" #Democrats deliver ‘stunning’ flip in New Hampshire special election, latest in series of 28 upsets"

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@davoyager

just the other day i ran into a comment with pro-ukraine symbols on the account, that proceeded to complain ukraine has no real freedom. i looked in its history and it bashed elon musk right after musk made starlink unavailable to russians on the front line (i mean fuck elon musk, but interesting timing no?)

once a week i encounter these mindless comments trying to sell hopelessness about voting

i doubt you

i think there's bots absolutely everywhere

including on mastodon

[fathermcgruder@jorts.horse]

@benroyce Hopefully the Democrats have learned a lesson from 2024 and stop running lite republicans. They're entitled morons if they expect people who don't like genocide to vote blue no matter who. #uspol

[cmthiede@social.vivaldi.net]

@miss_rodent @benroyce in WI you have to choose a team going in, regardless of registration. So, one can either vote for their preferred party candidate or choose a spoiler for the opposite team.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@miss_rodent

yup (i'm near rochester ny)

and we fix it, by showing up, and iterating

we just have to remind people: they have to fucking show up

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@fathermcgruder

no

we show up in the primaries and get the left candidate in

this is the lesson of mamdani: the people just bucked the establishment, and made it happen

corporatist dems will not magically decide to become leftists, and anyone who thinks they will must be joking

*we* have to show up and replace them

anyone who doesn't show up in the primaries, then complains the dem candidates suck, needs to shut up: they are the reason why the candidates suck

[linkerman@mastodon.social]

@benroyce @andrew @davoyager oh I'm not saying we are doomed I'm just saying we have to force those ppl hand scare them even

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@linkerman @andrew @davoyager

i feel you!

[miss_rodent@girlcock.club]

@bBuck @benroyce In NY, you can register for the Working Families Party, which is generally left of the democrats, but can't vote in the dem primary.
It's also not uncommon to register as independant, but vote persistently one way anyway every election.

[fathermcgruder@jorts.horse]

@benroyce Ok so what if leftists do come out to vote in the primaries, but their vote gets split because whoops there happen to be one too many leftish candidates running and then the pro-genocide candidate gets the nomination?

[not2b@sfba.social]

@benroyce @fathermcgruder AOC also, who shocked the Democrats by defeating a very senior corporate Democrat in a primary.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@fathermcgruder

i don't understand your complaint

"what if something bad happens"?

of course. there's numerous other scenarios where something can go wrong

or the centrist dem can straight up beat the leftist dem in the primary

and?

the simple point is:

if you vote, you may lose. if you don't vote, you *will* lose

nevermind that if leftists show the fuck up, their concerns will be addressed rather than ignored

no elected official cares about people who don't #vote

you *make them* care

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@not2b @fathermcgruder

exactly

i only use the mamdani example because he's more recent

people need to show the fuck up in the primaries if they want leftists in power

simple

[fathermcgruder@jorts.horse]

@benroyce I'm just trying to get clarification on who you think is an entitled moron and under what circumstances. If leftists keep voting blue no matter who, the message that sends is that the Democrats can ignore leftists. We should not encourage that sort of entitlement on behalf of the party.

[bbuck@mastodon.social]

@miss_rodent @benroyce
Thanks for your attempt to confuse Democrats. I will vote Democrat 100%. The other pretend-parties have no chance. Your choice: pretend parties or the party that can lift us out of this darkness.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@fathermcgruder

1. i'm talking about the primaries, where you outright choose a leftist

2. if you think "i'm not voting and i'm sending a message to centrist dems":

it doesn't send anyone any message

they just ignore you

and it means you don't care about trans rights, women's rights, voting rights, immigrants, what is going on in iran right now, etc

to pout and sit things out and risk all of that and more "to send a message" is entitled as fuck

nobody cares about people who don't vote

[bbuck@mastodon.social]

@miss_rodent @benroyce
Thanks. I know.

[miss_rodent@girlcock.club]

@bBuck @benroyce Attempt to confuse democrats?
I don't know what that means.
It's not a pretend party, it's probably a more powerful party in NY state politics than the republicans are, their support is a significant part of why Mamdani is NYC mayor right now.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@bBuck @miss_rodent

there's nothing wrong with membership in other parties

they can and do vote for dems where it matters

of course there's something wrong with voting for a 3rd party in our stupid FPTP voting system, and dividing the left vote, and helping MAGA win, in crucial elections

but what you see, at least in New York is, for example the dem candidate also appearing on the WFP party line on the voting ballot

[fathermcgruder@jorts.horse]

@benroyce Okay, so when a pro-genocide candidate gets nominated, it's best for leftists to vote third-party or write-in in the general. Got it.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@fathermcgruder

if you vote 3rd party you are voting MAGA

in our stupid FPTP voting system you are dividing the left vote and helping MAGA win

and if you stand against harris, for example, due to gaza (ignoring trump?!), then not voting/ 3rd party voting: congratulations, you helped what trump is doing in iran happen

you're talking about feeling pure, for yourself

you don't care what happens in reality

that's entitled

your rationale only helps fascism

a vote is strategy, not a romance