Dowland@mrblissett @georgetakei it's annoying that the system will never change, because whoever you vote for won't want to change it
It's not totally dead! It's gaining traction in the US.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked-choice_voting_in_the_United_States
Jasper 🍉@mrblissett i see people revel in it, was it also Mahers show? There are democrats who actually hate democracy.
Bernie Sanders endorsed the primary winners both times, and this time even just straight up tells people to vote for Biden in the primaries because Trump must lose, and _still_ they attack him.
It's so bad, just the noise in competing bid at the primary is too much risk to take. No one say anything bad about the candidate. And they're cheering that on. @georgetakei
@mrblissett i haven't really followed closely enough, but that does seem to be the conclusion. Maybe there are some concessions to Sanders. But like democracy is not supposed to be done in back rooms..
They really need to fix the underlying problem. It needs to be practical to have more than two parties. @georgetakei
Todd Hensley@mrblissett @georgetakei which is why we continue this doom spiral of asking each election “are these two REALLY the best we can find out of the tens of millions of eligible citizens?” We seriously need some form ranked choice / instant run-off voting.
Maggie Maybe@georgetakei
Biden needs to get behind the LARGEST MINORITY GROUP IN THE US, why would we vote for someone who wants us to fall by the wayside?! I’m not voting for an anti-vaxxer, but I’m not voting for more disability either.
Biden needs to get behind the LARGEST MINORITY GROUP IN THE US, why would we vote for someone who wants us to fall by the wayside?! I’m not voting for an anti-vaxxer, but I’m not voting for more disability either.
Lon3star@georgetakei oh how I hate the US election process... we need #rankedChoice and #popularvote at the national level
Artemis13Athena@Lon3star @georgetakei I agree! It’s about time for Ranked Choice voting. That would definitely make it more competitive.
Tom Ritchford@georgetakei It would be better, a lot better, to have a younger Democratic candidate, instead of running someone who most Americans think is too old.
https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e
In any other democratic country, or in America at most times in its history, this would be routine.
As it is, we are one health incident, or even health scare, away from Trump II, which must not be allowed to happen.
Biden did an OK job; don't let his legacy be Trump II, please!!!!!!!
Biden is widely seen as too old for office, an AP-NORC poll finds. Trump has problems of his own
A new poll finds rare agreement across partisan lines and in this case President Joe Biden is the unifying figure, though not the way he would prefer to be. A hefty 77% in the AP-NORC poll say Biden is too old to be effective in a second term. That sentiment about the 80-year-old Democrat is shared not only by 89% of Republicans but also by 69% of Democrats. Far fewer express concerns about age with his leading rival, former President Donald Trump, even though the 77-year-old Republican isn't much younger. There are many indications, though, that people have other problems with the former president.
RodneyPetersonTalentAgencyWait a minute. Did you just say health scare and not include the adderall popping, diaper wearing 70 something obese walking heart attack who subsists on a diet of McDonald’s under 91 felony indictments? Because I can’t imagine that robust picture of health is under any pressure or physical stress at all?…
@RodneyPetersonTalent @georgetakei
Trump is of course a completely terrible candidate.
But if you have no argument for your candidate other than Trump, then we're going to a redo of 2016, and this cannot be allowed to happen.
In any other democratic country, or in America at any other time in history, selecting a new candidate would be a no-brainer.
Texty the Bard@TomSwirly You mean a health incident before the election, yes? Because you're assuming Harris wouldn't get enough votes?
WarmasterPalakHe should be forced to run as a Republican.
Dik Fraser@georgetakei I’m predicting 4 Pres candidates in 24.
sandywb14@georgetakei The GQP is counting on the name Kennedy to sway ignorant voters. He’s a total whack job.
Tobias Merkendorf@georgetakei I am curious whether it will backfire or not. Watching from it seems that a lot of his positions align more with the Trumpist than democratic base...
MAMA T@georgetakei this is one of the reasons we started rank choice voting in Maine. It is a sneaky tactic.
That Guy Angelo@georgetakei I’m worried he will peel votes away from Kanye 2024…
Deb4+ aka Deborah DT 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️It's been clear from moment 1 to me. He's meant as a spoiler
I have friends in whatever the new age / no scientific medicine crowd that like him and will vote against their LGBT and non-white friends because antivax.
Well since Covid is very likely to rear it’s ugly head again in a big way soon - not to mention all the cases of long Covid - it’s doubtful that’s much of a strategy.
@RodneyPetersonTalent @georgetakei
Maybe I didn't make my point clear.
I'm afraid that some otherwise supportive people will follow their new found fascination with antivax vs matters of deep importance to the people around them, including me. You know, basic civil rights and such.
Not supporting antivax in my comments nor do I understand it, but I see it.
PirateRo
Nicole ParsonsSome of Robert Kennedy's donors are Trump donors.
Take Tim Mellon for example. He's the one who funded the "border wall" that caused the death if Norlan Herrera, a climate refugee.
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/norlan-bayardo-honduran-drowned-rio-grande-20230817.html
https://americasvoice.org/press_releases/abbotts-buoys-show-his-limitless-cruelty/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2021/10/06/scion-of-billionaire-mellon-family-has-paid-for-most-of-texas-governors-border-wall-fund/?sh=552bcf659919
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/06/timothy-mellon-texas-border-wall/
Tim Mellon funds disinformation about covid, climate, and coups.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/02/robert-f-kennedy-jr-republican-donor-super-pac
https://www.businessinsider.com/super-pac-robert-kennedy-funding-tim-mellon-trump-border-wall-2023-7
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/rfk-jr-super-pac-trump-republican-donor-1234798689/
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/timothy-mellon-trump-autobiography-racism-a9574381.html
https://ips-dc.org/racism-free-22nd-century-we-need-billionaire-free-21st/
David Steele@georgetakei Biden / Trump. What a poor choice.
There is no way Trump will actually be on the ballot.
@RodneyPetersonTalent @georgetakei I hope you’re right about that.
GiddingsMJ@georgetakei Yes, I am afraid there really are uninformed Democratic voters who will vote for him just because he is a Kennedy. He also gives the anti-vax Ds somewhere to go. Ugh.
James Britt@georgetakei
Turd-party traps.
Turd-party traps.
@georgetakei he’ll take trumpers too. I personally know a few who have already shown support for him.
Martin Vermeer FCD@georgetakei > to peel away Democratic voters from Biden
I don't see that happening... he's a mini-Trump.
I don't see that happening... he's a mini-Trump.
Seph Harrison@martinvermeer @georgetakei He might just be enough not Trump for a few Dems, but I suspect he'll draw more from the Republicans. No matter what, he'll definitely cause some chaos.
MonicaCan@georgetakei hopefully he’ll just take GQP voters
Frank Going AntiFa - 🇺🇦@georgetakei
One thing that always seems to be overlooked is the money. Election campaigns cost a lot of money. Where does all that money come from? These election campaigns cost millions. And the job only pays $174000 per year. You don't spend a million dollars that only pays $348000 as representative and $1044000 as a senator.
So where does the campaign funds come from? It can't just be the Koch-heads from Kansas.
One thing that always seems to be overlooked is the money. Election campaigns cost a lot of money. Where does all that money come from? These election campaigns cost millions. And the job only pays $174000 per year. You don't spend a million dollars that only pays $348000 as representative and $1044000 as a senator.
So where does the campaign funds come from? It can't just be the Koch-heads from Kansas.
Oh the guys a total piece of shit.
I can just imagine how Larry David will eviscorate him if there’s another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Will Cheryl Hines be along for the ride this time? Probably not since her POS husband will likely be run through the coals.
Oblomov@georgetakei BTW are you guys ever going to fix that perversion of an electoral system for your president with at the very least something like ranked choice?
@oblomov How? Some states have done it for state/local elections, but changing the way we do POTUS elections would take a Constitutional amendment, and therefore a massive shift in Congress. That's not happening.
@textualdeviance well, not with that attitude 8-D