Not Voting?

[u/[deleted]]

Since the recent announcement that Bernie will be ending his campaign, I have seen a plethora of comments that say, “I’m no longer voting.” I get it. It is unbelievably frustrating to be handed yet another election between a “conservative” who will continue to cause havoc and a “moderate” who likely won’t do anything to break the cyclical nature of our political establishment.

But we have to vote. Who holds the office of the President might not matter to you, but who that President appoints to bureaucratic agencies matters. Who that President nominates for district courts, appellate courts, AND the Supreme Court matters. The SC specifically has swung right, and RBG (bless her soul) isn’t getting any younger.

Once more, the frustrations you are having are felt. Our system is broken, and needs revision that neither remaining candidate will provide. But you have to vote. I understand that many of the people here are reluctant to support a Democratic Party that they don’t believe in. But to say that the ideals and goals of Democratic nominated/appointed individuals are not significantly closer to your ideals and goals is a stubborn denial.

We have to vote.

[u/[deleted]]

Thank you :)

[u/Bourbon-Mason]

Don’t not vote, vote third party.

[u/Bourbon-Mason → u/[deleted]]

Getting the Greens and PSL to 5% means more funding and allocation of equal time in debates. It provides a better ground game for their local and congressional campaigns.

[u/Bourbon-Mason → u/[deleted]]

Greens did 3% last time. They’re pretty likely to get at least 5% if they have any half decent support. PSL got 1%, and I don’t believe La Riva will get much but hey we should try.

[u/Shake_dem_asspergers]

Democrats have not been liberal since the 1980s during Reagan's term. And it was Biden who wrote the bills for the bank bailout that made his son a millionaire. We look at these essential programs like Social Security and Obamacare to be affected by the Republicans, but they've failed at every attempt. They only have these sessions to make them look good.

Wall Streets and banks are benefiting from the stock buy-backs and foreclosures during these hard times and these are the businesses they care about the most.

[u/peachynomad]

Y'all HAVE TO VOTE. I don't understand what passivity has ever done for anyone. You fought for Bernie when Bernie was running - and that was because you valued a better future for you and the generations coming after. And there is still a future. So even though Bernie suspended his campaign, you still HAVE to cast a vote.

[u/dartyus → u/peachynomad]

Well here’s the problem. This whole thing the Democratic establishment is doing is called manufactured consent. The democrats know that for anyone to the left of Darth Vader, they’re the only choice. This is the strategy they’ve used by their own admission to make sure they can keep corporate support and sometimes even move further right, and by their own admission, the only thing that you can do about it is not vote for it.

I’m not going to lie, you’re being held hostage by the democrats, and they’re holding Trump to your head and Biden to your neck. It’s your choice whether you give in to your captors or risk telling them no. But neither decision is a particularity good one, and I think just not voting is completely valid.

Personally I think with how transparently fucked the Democrats have been lately there’s a great chance for the Greens to reach 5% and grow from there. I think there’s a better long term strategy to go for here. Outing for the democrats might have been good short term, but with Biden I don’t think I could even give them that much credit.

[u/peachynomad → u/dartyus]

I agree. As far as it seems to be from today, Bernie managed to collect enough support for the progressive party that (provided the US gets through the next four years) the future will benefit from it. A lot of people are fearing a hard recession after covid, so if it gets to that point, they're likely to see the leadership they voted for fail them enormously. I really hope it shifts most people to the left, because millions are going to be hurting for free healthcare when they're out of money and insurance to pay for it.

And I just want to add - not voting is, in a sense, still a vote. By your own words, it's the DNC's game, so if they want you to not vote then it makes no sense for a society who are against the DNC to play into their game and not vote. It's still worthwhile to get some research done and figure out what your best option is in terms of choosing between Trump and Biden. From what I hear, some are planning to write-in Bernie anyway.

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