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.

  • sailingbythelee@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    You are being obtuse intentionally, I assume, to make a point. Withdrawing support for Israel is not one of the options. Your choices are status quo or fascism. And if you choose not to choose, then you are still making a choice. Trump can be elected by a combination of active support and negligence on the part of those who could stop him.

    • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      write this down …

      For some of us who have empathy, a genocide is more important than an election. Some nebulous, abstract, distant fever dream future, where Trump is president is immaterial to the actual current conditions in Palestine.

      Hope that’s acute enough for you.

          • sailingbythelee@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Which is actually a choice to help Trump win. Its a zero sum game where the winner takes all. Every vote NOT cast for Biden is potentially the vote that allows Trump to win, especially in swing districts. You can’t stand above the fray or absolve yourself of blame by simply refusing to play the game.

                • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
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                  10 months ago

                  To be clear, I don’t have a problem with that. It’s a difficult decision. I may vote for Biden depending on the next 8 months. But the constant bullying and brow beating from democrats of citizens who choose to vote their conscience is undemocratic and borderline authoritarian.

                  • sailingbythelee@lemmy.world
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                    10 months ago

                    No, I meant you are hopelessly bad at logic. Your line: “Oh, so you stand with genocide” is right up there with the anti-abortionist’s favorite line: “Oh, so you believe in killing babies”. That kind of logic is characteristic of teenagers and religious fanatics.

                    I get it. You are looking for a “third way” to avoid an unpalatable choice. Unfortunately, being a responsible adult and a leader sometimes means having to choose from among less-than-ideal choices because not choosing is also a choice.