• aseriesoftubes@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Everyone on the left who complains about the lack of choice in elections should take note of which party these three politicians are from.

    I assure you, Republicans are happy to let first-past-the-post and two-party rule continue until they’re finally able to seize all the levers of power. The only feasible way to give third parties any power whatsoever is to take your medicine and vote for Democrats.

    • Phenomephrene@thebrainbin.org
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      2 months ago

      The left in the U.S. seemingly has such a poor grasp of coalition oriented politics despite needing exactly that in order to become viable at all as political entities. It’s maddening. If people on the left en masse could put their ideals on the back burner long enough (and we’re only talking a couple/few election cycles) to force through issues of vote reform and campaign finance reform by working through the Democrats they could spend the rest of their lives voting for people that a) actually represent their values and b) actually have a shot at being elected.

      Edit: That time frame may be optimistic, but the point stands. Cooperation/consolidation amongst the genuine left as a voting block/political force, and doing so through the currently actionable political channels, is what it’s going to take to get to where we want to go.

      • DaCrazyJamez@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        Truly underrated comment. Most political conversations devolve into ranting about republicans, without any real concept of just what it will take to actually affect a change.

    • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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      2 months ago

      Why do these three being Democrats excuse the rest of the party being to the right of Reagan these days? Those people taking note can also take note of the liberals in the party crushing this bill just as hard as their Republican counterparts. Progressives always take a back seat to the corporate loving war mongers that make up a bulk of the party.

      This is the exact reason why we need ranked choice voting, so that progressives can actually get some representation for once.

      • Phenomephrene@thebrainbin.org
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        2 months ago

        What are your ideas for enacting ranked choice voting that don’t involve leveraging the Democrats to make it happen?

        It could maybe happen in individual states that allow citizen introduced ballot measures. That would be great. The scope and efficacy of that idea is pretty stunted though. You’d have to hope the measure passes in the first place, and counting on it to act as a catalyst for every other state to adopt the same is unrealistic. I’d expect a much longer time horizon on that approach than engaging with Democrats as far as making it the standard for the country at large.

        That’s the other alternative I can think of to get the foot in the door, but I’m very open to hearing anything else that’s feasible.

        • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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          2 months ago

          Nowhere did I suggest that Democrats can’t be leveraged to pass this. I simply stated that the actions of a few party members doesn’t absolve the rest of the party of their actions and that it’s likely their fellow party members will crush this bill so that they can retain our two party system.

          • Phenomephrene@thebrainbin.org
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            2 months ago

            You’re right. Sorry about that. I don’t want to put words in your mouth.

            I recognize the problem you bring up, and that’s exactly why I’ve said what else I’ve had to say in this thread. The person you were responding to still has a point in what they’re saying. I’m not convinced they were asking for absolution of the Dems as a whole.