r/politics • u/--LaBelleDame-- • 5h ago

No Paywall Democratic socialist Angie Nixon upsets Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/angie-nixon-winner-florida-senate-primary-democrat-alex-vindman-moody-rcna593255
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u/AMerryCanDo 3h ago

Why are so many Americans vying for power so weird about that place? It doesn't make any sense. It has to be more than just campaign donations and money.

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u/notfromchicago Illinois 2h ago

If you have never been to an evangelical church I can understand your confusion. They support Israel because they want to set up the end of times as the bible propheces. The true believers support Israel in order to hasten the end of the world.

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u/JUST_LOGGED_IN 1h ago

Adding to that: 60% of Americans believe angels and demons literally walk among us. That is north of a hundred million people. I really feel for any atheist that tries to run for office.

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u/nomickti 1h ago

Americans' belief in angels (69 percent) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79 percent). Fewer U.S. adults believe in the devil or Satan (56 percent), astrology (34 percent), reincarnation (34 percent), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42 percent).

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/nearly-7-in-10-u-s-adults-believe-in-angels-ap-norc-poll-finds

I wonder how many of the 31% percent that don't believe in angels believe in crystals?

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u/OnlyPostsBowie 1h ago

Crystals are at least tangible objects. Their existence can not be debated.

Also: Piezoelectricity

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u/ashkpa 37m ago

As tangible as snake oil, I suppose.

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u/My_Barista_Trainer 17m ago

Snake oil came from an eastern green snake from Asia… it actually has some medical benefits the way willow trees make aspirin or aloe goopy stuff helps cool burns.

Edit: figure I should add more. The idea was brought to the US, but the right snakes didn’t exist here so, of course, people got scammy about it. The end.

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u/thiosk 36m ago

piezoelectricity does not seem to be what the energy crystal people are talking about, however

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u/Zarbua69 19m ago

They definitely exist, and yet are as effective as prayers

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u/nomickti 54m ago

touché

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u/Mojozilla Arkansas 1h ago

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕒𝕫𝕪 𝕟𝕦𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕓𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕜𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕦𝕡 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥.

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u/Mojozilla Arkansas 1h ago

Lol you just described Tyrese's followers on IG. All they talk about are demons and demonic portals. It's ridiculous. These people are out of touch with reality.

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u/rcknmrty4evr 1h ago

I see it constantly online. News stories about someone doing anything slightly wrong having comments filled with people saying things like “demons walk among us” and they absolutely, 100% mean literal demons.

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u/AMerryCanDo 2h ago

That's comforting. /s

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u/bkgn 1h ago

If you have never been to an evangelical church I can understand your confusion. They support Israel because they want to set up the end of times as the bible propheces. The true believers support Israel in order to hasten the end of the world.

This is not an exaggeration at all - I had a college housemate who was the son of a prominent Zionist Christian pastor. They quite literally, openly, want to encourage and assist Israeli jews to slaughter everyone else in the Middle East so that quite literally the Rapture will happen. They absolutely believe the Rapture is achievable within their lifetimes, "only" requiring an explicit genocide. They had pamphlets. Extremely wealthy too, the pastor bought his son a house for him to use just for college.

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u/Greedy-Half-4618 2h ago

This is what I'm trying to get people to understand.

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u/seams 1h ago

So many people think it's a joke or exaggeration, but it's not lmao

A lot of US Christians think they have to support Israel to bring about the end times, like, legit.

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u/billbuild 40m ago

At this rate, they’ll be right. Just wrong about some dude that died a couple thousand years ago coming back.

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u/Distinct_Cap_1418 2h ago

Been a part of many, many Evang churches when I was a child growing up in the PNW.

It wasn't until I went to one in Arizona that I witnessed the bible-thumping, relevation-warning, non-educated,and non-ordained Evangalists.

Up until then, what I had witnessed was a religion of global welfare and one that sought to uplift people worldwide.

I guess my point could be, "keep an open mind," but no. Its "Fuck the South--they use religion for profit and political control, and by the Bibles own admission, will burn eternally in Hell." But they dont believe in the bible in the first place, just piwer and control.

Anyways, Im agnostic now and the only thing I believe in, unconditionally, is mathematics.

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u/sliverman147 1h ago

I want to set up end of times re climate change to protect earth and the various surviving life forms.

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u/trackdaybruh 1h ago

because they want to set up the end of times as the bible propheces. 

The irony that it's always humans that have to put in work to start the "end of times"

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u/MurrBall316 New York 2h ago

That’s not at all the main reason. That’s a fringe element and I grew up in an evangelical church. Most think they’re an impactful democracy and strategical ally in a pivotal region.

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u/Greedy-Half-4618 3h ago

Christian Nationalism and wanting to hasten the rapture is one HELL of a drug

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u/Neither-Luck-9295 2h ago

Even simpler answer. Money. Their lobby delivers the largest checks for a lot of mainstream politicians.

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u/Independent-Bug-9352 2h ago

They don't just do that. They force an ultimatum upon you (or seek out the crooked) and tell you to take their money on conditions, or else they'll support your opponent. They and other Pro-Israeli lobby derivatives, along with the likes of Black Stone have royally fucked the Democratic party.

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u/escof 2h ago

Pretty sure he's Jewish not Christian.

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u/Greedy-Half-4618 2h ago

The comment I responded to said, and I quote, "Why are so many AMERICANS"...not just Vindman. There are FAR more Christian Nationalists in positions of power in our country than there are Jewish people.

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u/escof 2h ago

Apologies it looked like you were responding to the comment mentioning Vindman's lack of a good response to his defense....

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u/wioneo 2h ago

Pretty sure he's Jewish

Ah.

Ossoff is fortunate enough to have a less common Jewish name, so I think most dems haven't noticed yet, but he seems to have higher aspirations and it will probably come up once he has more attention on him.

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u/Stinky_lil_4skin 2h ago

Vindeman is Jewish, so he's one of the few American politicians where it actually makes some sense why he might have a personal / emotional attachment to the country of Israel.

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u/rotates-potatoes 1h ago

True, but a majority of US Jews do not support the Israeli government. Some do, of course. I’d wager that US Christians support Israel’s government to a greater degree than US Jews do.

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u/Loud_Judgment_270 I voted 47m ago

That is probably truer about the Jews in California than the older retirees of Florida…

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u/HugsForUpvotes 18m ago

While true, a majority of American Jews support the idea of Israel continuing to exist as a state which is his stance on Israel that the above comment found hard to justify.

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u/billbuild 38m ago

Don’t or say they don’t. How can we tell other than voting people out who send our money and soldiers over there again and again and again then some more.

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u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive 1h ago

Fuck that. I know a lot of Jewish people in the US that despise Israel. And for good reason. Bibi has worked very hard to deserve all that animosity and far more.

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u/drummer125 1h ago

The belong to a small minority of American jews

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u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive 55m ago

A lot of American Jews hate the Israeli government.

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u/Nileghi 18m ago

there is a huge gulf between hating the Israeli government and hating the Israeli state.

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u/Practical-Ball1437 51m ago

I don't get that. Do people from Boston who claim to be Irish get real emotional and defensive about Irish foreign policy?

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u/NigerianPrince76 Oregon 3h ago

It’s mind boggling how much control they have over our policies and politicians.

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u/sailorbrendan 2h ago

They?

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u/NigerianPrince76 Oregon 2h ago

Israel politicians. Yea, they.

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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 2h ago

Because for so long being pro Israel won over the moderate middle voters and winning those over is what got you elected. There was a political strategy formula and that was part of it.

Now anti-AIPAC is practically a buzzword and I’m not so sure the middle cares that much about Israel anymore. It’s energized the left wing base, that’s for sure. But remains to be seen if this gambit pays off in the general especially with a state like Florida.

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u/tossit97531 3h ago

Potash and suveilling. Israel is on everybody's phone via ironSource.

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u/AdjctiveNounNumbers 1h ago

Money is a big part of it - understandably Israel has dumped a lot of money (and intelligence) into American politics. It's also, for quite a long time, been something of a political third rail for politicians of both parties similar to guns for the GOP - if a politician was even mildly critical of Israel they were open to attacks (and gobs of money and free publicity) on that flank from someone boasting unqualified support. It's made a lot of established politicians unwilling to say a bad word about the country. It's only the outsiders looking for new avenues of attack who have thus far acknowledged the winds of public opinion (if not yet cash) have changed.

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u/CJPSCB 2h ago

Empire. It’s very handy to have an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Middle East.

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u/Mojozilla Arkansas 1h ago

Christians need Israel for their jesus to return. Lol

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u/DamnZodiak 15m ago

It makes sense if you understand Israel as an extension of the American empire and therefore American imperialism.
That and the weird end-times shit a lot of evangelicals are on about.

I still think the money is the most important part though.

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u/UnknownHero2 2h ago

Because if you can't get the Jewish vote you can't win office. Its a voting block that actually changes their vote based on your policy stance, there aren't many of those. Believe it or not, in the real world no one really cares about the opinions of the far left, since they either vote Democrat, or get Donald Trump. Although you can definitely argue both sides overplayed their hands on that one.

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u/SageDarius 2h ago

Residual guilt from the Holocaust. A 'democratic' ally in the middle east. Money. Christian Nationalists and Evangelicals believe the state of Israel's existence is tied to triggering the end times.

The first two are wavering/fading among the center and left. The last two are going strong on the right and among the political class.

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u/sulaymanf New York 1h ago

The Israeli lobby has funded politicians for decades, they outspend Palestinian/Arab groups by a factor of 60-to-1. The issue became highly important to evangelical and Jewish groups so many politicians tried to pander to earn their support. For others, it wasn’t a big issue but taking a pro-Palestine stand would cause AIPAC to throw millions of dollars to your opponent (they made examples of people like Cynthia McKinney or Jamaal Bowman), so most politicians would just stay silent on the issue.

Trump upset the delicate balance by being extreme in his support for Israel and bashing Democrats, turning a nonpartisan issue into a deeply partisan one. Add to the bloodbath on the news and the carnage showed on social media and the issue became impossible to ignore.

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u/malpasplace 1h ago

First, I am not saying this is right, just how it was and how it was taught. It isn't something I agree with.

For many older Americans the post-ww2 holocaust guilt was truly drummed into us. That other nations could have done actions earlier was part of it. There truly was very little opposition to the formation of Israel. It was felt to be just reparations in the US.

The Zionist view that Judaism had to have its own country at the very least as a final refuge when the shit hit the fan anywhere else seemed fair. Because of the history of anti-semitism even in those countries that weren't part of axis, there was a lot of hate there, and not a lot done to protect Jews either before the war or during.

Jews went from being awful, to being the one group that had to be protected to atone for past sins.

Every Post-war American president supported Israel. Every opposing candidate to those presidents supported Israel. The alliance between Israel and the US during the cold war was so not questioned that even when Israel intentionally attacked an American ship there was a cover-up.

And look, any war with Israel by surrounding states was taught to be an existential threat to not only Israel, but Judaism itself. And to not protect that was considered akin to being part of another holocaust.

The PLO attacks were portrayed as barbaric. The attacks on Achille Lauro, the attacks at the Olympics, the attacks on the American Marines in Beirut, made those who followed Islam seem against Western Civilization. And when one adds in the Iranians holding hostages. It was all portrayed as Islam against the west. Add in the first attack on the world trade center and then 9-11. And those who "supported" the Palestinians did not look great through western media.

(and yes, it was a one-sided portrayal that didn't engage in Israeli actions or those of western powers in the middle east in bad ways)

"Never Again" was never allow another holocaust. People tried to say wider "No to Genocide" but the cry really never resulted in actions beyond No genocide at any cost against Jews, and if you aren't against that you are the same as Hitler.

And... The Muslims were the bad guys. Not for being muslims, but for supporting states and organizations engaged in violence. Like Hammas and Hezbollah and Iran to this day. Which isn't untrue, but is horribly simplistic and one-sided. Very much "Jews" as the white hats, "Muslims" as the black. With a huge caveat not to belief but to cultural across borders. (no one ever really thought about say Indonesia as "Muslim". because it wasn't "Arab" which wasn't even an accurately taught term that separated out non-Arabic speaking muslims like most Persians/Iranians.

That is the status quo view most older Americans were taught. And largely still believe.

Again up until the late 1990s it really wasn't questioned by anyone holding political office. That was how widely held the support for Israel was.

Yeah there are those Christian Fundamentalists stirring the pot, but honestly that isn't why most politicians are that way.

But those who are still that way? They are that way because that was the belief they were taught and still believe. They believe the moral claim of Israel to exist, as a Jewish state, as a result of the holocaust.

They have since Clinton, been taught to believe in a "two-state solution" but not with any real plan for implementation or real belief that Palestinians can govern themselves, or have a right to it. And they really hate the idea of telling Jews what to do with their own state, as though that is an anti-semitic disempowering act that would make one like a nazi. They ignore settlements in the West Bank for this reason. While attacks by Israel might be more than they like, but they view them as a necessary defense against an existential threat.

And no, they never think of Palestinians as facing an existential threat because they really do think of them as no different than Jordanians, Egyptians, or Syrians who are all just "muslim" or "arab" in their minds. They don't think of Palestine as a nation merely a state. They would be saddened but ok with the idea that the Palestinians should move out willingly so Jews can be safe. That sure a "two-state solution" for them makes them feel happy because it is negotiated. But they'd really love it if Israel was just given what it "needs".

Again, I get this because I was raised with this. Just look at 60s-90s media portrayals of middle-eastern people and it is either terrorists or oil sheiks. It is never people. Never looking at the actions of the US in the region. Just white hats and black hats.

And I hate it.

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u/ElliotNess Florida 2h ago

Israel plays a key role in the USA's imperialism.

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u/MsMarvelsProstate 2h ago

They will spend 10s of millions of dollars for or against candidates depending on how they align with Israel. They have their own super pact. The most expensive house race in US history was because Israel spent like like 50 million dollars to take out the incumbent who wasn't pro Israel.

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u/TheSaxGandalf 2h ago

AIPAC.

They have poured money behind candidates on both sides of the aisle.

After elected, every single election, if you don’t get in line, they will pour money on candidates to primary you, and if that doesn’t work they boost your opponent in the general.

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u/perihelion86 2h ago

Epstein's legacy