Online discourse: "You have to convince me to vote for Joe #Biden"
Why? I don't like Joe Biden. The idea that anyone has to convince you to fall in love with Joe Biden is as absurd of a #political assertion as the #MAGA cult and #Trump, that #politics is about #passion
We don't view politics as a love affair. It's #tactics. And more importantly, it's your #social #responsibility to vote
#Abortion, #TransRights, the #ClimateCrisis, etc: issues you care about, or should care about
But #Gaza...
you can, and should, criticize Biden
"Tactically, that means admitting that you'll hold your nose and vote for Biden in the general is something that should be left unsaid"
thank you
but for those who don't vote, and we get Trump, as a structural function of our fucked up voting system and what an abstention/ 3rd party vote means functionally, then they, in aggregate with other such fools, are responsible for Palestinian suffering. Because they know Trump is worse on that issue
"well i refuse to participate in such a fucked up system. i won't #vote"
do you (royal you, not you Maier) have a choice? welcome to reality
it should be better, but it isn't, so you do what you *can*
you don't whine it should be better then drop out and help make things worse
that is entitlement and privilege
that all the fucked up thing #Trump will do won't effect you, because you're not #trans, you're not a #woman, you can't be bothered to care about the #climatecrisis
@MaierAmsden An unspoken rule of democracy is that pols don't care about people who don't vote. If you say "well I won't vote for you," then pols put you in the "waste of time" pile. All that protest voting gets you is ignored.
You *can* influence politicians by demonstrating how supporting your causes will gain them votes.
You *can* influence pols by showing them that you're on their team by delivering for them in election after election.
@tob "You *can* influence politicians by demonstrating how supporting your causes will gain them votes."
How does politicians supporting progressive causes "gain" them progressive votes if progressives are obliged to vote for these politicians regardless of whether or not progressive causes are supported by the politicians? If there's no votes to take away, there's no votes to gain, and no incentive for a politician to alter their course.
@MaierAmsden How indeed. I am not making the rules, I'm telling you what works. There are millions of potential votes that aren't cast each election. And that pool of voters is interesting to pols only if there's a reliable, credible opportunity to get then to vote.
Can you deliver undecided voters? Can you bring out young voters? Low info voters? Trump-curious voters? If not, can you raise a bunch of money?
@MaierAmsden The flip side is, what happens to that politician when you withhold your support?
They win. Well, that just proves they didn't need you. Good luck getting them to return your calls.
Or.
They lose. Now you are guaranteed zero (really negative) influence because the person you were pressuring is now a private citizen. And the person who beat them is hostile to your cause and delighted that you didn't vote.
ᴮᵉⁿ ᴿᵒʸᶜᵉVOTE IN THE PRIMARIES
Maier Amsden
Tom Bellin 
Ton Chrysoprase