this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2024
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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.

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[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Both sides of the line support Israel. Either you’re saying it in bad faith or need to take your head out of the sand. Anti-Israel isn’t on the ballot. If you want a full fledge war in the Middle East, feel free to not vote Biden and give the GOP the conflict they’ve been wanting since the bush admin.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You’re confusing me. If I’m getting a genocide either way, then it doesn’t matter if I vote Biden or Trump.

[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yes, you are confused, and you are also trying to confuse the issue with false equivalence. The outcomes of a Trump presidency and a Biden presidency are not going to be the same, either in the Middle East or more broadly.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

So we can stop the genocide by voting for Biden? Which vote stops the genocide? Or, do we want the genocide, but not if Trump’s doing it? Or, do we not want the genocide, but it’s okay if Biden’s doing it? Or, is genocide bad regardless of who is President?

[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You are being obtuse intentionally, I assume, to make a point. Withdrawing support for Israel is not one of the options. Your choices are status quo or fascism. And if you choose not to choose, then you are still making a choice. Trump can be elected by a combination of active support and negligence on the part of those who could stop him.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

write this down …

For some of us who have empathy, a genocide is more important than an election. Some nebulous, abstract, distant fever dream future, where Trump is president is immaterial to the actual current conditions in Palestine.

Hope that’s acute enough for you.

[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

As I said, your preference is not one of the choices in the election.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Which is why some will vote 3rd party or abstain.

[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Which is actually a choice to help Trump win. Its a zero sum game where the winner takes all. Every vote NOT cast for Biden is potentially the vote that allows Trump to win, especially in swing districts. You can't stand above the fray or absolve yourself of blame by simply refusing to play the game.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

To be clear, I don’t have a problem with that. It’s a difficult decision. I may vote for Biden depending on the next 8 months. But the constant bullying and brow beating from democrats of citizens who choose to vote their conscience is undemocratic and borderline authoritarian.

[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No, I meant you are hopelessly bad at logic. Your line: "Oh, so you stand with genocide" is right up there with the anti-abortionist's favorite line: "Oh, so you believe in killing babies". That kind of logic is characteristic of teenagers and religious fanatics.

I get it. You are looking for a "third way" to avoid an unpalatable choice. Unfortunately, being a responsible adult and a leader sometimes means having to choose from among less-than-ideal choices because not choosing is also a choice.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Fact: There is a genocide in Gaza.

Fact: Biden is funding that genocide.

Fact: A vote for Biden is a vote to continue the genocide.

Id est, you stand with genocide.

[–] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Fact: Politicians have positions on many different issues and you won't agree with all of them. Supporting a politician overall in a race doesn't mean you support every one of their positions.

Fact: Trump would be much worse for world (and Middle East) peace than Biden. The US sliding into fascism is just about the worst thing that could happen for democracy and human rights worldwide.

Fact: The US has a first-past-the-post two-party electoral system, which means that you can't avoid the choice between Trump and Biden, no matter how unpalatable that may be for you.

Fact: Choosing Biden over Trump doesn't mean you support genocide, because choosing Trump would lead to even more genocide. The choice is between less genocide or more genocide, not no-genocide. No matter which US President gets elected, there will still be genocide in China and elsewhere. But electing Trump gives a giant green light to even more genocide.

What is so difficult to understand about that?

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

The struggle between the two worlds [Fascism and Democracy] can permit no compromises. It's either Us or Them!

Benito Mussolini

Good luck negotiating a compromise with the evil that is genocide.

[–] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

>Anti-Israel isn’t on the ballot.

pretty sure the anti war green party will have a candidate on your ballot

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Not that has any chance of winning.

[–] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

moving the goalposts indicates to me that you're not really engaging in good faith.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Show me a federal election that a green candidate has won. The goalposts haven’t been moved, they never were in a place where green could win in the first place.

[–] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

you said it wasn't on the ballot. now you seem to understand it is on the ballot and are looking for an excuse not to vote against war.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

There won’t be a question on the ballot asking if I’m for or against the war. So you clearly understand I wasn’t speaking literally and just chose to be pedantic. The Green Party will not win the Presidential election. Voting for them will get you close to the opposite of what you want. Literally.

[–] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

>Voting for them will get you close to the opposite of what you want.

it will increase the number of votes for the candidate i want to win, so it will definitely get me closer to what i want. unlike voting for someone who i don't want to win.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

That’s like saying moving your pawns closer to your opponent’s king is the right move because it gets closer to your goal. No strategy, No victory.

[–] bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

>There won’t be a question on the ballot asking if I’m for or against the war

someone is being pedantic, but it's not me.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

Oh you’re a child, sorry.