this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2024
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It's interesting that you think "Leftists" comprise tens of millions of votes. I'm flattered, but I don't think enough people came to the last DSA meeting to make that the most likely possibility.
Most all of the terminally online voted. Nonvoters aren't here arguing about politics on Lemmy. Leftists have been screaming for months that if the Dems don't make improving the lives of the working class their main focus, people aren't going to come out. I wish we had more political engagement too, but sarcastic comments about how people should be more strategic doesn't seem to be a viable get out the vote strategy. Maybe we should try making people's lives materially better.
I don't understand the "we were to small to matter" argument I've been seeing. If that's true, why on Earth would you expect to matter enough to move the Democratic platform, or to shape society after leftists "burn it all down" (whatever that means)?
You're talking about two different numbers.
I'm not sure I said "we're too small to matter". But exit polls said that 10% of the electorate cared about Gaza. If everyone who abstained from voting due to Gaza had voted for Harris, she still would have lost.
But what I'm trying to tell you is that the issue is not communists, socialist, and anarchists. Agree with us or not but we are deeply involved in politics and extremely tuned in. (Compared to the average American. I think everyone on a political memes channel on Lemmy is at least paying attention. Everyone reading this is an outlier.)
Leftists tend to conflate leftist policies with "policies that help the working class". I tend to think the latter is a subset of the former. Democrats need to get out and fight for the working class enough to excite people to come to the polls. It's not leftists that you need to convince to vote, but the people working three jobs and still having trouble with rent who think that politics doesn't really affect them. By the time you get that person out, Leftists will be over the moon for you.
I did not say anything about burning anything.
I don't believe I am talking about two different numbers when I'm talking about the same voting bloc for both.
The "we" I used was probably misplaced, since I think you are making a distinction between your position and "leftists", who are the people I've seen on Lemmy advocating for destroying the system.
I'm not sure I follow your point about political engagement, I don't think I mentioned anything about that. I was commenting on the size of the group of third-party and non- voters. If that group wasn't big enough to change the outcome, I just don't see how they could be relevant at all.
I think we must be in agreement, though, since you suggest that Democrats need to better engage with the working class. Maybe we need a dedicated labor party, though without a more parliamentary system, the parties can't really be single-issue in the US.
Sorry if I was unclear. I am a leftist. I care about Gaza. I understand that Gaza was not a winning issue.
I am making a distinction between people who vote third party or don't vote to send a message and people who don't vote out of apathy. The former group is small. I don't think a foreign policy issue will usually swing an election.
I, for one, don't believe that electoralism will solve our problems. I vote for harm reduction and on the off chance I'm wrong, and because our voices matter a bit more in down ballot races. I'd guess this is the most common position amongst people left of the Dems.