Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ in Michigan’s primary on Tuesday

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.

  • mlg@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    Maybe vote uncommitted in primary for pressure since that has literally no effect on the main election?

  • fidodo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    9 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 you’re in an area that doesn’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
      01·
      9 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
        0·
        9 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 back… 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 don’t want to win they just want to give rich donors a job or a yes man.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
          01·
          9 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 Crist… But that’s not great for enthusiasm.

          They don’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.

  • RalphFurley@lemmy.world
    0·
    9 months ago

    How is Tlaib going to explain to her constituents that supporting Trump - who pushed the Muslim ban and called them shithole countries - by proxy will help them?

    Biden may not have the best foreign policy but it really is a fascist wannabe dictator who will absolutely support Bibi regardless or we can choose Biden who isn’t a fascist who at least has shown some pushback.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      01·
      9 months ago

      How is voting and organizing against genocide support for Trump?

      What should her constituents do to oppose a man who is arming the folks massacring their families?

  • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
    0·
    9 months ago

    When every side supports Israel, isn’t it basically a non issue? I know you guys love to police the world, but maybe choose your politicians based on national, not global affairs

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
      0·
      9 months ago

      “that’s right little Timmy, back in my day we voted for genocide and when we didn’t we were told it was the only ethical choice, because everyone was doing it.”

      • cheesebag@lemmy.world
        0·
        9 months ago

        As relevant here as it was there

        No one’s fucking voting for genocide; not even Biden (whose actions on Gaza are not acceptable) is voting for genocide; say what you want, but he’s not telling them to go into Gaza. And the 2024 election is about whether you want America to still be a democracy. A fascist USA helps no one.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
          01·
          9 months ago

          No one’s fucking voting for genocide

          Oh good. I was worried our political leadership was killing people.

          And the 2024 election is about whether you want America to still be a democracy.

          What kind of democracy only gives you one option on the ballot?