Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote āuncommittedā in Michiganās 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.
āItās important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote thatās not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,ā she said on Sunday during an interview on CNNās State of the Union. āA 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 Bidenās 2024 campaign, also said she wasnāt 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 āuncommittedā in Michiganās 27 February primary.
No, this is not hypothetical. Either Biden will win, or Trump will. You can protest and throw all the tantrums you like, thatās what the primary is for.
Come November, if you donāt vote for Biden, youāre as guilty as the most ardent MAGA supporter in letting fascism take power.
Incorrect.
The purpose of a primary is meant to select the best candidate possible.
We can argue if a guy whose consistently thrown unconditional support to a genocidal regime is in fact that, but the primary is not to āthrow tantrumsā
And yes, I am pissed that my govenement is currently sending money and weapons to a genocidal regime. I am more than pissed. I expect better of my govnerment.
But being incensed at genocideā¦ isnāt a tantrum.
Canā¦ you do me a favor? Can you just agree that genocide is bad? Or is that too much?
Whatever you want to call it, you go act out in the primary all you like, vote for Barney the dinosaur for all I care. But when it comes to November, you put on your big kid pants, suck it up, and vote for Biden, otherwise youāre as guilty as any other MAGA fanatic.
Soā¦.
We canāt agree that genocide is bad?
Once again: you are talking about a possible future- a very likely future. Protesting the genocide of Gazaās isnāt about what might happen in the future. The protests are about what is happening now.
And what our current, active government is doing to support it. āFirst they came for the Gazans, and I did nothing because Biden was better than Trumpā is not something I want to express later.
Our government is complicit in genocide. Period. It doesnāt matter if the current president is better than the alternative. Itās still complicit in genocide- and because it ostensibly represents me- I have an obligation to tell it to knock it off.
You, on the other hand, are using your right to free speech to enable and defend genocide.
You asked me for a favor, and Iām not inclined to do you any favors until you commit to voting for Biden in the general. After that, we can talk.
Why does saying genocide is bad require a favor for you to do?
That was the other person, not be. I donāt do favors for fascist supporters, of which Iām now convinced they are one.
āDo what I tell you and then we can talkā
you sound like a republican. You canāt even agree that genocide is bad and you expect me to actually agree to do what you say as if youāre some divinely appointed prophet? Fuck. That.
Iām not doing you any favors while thereās still some question as to whether or not youāre supporting fascism. If you refuse to vote for Biden in the general, thatās exactly what youāre doing. So hereās the opportunity to clear the air about how youāre going to vote.
Youāre not gonna admit that genocide is bad because you donāt believe it is. Iām voting for Biden.
See everyone! Itās not difficult to commit to voting for the only one standing between us and Trumpās fascist takeover of the U.S. Seriously, people act like itās pulling teeth to say theyāll vote for Biden.
Yes, of course genocide is bad, and we should immediately stop giving funding to Israel because of it. Like you, thatās not going to inhibit me in the slightest from voting for Biden in the general.
Youāre concerned Iām maybe supporting fascismā¦. Fascists just love their genocide too.
So maybe since youāre so concerned about fascism- check the goddam mirror.
And once again: the protests arenāt about the goddamn election. Itās about the American government supporting genocide, and speaking against that.
Oh, another thing fascists do: silence dissent. They also love loyalty and purity tests.
You donāt have to do me any favors you donāt want to do. But seriously; you want to persuade peopleā¦ this isnāt the way.
So youāre voting for Trump, got it. Thanks for the clarification.