• JohnScig@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Republicans understood something Democrats (and their voters) didn’t. You can’t just elect your president and that’s it, problems solved. Biden could be an angel descended from heavens, but with hostile congress, ultra-conservative courts and no cover in local states’ politics either, he can’t do shit (again, he has a ton of flaws worth criticizing)

    So what people need to realize is that the key isn’t to vote, to choose anarchy or to throw their hands up in a final display of fatalism. The key is to vote more. Vote every chance you get. A school oversight election? I’m there. Local elections? At least know who the candidates are and show up. Presidential election? Don’t wait until November to choose the lesser of two evils - engage with the primary system.

    Now, obviously, this takes a lot of time that people don’t have. It takes a lot of evergy on top of living your life, taking care of your family, working a job or several. Not to mention, if your state is late in the process, you might not even have that many candidates to choose from during your primary/caucus.

    But this is why it’s crucial for people who have that time, money and energy to do it. Do it for people who can’t afford to take a day off to go to a school-board meeting or something.

    Also, engage with your representatives. They are representing you. If you don’t agree with the way they’re voting, tell them. If they ignore you, keep the receipts and campaign for their opponent in the next primary.

    And I fully realize this is a shit-ton of work. But the other side has installed fundamentalists closing down libraries and banning books, stripping women of their rights, even if you do 'the things outside of your state… they want to register pregnancies and clamp down on women who don’t reproduce. They’ve elected people who will watch the world burn while their donors profit and the Supreme Court will make sure no harm comes to them.

    Is this true for some democrats? Yes. Is this true for all Republicans? No. Both sides have the power to choose the best people. Make sure you do your part and inspire others to do the same.