LogFAQs > #979253222

AriaOfBolo posted...

both third party and Biden are pretty crummy choices. I can't super fault anybody for choosing one or the other, but you'd better vote

I do, and I think this is something we're just going to fundamentally disagree on. I don't consider third-party votes to be a valid option for anyone legitimately concerned with a potential Trump presidency. If everyone who 3rd-party protest-voted against Hillary Clinton just...voted for Clinton, Trump might have been dead in the water eight years ago. For this particular topic, what you consider just expressing displeasure against the Dems, is to me harmful rhetoric that some more neutral onlookers will be tempted to follow. Maybe not on B8 (although we already have 3rd-party voters here...), but in other places you have discussions.

AriaOfBolo posted...

I have, since then, seen a Biden administration. I've seen all the stuff he ran against happen anyway, without much effort to change it. It's better than the alternative. It's not nearly good enough. You're talking about "perfect as the enemy of good" but from where I'm standing, I'm begging this country to give me "halfway decent" and not seeing any signs of getting it.

And the biggest reason for this is because of the GOP. The GOP blocks progress. The GOP tears things down. None of that will change unless Democrats win more elections and get a supermajority. They could be doing much better, but you are partially conflating issues caused the enemy as being the Democrats' fault. Real question: what can actually be done in states where GOP votes outnumber left-wing voters 2 to 1? What can actually be done to affect national policy until Democrats have a decisive lead in the Senate and House? I don't think the answers to those questions are very satisfying.

AriaOfBolo posted...

anyway I'll try to be a bit more pleasant in the future about the utter despair I feel about this country and the terror I feel about the next ten years, gotta send them positive thoughts and prayers to the NICE ethnic cleansing guy! he's gonna actually do something about fascism any day now

I'm not trying to minimize your pain, but I still have to disagree with your (potential) voting patterns and the way you handle rhetoric. I consider those to be extremely important things - they're basically the only way that we, the little guy, can actively influence the outcome of elections. Besides donating to various causes.

Over the past few years I've just grown very tired with the way that the left handles optics and rhetoric as a whole. It feels like watching them constantly shoot themselves in the foot. I'm probably taking some of that frustration out on you, and for that I apologize.