Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote ā€˜uncommittedā€™ in Michiganā€™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.

ā€œItā€™s important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote thatā€™s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,ā€ she said on Sunday during an interview on CNNā€™s State of the Union. ā€œA 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.ā€

Whitmer, who is a co-chair of Bidenā€™s 2024 campaign, also said she wasnā€™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 ā€œuncommittedā€ in Michiganā€™s 27 February primary.

  • fidodo@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Trying to get a progressive agenda by only thinking about the Presidency is like trying to win a game with only hail Marys. We need to focus on smaller races in house and build up from there. It would be a stronger and longer lasting change. Even if youā€™re in an area that doesnā€™t have any competitive progressives running in the primary, you are allowed to volunteer to help progressive candidates in areas that do.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      We need to focus on smaller races in house and build up from there.

      I heard this back in 2008. But the next eight years was nothing but losses, in large part because the national party kept kneecapping grass roots organizations.

      From ACORN to Code Pink, left activists were targeted and dismantled from within the liberal party.

      By the time Trump won in 2016, Dems had castrated themselves across the entire Midwest and were losing in record numbers.

      How do you organize under that kind of leadership?

      • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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        7 months ago

        Florida just recently had a governor race where there was a great new candidate but then the DNC refused to back her and chose a former Republican instead to backā€¦ And which point why would anyone pick the former Republican governor when you can just have the current Republican governor and the Democrats lost by a landslide again.

        They donā€™t want to win they just want to give rich donors a job or a yes man.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          And which point why would anyone pick the former Republican governor when you can just have the current Republican governor

          I mean, gun to my head, if my choices are DeSantis or Cristā€¦ But thatā€™s not great for enthusiasm.

          They donā€™t want to win they just want to give rich donors a job or a yes man.

          The dirty truth about the modern Democratic Party.