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@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.ioOne of the best things about being Black, is that I don't have to waste time pretending that people like Nimarata Nikki Haley, or Vivek Ramaswamy, or Tim Scott, can win the GOP nomination.
That's just a silly waste of time.
https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/111990595901816119
While we're at it, being Black also means I don't have to waste time pretending that candidates whose base is the "irrational hatred of Black women" special interest group, can win the Dem nomination. Andrew Yang, Dean Phillips, etc.
Be for real.
Now that the rest of the class has caught up to what Black folk could have told you last year, maybe we can focus on what really matters:
Black voter turnout
Non-white Hispanic voter turnout
Muslim/arab/palestinian voter turnout
Asian voter turnout
In the swing states, in the swing districts.
US elections are all about turnout. Nothing else.
Voter turnout is all about racism.
Swing voters can't hurt you. They're not real.
I'm not arguing with y'all about this. Go be "538 wrong" again.
@mekkaokereke You can also cause white racists to self-identify, but I don’t envy you that power.
@mekkaokereke
I think the main reason Haley was able to hang in so long is that MAGA & GOP establishment didn't understand why she was still there after she successfully kneecapped Ramaswamy. "I mean, that's what she was there for, right? Why isn't she just going home? Wait, are we going to have to actually DO something to make her quit? Ugh!"
@mekkaokereke And I know you've said this before but getting Black, non-white Hispanic, Asian, Arab and Muslim turnout can't simply rely on saying "you gotta, the other guy is worse and will be bad for your community." People are tired of the vote for the less bad message. Give people a positive reason to vote.
@hishamzerriffi This is the fundamental issue though.
The GOP has done a great job of making a really large number of mainstream white folks (and more than a few POC) believe that policies that will make POC's lives better are communist, socialist, gay, satanic, unfair, fascist, or whatever flavor of bad they're pushing on a given day.
As @mekkaokereke says, turnout is about racism and turning out one crowd represses the other. Educating folks about these racist underpinnings might help.
@jonathanpeterson @mekkaokereke Just to be clear. Are you suggesting minority voters need to be educated about the racism?
If so:
@hishamzerriffi I tried to jam too much into my character limit. Educating WHITE FOLKS about the racist underpinnings of many things that they take for granted, as @mekkaokereke has been doing over black history month.
I agree 100% on what you wrote here: https://fediscience.org/@hishamzerriffi/112004627513692940
Blaming low turnout of POC in for the Trump win in 2016 ignores that he won because of his massive leads with white men, non-college white folks, white evangelicals and catholics.
@jonathanpeterson @mekkaokereke ah, thanks. Makes more sense and 100% agree
Interesting! You make cogent, well thought out, and valid points! Your thinking is clear, your communication precise, and I understand the points that you are trying to make perfectly. The points you raise, deserve a response from me that is equally thoughtful. But... you already know that's not going to happen. You already know that my response is going to be nonsense. C'mon, I know you felt the setup!
So let me respond thusly:
"TRUMP IS WORSE!!!"
I've spent the past 3 months watching people that I care about deeply, get "Trump is worse'd" online incessantly. For things as simple as asking for basic human treatment for their relatives.
That... doesn't help turnout.
I know I see this a lot too, but I also empathize a lot with people who are worried about His Orangeness as an existential threat to the future of... well, everything, because he is. we've never been this close to the end of everything before.
and not gonna lie, the future of some of my family and friends hangs on this vote, and I'm fucking terrified
Is there a good way to say this without just saying "Trump is worse"? i don't want to downplay all the harm the other guy is doing but, well, it is factually correct.
1) it's partially how it is said. I'm reacting in part to people thinking that "Trump will be worse for you" is somehow a great revelation
2) It's as much about what is done vs. what is said. Saying "Trump is bad" can be fine if that's also backed up with action that motivated support
@mav @hishamzerriffi @mekkaokereke
Trying to convince voters to come out to ‘vote against’ is a losing strategy for progressives… the other side is already doing that: ‘vote against x’ is everything they’ve got.
‘Vote for’ will turn the tide: vote for debt forgiveness, vote for health care, vote for the environment, vote for education, vote for equality, vote for children, vote for …
@DavidM_yeg @mav @hishamzerriffi @mekkaokereke "Vote for the guy who got the ceasefire in place" would probably do a lot, but doesn't seem to be on the horizon.
@mekkaokereke @Mabande @mav @hishamzerriffi
I agree wholeheartedly.
@DavidM_yeg
The only thing they really have going for them is that they can kick the ball down the road another 4 years, MAYBE (though no guarantees)
This would be a hell of a lot easier sell if the Democrats actually fucking did anything useful, ever
@hishamzerriffi @mekkaokereke
@hishamzerriffi @mekkaokereke @mav
I hear that a lot about the current Liberal government in Canada, but when I stop to think about it, I get a pretty long list of good things, but it’s human nature to remember disappointments better.
Americans reading this: is the list of accomplishments over the last term really that empty? Maybe start making a list here to remind each other the kind of things you can vote *for*
@DavidM_yeg
I started writing a reply to this and it made me really sad so I quit
@hishamzerriffi @mekkaokereke
@hishamzerriffi @mav @mekkaokereke
I’m just an observer on the northern border, I’m really feel for you and your nation that things look so bleak from where you are.
@hishamzerriffi @mekkaokereke That really is the message though, but there are ways of expressing it. 'The other guy is worse' and 'the other guy will destroy all that you hold dear' are both true statements. Their truth values are equal. But... those who treat them as, or imply that they are, equivalent, are wronger than wrong!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wronger_than_wrong
As a geodesist, I resonate with that.
@hishamzerriffi I understand this reasonable ask and we could have a better message and messenger for the democratic party. However. Republicans have pretty much been unrelenting in trying to make government ineffective. Add to that our current government is just outdated and open to this kind of manipulation. I think anyone in the role of president is going to disappoint because they are more constrained (Trump was also) and Republicans are more committed to constraining. It is a setup for low turnout which favors Republicans. The best remedy is really structural changes to our constitutional system, which is not really possible because of the strength of the veto points.
high turnout tends to mean a Democratic win, low turnout favours the Republicans.
So get out and vote!
@mekkaokereke did anyone ever actually think Nikki Haley could win? I thought she was more of a protest vote, to force the conversation about GOP extremism and providing a counter example for what more moderate(ish) voices want
@Artemis201 @mekkaokereke I figured the only way Haley would "win" the nomination was if she *outlived* Trump. That said, I'm pretty sure the MAGOP would figure out a way to run a different white guy, instead.
@mekkaokereke
I've been yelling myself hoarse about this since the Darth Jar-Jar administration.
The establishment Democrats and their supporters keep insisting that if only the party can move far enough to the right, they will pick up those swing voters and win elections. They then talk about being "realistic" and whining about "purity tests" when it is obvious that the only path to victory is to get people who normally don't vote to come out and vote.
1/2
@mekkaokereke
Obama was the first viable Black president, so people who normally don't vote came out in droves to vote for him.
Trump used racism to get racists who normally don't vote out to the polls.
Biden benefited from people who freaked out about Trump.
It's not about swing voters. It hasn't been for a long time.
2/2
@mekkaokereke Republicans don't try to swing voters, they try to suppress votes. Because they understand. Check out what they've done to Harris county in Texas, a state law that only applies to one counties elections, to make sure there are no close calls like Beto vs. Cruz again. Likewise in Georgia, the Republican legislature passed a law to try to insure Atlanta doesn't swing Georgia to Biden like last time. Remains to be seen how much impact it'll have, but even a tiny change is enough.
Can I just say, I appreciate you not falling for the myth of the youth vote here!
The constituencies you mention are the ones that matter.
Will Trump pick Tim Scott as his running mate?
Is Tim Scott white?
@mekkaokereke Black & Proud, baby. Black & Proud.
Its odd how people don't ever speak to this on that group. Thank you.