My take is that voting for Biden isn’t significant harm reduction, but not voting for him/Trump winning isn’t either. Some people (I know it’s a minority) are so anti-Biden that they think not voting for him will accomplish something. An accomplishment would be the People’s Party/Green Party getting more votes than ever before, more democratic socialists running as Democrats and winning, more organizations active on the streets and in local politics. But Biden losing (if he loses) won’t, by itself, make anything better - and might make things worse.
My take is that voting for Biden isn’t significant harm reduction, but not voting for him/Trump winning isn’t either.
I am not claiming not voting to be “harm reduction”. At least, it’s not the primary intent. I could see how not voting could have positive side effects, like the Dems get wiped out and replaced by a good left party (I don’t think nearly enough people will stay home to make that happen, but that’s what would happen if they did).
But my non-vote has nothing to do with harm reduction. I’m just not voting because they both suck and neither one bothered to do anything to earn my vote.
If the dems want my vote that bad, they should offer me something. Not continue being the warmongering grifters they are, and then scold me for not voting.
But my non-vote has nothing to do with harm reduction. I’m just not voting because they both suck and neither one bothered to do anything to earn my vote.
If the dems want my vote that bad, they should offer me something. Not continue being the warmongering grifters they are, and then scold me for not voting.
Right, I’m entirely on board with this. Please vote in any competitive races down ballot though - there are choices that matter there.
I apply the same logic to the down ballot races as the presidential race. If there’s one candidate offering something worth voting for, I vote. That happens more frequently in down-ballot races, judgeships, ballot proposals, etc.
Of course, politics are less corrupted at the municipal and state level (though not uncorrupted) and it’s way less unheard of to encounter actual leftists, and also well-meaning, honest, compassionate versions of libs, like Bernie. So you will more often get a candidate worth voting for in those down-ballot races.
So usually I’m voting for everything but president. But the process we bring to each race should be the same. Vote if there’s something to vote for. If not, fuck them, withhold your vote until they pursue you. It’s the only way to make your vote mean something.
But Biden losing (if he loses) won’t, by itself, make anything better - and might make things worse
It’ll make things better insofar as the neolib wing of the party will lose the political mandate it won with Bernies loss and invigorate the progressive wing of the party, which not to sound too libish or whatever would maybe be a good thing
