Biden is dramatically out of touch with voters on Gaza. He may lose because of it | Moira Donegan (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 5 months ago by JoBo@feddit.uk to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Many voters believe, with good reason, that none of this would have happened without Biden’s assent. Biden has continued to speak of Israel’s attack on Palestinian civilians using the absurd language of “self-defense”. He has insulted Jewish Americans and the memory of the Holocaust by invoking them to justify the slaughter. And though his White House repeatedly leaks that he is “privately” dismayed by Israel’s conduct of the war, he has done little to stop the flow of US money and guns that support it.

Even after the US state department issued a vexed and mealy-mouthed report on Israel’s conduct, which nevertheless concluded that it was reasonable to assess that Israel was in violation of international humanitarian law, the Biden administration has continued to fund these violations. That state department report was published on 10 May. The Biden administration told Congress that it intends to move forward with a $1bn arms sale to Israel. “OK, [Israel] likely broke the law, but not enough to change policy,” is how one reporter summarized the administration’s judgment. “So, what is the point of the report? I mean, in the simplest terms, what’s the point?”

Meanwhile, Biden has expressed public disdain for the Americans – many of whom he needs to vote for him – who have taken to protest on behalf of Palestinian lives. Speaking with evident approval of the violent police crackdowns against anti-genocide student demonstrations, he said coolly: “Dissent must never lead to disorder.”

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[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 43 points 5 months ago

Meanwhile, if you don't vote for Biden:

https://x.com/Acyn/status/1785491814226510333

“We have to let Israel complete their war on terror. It’s a horrible thing, but they have to do it.” Trump added that Israel must “clean out the cancer.”

[-] kava@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

The lesser evil campaign strategy isn't going to work anymore. It's ran its course. Biden needs to offer something meaningful otherwise Trump will win.

At this point it's almost certainly too late.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

Oh, he definitely needs to offer up something meaningful, but not on Gaza.

The #1 issue for people is the economy, and Biden is being fucking tone deaf telling people who are hurting "What? The economy is doing great!"

3.5% inflation on top of 3% on top of 9%? No, people are not doing great!

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[-] treefrog@lemm.ee 32 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

He's out of touch with young/idealistic voters who don't understand that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting your conscience.

The choice is fascism or neo liberalism. Hopefully someday we'll have a better choice. Not voting now makes that less likely. As does Biden doubling down on zionism.

[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

I wonder if this isn't overblown propaganda. Personally, and I know this is just my experience, but I've never met a person who isn't a Trump supporter who isn't voting for Biden. I'm sure they exist, and I want to keep seeing stories like this to encourage Biden to do better, and scare moderates to make sure they show up in November.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Republicans vote for their candidate and against their opponents. Democrats historically only show up in support. Just look at the 2016 election.

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[-] Wrench@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

My far left friend wrote in Bernies name in 2016.

He did not play stupid games in 2020, and I suspect in 2024, though I haven't talked to him about it.

As left as he is, he has known what another Trump presidency means since 2021 with no ambiguity. Anyone pretending otherwise at this point isn't arguing in good faith.

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[-] Red_October@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago

I'm sure Trump will be much better for those people who refuse to vote Biden solely because of his involvement with the Gaza situation. /s

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

....

The reason Republicans become president is low turnout

So Dems running a candidate that voters don't want to vote for, is a bad thing.

What works better, is running a candidate like Bill Clinton or Obama. Someone who is ~~under 40~~ in their 40s says progressive things, and is charismatic.

Regardless of how they govern, that's how you prevent Republican president.

With the current state of Dem primaries, it's hard to blame voters for who makes it to the general.

And if you're looking for someone to blame when that unpopular Dem can't even beat someone like trump, blame the people who get paid millions to decide how to spend billions to convince voters that the Republican is even worse than the Dem so we have to vote for someone not as bad, but still not what we want.

We could just run popular candidates and easily beat trump, but that's just not an option apparently

[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

What works better, is running a candidate like Bill Clinton or Obama. Someone who is under 40, says progressive things, and is charismatic.

Nitpick: Obama was 47 when he was elected. Clinton was 46. The youngest President ever was Theodore Roosevelt at 42 (when William McKinnley was assassinated), and the youngest president to ever be elected was JFK at 43. No person under the age of 40 has ever served as President.

"Under 50" would probably be more accurate for the point you're trying to make. We've had several good Presidents in the 40-50 age group.

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

No worries, I meant "in their 40s" but if you wouldn't have said anything, I wouldn't have known I fucked up.

Nitpicking is always valid, details are important

[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

We could just run popular candidates and easily beat trump, but that’s just not an option apparently

But.....who?

Bernie Sanders has tried and failed multiple times, and he's even older than both Trump and Biden.
Elizabeth Warren is no spring chicken herself, and would very likely end up being eaten alive by the Trump Hate Machine, who would especially capitalize on previous gaffes like claiming she's native American when she isn't.
AOC isn't old enough yet, and she's not all that popular even among centrist Democrats outside of her home state.
Forget Harris. Put her on the ticket and you might as well just write Trump's inauguration speech now.

I'd like to see someone like Jasmine Crockett or Jamie Raskin make a run for it, but I don't know if they've got the national popularity to be able to take down Trump. And with Crockett being black, Raskin being Jewish, and Trump running on a pro-racism platform and being backed by extremists like the Proud Boys, putting Trump up against a minority may end up riling up Trump's base even more (I'm not saying this is right, but the reality is that a not-insignificant portion of Trump's base is heavily racist and would turn out in droves just to make sure a black or Jewish person isn't elected again, and I'm not sure that either Raskin or Crockett would be popular enough nationally to overcome it, especially in today's political climate).

There are a bunch of people that I hope are eyeing a 2028 run, but there's really nobody I could see on the Democrat side of the aisle who's both ready and able to take down Trump this year. I understand people's dislike of Biden and all of that, but I still think he's the least shitty option available that has a realistic chance of winning.

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[-] MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago

Hey now, that's not important. What's important is making sure Biden doesn't get reelected. We don't need to mention the consequences of the bullshit propaganda people are pushing.

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[-] BaldProphet@kbin.social 17 points 5 months ago

Let me rewrite this headline:

"Democrats would rather elect a literal Nazi than Joe Biden"

Which is bull, but essentially what the article is saying.

If you won't vote for Biden because of Gaza, you are an ignorant, narrow-minded idiot and you are handing Trump the presidency.

[-] snownyte@kbin.social 7 points 5 months ago

I know but a lot of people are going to vote based on things that they cannot control in faraway countries.

Forget that LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, consumer rights, renter/tenant rights, homeowner rights, religious rights are all on the table. Let's hinge our very important voting decision on foreign affairs, as our own issues grow more and more out of control.

Makes a lot of sense. /s

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[-] riodoro1@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

He’s not out of touch, he doesn’t want to upset his benefactors.

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this post was submitted on 22 May 2024

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