US presidential candidate, Jill Stein, says because of AIPAC’s $100 million funding of the US election, it has become '‘politically toxic’ to speak out against the genocide in Gaza.
‘If we have concerns about the right to life before birth, how about a right to life after birth,’ she said in reference to Israel’s killing of innocent children and the elderly in Gaza. US President Joe Biden 'can end this war with a phone call’, she added.
If she doesn’t take the AIPAC dollarydoos and sell her soul she’ll never win is what you mean?
Pretty much, yeah. For multiple overlapping reasons (FPTP, media, campaign funding). Which is why reforming the system is critical.
Kind of makes it weird that so many people on Lemmy are like “the system is broken therefore I’m not voting even if the outcome is Trump coming to power and making it 10 times worse.” In my type of logic, “the system is broken therefore let’s reform the system by doing X Y and Z” would be more sensible, to the point that it kinda calls into question their motivations behind saying the first thing, but what do I know.
And the way to fix the system is by empowering the people that have broken it down over the years?
When the DNC took away Bernie in 2016 they destroyed the entire argument of “changing the system from the inside”.
Rewind to the civil rights movement
Some black activist who is 1,000% outside the political mainstream, but wildly popular within all segments of the American populace runs for the nomination of one of the major parties, gets FORTY THREE PERCENT OF THE VOTE (and only that low because the establishment cheated its ass off)
Is the right answer:
?
Sorry are you saying the guy that spent his entire life claiming the system can be changed from the inside and got blocked using dirty tactics proves your point? “moderate internet organizing” is a slight understatement here.
Let me correct you
You sound like you think he accomplished nothing because he didn’t accomplish everything. Since he ran for the nomination in 2016 we have more progressives in federal office and higher youth voter turnout (meaning higher chance of electing more progressives). Change is happening. The primaries are where we need that pressure, by progressive candidates running and progressive voters showing up. There were 0.9 M Democratic primary ballots cast in Texas in 2024. That’s not going to cut it to get better candidates.
We have Donald Trump about to become president because the Democrat president wants to support Genocide more than be a good president.
Change happened indeed.
So you’re willing to let a man who says Israel must finish the job have authority of our military because the Democratic party presumptive nominee is merely better instead of perfect?
Ps - I am inferring that you will not vote for the Democratic nominee unless they are not Biden, so do correct if I’m wrong on that
You can go back in my post history like 4 months I have already clearly stated that during the Michigan uncommitted votes. Far before now when everyone is now trying to get rid of Biden for his age which is another group of people that won’t vote for Biden.
Biden has crossed a red line. And unlike Biden in Rafah, crossing a red line for someone with principles means that it’s Joever. Biden had his chance to redeem himself and he decided to ignore it so surely he doesn’t need those votes right?
If Democrats keep Biden in they must be very confident in all those votes he gained from supporting Genocide.
Shes on enough ballots to get past the post. Maybe it’s time democrats did it our way since your way keeps producing brain dead geriatrics.
I mean technically?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballot_access_in_the_2024_United_States_presidential_election
She’s on the ballot now in 23 states with a total of 279 Electoral College votes, so not a lot of wiggle room for a candidate who has only ever had around 1% of the vote and a party that maxxed out around 5% under Ralph Nader 24 years ago.
This compares to:
Democratic Party - 50 States+D.C. - 538 EC votes.
Republican Party - 50 States+D.C. - 538 EC votes.
Libertarian Party - 35 States - 352 EC votes.
Green Party - 23 States - 279 EC votes.
Kennedy - 14 States - 184 EC votes.
Constitution Party - 11 States - 114 EC votes.
West - 7 States - 44 EC votes.
It would be better for everyone if the candidates who can’t win drop out, but they won’t.
If Democrats are so concerned about FPTP they have an opportunity to ensure she makes it past. They claim they don’t like Biden but will still vote for him. How about trying it a different way and voting FOR something you want in government as opposed to voting against WHO you don’t want in government.
Voters are their own worst enemy
Well, sure, because in recent memory, no 3rd party has won even a single state. You have to go back to George Wallace and 1968, he won 5 states in the south. The choice is hold your nose and vote Biden or you get Trump.
Even then, that’s looking like it won’t be enough.
According to some of your own replies swing state polling Biden is losing. If he stays in the race it looks like a vote for Biden is a vote for Trump
Oh, there’s no doubt Biden needs to drop out. I’m hearing rumors that a speech is already being written.
I will not hold my nose for genocide, among other things.
Your choice is (as of this writing) an old man who believes Israel has the right to defend itself (Biden), and an old man who thinks Israel needs to go harder and faster to finish the job they started (Trump).
With a seemingly unlimited amount of money and weapons that Biden is providing and the refusal to draw a line in the sand for Netanyahu, Biden is allowing Israel to finish the job.
It doesn’t matter if she’s on the ballot when fewer than 2% will vote for her. Ballot access isn’t the problem, getting your type candidate nominated by one of the two most voted-for parties is. And that will only happen by running and voting for those candidates in the major parties primaries.
That’s not how FPTP works, if she gets 270 she wins. It’s that simple. But democrats won’t give up their privilege to break up the dysfunction in government.
She received zero electoral votes from her 1.07% of the popular vote in 2016. In fact, she did not win a single county or district nationwide in 2016. It appears further that no third party candidate has received any electoral votes since 1968. How do plan on breaking that streak this year? Polling says you won’t. I understand that the possibility exists that out of nowhere a giant surge of third party voters could show up and do it. But reality up to now shows they probably won’t since they previously haven’t.
You’re right that neither the Democratic nor the Republican party will give up their privilege. And the past 50+ years of results says you won’t take it from them by voting 3rd party in the general. You will have to change the parties from within by getting those new candidates to run in Dem/Rep primaries instead and then showing up to vote them onto the ballot. It will take multiple election cycles.
The party cannot be changed from within. There will be no reform from inside the party. Those old troglodytes will not allow any new politicians into positions of power and influence until they parrot the official party lines. One of them needs to fade off into obscurity, there’s only room for one right-wing party in the US, and there’s barely room for that
Jill Stein is in her 70s.
And sharp as a tack. Unlike the 2 senile POS currently running