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Biden is dramatically out of touch with voters on Gaza. He may lose because of it (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 5 months ago by juicy@lemmy.today to c/politics@beehaw.org

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On the issue of Gaza, Biden is dramatically out of touch with the voters he needs to win re-election. If he will not be moved by morality to stop his support of this war, he should be moved by vulgar self-interest. Gaza is not a distant foreign conflict: it is an urgent moral emergency for large swaths of voters. Biden will lose those voters – and may indeed lose the election – if he does not cease his support of these atrocities.

Biden has that rare opportunity in politics: to help the country, and himself, by doing the right thing. But he must do so now. Both the Palestinian people and his own election prospects are running out of time.

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[–] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 5 months ago (3 children)

The way voters protest this sort of issue doesn't follow logic or reason. People will happily not vote in protest, even if it means somebody far worse will win because of their actions. Cutting off their nose to spite their face.

I think the news needs to shame these kind of voters, instead of pushing this narrative that it's Biden's fault. Biden's views are his own, and yeah, the news should try to highlight and change them. But, voter patterns of using "uncontested" or third-party candidates to sabotage the main electees is actively destroying Democrats' chances of winning elections.

[–] djsoren19@yiffit.net 18 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I'm sorry, your take is that we need to shame people for ...standing against a genocide? for deciding that supporting the deaths of an entire culture of people is the line too far for their conscience to support? You think that deserves to be attacked and shamed?

The U.S. has no obligation to participate in genocide, and can start withholding aid at any time. If Democrat leadership has decided it's more important to exterminate Palestine than prevent a Trump election, that's going to remain on the Democrats.

[–] Drusas@kbin.run 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Allowing Trump to win by not voting is not "standing against genocide". It's virtue signaling which will harm the very people you aim to protect.

[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

instead of pushing this narrative that it’s Biden’s fault

But... it is his fault? His job is to represent his constituents, which he's not doing. He's literally refusing to do his job as an elected representative. That you think it's the electorate's job to align with a President (and thus, a failing on their part not to) is antithetical to Democracy.

Here's an interesting hypothetical for you:

How close would Biden need to be to Trump, before you wouldn't vote for him? What issues would he need to change his stance on? I'm not saying he's close, I'm interested to know which of your personal values are red-lines?

If the answer is, "nothing, so long as he is at all better than Trump", then we're never going to see eye-to-eye, because to me at that point your rhetoric is incapable of combating our current slide towards fascism (just as I believe Biden is). If there are red-lines for you, then ask yourself why your personal red-lines are more important or valid than the people who you're shaming for saying he's crossed theirs.

Sadly, I suspect that the answer for many Democrats is the same as it is for Republicans; they'll only stand up to the party once they are personally harmed by the party's policies.