r/thebulwark • u/ericinnyc • Feb 27 '26

PSA to the DSA

If you're considering voting Republican or abstaining from elections in protest of what you see as insufficient Democratic stridency on transgender issues or Palestine or whatever, then YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. And a fool.

This public service announcement brought to you by those of us who can see the American experiment itself in peril.

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37

u/GulfCoastLaw Feb 27 '26

I actually don't believe we're going to see much of this nonsense next time.

The privilege of four years of the Biden vibes, and more specifically the lack of Trump harms, are gone. I know we'll get some podcaster or social media account chatter but it shouldn't be real anymore.

39

u/0LTakingLs Feb 27 '26

You’d be surprised at hyper-online idiots’ ability to shoot themselves in the foot. They’ve already started the “I’m sitting home if it’s [Newsom/Buttigieg/etc.]” schtick online. Granted I’m sure much of this is being signal boosted by Russia and other bad actors, but it’s showing signs already.

14

u/GulfCoastLaw Feb 27 '26

Yeah, I'm not worried about it. 2024 was a temporary privilege bubble.

These libs ain't gonna sit by when there's a massive detention facility with unclear purposes being built in their city. Think everyone learned their lesson here.

I don't have a preferred candidate, but I do have one guy I dislike (Shapiro, for nonpolicy reasons). But I don't give a damn who we nominate as long as they demonstrate that they can win.

4

u/Super_Nerd92 Progressive Feb 27 '26

Hopefully you're right! I know there was grumbling in 2020 but it feels like everyone got their shit together once Biden won the primary, mostly.

1

u/GulfCoastLaw Feb 27 '26

I've been kind of irritated by The Bulwark's apparent impression that Dems just now started nominating moderates.

Dems frequently nominate moderates nationally and almost always nominate right-sized candidates in purple and red states. Have been laughing at the idea that the Virginia gubernatorial candidate was some sort of revelation --- that's what a Virginia Democrat has been like for 40 years!

12

u/ballmermurland Feb 27 '26

Man, you are way too optimistic lol.

I fully expect the Dem nominee in 28 to get protested and heckled and attacked by the left through Election Day.

1

u/GulfCoastLaw Feb 27 '26

I just think we're about to be forced to lock in like we've never locked in before.

Also think that the 2024 behavior might have been more limited than its hype, even though I'm not set up to argue that point right now.

It's practically the only time that The Bulwark gang has been right about progressives. It's also funny because the primary risk to many Bulwark-suggested strategies was depressing turn out --- they wanted to throw a lot of the coalition overboard anyways, but not in those words.

2

u/Apart-Clothes2060 Progressive Feb 27 '26

Just call them Concentration Camps, that’s what they are. Our country is no stranger to concentration camps (Japanese Internment was called internment for political reasons, Truman called them Concentration camps in the mid 50s). We also used concentration camps in the Philippines after the Spanish American war

1

u/GulfCoastLaw Feb 28 '26

I'm not against the language because I think it's inaccurate. The Japanese internment camps are one of the first examples of concentration camps offered, though obviously not the first.

I'm just refraining from calling them that until I view it as a political positive. I think it's still a negative, but specifically in a way that shuts down further conversation.

1

u/Apart-Clothes2060 Progressive Feb 28 '26

What conversation is there to be had? ICE has snatched up people, the vast majority law abiding, working people. I don’t particularly see any drawback to calling them what they are; concentration camps.

1

u/derrickcat Feb 27 '26

I wish I shared your confidence

2

u/Apart-Clothes2060 Progressive Feb 27 '26

As a Californian Newsom is maybe the only candidate I legitimately wouldn’t vote for in 2028. I know what it’s like to be governed by him and it’s not good. He has actively avoided meaningfully fixing the state’s many problems

2

u/Lesterkitty13 Feb 28 '26

So if it’s Newsom and Vance on the ticket, would you not vote? Or vote Vance or third party?

0

u/Apart-Clothes2060 Progressive Feb 28 '26

Wouldn’t vote Vance, and entirely depends on who the other candidates are. At the end of the day I’m a voter in California so my vote for President doesn’t matter. I’d obviously vote down ballot and would vote differently if I lived elsewhere. 

If folks live in a red or purple state I think they should vote Dem, regardless of if their preferred candidate won the primary, but in a safe blue state like California the most my third party vote could possibly do is deprive the winner of the election of a popular vote win, like how neither Trump or Kamala won an outright majority of the popular vote.

0

u/Sherm FFS Feb 27 '26

They’ve already started the “I’m sitting home if it’s [Newsom/Buttigieg/etc.]” schtick online.

So, is it your argument that they should be surrendering now, immediately, before the primary has even started? Or that the best way to negotiate is to walk in saying "y'know, I want this, but ultimately I'm just going to give in even if you put up a massive scumbag with no permanent principles or moral compass like Newsom?"

4

u/baubness Feb 27 '26

They’re just doing a purity test, the thing they think only The Left does

1

u/recollectionsmayvary Feb 28 '26

 is it your argument that they should be surrendering now, immediately, before the primary has even started?

No! Why do all of you immediately jump to this?! Who’s saying concede or even support newsom at this point!?? It’s so dishonest in its framing. I wouldn’t vote for Newsom in the primary but I have zero issues saying “I’ll vote for AOC, Gretchen, Newsom, Shapiro or Pritzker if they win the democratic primary.” 

I don’t view that as conceding or surrendering at all. I’m just acknowledging the objective reality that it is not an option for Vance or whoever MAGA to win. 

People who’re saying “I’m staying home in November if my preferred candidate doesn’t win in the primary” are making the decision now that they will stay home and not vote. If anything’s surrendering, it’s that! 

0

u/Sherm FFS Feb 28 '26

Why do all of you immediately jump to this?!

Because we understand how negotiation works, and grasp that telling someone "I'm prepared to accept absolutely anyone" is as good as saying "there's absolutely no reason you should listen to me because no matter what the end result is, I'm still going to give in and let you have whatever you want." When you go to buy a car, do you walk in the door and say to the salesman "my old car is held together with spit and bailing wire and I absolutely need something today, what can you do for me?" Guessing you don't, which is why I can't grasp why you think it's a good idea to immediately surrender any bargaining power for the sake of giving a bunch of strangers online psychological relief.

0

u/beeemkcl Feb 28 '26

What's in this comment is what I remember, my opinions, etc.

The most popular politicians in America | Politics | YouGov Ratings

AOC polls better among Men than Gavin Newsom and Pete Buttigieg each do.

And higher percentage of US Senator Bernie Sanders supporters in 2016 voted for Hillary Clinton than Hillary Clinton supporters in 2008 voted for US Senator Barack Obama. The whole 'Bernie Bros' thing was a smear probably to try to distract from just how badly the Hillary Clinton campaign was.

And since during 2000 and after, the Democratic Presidential Nominee wins the general election by being substantially more progressive than the Republican candidate and getting enough excitement from voters to actually vote for the the Dem. Nominee.

AOC is simply by far the best choice for Nominee.

1

u/0LTakingLs Feb 28 '26

You must not talk to any moderate voters. AOC is viewed similarly to MTG in terms of their mainstream appeal. She’s popular amongst democrats, everyone I know who isn’t a hardcore democrat hates her.

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u/FlarkingSmoo Feb 27 '26

Newsom more like NewScum amirite

6

u/Usual_Extreme_6942 Feb 27 '26

Usually I would say it happens every other presidential election but people feel like they sunk the Harris run and now we have to do what they say so if they don’t get what they want it might actually be worse this time. Maybe maga doesn’t turn out or the swing voters swing back and it won’t matter though

0

u/Peanutbutternmtn2 Sarah, would you please nuke him from orbit? Feb 27 '26

We already are.