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Joe BidenCongratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
 

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 03:55 PM Feb 2019

Democratic candidates are not clay pigeons. Support the nominee even if they're not your 1st choice.

From Facebook, credited to a Cory Burns:

Liberal Friends, listen to this right now: Democratic Nominees are not clay pigeons.

I repeat.

DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES ARE NOT CLAY PIGEONS.

But, whatever do you mean? What is this metaphor?

It goes like this.

One by one, over the next couple of months, Democratic nominees are going to launch their official bids for President. They are going to launch themselves, one by one, into the sky, right into our line of vision.

Our job is not to shoot them.

Our job is NOT, the second we see them cross the sky, to reach out for the gun being handed to us by conservatives (because duh, conservatives and guns) and take aim, and blast them, one by one out of the air, for not being absolutely perfect.

Not likeable enough. BOOM.

Not an inspiring enough speaker. BOOM.

Said that awkward thing that one time. BOOM.

I wouldn't want to have a beer with them. BOOM.

Too old. BOOM. Too female. BOOM. Too white. BOOM.

Not a fucking flawless progressive superhero. BOOM.

Because what happens next? We shoot the candidates down. We degrade them. We belittle them. We smear them. Then we hand the gun to the media. They do the same. They hand the gun to the conservatives. They do the same. Then the bots start reloading. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

And then at the end of primary season, we have to pick up the shattered remains of whoever got the most votes and attempt to glue them back together into a candidate who can win the general election.

And we will lose. Because we learned fucking NOTHING from 2016, apparently.

Trump didn't win because every conservative loves him. Most of them hate his fucking guts. But they held their noses and voted for him because he was the only way to push their agenda forward. And holy shit, have they pushed it. Despite his complete ineptitude, his bumbling, his gross incompetence, his blatant corruption, they have shoved through some really damaging policies that are hurting real people every single day, and they will continue to do so for as long as we let them.

So, here we are. You're not jazzed about Liz Warren? Awesome. Beto not your boy? Swell. Sick of Biden memes? Good for you, friend. Keep it to yourself. Why? Because EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT WHO RUNS IS INFINITELY BETTER FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY THAN THE FLAMING RACIST POPULIST TRASH CURRENTLY STEERING THIS COUNTRY DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN.

I'm not sure if you noticed, but we already elected a guy based on a cult of personality rather than on whether he was qualified in any way to do the job, and we're going to be putting out the flames for DECADES.

But what do we do instead, you ask? Watch debates. Compare platforms. Be informed. Choose your favorite BASED ON REAL FACTUAL POLICIES AND EXPERIENCE, NOT ON YOUR DELICATE FEELINGS AND WHETHER YOU FEEL SUFFICIENTLY ENTERTAINED OR INEXPLICABLY HAPPY AT THE VERY SIGHT OF THEIR GLOWING FACE. Then get involved. Register people. Drive to the polls. Hold signs on street corners. Write postcards. Knock on doors. Don't tell us why the other candidates suck, tell us why yours is THE BEST. Fight FOR them. Remember how we used to fight FOR things, rather than against them? I know Trump makes it hard to remember, but I promise, that's a thing we used to know how to do.

Then we all, collectively, wholeheartedly, throw our weight and energy and voice behind whoever gets the nomination. If we do that, we win. Period.

It's not a question of who can beat Trump, don't you get it? A sentient fucking houseplant with a liberal platform could beat Trump, if we do this right. It's a question of whether WE can beat him, or would we rather tear ourselves apart?

Look around you, folks. The stock market is in free-fall. Our international reputation is in tatters. Our foreign policy is for sale to dictators. Our free press is under daily attack. Our Supreme Court is one conservative white dude away from full-on Gilead, and we can't keep asking an 84-year-old-woman recovering from broken ribs and a third bout of cancer to hang on for six more years because we can't get our heads out of our own asses. I mean, she'll do it, obviously, because RBG is a BOSS, but she shouldn't have to.

I repeat. This is not a test of our candidates. There are lots of good, solid options. It's a test of US. Of OUR ability to unite. Of OUR strength. Of OUR ability to put aside selfish arbitrary purity tests and scales of "likeability" and to just FUCKING GET IT DONE. We don't need the perfect candidate to rescue us. We need to realize that we can rescue ourselves.

So, how about it, Resistance? They want us to forget that we have the numbers, the motivation, and the power. They want us to implode. Let's explode instead, and leave nothing but a charred ruin of this nightmare administration in our wake.

BOOM.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Democratic candidates are not clay pigeons. Support the nominee even if they're not your 1st choice. (Original Post) backscatter712 Feb 2019 OP
YES! elleng Feb 2019 #1
YOUR POST HAS NAILED IT TO THE WALL! SPOT ON. CaliforniaPeggy Feb 2019 #2
And keep the primaries civil. They can be spirited but be civil!! PTWB Feb 2019 #3
Exactly. We have one goal right now, and it's our last chance at it: DEFEAT TRUMP! backscatter712 Feb 2019 #14
Apart from supporters of one candidate, supporters of the others will eagerly back the nominee. LonePirate Feb 2019 #4
We'll see bhikkhu Feb 2019 #17
I will support any person who wins the nomination...they are our only choice at that time...and I Demsrule86 Feb 2019 #5
Except Bernie, right? JudyM Feb 2019 #6
Nobody is smearing him. But I'll tell you what IS a smear... NurseJackie Feb 2019 #7
Lulzd. Voltaire2 Feb 2019 #12
This is as good as the OP... TreasonousBastard Feb 2019 #18
He's welcome to run under the same rules as all the other candidates. backscatter712 Feb 2019 #8
You don't sound so "undecided" to me BannonsLiver Feb 2019 #9
Ha, I'm not decided but I really respect what Bernie has done to raise issues in a way that JudyM Feb 2019 #10
Fair enough, and good post. BannonsLiver Feb 2019 #11
agreed. Voltaire2 Feb 2019 #13
Well said Andy823 Feb 2019 #15
Yes! I promise right now to say only positive things. EndGOPPropaganda Feb 2019 #16
Excellent post. I hid this forum, but peek in every so often... TreasonousBastard Feb 2019 #19
 

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
2. YOUR POST HAS NAILED IT TO THE WALL! SPOT ON.
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 04:04 PM
Feb 2019

Thank you for lifting this from FB and posting it here.

So right on, and so fucking important.

I hope everyone reads it, and more importantly, agrees and acts accordingly!

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

PTWB

(4,131 posts)
3. And keep the primaries civil. They can be spirited but be civil!!
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 04:20 PM
Feb 2019

At the end of the day we are all Dems. We need to support each other and the eventual nominee, who ever that may be.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
14. Exactly. We have one goal right now, and it's our last chance at it: DEFEAT TRUMP!
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 07:09 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

LonePirate

(13,386 posts)
4. Apart from supporters of one candidate, supporters of the others will eagerly back the nominee.
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 04:23 PM
Feb 2019

If Bernie is not the nominee, a significant number of his most vocal supporters will not support the Dem nominee, just like in 2016.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

bhikkhu

(10,708 posts)
17. We'll see
Sat Feb 23, 2019, 05:04 AM
Feb 2019

From a broader perspective, his progressive policies have been adopted by the party as a whole. So it is highly likely even if he doesn't win the nomination that the one who does win will be a good representative of his policies and gain his full support.

Of course, I'm blacking out the memory of the last time around and hoping for the best...but it's still possible.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Demsrule86

(68,352 posts)
5. I will support any person who wins the nomination...they are our only choice at that time...and I
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 04:26 PM
Feb 2019

will work tirelessly to elect them.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

JudyM

(29,122 posts)
6. Except Bernie, right?
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 04:30 PM
Feb 2019

Because - even though accepted as a Dem candidate by our leadership - he isn’t an actual Dem candidate, he is too old, already had his chance, is only in it for money (cough!), etc, right? So folks should be blasting him continuously, right?

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

NurseJackie

(42,862 posts)
7. Nobody is smearing him. But I'll tell you what IS a smear...
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 04:48 PM
Feb 2019
So folks should be blasting him continuously, right?
Nobody is "blasting" him continuously. Valid (though pointed) criticisms are difficult to hear, I agree, but these things must be deeply and thoroughly vetted now. Those things aren't "smears". But I'll tell you what IS a smear... and that's when we hear someone saying things like... Democrats are "ideologically bankrupt" and Democrats are "feeble". Obviously, that's completely untrue.

I strongly believe it's important for anyone who wants to represent the Democratic party to be someone who can unite the party and motivate the party. It simply serves no good purpose for anyone to publicly state that the Democrats are "corrupt" or that the Democratic party is an "absolute failure". Those types of smears do not unite or motivate us.

And lastly, I think it's vital that we stand up to anyone who says that the Democratic party is "the party of the one-percent", or that the Democrats are the party is the "party of the elite". Again... totally false!

Again, I totally understand that it can be difficult to listen to valid criticism of one's favorite candidate. But what's worse is when people make excuses for the FALSE rhetoric about the Democratic party that's regularly being bandied about.

Things like that very dangerous (and demoralizing). WHAT GOOD PURPOSE does it serve for someone to make false statements that infer that there's "no difference between Democrats and Republicans." Nothing could be further from the truth! It's bullying and it erodes trust in the party and in each other. It's so harmful and I'll never hesitate to speak out against the lies.

All I'm trying to say here is that these types of smears only divide us. They make us suspicious of each other and question motives and agendas. And all of those things only serve to demoralize us and weaken us as a party. It's very destructive, and anything that weakens the Democratic party only serves to benefit the GOP, and Trump, and Russia.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
18. This is as good as the OP...
Sat Feb 23, 2019, 10:13 AM
Feb 2019

I've been hanging out at uncountable Democratic elections, protests, debates, discussions, committee meetings...

Even ran for office once myself.

I have never, ever seen anything positive come out of a smear campaign. Anyone's smear campaign.

Even if you started out agreeing with the smearer, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth and encourages you to step back. Maybe not support anyone, and maybe not even vote or participate at all.

That is not good. A democracy only works when we are all honest and engaged.



If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
8. He's welcome to run under the same rules as all the other candidates.
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 05:13 PM
Feb 2019

And yes, I'll support him if he's the nominee.

I supported Bernie during the 2016 primaries. Then when he didn't win, I supported Hillary in the general.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

BannonsLiver

(16,162 posts)
9. You don't sound so "undecided" to me
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 05:20 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

JudyM

(29,122 posts)
10. Ha, I'm not decided but I really respect what Bernie has done to raise issues in a way that
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 05:45 PM
Feb 2019

connects with a lot of people. His principles are also mine (with a couple exceptions), and represent why I’m an ardent Dem.

One of my core concerns is the rampant spread of conflicts of interest in all three branches of government, because decent environmental, economic and social policies (and more so lately, foreign policy) hinges on influence being courted by those with money. Period. This is, IMO, why we are where we are today! Starting most stunningly with Bush v. Gore which led to Citizens United. Election fraud, environmental destruction, you name it. I’m fine with any Dem as long as conflicts of interest are taken care of.

The aggressive posts against Bernie are anti-Dem despite protestations to the contrary.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

BannonsLiver

(16,162 posts)
11. Fair enough, and good post.
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 05:47 PM
Feb 2019
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

Andy823

(11,495 posts)
15. Well said
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 09:05 PM
Feb 2019

I for one will support the winner, whoever it may be.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

EndGOPPropaganda

(1,117 posts)
16. Yes! I promise right now to say only positive things.
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 09:34 PM
Feb 2019

I will not say negative things about other candidates, only positive things about my candidate

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
19. Excellent post. I hid this forum, but peek in every so often...
Sat Feb 23, 2019, 10:15 AM
Feb 2019

to see how it's going.

Glad I caught this.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
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