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- cross-posted to:
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Good luck negotiating a compromise with the evil that is genocide.