• OpenPassageways
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    6 hours ago

    I don’t mind progressives staying home in 2016 to send the message to the DNC that a more progressive candidate was needed.

    What I have a problem with is those same progressives showing up for Biden in record numbers in 2020, which sends a conflicting message to the DNC that you do need to put up a white moderate against Trump, and then staying home in 2024 when another moderate is on the ticket.

    I hear you Bernie bros, I wish Bernie had been on the ticket in 2016 as well, but we’ll never know whether he would have beat Trump in the general. I would have rather given Trump four more years in 2020, then have to still deal with him now.

    If he had just won in 2020, then we wouldn’t have had a violent insurrection that WILL happen again because it was validated by re-electing this guy and failing to hold him accountable.

    Now it’s both totally unclear whether a progressive candidate could actually win in the general, and we have to deal with Trump until 2028. If the Democrats put up a progressive candidate like an AOC for 2028 and still lose… Then we’re completely fucked and would have to swing moderate again in 2032… would progressives still stay home out of protest if it’s shown that progressive policies are unpopular in the general election? Or would progressives finally agree to get behind a moderate candidate?

    To be clear, I hope the Democratic primaries for 2028 do yield a more progressive candidate, and that they do win the general, but this is a really dangerous gamble. I hope the nation, world and vulnerable groups can hang on while we see if it will pay off.

    • bitchkat@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      I’ve been wondering if would be better off if McCain or Romney had won. Not that they would be better than Obama but questioning if that time-line would have avoided Trump. Fuck that’s depressing.

      And I bet Obama has nightmares about that event where he made a joke at Trump’s expense.

    • gradyp@awful.systems
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      6 hours ago

      america will never be progressive and elections, while might be held in ‘28 there’s a model out there turnip is already looking to import. why do you think he’s crowing about orban and putin all the time?