• disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    You’re joking, right? They’re the majority of the active voters on the left. It’s progressives that protest by abstention and vote third-party when they don’t get an ideal candidate. Turnout cost Democrats the election in 2016, then we got Biden, not Sanders in 2020.

    Those polls are exactly why the DNC keeps moving candidates toward center. They try to capture the reliably active voters rather than roll the dice on the inconsistent participation of the far left.

    I voted for Bernie in the primary, and Hillary in the election. I know many who did the former, but did not do the latter.

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      It’s progressives that protest by abstention and vote third-party when they don’t get an ideal candidate.

      In 2008, when centrists didn’t get their absolute very first choice, they formed a PAC to get McCain elected. A greater percentage of Sanders supporters came out to vote for Clinton than Clinton supporters came out to vote for Obama.

      Turnout cost Democrats the election in 2016,

      Running the single worst candidate who ever drew breath did that. Clinton earned her loss.

      The DNC moves to the right, not the center.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Your justification for abstention has no bearing on the repercussions of the action.

        Progressives felt rightfully disenfranchised by the DNC’s support of Hillary over Bernie, so many abstained in the November election.

        The DNC looked at active voter demographics from 2016, and backed Biden over Bernie in 2020.

        Abstention does not make your voice heard. It’s just forgoing your say in our current election and potential next candidate.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          Your justification for abstention

          Stop lying about my position just because you are completely incapable of defending yours.

          • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            You justified the voter abstention in 2016 by stating that Hillary was the worst candidate that ever drew breath. I’m not citing your actions, but your stated opinion.

            Twist the narrative any way you want. At the end of the day, it’s a simple numbers game. If Democrats show up, a Democrat is elected. If not, candidates move more towards the active voter demographics, which would be right from their previous candidate.

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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              4 days ago

              You justified the voter abstention in 2016 by stating that Hillary was the worst candidate that ever drew breath.

              No, I said it’s why she lost.

              Clinton supporters in '08 threw a bigger tantrum than you accuse Sanders supporters of throwing in '16.

              At the end of the day, it’s a simple numbers game. If Democrats show up, a Democrat is elected.

              And Clinton was shit at getting people to the polls. Turns out, “fuck you, shut up, you’re voting for me” is a shit message. And before you accuse me of being a child who needs to be coddled to vote or whatever thing I can mark on my “centrist thought-terminating cliche” bingo card, I voted for her. Civic duty and all that. Unlike centrists, I can still recognize that you need to have a message and a candidate that gets people to the polls, and it’s clear she didn’t and wasn’t.

              Democrats love the old saw about Republicans falling in line but Democrats falling in love, but they still give us candidates no one loves and order us to fall in line. And then blame everyone but themselves for ignoring the political reality because they felt entitled to everyone’s votes, regardless of how they acted.