Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ in Michigan’s primary on Tuesday
Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ in Michigan’s primary on Tuesday
Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor, pushed back on calls to not vote for Joe Biden over his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying on Sunday that could help Trump get re-elected.
“It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote that’s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,” she said on Sunday during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union. “A second Trump term would be devastating. Not just on fundamental rights, not just on our democracy here at home, but also when it comes to foreign policy. This was a man who promoted a Muslim ban.”
Whitmer, who is a co-chair of Biden’s 2024 campaign, also said she wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to the protest vote.
Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who is the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, urged Democrats last week to vote “uncommitted” in Michigan’s 27 February primary.
This is literally the only point in time we can try to drag Biden too the left, will we get him far enough that he stops being pro-genocide? Probably not, dude is all in on Israel and always has been.
But telling people they don't even get to vote "not committed" in a fucking meaningless primary is something so undemocratic if you told me it would happen this primary I'd have bet millions on it being republicans.
But then again, I'd have bet billions on them being the ones to pull delegates for something the state party had zero control over.
Not holding Dems to standards may have already fucked the country for good.
Not just a second Trump term, but a second Trump term and continuation/acceleration of the genocide in Gaza. Not voting and letting Trump win with a razor thin margin in a swing state will not fix the problem. Between the two realistic choices, Biden is infinitely more likely to push Israel for a ceasefire, which is the best chance anybody has to get the situation under control.
I don't like our current system but I don't believe she is wrong. We have a two party system. Either the GOP or the DNC candidate will take the electoral college.
I hate that we are still voting against something. The Democrats need to run a candidate that we WANT to vote for (like Obama was imo) but we aren't there in this election so we can either protest and vote 3rd party, vote for Trump, or vote for Biden.
I will vote for Biden in the General Election, but I will not stop speaking out about the Genocide in Palestine. We can put a stop to this, now. We don't have to wait for the election, we don't want to let Netanyahu handle this situation in the slightest.
Voting uncommitted is a fine thing to do during the primary. It shows the party that people are displeased with how the government is handling the Gaza situation.
Sitting out an election in Michigan is a bad idea. If you're in a safe state, go wild. Just not Michigan.
I mean she's right. If you register a protest vote against Biden you need to accept the moral liability of helping Trump. There really isn't any additional conversation here. You can write a million words about how you are making the perfect the enemy of the good, and none of it will change the very simple cause and effect of a protest vote.
As an outsider looking in, it feels really odd that this could even be a firm issue for any voter. Like that high horse sailed so long ago, how can you possibly blame the current president for what has been a national policy for 75 years?
Sure, push for a candidate that doesn't support Israel and dissent as much as you can. But every time I read a comment about "Genocide Joe" it screams Russian propaganda farm.
Now, if the Democrats had picked someone who actually supported popular Democratic positions, there wouldn't now be a massive chasm between him and their base on various burning issues they now have to bridge during what may, ironically, in fact be one of the more important elections of our lifetimes.
She's not wrong, but I'm not sure this strategy is going to work. Biden is at risk of losing Michigan because of his support of Israel, and I think people are going to be swayed by a, "better than the other guy," argument on that issue. You can argue that economically, even if Biden is not as progressive as you'd like, he will govern in a manner closer to your beliefs than Trump. Trump is even more hostile to the Palestinians than Biden, but if Biden is supplying Israel with unconditional military aid while defunding UNRWA, it will be hard to claim that he's different in any practical way. If the democrats are worried about Michigan, they should be trying to push Biden to do something meaningful, like restoring humanitarian aid to Gaza, not scolding their voters.
Trying to get a progressive agenda by only thinking about the Presidency is like trying to win a game with only hail Marys. We need to focus on smaller races in house and build up from there. It would be a stronger and longer lasting change. Even if you're in an area that doesn't have any competitive progressives running in the primary, you are allowed to volunteer to help progressive candidates in areas that do.
I heard a pro Palestine rally in Sacramento and the dude on the bull horn was like "Let's make sure Biden doesn't get re-elected because he supports Israel" and everyone walking by was like "Yeah right, sure and let Trump win?! You know Trump loves Israel too right?".
This whole gaza fiasco very well could put trump in the presidential seat again, even though he should be barred as it is stated in the 14th amendment. Yet it doesnt seem to bother biden or the dnc, this is such a clear example of why people think both parties are the same, because if liberals want to be the good guys then they shouldnt be condoning israels mass slaughtering of the people of gaza.
If shes so concerned about people turning on Biden, maybe she needs to head to the oval office and tell him to stop fucking funding and equiping a goddamn genocide.
Cause one thing you forget, Democrats are not cultists. We will not tie ourselves into knots trying to defend your bullshit. We will call out, and criticize you when its appropriate.
and supporting and equiping a fucking genocide is a pretty goddamn appropriate thing to be criticizing Biden on.
Its not on the voters to get over it.
Its on Biden to stop fucking doing it and to tell Israel to fuck off.
Is Israel apartheid and slaughtering the Palestinians really so important that you'd throw away the election for?
She couldn't be more wrong. Not voting for Biden will show him what he could lose in the General. Primaries are the more important than the general in this way.
Then run a fucking better candidate. Biden is actively ignoring the will of his constituents. He didn't win because he's likeable or desired, he won because Trump generates negative voter turnout. Imagine if the DNC actually ran someone people were enthusiastic about--they might actually get a fucking landslide.
On the one hand, this is true, you gotta vote for the lesser of two evils.
But also, there are only two candidates.
So now it's this shitty situation where US voters just have to vote Biden no matter what, he can do anything and there will never be consequences electorally. And i really feel like there should be consequences for supporting a genocide.
When every side supports Israel, isn't it basically a non issue? I know you guys love to police the world, but maybe choose your politicians based on national, not global affairs
Think of it this way: Vote for Biden. Not because you support any war, because you support being able to harass the man for another four years. Don't let him leaving office leave you with regrets! Meanwhile, consider also voting specifically against tyranny.
Personally, I see a chance for change with Biden, or at least the foundations for positive change. All I see with Trump are giant steps backwards.
I recommend listening to Medhi Hasan debate this exact issue on the most recent episode of the podcast "Pod Save America".
So much better of a discussion than can be had in fediverse comments.
The most powerful thing I took away from it is that there are people in Michigan, right now, who have had literal dozens of family members back in Gaza who are now dead just since Oct 7. That actual, real, current loss of lives is always going to be more powerful than " other guy worse". A lot of them may just not vote instead of casting their votes for their Democratic president who's done less than motherfucking Ronald fucking Reagan did in picking up the fucking phone and calling Netanyahu.
It is a goddamn primary election and there isn't oppostion to Biden. Anyone voting uncommitted in the primary is having no actual effect on the general election as Biden will be the nominee no matter what the voters express.
Telling the voters they doth protest too much is electorally a shit strategy.
And shit electoral strategies on behalf of the Democratic Party is how we got Trump once and now likely twice.
Except this is about the primary. How is not voting for him in the primary matter? Honestly, the fact that the Democrat party in places like Florida just got rid of the primary so none of the challengers could be voted for is...dumb to me.
I might hate most of the other people running, since they're largely anti-vaccine pseudoscience conspiracy types, but people should still be allowed to vote in the primary.
Going against the best wishes for you and your country because you don't agree with foreign policy (which will not change under either governments) might be the absolute stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Welp... it's not a lie. What a horrible situation to be in.
Anyways, it it helps, I find it impossible that trump would support palestine. So it's kind of a useless point atm.
Weird a card carrying member of a political party wants you to vote for the incumbent office holder of a different position who is also a card carrying member of the same political party? What interesting times we live in.
How is Tlaib going to explain to her constituents that supporting Trump - who pushed the Muslim ban and called them shithole countries - by proxy will help them?
Biden may not have the best foreign policy but it really is a fascist wannabe dictator who will absolutely support Bibi regardless or we can choose Biden who isn't a fascist who at least has shown some pushback.
Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor, pushed back on calls to not vote for Joe Biden over his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying on Sunday that could help Trump get re-elected.
“It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote that’s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,” she said on Sunday during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union.
Tlaib’s sister, Layla Elabed, is the campaign manager for Listen to Michigan, the group that has been leading the effort to get people to vote uncommitted.
The group has the support of 30 elected officials across south-east Michigan, including Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, which has a large Arab American population.
While Biden will easily win the Democratic primary there, Michigan is a key swing state in the November general election.
“We have left a very damaging impression based on what has been a wholly inadequate public accounting for how much the president, the administration and the country values the lives of Palestinians.
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If Joe Biden can't take primary era criticism and use it to reinforce his general election campaign then he is truly unfit to lead. I'm voting for Uygur in the primary. We'll see who's still alive for the general.
Super confusing headline. I understood it as Michigan governor says [she's] not voting for Biden over Gaza war [and she] "supports a second Trump term"
Lol this tribalism is ridiculous. Biden had one job, to be different than the genocide guy. I don't care about the complexity of the issue here, but when our choices are both establishment warmongers it's not really a choice is it? Is it really that big of a ask not to fund the eradication of a group of people and a nationalist government? That should be the bare minimum for a "leftist" candidate IMHO and it's depressing how the goalpost landed here of all places
No. Here we go again. White people created Trump, let them fix it. Stop undermining and pinning this on muslim voters. They are still a minority. Their votes didn't stop Trump from getting elected in 2016 and it won't stop him now. And asking them to vote for Genocide Joe is the evil thing here. There are 30.000 corpses out there that can't and won't be ignored.
So, according to both Reddit and Lemmy, we need to be a ONE political party system, where we vote on ONE type of President every election... that's called communism.
My take away is that social media has redefined genocide to mean, "whenever a lot of civilians die," and somehow pinned one on Joe Biden because he won't throw Israel under the bus for defending themselves. Stay classy, fediverse.