Naomi Klein: If Biden Wants to Stop Trump, He Should Step Down
Naomi Klein: If Biden Wants to Stop Trump, He Should Step Down
“He has so enraged young voters by supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza that I doubt he can win,” Klein said.
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It's a good point. Biden's unconditional support for Netanyahu is not helping him at all (even though he seems to be trying to mediate in the background, he's not very successful and the optics are really bad).
But the question is, who else would be a candidate with enough support? He's counting on the incumbent bonus now but I also doubt it's good enough, if "not Trump" is the main thing he has going for him. I don't know US politics well enough to know about any alternatives. Buttigieg maybe?
But another Trump reign would be bad for the whole world order and climate so I really hope that won't happen.
I think a Bernie win would be amazing but I doubt he has enough hardliner support even on the Democratic side.
The thing is, the logic that Biden is holding to in order to justify clinging to his presidency (i.e. "people who don't want outright fascism must vote for me, they have no choice") applies just as well to any candidate who is put in the general.
Go watch Marianne Williamson speak and tell me she wouldn't do just as well if not better than Biden if it were her and Trump. The people who always talk about "gotta vote blue, even if it's the lesser of two evils" are going to vote for whichever Dem is in the race in the end. The only difference is, someone like Williamson could actually be pallatable to young people and the progressive base as well. You're not going to lose the liberal boomer dems, only gain younger progressives and liberals.
Biden stepping down would only be a win for Democrats, because he is the impediment to Democratic unity. People want something different, desperately.
The people who always talk about “gotta vote blue, even if it’s the lesser of two evils” are going to vote for whichever Dem is in the race in the end.
Of course but isn't it the swing voters that are most decisive? How would they react to a relatively unknown person?
I'd love to see a woman in that job though. It's about time.
Georgia didn't flip because of the "might vote Republic or might vote Democrate" swing voters people usually talk about; it flipped because of hoards of people who don't normally turn out at all finally were approached and motivated to do so. Another kind of swing voter, between "might not vote of all, or might vote Democrate."
Pundits make much of the first group because they always have, and because politicians insist on putting that group front and center in their priorities, but I think they become less and less of a genuinely powerful block as the two major parties get farther and farther apart. Who is even left in the middle, anymore? Never Trumpers, who won't vote for Trump anyway?
Meanwhile, Biden's unconditional aid for Israel's genocide is alienting Arab Americans, who have a lot of voting power in some key states, as well as a large (though I can't say exactly how large) portion of young, Black, and Latin American voters who can see the obvious racism at play.
I think he's made a political bet here to appeal to the people the DNC always tries to appeal to at the cost of other groups, but I genuinely think he may lose because of it, especially if Trump ends up sidelined and replaced with another Republican.
Then again, maybe pushing the abortion rights thing will make enough of a difference to counteract this. I don't know. But I hate that I feel like this election could easily go either way.
Meanwhile, Biden’s unconditional aid for Israel’s genocide is alienting Arab Americans, who have a lot of voting power in some key states
Hmm good point yes.
as well as a large (though I can’t say exactly how large) portion of young, Black, and Latin American voters who can see the obvious racism at play.
Yeah I was reading this article about how Trump is super loved by Cubans in Florida. I could hardly imagine it, his whole 2017 campaign was based on keeping the latino's out with his big-ass fence!! But they love his conservatism. Even though he's not actually conservative, he just does whatever he wants.
Then again, maybe pushing the abortion rights thing will make enough of a difference to counteract this
It's also such a hot topic with conservatives that it will really make them go vote, whereas it's something most democrats don't really care about as much (until they actually need one).
Is Trump's stance on Gaza any different?
It will be far far worse under Trump.
Bernie
How about someone who isn't over 80 years old?
Good point. And a women for a change. Or even a trans woman! That would be amazing! 🏳️⚧️
But it is America so this won't happen :'( We can dream.
I like Bernie though, despite his age :)
Being a woman or trans (not sure why you excluded trans men there) isn't a political accomplishment. Yes, it's bad that so many people vote against them just because of their gender, but similarly it's bad to vote for someone just because of their gender
I didn't think of trans men because they're men and America has already had only male presidents.
Of course it's not the only reason to vote for someone but considering women are just as suitable for the job in general and are 50% of the population and 100% of presidents have been men, it's really about time.
And really 99% of women will be better at the job than Trump.
Newsom.
Biden doesn't have support based on who he is. If he wins it will only be because people don't want Trump, so anyone else who hasn't pissed off most of the Democrat voter base will do just as well or better. Literally anyone on the street who can say that they aren't supplying bombs for an ongoing genocide.
Or Jay Inslee from Washington State who isn't running for reelection, or maybe JB Pritzker from Illinois, or (god forbid) another Democrat that doesn't fit the white guy in government mold.
The only reason it feels like there's no alternatives to Biden is that all the alternatives to Biden don't want to spoil the election, there's plenty of good and better choices out there. It's very frustrating.
I don't want Newsom as president.
I'm done with him as governor. It's not an all bad policy thing, I view the CPUC in bed with utility providers with unlimited energy rate hikes, as very much a Newsom thing.
Every single CPU Commissioner was appointed by Newsom. Yes it needs Senate approval, but he is the one who chooses who to appoint, and the senate approves it.
PG&E's rate just went up again upon CPUC approval to $0.42/kWh
Not liking his anti-2A stances is my biggest issue with him, because he also clearly see the State as being the only valid entity to enact violence, which is great if Nazis and white supremacist and (proud) racists and theocrats aren't allowed in your government, and not great when that isn't the case (as with the US).
That said, I think he'd be better as POTUS than as a state governor, precisely because his power to enact direct, low-level policy is much more limited, and in the end he's far better than 70%+ of the other potential candidates out there.