Chris TrottierJan 27, 2025
Disinfo agents on social media successfully told progressives, “A vote for Democrats is a vote for Palestinian genocide—so stay home in protest.”

During his last week in office, Biden helped negotiate a ceasefire.

And now Trump is calling for literal ethnic cleaning of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

You never should have stayed home.
Show threadBdzydJan 27, 2025

@atomicpoet This argument isn't convincing absent data showing a significant portion of voters actually did this.

It feels like a pile on to an already suffering community. Palestinians don't owe us anything. Americans and Arab Americans don't owe us anything. "Progressives" is not a measurable demographic to my knowledge.

I consider myself progressive and pro Palestine, I live in an arab country, vote in a state that makes overseas voting hard, and I voted for Kamala.
Stop the blame game.

Show threadHoward Chu @ SymasJan 27, 2025
@Bdzyd @atomicpoet 29% of non-voters ... https://mastodon.social/@Peter_Link@expressional.social/113835319401855207
Show threadBdzydFeb 3, 2025
@hyc @atomicpoet so 71% of Biden voters sitting out this past election did not do it because of Gaza. Thank you for giving evidence to my point.
Show threadHoward Chu @ SymasFeb 3, 2025
@Bdzyd @atomicpoet 29% was more than enough to turn a loss into a win. I didn't see a report of the reasons for the other 71% but pretty sure they were individually much less than 29%. Gaza was undeniably a significant factor in the election.
Show threadBdzydFeb 4, 2025
@hyc @atomicpoet consider the impact of the blame on an already marginalized group. What benefit does this blame have for anyone? Simple answers, "Gaza abstainers are to blame for Kamala's loss" are never completely true, and generally serve to stop further inquiry and discussion. Blame helps no one, but it certainly hurts the ones being blamed.
Show threadChris Trottier

@Bdzyd @hyc The blame isn’t on Gazans. The blame is on Americans who stayed home and brought in a man who’s declared – very publicly – that he wants to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Palestine.

There is a profound difference here when it comes to blame – and don’t even try to confuse the matter.

Feb 4, 2025 at 3:26amWeb
Show threadBdzydFeb 4, 2025

@atomicpoet @hyc I hear what you're trying to say, and I also see how that nuance is walked right past by the majority of people who discuss pro-Palestine voters. It's like being anti-woke. Thinly veiled racism.

I agree that sitting out the last election was a terrible idea. I agree that it didn't accomplish anything pro Palestine at all. AND I also see this discourse centering on pro Palestine voters as the primary cause of Trump's win for the racism that it is. Both are true.