It’s definitely an issue that’s not going away. The DNC really needs to figure it out and stop pretending that it doesn’t matter to voters.

  • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    Why does it have to be these 5 specific people? I know that DC establishment is pushing hard for these to be the choices in November, but in a healthy democracy we would have an actual democratic primary where Biden could prove his candidacy is superior to the challengers. This should be done through vigorous debate, and campaigning hard on an actual platform from which to lead the nation at a time when we desperately need real leadership. Doing this has the added benefit of broadcasting Dem messaging far and wide with lots of free media coverage.

    The last thing we need is another 4 years of giving corporations everything and more. Dems are so embroiled in fake Repugnantcon controversy they won’t even bother to dignify a primary race with Biden’s participation. It’s just a really bad look if you’re claiming democracy is on the line this year, and is an incredibly poor strategy to motivate voters to make it to the polls.

    To answer your question, I’d vote Cenk Uygur in a heartbeat. His platform is most closely aligned with my own beliefs, and I’m 100% convinced he would end or seriously mitigate the endemic corruption in our political system within a 4 year term. We’d get paid family leave, significantly increased minimum wage, meaningful student debt relief, and mandatory federal background checks for firearm purchases, guaranteed. We’d also have a real shot at a nationalized healthcare system. These are massively popular policy positions which the majority of Americans support, on both sides of the political divide.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Why does it have to be these 5 specific people?

      Because those are the five who are running and no one else has said they want to run.

      Voting for someone who doesn’t want to run for president in the first place does not sound like a good plan.

      • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        cenkforamerica.com my friend, he’s running. So are Phillips and Williamson, and so too would be O’Rourke, Newsom, and other high profile dems if the DNC were holding a primary in good faith. They’re not.

        Of course, you won’t ever hear about political outsiders on the left in corporate media, other than perhaps occasional opportunities to denigrate them and their ideas. This is because those are real populists who would enact meaningful change, ending the terrible and corrupt system under which the vast majority of us are suffering. The same system by which the multinational media machines make their billions in ad revenue and control the narrative in near totality.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            Ha. I didn’t even know he was born in Turkey to Turkish parents.

            So basically he’s an intentional spoiler.

            Wonder who’s paying him?

          • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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            4 months ago

            He is eligible, read the 14th amendment. This is already settled case law in lower courts, and his case to finally settle the question of equality for him and 25mil naturalized citizens is now pending in higher courts.

            • LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works
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              4 months ago

              He absolutely is not eligible, as he is not a natural born citizen of the United States, a constitutional requirement he does not meet. Supreme Court precedent has upheld this in rulings on the 14th amendment. If at any time in your life you were not a U.S. citizen - something which is indisputably true for Cenk - you cannot be president of the United States.

              This guy is a clear spoiler intended to disrupt American elections, and you’re either a bad faith actor complicit in his fraud or a pitiable rube who’s been taken in by his song and dance.

              • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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                4 months ago

                Look I’m not a constitutional scholar, but here is a great article from someone who is that explains why Cenk had a good case. Is he likely to win with this particular Supreme Court? Probably not.

                But he is running, and he maintains actual leftist populist values which aren’t seen from any of the other candidates. So yeah, he’ll get my vote before the guy enabling actual genocide today.

                • LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works
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                  4 months ago

                  Your argument is essentially, “Don’t vote for the incumbent polling with the highest chance of winning against Trump, instead vote for this literal no name candidate you’ve never heard of! Sure he doesn’t meet the most basic requirements for the office, but there’s this article here where it says he has a case in a court, so go ahead and throw your vote behind him!”

                  What absolute irresponsibility to be pushing this kind of bullshit when Trump is on the ballot.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          If they’re not holding the primary in good faith, then I guess it doesn’t matter who is challenging Biden and you’ll be stuck with Biden. I mean obviously you could vote third party or abstain to help Trump win…

    • JaymesRS@literature.cafe
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      4 months ago

      Weird picking a genocide denier who made enough controversial statements Bernie pulled his endorsement before Cenk tried to Uno Reverse it by claiming he didn’t accept any endorsements.

      • LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works
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        4 months ago

        Also weird picking a guy who cannot constitutionally hold the office he’s running for. Cenk is not a natural born citizen of the United States, he can no more be president than Elon Musk or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

      • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        While most Turkish people struggle to come to terms with the genocide, Cenk has long since admitted the Armenian genocide was a thing. But ok keep holding his comments from the 90s against him in perpetuity.

        • JaymesRS@literature.cafe
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          4 months ago

          Weird how bringing up really old statements and positions up as a reason not to vote for someone is ok for the people you don’t want to vote for, but it’s bad when it’s the people you support.

          • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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            4 months ago

            People can change their mind on things. When they don’t, those old statements can still be relevant.

      • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        On the Bernie endorsement retraction during Cenk’s congressional run, yeah I’m sure that stung a bit. They’ve been allies for quite some time now. But this has always been a Bernie problem - he’s way too nice to his esteemed colleagues in DC. I think Cenk saying he didn’t accept endorsements was just to provide cover for Bernie and smooth out the debacle a bit, but he definitely did accept it when it came through initially.

        Cenk is ostracized from establishment politicians in DC and in the media because he constantly challenges the status quo, and fights hard for progressive policies. He would do this 10 fold in elected office. Why do you think this is such a terrifying prospect?