Mastodawn

Jones Murphy Apr 9

“The talk in some Democratic circles that the nominee should be a white male is something Harris and Black voters must contend with,” Smikle said. “Despite the assessment being shortsighted and insulting, in my view, it’s still a widely shared view that needs to be addressed somehow.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5820336-black-voters-democratic-audition/

@jonesmurphy I dislike this line of thinking as much as anyone. On the other hand, I often think "FIRST we must WIN, THEN we change the system, THEN we elect women and people of color to carry it out." But we have to WIN FIRST, and this exact logic of we should be able to run the VP even though she is a woman of color and the Dems will have to vote for her because Trump is worse is what LOST US THE ELECTION LAST TIME.

So there has to be some reconciliation of ideas here.

@jonesmurphy I hate to say we have to con white America into voting in their own interests, but there it is.

Jones Murphy Apr 9

@wyatt_h_knott what you write is a huge lie. Joe Biden got a narrower win than Obama. The biggest thing is that the GOP has been eroding voting rights since the Bush v Gore ruling of 2000. They escalated the rollback of MLK'S voting rights legacy in 2013, months after Obama’s reelection. That’s how Trump reached the White House in the 1st place. You're missing several enormous things.

https://www.lwv.org/blog/why-elections-matter-shelby-county-v-holders-impact-voting-rights-act

@jonesmurphy Not sure how me posting some opinions, all prefaced by "I think" is a lie, nor do I think posting a link to an article on the Voting Rights Act constitutes a thoughtful and relevant response to the quandries I posed.

Do please enunciate clearly the enormous things I am missing.

Jones Murphy Apr 9

@wyatt_h_knott your comments are disconnected from the reality of increasingly undemocratic elections and the return to #MAGA suppression of black voters. The US tumbled out of the ranks of the world’s top democracies in 2015. It's now 28th and dropping fast. Supreme Court Republicans will issue another ruling within weeks, ending enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

@jonesmurphy Likewise, your comments are disconnected from the reality that America is a totally racist state, foundated on racism, fed by racism, fuelled by racism, and it seems really weird to me that a Jew has to remind a black man that this country has been a haven of racism for 250 years and is not just going to suddenly leap into being a multi-culturally led institution except in very specific locations like NYC. This is WHY we have Trump.

@wyatt_h_knott @jonesmurphy To someone who doesn't live in the USA, how would you explain Barack Obama's two consecutive mandates if, as you claim, your country is intrinsically racist?

@s1m0n4 @wyatt_h_knott are you familiar with the white supremacist backlash against Obama and MLK which has Trump and Republicans on the verge of entirely ending democracy and the rule of law in the US? Are you aware of the Supreme Court Republicans rolling back MLK'S voting rights legacy within months of Obama’s reelection? If you read all my messages, you wouldn't have needed to ask what you just asked. Please don't waste my time like this.

@jonesmurphy @wyatt_h_knott it wasn't a question for you, but for Wyatt. It's a reply to his toot. I even liked some of your comments because I believe your views are more plausible.
Also I have a way of asking things directly that may sound provocative to different cultures. And honestly I do like to get people into reasoning outside of their comfort zone.
Anyway I should have probably removed your mention, I don't know if there's a Mastodon etiquette about this.

@s1m0n4 @jonesmurphy yes, but in exactly the same way, i am not here to explain american history to you. if you havent followed american politics long enugh to understand the clinton/obama situation im not going to explain it to you, especially when you clearly already know and are just virtue signalling without adding to the discussion.

@jonesmurphy @wyatt_h_knott anyway you did answer me. You believe it's a backslash reaction against Obama and MLK.
As I mentioned, I'm trying to grasp how the situation got where it is now. From a powerful nation with a former black President and an inspiring black former first lady.

Jones Murphy Apr 9

@s1m0n4 @wyatt_h_knott immediately after Civil Rights, racist voters went on a rampage electing Republicans to block MLK'S legacy. Republicans won 5 of the 1st 6 Presidential elections after Civil Rights and remain in the majority to this day. The overwhelming majority of white Americans voted against Obama. He only got 38%. They overwhelmingly remain very angry and want permanent racist dictatorship.

@jonesmurphy @wyatt_h_knott then do you think that getting more eligible voters to shift from abstention to voting could change the situation ?

Jones Murphy Apr 9

@s1m0n4 @wyatt_h_knott of course it would. So Trump and Republicans are very busy with even more voter suppression laws. Supreme Court Republicans are about to issue another huge ruling restricting voting and rolling back MLK'S iconic Voting Rights Act of 1965. Republicans are preparing to use ICE and the military to keep control of Congress and most state governments.

@jonesmurphy @wyatt_h_knott well, restricting laws aside, because unfortunately regular people can't do much about those, and ICE threats, that can only be stopped by paying a high human price, like in Minneapolis, I don't think selecting a white male as Democrat candidate will convince abstentionists to vote.

Also, with a lot of US folk voting from abroad now, the situation could shift with thanks to their vote. It seems that a lot of people are fleeing the country.

Jones Murphy Apr 9

@s1m0n4 @wyatt_h_knott it may be too late for democracy in the US. Things are extremely bad because Republicans are mostly Nazis, and most Democrats don't actually care about democracy.