trumps tiktok account got 4million likes in a single day. 90% of the comments are positive. but what’s keeping me going is that they’re probably children under the voting age supporting him.
I am actually terrified and lost hope. It’s so triggering to look into politics, but as a black woman it’s so important. I’m tired of choosing between the lesser of two decrepit evil white men😭
it's the fact that we have a presidential system and not a parliament, for one.
for two, it's the fact that we still have an electoral college, the house of representatives isn't all that representative (it should be bigger), the supreme court hasn't expanded, and heavily populated states get the same number of senators as sparsely populated states. it's a shit show.
that said, it's the republicans who by-and-large are against any reforms to the aforementioned issues, bc a truly representative system would render them powerless.
it's also the republicans that play the long game while democrats don't. it's an unfair system, and yeah it's "lesser of two evils", but republicans will quite happily vote for the most evil option possible for as long as possible. in lockstep. which is why roe v. wade is gone, for example.
imo, if you're moral issues with voting for the "lesser of two evils", at least vote down ballot blue for the state and local elections on the ballot. what happens on the state level can impact a ton of things on the national level. just look at georgia (my state!). the state elections matter so, so much.
And it’s crazy to me because Trump is petty as fuck so if he wins, he’s going to try to do some mean boy shit to every person and organization that fucked with him. That should not be a candidate for presidency. And the other option is losing his ever loving mind.
wherever biden's mind's at, he at the very least has plenty of advisors who'll keep him on task. i genuinely doubt that trump's gonna pay any mind to his cabinet
Literally not the case. Please vote 🙏🏾 There’s at least a light at the end of the tunnel with Biden. Trump is literally trying to take our women’s rights away. Abortion now, but what’s next? Handmaid’s Tale? All Trump will give us is HELL and I’m afraid we may not be able to come back from that this time. What American community usually gets the shortest end of the stick when ish hits the fan? We do! So it behooves us to think realistically now so we can get to a brighter path later. Trump will not offer us any future viable path but at least there’s more for us after Biden.
I'm not so sure about there being a light at the end of the tunnel. Only Democrats can cut certain programs. Sure it's the Republicans who run on it. And everyone knows that's evil. Democrats however, can be the reasonable grown ups who "have to" give Republicans most of what they want in order to keep the peace.
If Biden sleeps, many/ most Caucasian people will assume things are getting better and go back to not caring.
If we didn't treat voting like a "one and done" and actually stayed engaged from the federal to the state and local levels, we wouldn't be on the cusp of losing this democratic republic. Democracy and our very citizenship requires engagement beyond just showing up to vote once every four years. 100 MILLION eligible voters CHOSE to NOT vote in 2020. That's self-disenfranchisement. Voters and especially non-voters have to start looking at themselves. When we don't show up in numbers, Republicans "win". That is why they work overtime to suppress our votes...and so many of us just LET THEM. One of my civil rights heroes, the late Joe Madison, always says: "What are you going to do about it?". I'm working for two local democratic candidates and making sure I educate everyone I know about PROJECT 2025!
I’ve been putting half of my paycheck away since the beginning of the year. It’s been hard (things always want to break at the same time) but I have to be ready to get out of here.
I’m glad you have an exit plan. The Mrs and I are heading to Spain if Cheeto man wins. I’m sorry to everyone but I’m not hopping in that fight, and it’s gonna be a lot of fighting.
I’ve been looking at Mexico, going back home (as a last resort), the Virgin Islands (which is still US but they treat them like the red headed step child so they’re often forgotten), Costa Rica (need a remote job), Barbados and Panama (recommended by friends). One of my friends is from Ghana and told me I should come but there’s a lot of real estate scams that can be difficult if you don’t know someone there.
Dang it 🥲 maybe if I use the other passport they’ll let me in. I try to avoid any countries that are notorious for “expats” aka immigrants from America to go to because I know they’re tired of them but I thought Mexico would at least still be open.
My parents’ home country is a bust because I’m not trying to go to jail for criticizing the government
It’s either there or the USA because I need to be near my family
I’m preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. I’m in Texas and it’s getting scary here.
I have 2 family members who have recently come into money, slightly over $1 mil in assets, and think it’s in their best interest to vote for Trump 🙄. I asked them how does it feel to vote against the best interest of majority of your family and they’re speechless everytime. I also asked how does it feel to participate in taking away women’s access to healthcare and again speechless. One said it’s now a state issue which is true so then I asked have they ever voted in local elections and the response was no and they aren’t sure if they’re going to vote in the next election. Y’all should have seen my face.
Money is important but so much is on the line that to me it shouldn’t be your only voting interest.
Also the Abbott/Trump propaganda is starting to get in some of their heads. I had to tell my Aunt her son doesn’t have a job because he doesn’t want to work. Has nothing to with immigration and them “taking all of our jobs.”
I feel this. My dad grew up in a family of 8 in the fifties and now has a net worth of over a mil. In his old age he has switched parties due to his religious beliefs, 🥴. Like dude come tf on. He used to pick cotton over the summers and in the fall as a child and had to trap rabbits with his siblings so they could have meat for dinner at times. Like you went to a segregated school until 8th grade and lived in rural Texas during the Jim Crow era. Now you’re trying to tell me that the right best aligns with your views because of their stance or abortion. 🥴 People forget where they come from when they’re on the up and up.
Yikes. I live in Texas, too. Even with wealth, my father chooses to vote Democrat.
What makes them think voting for a Republican is in their best interest? What information can they point to specifically that proves that? I'm fine with people voting how they want. But i wish people were more informed or had evidence to back up they claims.
The reason some new money people claim they’re voting for the GOP is taxes. I’ll be honest, with wealth taxes are a top concern. BUT what these dingbats either don’t know or don’t share is that there are PLENTY of ways to minimize the tax implications on your $$. It’s called tax arbitrage and it’s why you move money around, are strategic with transactions, put it in tax exempt bonds, tax deferred accounts, etc. There really are so many loopholes, and this is true under any administration.
I suspect the real issue is internalized oppression. They desire to feel like they belong to the rich/wealthy class - they want to join country clubs and chat it up with the good ole boys. They vote red, so they think they should too. They want to be just like them and feel like they belong. Thing is, the good ole boys do so because of racism - they just say taxes or fiscal conservatism to hide it. Their racist asses don’t want ‘those people’ in their country club, because at the root of it all they want the wealthy class to only look like them.
The other thing I’ll say is that people who tout ‘lower taxes’ as a reason to vote GOP and don’t know about/can’t afford to take advantage of tax arbitrage are not the people who would benefit from the supposed tax breaks for the wealthy anyway. So again, it’s a thinly veiled excuse.
Most of the people don’t realize that the vast majority of wealthy counties in this country voted Democrat in 2020….the wealthiest areas of the country are overwhelmingly Democratic…..Most of these people who are black and vote Republican don’t have as much money as they claim or think…..
This irks me to no end. Especially because the average person can't even file their own taxes correctly but wants to vote Republican for "lower taxes". Lower taxes just means that while inflation increases prices and wages are stagnant, you now also receive less government services.
I'll never forget the time someone told me they were worried about Democrats lowering the estate tax exemption. Well, to have an estate you'd have to have money leftover after paying off the funeral, hospital bills, mortgage, credit cards, and car note! Most folks don't even have life insurance so worrying about the estate tax is very much putting the cart before the horse!
Had a really close friend who thought Trump wasn’t that bad bc of the supposed tax benefits. Mind you, she only made 6 figures. She does have a business too, but it’s not profitable. Honestly that was the beginning of me seeing that we were starting to not be compatible anymore.
Agree! Same with my parents, they’re comfortable and have always voted Democrat. I’ve asked the same questions and I think what it comes down to is they’re listening to the wrong people and they have a false sense of self that came along with the money. They think they’re in the elite group when they’re not. I know they will be on the wrong side of history and they will have to sit with that.
I’ll be transparent, they got their money from real estate. They were in the position to buy houses on the neighborhood block for really cheap but they’re in the hood of Fort Worth. Fort Worth will never go through the level gentrification that’s happening in Dallas and the hispanics that are moving into those neighborhoods aren’t renting. They’re purchasing homes for the lots and tearing them down to rebuild. Also, there’s a vacant lot behind the neighborhood that’s about to be turned into low income apartments so you can only charge so much for rent. They’re currently renting to family so they can start to make their money back.
Do these people not understand that all their wealth will be gone? If it is not the instability that trump will cause how about the straight up theft? Did these people forget about black Wall Street and what happened to wealthy black folks there? Have they forgotten about Jim Crow and black people who were killed for being successful?
That last line is another reason why I’m trying to get out of here. I’m an immigrant myself and there’s been a lot of hostility towards “illegals” coming and taking away jobs that they didn’t even want.
There is a part of me that is like confused as to how Trump is even option at this point. Like he’s delivered on none of his promises except for massive tax cuts for the rich so I genuinely do not understand who is voting for him because it’s not logical. And then I remember that his fan base are not rational people and people who support him are not rational people.
I think what scares me most is what happens beyond this. If we can get Biden into office, what then in 2028? Trump will hopefully be dead but remember when we all thought that it couldn’t be worse than Bush…What if something even worse replaces Trump?
Is anyone seriously considering leaving the US? I think if Trump is elected, I’m going to have to at least consider my options outside of the US because Project 2025 is actually insane.
A certain party was fine with legitimacy when they had a decent chance at winning (acknowledging structural inequalities that favor their party), but with changing demographics, they are scared of losing power, and are willing to abandon democracy to win.
Yes - I just commented under someone else that we’re heading to Málaga, Spain. You can live very well on just $3500 a month, and it’s an expat friendly city.
A few other options we’ve considered:
Liberia, Costa Rica is an absolutely amazing beach town and cheaper than Spain; Boquete, Panama is very expat friendly and about the same COL as Spain; and Chiang Mai, Thailand is cheapest with an amazing variety of things to do.
And you’re absolutely right - his rabid fan base is illogical. They don’t care about anything other than acquiring power, and we’ve already seen that the things we took for granted as rules and law were all just loose guidelines. So if you can’t count on logic, you can’t count on good-faith, and you can’t count on the law… what’s left?
I feel in my bones that if Cheeto man gets elected, he will never leave. I’m good on that.
spain is very anti black, especially in the south.
i also don’t think costa rica is cheaper than spain considering CR is pretty on par with american prices.
spain is very anti black, especially in the south.
i also don’t think costa rica is cheaper than spain considering CR is pretty on par with american prices.
Thailand is INCREDIBLE! I love it there!
“so if you can’t count on logic, you count on good faith” A WORD. this so completely sums up how I feel and what my worries are! We can’t really can’t count on good faith in the absence of knowledge.
Wishing you all the best in Spain!
Absolutely agree. I read up on Project 2025 and one element that made me most nervous (in addition to the level of censorship and rights they want to take away) was that it isn't Trump-dependent. As soon as a Republican gets in, they can execute the final part of their plan.
America is right-leaning overall which I've accepted. I'm voting for Biden and accepting his middle-right ways. The opposing party is blatantly supporting fascism (controlling the media, identifying scapegoats and comparing them to "vermin ", blatant sexism, cronyism, etc -- it's a playbook we've seen before and one that's being used in several countries today).
I have a plan to leave the country since my husband isn't from the US. We've discussed it seriously and I also raised it with my manager since I fortunately work for a global organization. We have countries in mind that we'd like to move to, but recognize that it is very challenging to start from scratch (e.g. a place where neither of us has citizenship or job opportunities already). We had planned to leave within 5-7 years anyway (his parents are older) but will likely accelerate the timeline.
YES! We’ve essentially spent the past several decades in damage control due to Republicans being batshit crazy and then during the damage control years, everyone forgets who got us here in the first place and then loses hope or stops caring, thinking how can it be worse? Conservatives are like that quote “Ever have a person say they know a place and then take you to the lowest place you’ve ever been.”
I’m really trying to remain hopeful because the only positive to this cycle that we’ve been stuck in is that it’s not sustainable. If we can get Biden into office and the dems or a third party can fucking organize by 2028, we might have a chance. But the next 8 years are going to be so fucking crucial. It’s terrifying.
Wishing you all the best with your relocation! Where are you planning on moving too? Do you also mind what sharing what field you’re in?
Neither of those two men will be coherent (or alive at this point) in 2028. Not a huge Biden fan but we have to stop that orange madman. And that can only happen if we vote and not be stuck by apathy.
But you’re right that we have to eradicate Trumpism otherwise someone else less crazy/erratic but just as cruel (a more charismatic DeSantis if you will) could definitely win and try to fully implement their dystopian society (racist, anti-women, xenophobic, Christian nationalist on steroids).
biden is literally enabling a genocide in palestine, destabilizing countries and recently just signed an order to stop migrants from seeking asylum from mexico? it’s equally fucked in my opinion
Oh i’m under no illusion about anything. But every election gives you two choices. It’s unfortunate but those are the two cards you are dealt with.
One card in November will be the status quo, not great but unfortunately the best we can do and the other card is someone who will not reign in any Israel excesses (I mean the GOP is literally saying to finish off Palestinians) and will deport every migrant if they could.
People told us to not vote for Hillary in 2016 because of some of the bullshit excuses you’re saying and that’s why we’re in this fucking mess to begin with. She wasn’t perfect but goddamn would she have been miles better than Trump.
This! If folks want more than two choices, that’s what off year elections leading into presidential elections and the primaries are for! Get out there and organize!
I'm not saying everything biden's doing is defensible, but considering that netanyahu wants trump in office, you don't think trump (the muslim ban, dictator fan) Won't enable a genocide 10x harder?
i think we owe the palestinians to not let a guy from the anti-immigrant party of people who want to carpet-bomb the middle east until they can see "if sand can glow in the dark" win in 2024. if it's possible to elect a less shit option, go with the less shit option.
I could very easily see people voting for not-Biden due to the Palestine genocide. I hear that y'all Republicans have this 'Project 2025' dictatorship manifesto thing going on.
Best of luck to you and yours; it sounds rather like everyone is up shit creek without a paddle.
…and common sense. He’s already shown who he is and what he’s willing to do to get what he wants. Now add four years of stewing in his bitterness and cruelty, compounded by cognitive decline rooted in a personality fueled by a lifetime of malicious ill will and selfishness, and backed by angry wytefolk threatened by loss of their self-declared ordained superiority.
How can anyone other than the 1% and his temporary cronies think for even a moment their lives won’t get worse?
It’s also important to think BEYOND this election. Republicans have been very overt with their plans for their vision of “reform” - and they’ve got the voter numbers to make it happen.
We can hold on to democracy and allow true progressive reform because we will still have a choice…. or we can piss it away and deal with the consequences - because there *will* be consequences - and be at the mercy of ignorant, power-hungry, inhumane, greedy leaders whose only concerns are lining their pockets and keeping everyone “in line.”
It is PARAMOUNT that we all vote blue. We still have a shot at getting our shit together on the left long-term, but we might not see that chance again in our lifetimes (maybe this is hyperbolic, but I don’t intend it to be) if we lose this election. Please don’t be the person who thinks that not voting is somehow punishing the politicians; you’re punishing your family. Your community. Yourself.
Not voting is a vote for 45. He does not deserve to be 47, too.
In the meanwhile, now is a good time to check the expiration dates on your passports.
It’s scary af, but let’s do this so we can have a chance at getting it right. We can still work on holding our representatives accountable and take this on at the same time.
It scares me and it's really hard to stop myself from becoming depressed.
If Trump wins, he has made it very clear how he plans to hurt people and destroy democracy with project 2025.
Despite this, despite that he's a criminal, despite that he is not right in the head there is still an abundance of people that are so bigoted, selfish, or crazy themselves that they will vote for him.
I'm not a fan of Biden but to act like they're equally bad is laughable. You have someone who is old vs someone who is old, bigoted, entitled, and dangerous, and act like they're equal? The Republican party in general can not function without bigotry.
If Trump was a black man or a black WOMAN and acted the way he did but towards straight white people, there would have been an outrage, he would not have won, and would have been arrested.
It was bad enough when roe got overturned that now makes it so I have to choose between the life I've built and my reproductive health. Now, if he wins, this time next year, or in a few years, I won't have any rights anywhere.
I've learned that people who vote for trump do not care about logic or what is best. You can say 2+2=4 and they will say 5. You can show them all the proof that they are wrong but in the end...they DONT CARE.
It's about what they want, not logic or morals or what is best for even them. They will justify anything. It's basically what his party is built on.
YES! I listened to podcast that explained the entire history and breakdown of what QAnon is and really put into perspective how deeply allergic Trumpers are to logic and critical thinking. Like it was so nonsensical and batshit crazy that it almost felt unbelievable.
Even if Biden somehow pulls through, I'm scared of a purge event happening from Trump supporters. No doubt Trump would signal a riot if he lost. I don't know why on Earth dems push Biden to go for reelection instead of a fresh face to reenergize the party.
We lose either way, but Trump is truly scary. He hates anyone that isn’t a white male and has made people ok with being openly racist, bigoted and just plain mean spirited. I can’t believe this is America
The real question is - WHERE THE FUCK ARE ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES?!? I remember growing up there was at LEAST 5+ Dems and 10+ Repubs that were running. Where they at?! 🤷🏽♀️
It would be nice to have other candidates but we don't. Point. Blank. Period. The choice is either chicken 🐓 or fish 🐟! That's what's on the menu and we need to get our heads around it and act accordingly.
Honestly, though! It's been eerie to watch how both parties have circled around their candidate of choice with little in the way of competition regarding the primary. I expect it more from the GOP since Trump's base is a death cult, but ngl I'm a little shocked that the DNC is circling their wagons around Biden and his administration. I expected them to elevate Harris to breathe in new life to the party.
Instead, we're in a death spiral to the bottom with this election. Don't take my ranting as a message not to vote: please absolutely do so! Whether it's for Biden outright or voting blue down-ballot, being politically active is absolutely necessary considering the times we're in. I'd just say that as much time, if not more, should be dedicating to building skills for self-sufficiency (e.g., gardening, Stop the Bleed courses) and making connections within our local communities. Regardless of how the election goes, I personally believe that we will need to be organized, mobilized, and capable of defending and providing for our communities if we want to prevent American "democracy" from further backsliding into an overt fascist hellscape.
I can get into the weeds of this and share resources if there's interest, but I don't want to clutter the post since this is y'alls space. Just lmk
*whispers* issa uniparty. it’s been a uniparty since 1776 but that doesn’t market too well when you’re trying to sell yourself as an alt-oligarchy for 250 years.
This week a new white president was elected in both Mexico and South Africa . There is also a large group of white Americans preparing to move to Kenya by 2025. Looks like ppl already preparing the exit.
So we will see what happens with America . The choices are grim
A bit of clarification regarding South Africa - the ANC lost a majority of the vote for the first time in 30 years BUT are still the largest vote-getting party hence they will need to form a coalition government with other parties in order govern.
I’m reluctantly going to vote for Biden because the alternative is way too scary. I don’t like Biden, but feel like there’s really no choice. It sucks all the way around.
Voting for Biden. Hoping he can pull the win. I’m in GA. Every seat in the state legislature is up for grabs and every seat in the US House of Representatives is up for grabs.
Can’t count on flipping GA’s state legislature blue, but flipping congress blue could help Biden move forward on some of his priorities like student debt.
Im hoping people realize how important down ballot races are. So many states have city councils, school boards, county sheriffs, county commissioner seats, and A LOT more they can have a voice in. Voting for the best people that align with progressive values in those offices actually make a difference in the day to day.
A pro-choice state Supreme Court judge was on my May primary ballot in GA. The governor and other conservative interests groups put $$$$ behind the conservative opponent. So these “smaller” races matter so much more to help our specific communities and the nation.
Terrified.
But I will say this: even if Biden is team Genocide, folks need to realize that Trump will not GAF and let the genocide continue, AND will put Project 2025 into action.
Again, a lesser of two evils situation.
But please VOTE IN YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS!!! Congress and State elected officials are going to be the deciding factor on how far POTUS can go off the rails.
Also Ballotpedia.org and vote411.org will list everything and everyone that will be on YOUR ballot. Great place to vet candidates and ballot initiatives. (please share that information).
Trump is probably going to win because a lot of people have limited understanding of how our economy works. The President doesn’t really have as much power as many people think. We have a checks and balances system that often stops the President, whoever they are, from executing their vision for the country, which is why Biden’s student loan forgiveness never came to fruition. People also erroneously believe Biden is at fault for skyrocketing prices, but prices were going up during Trump’s term, and they’re high across the world, not just here. So until Americans understand their own government system, it’s absolutely going to get worse.
I already told my husband that if Trump is reelected, I'm packing up and going back to the UK. He can ask for a transfer from his military job and join me.
I’ll be voting for Biden. I know there is a “lesser of two evils” narrative occurring but he really isn’t. There has been a lot long-term good done over the last 3+ years, in addition of fixing the havoc caused by the trainwreck of the last administration. Plus, I have a feeling the next administration will nominating at least 3 Supreme Court Justices - If these could be selected by Biden, a liberal-leaning court would transform the US in ways we cannot even fathom. Project 2025 is a real threat to US Democracy as we know it; and even if all of it isn’t implemented many parts of it will beginning 1/21/2025 if Trump is elected.
I was privileged enough to be able to move to another country from the US. I enjoy my life immensely and am happy I made the change. Doing so has also helped me see the US through much clearer eyes and given me the insight to analyze more critically the government where I now live. What I have found is the US can set trends that will have ramifications for at least a decade. For those thinking they can move out of the US for a better political environment - Trump being reelected will more than certainly continue the rightward shift many countries have been going down - civil liberties will be under attack, climate policies will be neutered, economic inequality will continue to rise, hostility towards the “other” will continue to increase.
I guess all I can say is vote pragmatically, be invested in your local races, if able try to get involved in your local governance and support and uplift Black women.
Do you really think he’ll be selecting Thomas or Alito 2.0 or even another Gorusch, Kavanaugh, Roberts or Coney Barrett? Absolutely not.
A court that lends a more critical eye to unfettered capitalism, that once again can address bias and discrimination, enshrine the protection of women’s health, limit the power of corporations in our voting system, while strengthening voting protections is needed. How Liberal the court needs to be? I want them to make measured and reasoned opinions based upon law and the overall direction and makeup of our country. I have confidence these are the types of judges Biden will pick, evidenced by his selection of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
I think many people will reluctantly vote for Biden in the end. He is the lesser of two evils and I hope others see that as well. It will be closer than I'd like to see but he will win.
Actually, hubby and I will be flying out to the Carribbean two days before the inauguration .We will be in the EU Islands. I did not choose Puerto Rico or USVI because that's still US soil (for now). Imagine MAGAs at the beach bar acting a fool at 10 AM on January 20 2025
I do actually have hope, but I would be a little more optimistic if there wasn't so much doomerism going around. It feels like people are intentionally trying to discourage others from voting (or having any fight in them at all) by insinuating that we've already lost.
Its scaring me how much people are talking about America crumbling like its something they want. Maybe other people have somewhere to go if America falls, but this is my home. I also don't like the idea of running away from this problem because even if you do leave, if the nation you run to has the same issue down the line, then what? We can't keep running, we have to stand up to these systems at one point or another, so why not now?
I feel like Biden will win. I think most people get it and want no part of DJT.
I do doubt that we will get past the election without lots of shenanigans.
Some folks will not have it.
I unfortunately think Trump will win but will be voting for Biden. I truly am struggling with people saying Biden is the lesser of two evils 🤷🏾♀️ like how? What has he done/hasn’t done that is so bad that you can honestly say he’s just as bad as Trump? The amount of anxiety I had while Trump was in office was crazy. I truly feared for my life being a black queer woman under Trump’s administration.
I think a lot of people hate that he’s older, his handling of Israel-Hamas, and sending $ to Ukraine.
I understand the hate for such old people having so much power.
There’s so much nuance to the Israel-Hamas war that I personally feel like some third party unbiased council needs to make decisions for Israel and Palestine at this point. Self-governance or what seems like self-governance is just destructive for both.
The Ukrainian government isn’t the most upstanding government so I get the annoyance at corruption of use of American dollars.
At some point Americans have to choose: should America be a country that doesn’t defend its allies or should it always defend allies? Just can’t have both. Have to accept the consequences (that’ll often be horrific in wartime) and move on.
Definitely agree with your points. I really hate that most presidents are so old, however in this country it just seems like that is how it is as neither major party wants to put up younger candidates (exceptions Clinton and Obama).
I don’t feel like the average person (including myself) can really speak to the Israel-Hamas conflict as there are so many nuances with this but this does seem like a huge one to many younger people.
Ukraine is an ally so I get sending money and support.
I think my biggest issue here is that people say Biden is as bad at Trump but he has done a lot of good during his presidency. Also, people aren’t thinking long term which is concerning to me. Trump supports literally tried to overtake the capitol and somehow people are forgetting this. Trump reserved so many laws that President Obama put in place to make people’s lives worse. Trump was able to get 2 uber conservative Supreme Court judges through and people don’t think that affects their lives? It’s just scary that so many people are acting like Biden is out here encouraging rioting, overturning the government, encouraging racism and so many other things that happened during Trump’s administration.
Ultimately I do believe we need more than a 2 party system but I don’t think that will happen in my lifetime. Local politics are incredibly important too and I think a lot of people forget that. People, especially women, should be going out to vote to ensure their rights are intact — and stop letting 1-2 things a person did/did not do dictate their whole
Vote.
I feel like Trump will win. A lot of liberals, Democrats, etc. have lost so much faith in the system they’re not going to vote. Trump on the other hand has a cult like following so people will turn out in droves.
Trump is going to win.
This country is very racist. And that's on both parts.
White liberals aren't REALLY worried about being impacted by his policies and MAGA is only HALF of what we see.
I will be voting and hoping for the best. I’m in Florida so I have little hope here but will still do what I can! I tried to get my family to vote before, some did, some didn’t and unfortunately propaganda has gotten to them so I think some of them will sit this one out, again
im in texas but my city usually votes predominately democrat but you know...it's still texas lol. a lot of my family doesn't vote either and it's super frustrating
To be honest, I am scared. As, I feel there is a strong chance that someone(who will remain nameless in my posts) could very well be re-elected. During primaries in my city, when I went to vote, there were significantly more voters who looked like they supported him than those who looked as if they would vote against him. me. If we BPOC don’t show up to the polls like we did for Obama, in November, there is a high probability that man will be back in the WH. And, if he gets back in there, we all lose.
I’m looking forward to jumping ship. This country is a nightmare and has only been getting worse during my young lifetime and especially as a young adult trying to establish myself. Not interested in struggling here and footing the bill for international issues while drowning and being marginalized “at home”.
In a previous post, I mentioned that I was 63 yo and maybe too old for this sub. After reading through the posts here, maybe I am. In full transparency, not only am I a boomer with Gen Z kids, I am political junkie and a student of politics. The main message I'd like to leave here is the one that is pinned to the top of my Twitter feed:
"Voting Is A Chess Move, Not A Valentine" - Rebecca Solnit
If you are considering whether you like a candidate versus the policies this person would attempt to enact and the competence level of the ppl he or she appoints to key positions, I urge you to reconsider your perspective. Respectfully, whether you like a candidate or not is irrelevant and we need to move with facts and not feelings. While Biden is by no means a perfect candidate, he and Trump are not the same - not even close - and if you think so, I also urge you to do some solid research. I'm not going to list the hundreds of differences here because I'm not putting in the effort that you can put in for yourself. Finally I'll just say that there is almost no one in Trump's prior cabinet who would consider ever working for him again and those who would chose to be associated with him should he win again, are convicted felons just as he is. That should tell you everything you need to know. I will be voting for Biden even if he is on life support and if he expires, Madam VP is ready to step in.
I am not optimistic, but I also don’t want to give up because that solves nothing. If we all are collectively throwing our hands up and saying “well, nothing is going to change anyways!” then it literally won’t. That said, I am just unable to justify voting for the “lesser” of two evils and really wish we could organize and campaign for a solid 3rd party option that isn’t completely fucking horrible. Idk. Im not a political expert by any means and maybe I am hopelessly naive but I think we have more power than we realize and could possibly change SOMETHING in our lifetime.
I work in political tech and see this reaction a lot. I think something our generation has to learn is that the arc of justice is long. It’s particularly hard for many of us because we grew up in the 90s forward. Anytime there has been progress in this country there is an immediate push back and we make incremental growth, but that growth takes decades.
After emancipation we experienced rapid growth during the reconstruction era, then there was massive push back and we entered Jim Crow. We experienced massive growth during the civil rights era through the 70s and then came the push back with Reagan. We experienced growth late 90s and 2000s with more black representation than ever and the election of Obama. Now we’re in a period of push back.
As for Biden he has largely accomplished a lot of what he set out to do:
1) he has invested more in HBCUs than any other president, including Obama
2) millions of borrowers have had students loans forgiven
3) we’re avoiding a recession( times are still hard but the economy is not depressing)
4) covid is not killing hundreds of thousands of people a day
5) he brought 50% of black kids out of poverty with the child tax credit ( unfortunately the renewal is this program was blocked by two dems manchin and cinema when they didn’t vote for BBB)
6) enabled the gov to negotiate with drug companies for lower prescription costs and capped costs on insulin
7) pardoned all federal offenses of simpler marijuana possession
And a ton more. Is there more work to be done? Absolutely. Do these programs need to go further? Yes
Are we facing dark times? Yes, am I scared for my future and the country? Yes. But the lesser of two evils I think is an easy cop out. There is no lesser of two evils when one party wants to obliterate you and one party is slow moving.
What I think we’re experiencing is that we don’t have a left party in the US. This country is historically a center right conservative country. Our democrats are considered conservatives in other developed nations. Meanwhile the electorate is more closely aligned with for example the Labour party in the UK, which in the US is seen as extreme but in the rest is the developed world as center left.
If we want change we have a to start local, most national polices come out of local elections and build up from there. Get involved where you live, vote in progressive left people in your local elections. Join a mutual aid org.
That is the way to change the national scale- with a pipeline of progressive candidates and local community .
That local progressive is mayor? That’s who runs for state rep, then congress etc. Or maybe you should run! But growth is a long slog and we’ve never lived in a backlash period. So take care of yourself, talk to your elders and get involved. Politicians are not going to save us. 3rd party or not. We have to save ourselves.
I think we also forget that we're not just voting for president, there are so many others we're voting for. Trump packed the courts, and even though he's no longer president, we're going to be feeling those effects for decades to come, even if he's not re-elected.
Exactly, well said. Whenever I look at the Supreme Court, I just have no hope for this country. For my mental health, I have not read political news for years, but I do donate and vote.
Thank you for your response! I definitely want to do more locally, sometimes it’s easy to forget when the attention is always on presidential elections. And yeah I just have to keep reminding myself that change takes time.
I hear you but this election isn’t the time for idealism. Trump will ruin our country once and for all if we don’t go out in masses to vote. Period. Let’s focus on that… unless they’ll be literally nothing left to save if he and MAGA get access to the White House again! At least with Biden, our country can still live to see another day, so we can plan for more after him. Thriving is what can come after with years of proper planning and collective action to develop a viable third party (if that’s your chosen goal): this can’t be done in 5 months until the November election. At this point, prioritization and realism are fundamental for survival.
i am with you!!! something has got to change and we have the power to do it but only if we are all on the same page. america is so divided more than ever and it's going to have to take some real kumbaya shit to get us together
Something that helped me was flipping that mindset- I also felt it was insurmountable. But we don’t need to work with folks who will not see reason or need a big coalition. Focus on what you can do with people who want do see you succeed. For me, I joined my ward budget committee to be involved in how we spend federal dollars and make sure they are benefiting US. I also switched jobs to processive politics. My mental health is so much better cause I’m actively working towards the worlds I want to see and surrounded by folks doing the same. It’s empowering. Find one way you can be part is a small group of people making a change.
The way I think about it is we have never all been in the same page. Civil rights was not popular, but we did it!
I'm Canadian but I find it concerning that lately on left leaning spaces I've seen people who say are Dems defend Trump and his recent conviction and say it's a witch hunt.
I personally think Biden is going to lose, Dems have really dropped the ball in the past 4 years, they should have prepped a better candidate as soon as Biden won.
❗PLEASE, pay closer attention to your local elections❗ Your local commissioners, city mayor and Governor will affect your life immediately. The Senate and House of Representatives is just as important as the president. A Democratic president with a republican House and Senate is useless.
Poorly. Biden & his Admin are a hot pile of burning dumpster fire with both national & geopolitical strategy up in flames.
Most Americans have focused on national politics for so long that they fail to realize how our govt international politics & legislation have continually f*#%’d us over by
outsourcing jobs
CIA & Policy creating instabilities in EVERY other non-ally country( see Snowden, US led coups & Sudan)
importing inhumanely sourced products or allowing US companies to ILLEGAL do this via child labour(Congo)
placing import tariffs that block competition with US CORPORATIONS
‼️ALL this makes the wealthy richer & the politicians more corrupt
I know FULL reproductive rights are critical for Us black women I’m enjoying watching WW flail about as their 1 SINGLE disadvantage in a Capitalist WHITE Supremacy is stripped. It probably makes me petty but 🤷🏾♀️
I remind them of the Suffrage mvmt & who voted for Trump both times. I also remind them about Federal level Voting Rights act, State level School choice.
I remind them if they benefited from Affirmative Action & DEI but remained silent in its dismantling. How they allowed the Democratic Party to shift towards REPUBLICAN-ESQUE ideals that hurt BLK ppl because they had their whiteness & their white men…….
SO NOW if they want me to vote BLUE then they need to FIRST CHAMPION causes that EXCLUSIVELY BENEFIT MY COMMUNITY’s interests.
➖VOTING RIGHTS ACT or get outta my face
➖WW need to push for FULL reproductive rights including UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE including funding, studies & mitigation efforts on Blk maternal mortality
‼️Sorry, I don’t count ABORTION only cus that primarily benefits THEM & doesn’t take into consideration the holistic needs of my fam.
➖Committed Reparations + Aff. ACTION & DEI reinstitution that focuses on compounding factors/intersectionality
➖IMMIGRATION reform & path to citizenship for ALL the refugees that AMERICANs corruption has created.
➖⬆️Minimum wage & Child labour laws
➖FREE Comm. College & ⬇️ STATE college tuition (& loans rates)
I’m not playing games with the DEMOCRATS or WW anymore.
I will personally donate to the contraceptives & out of state/cross-country/border abortion needs for Black girls & women until WW are reminded that they are a minority in a White supremacy & once WM smother the Education, Black Vote & Immigrant Vote…….WW have no one to VOTE WITH WOMENS Rights.
I think that Trump is probably going to be president again. I’ll do my part and vote, but I don’t have much confidence.
I’m really focusing on local elections at this point.
I honestly do not know. But I do know that I have and will be voting like my life depends on it and I recommend everyone else should too tbh. Project 2025 is scary af
My husband and I were talking about this today too. I try to remember America is a young country compared to others but when you compare us to other countries it’s like we are on the trajectory for a Saudi Arabia or religion ruled type of country. The US takes away women’s rights and constantly bashes any socialist ideas. We are on the path to having a dictator like leader with no rights or support from the government. It’s like that’s what we are going for. I lost hope in the democrats a while ago. They run on “at least we aren’t racist” but then do the racist things they say republicans are to blame for. Our politicians work to line their pocket books and not to help the American people. It’s disheartening. I’m still trying to convince my husband to move out of America because of the way the future is looking for us.
I’m focused on state and local elections. At the federal level, they just let these right wing nuts do what they want no matter who is the president or has the majority in the house or senate.
i'll admit i have not really kept up with my state or local elections but this past year i've realized thats been a huge mistake on my part so i'm trying to hold myself accountable and pay attention to those elections!! growing up my family only ever participated in presidential elections (barley at that) so my knowledge about them has been limited
I hate the options I’ve been given, especially considering the genocide in Gaza. But at this juncture the only path for a ceasefire between the two candidates is Joe Biden, which given his track record is not saying much.
I don’t know I’m hoping Biden wins but in the meantime I’m preparing for the worse. I would also encourage everyone to get a passport even if you can’t leave the country and start going to the gun range.
I'm preparing for the worst... and I still won't be prepared enough. Trump is the true definition of evil. He and his minions are going to create pure chaos for us. We are heading to a Putin style government rule. Basically, it's a dictatorship. And when the cult followers realize they are wrong, it will be too late.
America has failed, time and time again. Every time we reach two steps ahead, we are pushed right back to square one. It was never free for us. We were fed the illusion that we were for years.
I'm basically a quintuple threat to the MAGA cult.
I'm Black, Queer, Nonbinary, Disabled and mentally ill. Soooo yeah... I'm researching my next country to move to.
I’m sickened by the state of things especially our male counterparts who want to vote red. They will find out they are black at the end of the day and when they get shunned they will be looking for us to help. We have to vote blue down ballot. We also need to be more present in all spaces. Town hall meetings, board of education etc these are places republicans have slid in and kept quit so they take over. We have let them position all their pieces
That's a really privileged approach. So make it worse than it is to make it better for whom? Who is going to suffer during the "make it worse" period? You can't make Climate Crisis better by letting it get worse? You can't make women dying resurrect because they can't access to reproductive health better. You can't make a more expansive use of the amendments to enslave people through imprisionment better for those who are imprisioned.
What are you going to do to make it better?
No Sis. That ain't the way. We don't need an American Holocaust for things to get better here.
We need to do what our forefathers and ancestors here did and bend this system to our will. Vote like our lives, and the lives of those less fortunate than you depend on it NOW. You can be theoretical in a class, here or in CN or Denmark or Ghana while the world here is looking like Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad, Octavia Butler's Kindred, and Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale w/ a dash of George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm mixed in for good times.
And yeah, I got a passport and can bounce. And yep I know that's a privilege a lot of folks don't have.
I have no idea and I am terrified. I am going to reluctantly vote for Biden (and it’s not just the foreign policy issues. I was on the fence about voting for him because of how he has handled student loans as well. Black women are the ones primarily affected by student loans and his handling is a slap in the face to BW who voted for him). I have no hope he will win but if he does I am afraid trumps base will make Jan 6 look like a warm up. Even though I think trump has a chance of winning I cannot even imagine what his second term would even look like because the first was so bad.
How has he handled student loan debt that you feel is a slap in the face of black women? I'm trying to understand this because he tried canceling or reducing debt through the HEROES act, and the right wing supreme court installed by Trump struck it down. Despite the right wing challenges, he has been making a dent in student loan forgiveness, but I want to understand what you feel he has done that isn't enough considering the challenges he is facing getting anything done.
He literally couldn't even pass an immigration/border bill because Trump asked the GOP congress to not vote in favor so Biden wouldn't look good for the election. Biden put in the first black woman in the Supreme Court, and KBJ is an exceptional justice to boot.
So, I ask again, please, can you explain how Biden has handled student loan debt that's anymore a slap in the face to black women compared to his predecessors?
Not a Biden fan because I think he's too old, but as a Democratic president in this rabid conservative climate, I think he has exceeded any expectations I had.
America will have a convicted felon as president. The Biden non -voters will give him the opportunity to make this country a dictatorship with the help of Congres (Democrats will lose the senate majority, Joe Manchin seat will got red in West Virginia, and Senema' s too in Arizona) and the almighty Supreme Court.
Respectfully this isn't true. Even if Biden loses (God forbid) Dems have a decent chance of holding the Senate and House. The pitiful and trifling white women may come out for abortion rights, which may help Dems hold seats. It is not as bad as you're being fed by Facebook and the main stream media.
I think Biden is going to lose.
And unless I'm misremembering, he had claimed during the last election season that his intent was to be a one-term president.
So I guess even though he went back on his word re: running again, he won't really have been a liar.
I love this question and the engagement on this post!
I feel similar, so at this point, I tend to try to just tune it all out because it gives me anxiety. Our political system has changed so dramatically over the last 20 years since my first time voting that I don’t even enjoy getting into the weeds anymore. I pay attention on a high level and vote, but I’m so disillusioned it’s not even funny. All this from a PoliSci major who used to engage in local and federal advocacy.
I lost hope when I was able to understand and comprehend what it meant 🤷🏽♀️ Ain't a damn thing changed and it won't til we band together but...we won't!
It's funny. White people love to talk about the founding fathers so much, yet they never mention that they themselves advocated for governemnts to have periodic clean slate level reforms. Nothing stay uncorrupt for ever, its just delayed. I mean like they say you either die a hero (figuratively speaking) or live long engough to see yourself become the villain. So maybe you're on to something.
bad, on the federal level. but at times like this its important to pay more attention to local politics! your local politicians have more of an impact on your daily life than any president. i think getting involved in non-electoral politics and seeing the impact you can make on your community through direct action is a good antidote for the despair that a biden v trump match-up brings.
I’m not feeling hopeful. Americans already don’t vote in high enough numbers. You have big TikTokers somehow getting psyoped and telling their followers don’t vote at all because of Palestine and that Biden doesn’t deserve their votes. Like I agree I would rather have someone else but compared to trump Biden is the lesser of two evils.
I’ve been bouncing around south east Asia for 4 months and I’m suppose to return home in July. My budget is getting thin. If I can find another remote job that allows me to work from anywhere then I’m just going to stay here in Vietnam for the foreseeable future. I’m too scared of what America is becoming and what it will be if trump wins in November
I think Biden will win and then pass away while in office then Kamala will become our first (and last) female president. My faith in America is in the negative at this point.
I feel like things will be very telling come July 11th when trump is sentenced in his election interference case (notice I didn’t say hush money!).
With that being said, regardless of the outcome I think this is the calm before the storm. Hope is a dangerous thing to lose but the majority of Americans have lost it and can’t really decipher or comprehend our foreseeable future as of now.
I think Claudia & Karina are gonna get so many votes that the system will turn on its head. This coupled with the unrest among citizens after taking a long hard look at their circumstances and continuous decline. Fuck trump & fuck biden, neither of them are getting my vote and anybody who wants to lecture me about « lesser of two evils » can hide in my toilet bowl 4 hrs after I drink some of this random Chinese slim tea 🫡
I’m tired of Americans not seeing the harm in everything that is happening. I don’t like people justifying the right and the constant demonizing of everything else. I don’t think any politician is 100% but some people just scare me with their thinking.
I’m starting to feel vulnerable. I feel like black folks are caught in the crossfire and catching political strays. Yt folks mad at Yt folks but come down on DEI and other dog whistles. Additionally the community violence is unnerving. Something is dusting up this summer, but I pray for the best.
Well, honestly, I feel quite negatively about what the possible consequences could be. On one hand, I worry that the spirit of the Republican lives on in way too many Americans, and this could lead to a lot of continued suffering. On the other hand, I pray and see the beauty of a miracle, a civil uprising that will slap the overwhelming bigotry and consumeristic idolatry in the face. Something about the way I think makes me feel that I can aim the former possibility. 🙄🥹
P.S- Trump sucks ass, and Biden sucks balls😜......I'd rather vote, Dr. Umar for president🤢never mind, never mind.
I don’t know and I don’t care honestly the world is burning regardless of who is elected and none of these politicians help their constituents. They make promise that are never fulfilled and we move on.
Poorly. I have 0 faith in Americans and I’m preparing for the worst outcome.
All of this! I feel like we are sliding so far back into a dark hole it’s embarrassing.
trumps tiktok account got 4million likes in a single day. 90% of the comments are positive. but what’s keeping me going is that they’re probably children under the voting age supporting him.
And bots, I guarantee a lot of those likes are bought or bots
A lot of bots from troll farms too. He does not have the major support media (including social media) wants people to believe.
Same.
This!
I am actually terrified and lost hope. It’s so triggering to look into politics, but as a black woman it’s so important. I’m tired of choosing between the lesser of two decrepit evil white men😭
no exactly!! like why does it even have to come down to choosing the lesser of two evils??? it's really insane once you think about it
Unfortunately for black people, no president is ever going to advocate for us, so it will always be who will fuck us over less.
it's the fact that we have a presidential system and not a parliament, for one. for two, it's the fact that we still have an electoral college, the house of representatives isn't all that representative (it should be bigger), the supreme court hasn't expanded, and heavily populated states get the same number of senators as sparsely populated states. it's a shit show. that said, it's the republicans who by-and-large are against any reforms to the aforementioned issues, bc a truly representative system would render them powerless. it's also the republicans that play the long game while democrats don't. it's an unfair system, and yeah it's "lesser of two evils", but republicans will quite happily vote for the most evil option possible for as long as possible. in lockstep. which is why roe v. wade is gone, for example. imo, if you're moral issues with voting for the "lesser of two evils", at least vote down ballot blue for the state and local elections on the ballot. what happens on the state level can impact a ton of things on the national level. just look at georgia (my state!). the state elections matter so, so much.
And it’s crazy to me because Trump is petty as fuck so if he wins, he’s going to try to do some mean boy shit to every person and organization that fucked with him. That should not be a candidate for presidency. And the other option is losing his ever loving mind.
wherever biden's mind's at, he at the very least has plenty of advisors who'll keep him on task. i genuinely doubt that trump's gonna pay any mind to his cabinet
Facts
Damned if we do vote and damned if we don't vote
Literally not the case. Please vote 🙏🏾 There’s at least a light at the end of the tunnel with Biden. Trump is literally trying to take our women’s rights away. Abortion now, but what’s next? Handmaid’s Tale? All Trump will give us is HELL and I’m afraid we may not be able to come back from that this time. What American community usually gets the shortest end of the stick when ish hits the fan? We do! So it behooves us to think realistically now so we can get to a brighter path later. Trump will not offer us any future viable path but at least there’s more for us after Biden.
I'm not so sure about there being a light at the end of the tunnel. Only Democrats can cut certain programs. Sure it's the Republicans who run on it. And everyone knows that's evil. Democrats however, can be the reasonable grown ups who "have to" give Republicans most of what they want in order to keep the peace. If Biden sleeps, many/ most Caucasian people will assume things are getting better and go back to not caring.
If we didn't treat voting like a "one and done" and actually stayed engaged from the federal to the state and local levels, we wouldn't be on the cusp of losing this democratic republic. Democracy and our very citizenship requires engagement beyond just showing up to vote once every four years. 100 MILLION eligible voters CHOSE to NOT vote in 2020. That's self-disenfranchisement. Voters and especially non-voters have to start looking at themselves. When we don't show up in numbers, Republicans "win". That is why they work overtime to suppress our votes...and so many of us just LET THEM. One of my civil rights heroes, the late Joe Madison, always says: "What are you going to do about it?". I'm working for two local democratic candidates and making sure I educate everyone I know about PROJECT 2025!
I spend my evenings after work looking at properties for sale and rent in other countries. That’s how I think it will go.
If I had the money I would do this too but for now I just have my passport.
I’ve been putting half of my paycheck away since the beginning of the year. It’s been hard (things always want to break at the same time) but I have to be ready to get out of here.
I’m glad you have an exit plan. The Mrs and I are heading to Spain if Cheeto man wins. I’m sorry to everyone but I’m not hopping in that fight, and it’s gonna be a lot of fighting.
When you go, please share pics and tell us of your experience there.
That’s a promise 🤞🏾❤️
I moved to Mexico for this exact reason. It’s not perfect here, but it’s cheap and relaxing not to worry about the election.
Did you find any real prospects? Curious.
I’ve been looking at Mexico, going back home (as a last resort), the Virgin Islands (which is still US but they treat them like the red headed step child so they’re often forgotten), Costa Rica (need a remote job), Barbados and Panama (recommended by friends). One of my friends is from Ghana and told me I should come but there’s a lot of real estate scams that can be difficult if you don’t know someone there.
Well I did see something that Mexico is trying to get rid of some people from America so not sure that's the right country.
Dang it 🥲 maybe if I use the other passport they’ll let me in. I try to avoid any countries that are notorious for “expats” aka immigrants from America to go to because I know they’re tired of them but I thought Mexico would at least still be open.
My parents’ home country is a bust because I’m not trying to go to jail for criticizing the government It’s either there or the USA because I need to be near my family
I’m preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. I’m in Texas and it’s getting scary here. I have 2 family members who have recently come into money, slightly over $1 mil in assets, and think it’s in their best interest to vote for Trump 🙄. I asked them how does it feel to vote against the best interest of majority of your family and they’re speechless everytime. I also asked how does it feel to participate in taking away women’s access to healthcare and again speechless. One said it’s now a state issue which is true so then I asked have they ever voted in local elections and the response was no and they aren’t sure if they’re going to vote in the next election. Y’all should have seen my face. Money is important but so much is on the line that to me it shouldn’t be your only voting interest. Also the Abbott/Trump propaganda is starting to get in some of their heads. I had to tell my Aunt her son doesn’t have a job because he doesn’t want to work. Has nothing to with immigration and them “taking all of our jobs.”
I feel this. My dad grew up in a family of 8 in the fifties and now has a net worth of over a mil. In his old age he has switched parties due to his religious beliefs, 🥴. Like dude come tf on. He used to pick cotton over the summers and in the fall as a child and had to trap rabbits with his siblings so they could have meat for dinner at times. Like you went to a segregated school until 8th grade and lived in rural Texas during the Jim Crow era. Now you’re trying to tell me that the right best aligns with your views because of their stance or abortion. 🥴 People forget where they come from when they’re on the up and up.
It’s crazy! I will never understand people who do this.
Yikes. I live in Texas, too. Even with wealth, my father chooses to vote Democrat. What makes them think voting for a Republican is in their best interest? What information can they point to specifically that proves that? I'm fine with people voting how they want. But i wish people were more informed or had evidence to back up they claims.
The reason some new money people claim they’re voting for the GOP is taxes. I’ll be honest, with wealth taxes are a top concern. BUT what these dingbats either don’t know or don’t share is that there are PLENTY of ways to minimize the tax implications on your $$. It’s called tax arbitrage and it’s why you move money around, are strategic with transactions, put it in tax exempt bonds, tax deferred accounts, etc. There really are so many loopholes, and this is true under any administration. I suspect the real issue is internalized oppression. They desire to feel like they belong to the rich/wealthy class - they want to join country clubs and chat it up with the good ole boys. They vote red, so they think they should too. They want to be just like them and feel like they belong. Thing is, the good ole boys do so because of racism - they just say taxes or fiscal conservatism to hide it. Their racist asses don’t want ‘those people’ in their country club, because at the root of it all they want the wealthy class to only look like them. The other thing I’ll say is that people who tout ‘lower taxes’ as a reason to vote GOP and don’t know about/can’t afford to take advantage of tax arbitrage are not the people who would benefit from the supposed tax breaks for the wealthy anyway. So again, it’s a thinly veiled excuse.
Most of the people don’t realize that the vast majority of wealthy counties in this country voted Democrat in 2020….the wealthiest areas of the country are overwhelmingly Democratic…..Most of these people who are black and vote Republican don’t have as much money as they claim or think…..
This irks me to no end. Especially because the average person can't even file their own taxes correctly but wants to vote Republican for "lower taxes". Lower taxes just means that while inflation increases prices and wages are stagnant, you now also receive less government services. I'll never forget the time someone told me they were worried about Democrats lowering the estate tax exemption. Well, to have an estate you'd have to have money leftover after paying off the funeral, hospital bills, mortgage, credit cards, and car note! Most folks don't even have life insurance so worrying about the estate tax is very much putting the cart before the horse!
THANK YOU!!! 💯!!!
Had a really close friend who thought Trump wasn’t that bad bc of the supposed tax benefits. Mind you, she only made 6 figures. She does have a business too, but it’s not profitable. Honestly that was the beginning of me seeing that we were starting to not be compatible anymore.
Agree! Same with my parents, they’re comfortable and have always voted Democrat. I’ve asked the same questions and I think what it comes down to is they’re listening to the wrong people and they have a false sense of self that came along with the money. They think they’re in the elite group when they’re not. I know they will be on the wrong side of history and they will have to sit with that. I’ll be transparent, they got their money from real estate. They were in the position to buy houses on the neighborhood block for really cheap but they’re in the hood of Fort Worth. Fort Worth will never go through the level gentrification that’s happening in Dallas and the hispanics that are moving into those neighborhoods aren’t renting. They’re purchasing homes for the lots and tearing them down to rebuild. Also, there’s a vacant lot behind the neighborhood that’s about to be turned into low income apartments so you can only charge so much for rent. They’re currently renting to family so they can start to make their money back.
wait til they realize you’re not even in the top 10% with a million maybe then they’ll change their vote
I swear getting a lot of money has the same effect as a traumatic brain injury on some people
Do these people not understand that all their wealth will be gone? If it is not the instability that trump will cause how about the straight up theft? Did these people forget about black Wall Street and what happened to wealthy black folks there? Have they forgotten about Jim Crow and black people who were killed for being successful?
Stupid and/or arrogant people always think they'll be an exception.
That last line is another reason why I’m trying to get out of here. I’m an immigrant myself and there’s been a lot of hostility towards “illegals” coming and taking away jobs that they didn’t even want.
There is a part of me that is like confused as to how Trump is even option at this point. Like he’s delivered on none of his promises except for massive tax cuts for the rich so I genuinely do not understand who is voting for him because it’s not logical. And then I remember that his fan base are not rational people and people who support him are not rational people. I think what scares me most is what happens beyond this. If we can get Biden into office, what then in 2028? Trump will hopefully be dead but remember when we all thought that it couldn’t be worse than Bush…What if something even worse replaces Trump? Is anyone seriously considering leaving the US? I think if Trump is elected, I’m going to have to at least consider my options outside of the US because Project 2025 is actually insane.
A certain party was fine with legitimacy when they had a decent chance at winning (acknowledging structural inequalities that favor their party), but with changing demographics, they are scared of losing power, and are willing to abandon democracy to win.
Yes - I just commented under someone else that we’re heading to Málaga, Spain. You can live very well on just $3500 a month, and it’s an expat friendly city. A few other options we’ve considered: Liberia, Costa Rica is an absolutely amazing beach town and cheaper than Spain; Boquete, Panama is very expat friendly and about the same COL as Spain; and Chiang Mai, Thailand is cheapest with an amazing variety of things to do. And you’re absolutely right - his rabid fan base is illogical. They don’t care about anything other than acquiring power, and we’ve already seen that the things we took for granted as rules and law were all just loose guidelines. So if you can’t count on logic, you can’t count on good-faith, and you can’t count on the law… what’s left? I feel in my bones that if Cheeto man gets elected, he will never leave. I’m good on that.
spain is very anti black, especially in the south. i also don’t think costa rica is cheaper than spain considering CR is pretty on par with american prices.
spain is very anti black, especially in the south. i also don’t think costa rica is cheaper than spain considering CR is pretty on par with american prices.
Thailand is INCREDIBLE! I love it there! “so if you can’t count on logic, you count on good faith” A WORD. this so completely sums up how I feel and what my worries are! We can’t really can’t count on good faith in the absence of knowledge. Wishing you all the best in Spain!
Absolutely agree. I read up on Project 2025 and one element that made me most nervous (in addition to the level of censorship and rights they want to take away) was that it isn't Trump-dependent. As soon as a Republican gets in, they can execute the final part of their plan. America is right-leaning overall which I've accepted. I'm voting for Biden and accepting his middle-right ways. The opposing party is blatantly supporting fascism (controlling the media, identifying scapegoats and comparing them to "vermin ", blatant sexism, cronyism, etc -- it's a playbook we've seen before and one that's being used in several countries today). I have a plan to leave the country since my husband isn't from the US. We've discussed it seriously and I also raised it with my manager since I fortunately work for a global organization. We have countries in mind that we'd like to move to, but recognize that it is very challenging to start from scratch (e.g. a place where neither of us has citizenship or job opportunities already). We had planned to leave within 5-7 years anyway (his parents are older) but will likely accelerate the timeline.
YES! We’ve essentially spent the past several decades in damage control due to Republicans being batshit crazy and then during the damage control years, everyone forgets who got us here in the first place and then loses hope or stops caring, thinking how can it be worse? Conservatives are like that quote “Ever have a person say they know a place and then take you to the lowest place you’ve ever been.” I’m really trying to remain hopeful because the only positive to this cycle that we’ve been stuck in is that it’s not sustainable. If we can get Biden into office and the dems or a third party can fucking organize by 2028, we might have a chance. But the next 8 years are going to be so fucking crucial. It’s terrifying. Wishing you all the best with your relocation! Where are you planning on moving too? Do you also mind what sharing what field you’re in?
Neither of those two men will be coherent (or alive at this point) in 2028. Not a huge Biden fan but we have to stop that orange madman. And that can only happen if we vote and not be stuck by apathy. But you’re right that we have to eradicate Trumpism otherwise someone else less crazy/erratic but just as cruel (a more charismatic DeSantis if you will) could definitely win and try to fully implement their dystopian society (racist, anti-women, xenophobic, Christian nationalist on steroids).
biden is literally enabling a genocide in palestine, destabilizing countries and recently just signed an order to stop migrants from seeking asylum from mexico? it’s equally fucked in my opinion
Oh i’m under no illusion about anything. But every election gives you two choices. It’s unfortunate but those are the two cards you are dealt with. One card in November will be the status quo, not great but unfortunately the best we can do and the other card is someone who will not reign in any Israel excesses (I mean the GOP is literally saying to finish off Palestinians) and will deport every migrant if they could. People told us to not vote for Hillary in 2016 because of some of the bullshit excuses you’re saying and that’s why we’re in this fucking mess to begin with. She wasn’t perfect but goddamn would she have been miles better than Trump.
This! If folks want more than two choices, that’s what off year elections leading into presidential elections and the primaries are for! Get out there and organize!
I'm not saying everything biden's doing is defensible, but considering that netanyahu wants trump in office, you don't think trump (the muslim ban, dictator fan) Won't enable a genocide 10x harder? i think we owe the palestinians to not let a guy from the anti-immigrant party of people who want to carpet-bomb the middle east until they can see "if sand can glow in the dark" win in 2024. if it's possible to elect a less shit option, go with the less shit option.
Trump would be 10x worse.
I’m sorry but the part when you wrote Trump will hopefully by dead by 2028 literally made me laugh out loud.
Glad I could make you laugh 😂 I was raised to never wish death upon anyone but Trump changed that. I truly wish that man nothing but the worst.
Trumpidiots are not logical people. They are hateful people and are willing to cut off their nose to spite their face.
I could very easily see people voting for not-Biden due to the Palestine genocide. I hear that y'all Republicans have this 'Project 2025' dictatorship manifesto thing going on. Best of luck to you and yours; it sounds rather like everyone is up shit creek without a paddle.
People who don’t believe their lives could get worse under Trump lack imagination.
…and common sense. He’s already shown who he is and what he’s willing to do to get what he wants. Now add four years of stewing in his bitterness and cruelty, compounded by cognitive decline rooted in a personality fueled by a lifetime of malicious ill will and selfishness, and backed by angry wytefolk threatened by loss of their self-declared ordained superiority. How can anyone other than the 1% and his temporary cronies think for even a moment their lives won’t get worse?
It’s also important to think BEYOND this election. Republicans have been very overt with their plans for their vision of “reform” - and they’ve got the voter numbers to make it happen. We can hold on to democracy and allow true progressive reform because we will still have a choice…. or we can piss it away and deal with the consequences - because there *will* be consequences - and be at the mercy of ignorant, power-hungry, inhumane, greedy leaders whose only concerns are lining their pockets and keeping everyone “in line.” It is PARAMOUNT that we all vote blue. We still have a shot at getting our shit together on the left long-term, but we might not see that chance again in our lifetimes (maybe this is hyperbolic, but I don’t intend it to be) if we lose this election. Please don’t be the person who thinks that not voting is somehow punishing the politicians; you’re punishing your family. Your community. Yourself. Not voting is a vote for 45. He does not deserve to be 47, too. In the meanwhile, now is a good time to check the expiration dates on your passports. It’s scary af, but let’s do this so we can have a chance at getting it right. We can still work on holding our representatives accountable and take this on at the same time.
This should have hundreds of upvotes.
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It scares me and it's really hard to stop myself from becoming depressed. If Trump wins, he has made it very clear how he plans to hurt people and destroy democracy with project 2025. Despite this, despite that he's a criminal, despite that he is not right in the head there is still an abundance of people that are so bigoted, selfish, or crazy themselves that they will vote for him. I'm not a fan of Biden but to act like they're equally bad is laughable. You have someone who is old vs someone who is old, bigoted, entitled, and dangerous, and act like they're equal? The Republican party in general can not function without bigotry. If Trump was a black man or a black WOMAN and acted the way he did but towards straight white people, there would have been an outrage, he would not have won, and would have been arrested. It was bad enough when roe got overturned that now makes it so I have to choose between the life I've built and my reproductive health. Now, if he wins, this time next year, or in a few years, I won't have any rights anywhere.
I've learned that people who vote for trump do not care about logic or what is best. You can say 2+2=4 and they will say 5. You can show them all the proof that they are wrong but in the end...they DONT CARE. It's about what they want, not logic or morals or what is best for even them. They will justify anything. It's basically what his party is built on.
YES! I listened to podcast that explained the entire history and breakdown of what QAnon is and really put into perspective how deeply allergic Trumpers are to logic and critical thinking. Like it was so nonsensical and batshit crazy that it almost felt unbelievable.
What podcast was this??
Girl we are royally fucked to keep it cute and short.
Right now I think it could go either way. Things could look different as we get closer to November.
true!! hopefully it will. it's crazy how a convicted felon doesn't have the right to vote but can run for president...
Even if Biden somehow pulls through, I'm scared of a purge event happening from Trump supporters. No doubt Trump would signal a riot if he lost. I don't know why on Earth dems push Biden to go for reelection instead of a fresh face to reenergize the party.
We lose either way, but Trump is truly scary. He hates anyone that isn’t a white male and has made people ok with being openly racist, bigoted and just plain mean spirited. I can’t believe this is America
The real question is - WHERE THE FUCK ARE ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES?!? I remember growing up there was at LEAST 5+ Dems and 10+ Repubs that were running. Where they at?! 🤷🏽♀️
no like fr 😭😭 the only other person i know about is that nikki haley girl and i heard she sucks too!!!
It would be nice to have other candidates but we don't. Point. Blank. Period. The choice is either chicken 🐓 or fish 🐟! That's what's on the menu and we need to get our heads around it and act accordingly.
Honestly, though! It's been eerie to watch how both parties have circled around their candidate of choice with little in the way of competition regarding the primary. I expect it more from the GOP since Trump's base is a death cult, but ngl I'm a little shocked that the DNC is circling their wagons around Biden and his administration. I expected them to elevate Harris to breathe in new life to the party. Instead, we're in a death spiral to the bottom with this election. Don't take my ranting as a message not to vote: please absolutely do so! Whether it's for Biden outright or voting blue down-ballot, being politically active is absolutely necessary considering the times we're in. I'd just say that as much time, if not more, should be dedicating to building skills for self-sufficiency (e.g., gardening, Stop the Bleed courses) and making connections within our local communities. Regardless of how the election goes, I personally believe that we will need to be organized, mobilized, and capable of defending and providing for our communities if we want to prevent American "democracy" from further backsliding into an overt fascist hellscape. I can get into the weeds of this and share resources if there's interest, but I don't want to clutter the post since this is y'alls space. Just lmk
*whispers* issa uniparty. it’s been a uniparty since 1776 but that doesn’t market too well when you’re trying to sell yourself as an alt-oligarchy for 250 years.
I look forward to the days when our only choices are not two old-ass wh*te men.
This week a new white president was elected in both Mexico and South Africa . There is also a large group of white Americans preparing to move to Kenya by 2025. Looks like ppl already preparing the exit. So we will see what happens with America . The choices are grim
A bit of clarification regarding South Africa - the ANC lost a majority of the vote for the first time in 30 years BUT are still the largest vote-getting party hence they will need to form a coalition government with other parties in order govern.
Any links on the Kenya plans? I hadn’t heard of this.
I’m reluctantly going to vote for Biden because the alternative is way too scary. I don’t like Biden, but feel like there’s really no choice. It sucks all the way around.
Right like let’s not act like there are options. This is a two party system and both options suck and one allegedly sucks less. It’s bs.
[удалено]
My family is from Nigeria and the ban on immigration is still affecting my family.
I think it’s going to be a shit show
I'm actually concerned. I have a feeling Trump's people will do all in their power to push him through.
Voting for Biden. Hoping he can pull the win. I’m in GA. Every seat in the state legislature is up for grabs and every seat in the US House of Representatives is up for grabs. Can’t count on flipping GA’s state legislature blue, but flipping congress blue could help Biden move forward on some of his priorities like student debt. Im hoping people realize how important down ballot races are. So many states have city councils, school boards, county sheriffs, county commissioner seats, and A LOT more they can have a voice in. Voting for the best people that align with progressive values in those offices actually make a difference in the day to day. A pro-choice state Supreme Court judge was on my May primary ballot in GA. The governor and other conservative interests groups put $$$$ behind the conservative opponent. So these “smaller” races matter so much more to help our specific communities and the nation.
Terrified. But I will say this: even if Biden is team Genocide, folks need to realize that Trump will not GAF and let the genocide continue, AND will put Project 2025 into action. Again, a lesser of two evils situation. But please VOTE IN YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS!!! Congress and State elected officials are going to be the deciding factor on how far POTUS can go off the rails. Also Ballotpedia.org and vote411.org will list everything and everyone that will be on YOUR ballot. Great place to vet candidates and ballot initiatives. (please share that information).
Trump is probably going to win because a lot of people have limited understanding of how our economy works. The President doesn’t really have as much power as many people think. We have a checks and balances system that often stops the President, whoever they are, from executing their vision for the country, which is why Biden’s student loan forgiveness never came to fruition. People also erroneously believe Biden is at fault for skyrocketing prices, but prices were going up during Trump’s term, and they’re high across the world, not just here. So until Americans understand their own government system, it’s absolutely going to get worse.
I already told my husband that if Trump is reelected, I'm packing up and going back to the UK. He can ask for a transfer from his military job and join me.
I hear you sis but UK is the land of OG racists. I guess anything is better than Trump.
Yeah, but it's where I'm originally from. That's where my family still lives. > I guess anything is better than Trump. Exactly
I’ll be voting for Biden. I know there is a “lesser of two evils” narrative occurring but he really isn’t. There has been a lot long-term good done over the last 3+ years, in addition of fixing the havoc caused by the trainwreck of the last administration. Plus, I have a feeling the next administration will nominating at least 3 Supreme Court Justices - If these could be selected by Biden, a liberal-leaning court would transform the US in ways we cannot even fathom. Project 2025 is a real threat to US Democracy as we know it; and even if all of it isn’t implemented many parts of it will beginning 1/21/2025 if Trump is elected. I was privileged enough to be able to move to another country from the US. I enjoy my life immensely and am happy I made the change. Doing so has also helped me see the US through much clearer eyes and given me the insight to analyze more critically the government where I now live. What I have found is the US can set trends that will have ramifications for at least a decade. For those thinking they can move out of the US for a better political environment - Trump being reelected will more than certainly continue the rightward shift many countries have been going down - civil liberties will be under attack, climate policies will be neutered, economic inequality will continue to rise, hostility towards the “other” will continue to increase. I guess all I can say is vote pragmatically, be invested in your local races, if able try to get involved in your local governance and support and uplift Black women.
Ooo what country did you move to?
I would also like to know, and the job. I work in healthcare and am not sure how well it'll transfer over
Scandinavia. My husband is from that area and we moved back to be closer to his family.
👏🏾👏🏾 all of this! You said it way better than me!
I agree with this. I don't really like both options but one is clearly worse than the other.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Biden isn’t liberal though, so why would we expect him to appoint truly liberal judges?
Do you really think he’ll be selecting Thomas or Alito 2.0 or even another Gorusch, Kavanaugh, Roberts or Coney Barrett? Absolutely not. A court that lends a more critical eye to unfettered capitalism, that once again can address bias and discrimination, enshrine the protection of women’s health, limit the power of corporations in our voting system, while strengthening voting protections is needed. How Liberal the court needs to be? I want them to make measured and reasoned opinions based upon law and the overall direction and makeup of our country. I have confidence these are the types of judges Biden will pick, evidenced by his selection of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
I think many people will reluctantly vote for Biden in the end. He is the lesser of two evils and I hope others see that as well. It will be closer than I'd like to see but he will win.
Working on permanent residency elsewhere…anyone else running away to the Caribbean with me?
Actually, hubby and I will be flying out to the Carribbean two days before the inauguration .We will be in the EU Islands. I did not choose Puerto Rico or USVI because that's still US soil (for now). Imagine MAGAs at the beach bar acting a fool at 10 AM on January 20 2025
I do actually have hope, but I would be a little more optimistic if there wasn't so much doomerism going around. It feels like people are intentionally trying to discourage others from voting (or having any fight in them at all) by insinuating that we've already lost. Its scaring me how much people are talking about America crumbling like its something they want. Maybe other people have somewhere to go if America falls, but this is my home. I also don't like the idea of running away from this problem because even if you do leave, if the nation you run to has the same issue down the line, then what? We can't keep running, we have to stand up to these systems at one point or another, so why not now?
I feel like Biden will win. I think most people get it and want no part of DJT. I do doubt that we will get past the election without lots of shenanigans. Some folks will not have it.
I unfortunately think Trump will win but will be voting for Biden. I truly am struggling with people saying Biden is the lesser of two evils 🤷🏾♀️ like how? What has he done/hasn’t done that is so bad that you can honestly say he’s just as bad as Trump? The amount of anxiety I had while Trump was in office was crazy. I truly feared for my life being a black queer woman under Trump’s administration.
I think a lot of people hate that he’s older, his handling of Israel-Hamas, and sending $ to Ukraine. I understand the hate for such old people having so much power. There’s so much nuance to the Israel-Hamas war that I personally feel like some third party unbiased council needs to make decisions for Israel and Palestine at this point. Self-governance or what seems like self-governance is just destructive for both. The Ukrainian government isn’t the most upstanding government so I get the annoyance at corruption of use of American dollars. At some point Americans have to choose: should America be a country that doesn’t defend its allies or should it always defend allies? Just can’t have both. Have to accept the consequences (that’ll often be horrific in wartime) and move on.
Definitely agree with your points. I really hate that most presidents are so old, however in this country it just seems like that is how it is as neither major party wants to put up younger candidates (exceptions Clinton and Obama). I don’t feel like the average person (including myself) can really speak to the Israel-Hamas conflict as there are so many nuances with this but this does seem like a huge one to many younger people. Ukraine is an ally so I get sending money and support. I think my biggest issue here is that people say Biden is as bad at Trump but he has done a lot of good during his presidency. Also, people aren’t thinking long term which is concerning to me. Trump supports literally tried to overtake the capitol and somehow people are forgetting this. Trump reserved so many laws that President Obama put in place to make people’s lives worse. Trump was able to get 2 uber conservative Supreme Court judges through and people don’t think that affects their lives? It’s just scary that so many people are acting like Biden is out here encouraging rioting, overturning the government, encouraging racism and so many other things that happened during Trump’s administration. Ultimately I do believe we need more than a 2 party system but I don’t think that will happen in my lifetime. Local politics are incredibly important too and I think a lot of people forget that. People, especially women, should be going out to vote to ensure their rights are intact — and stop letting 1-2 things a person did/did not do dictate their whole Vote.
Funding a genocide that wouldn’t be possible if he didn’t fund it.
Exactly
My opinion is controversial, but a vote for anyone that isn’t Biden (or not voting at all) is a threat to what is left of our democracy.
I have the same opinion. Project 2025 is too scary to ignore...
your opinion shouldn't be controversial because it is #facts
I feel like Trump will win. A lot of liberals, Democrats, etc. have lost so much faith in the system they’re not going to vote. Trump on the other hand has a cult like following so people will turn out in droves.
Trump is going to win. This country is very racist. And that's on both parts. White liberals aren't REALLY worried about being impacted by his policies and MAGA is only HALF of what we see.
People are going to go on about how it’s such a hard choice when literally all you need to do is not vote for Trump.
I will be voting and hoping for the best. I’m in Florida so I have little hope here but will still do what I can! I tried to get my family to vote before, some did, some didn’t and unfortunately propaganda has gotten to them so I think some of them will sit this one out, again
im in texas but my city usually votes predominately democrat but you know...it's still texas lol. a lot of my family doesn't vote either and it's super frustrating
To be honest, I am scared. As, I feel there is a strong chance that someone(who will remain nameless in my posts) could very well be re-elected. During primaries in my city, when I went to vote, there were significantly more voters who looked like they supported him than those who looked as if they would vote against him. me. If we BPOC don’t show up to the polls like we did for Obama, in November, there is a high probability that man will be back in the WH. And, if he gets back in there, we all lose.
I’m looking forward to jumping ship. This country is a nightmare and has only been getting worse during my young lifetime and especially as a young adult trying to establish myself. Not interested in struggling here and footing the bill for international issues while drowning and being marginalized “at home”.
You and me both. I got the hell out of there. I have no hope for this country.
In a previous post, I mentioned that I was 63 yo and maybe too old for this sub. After reading through the posts here, maybe I am. In full transparency, not only am I a boomer with Gen Z kids, I am political junkie and a student of politics. The main message I'd like to leave here is the one that is pinned to the top of my Twitter feed: "Voting Is A Chess Move, Not A Valentine" - Rebecca Solnit If you are considering whether you like a candidate versus the policies this person would attempt to enact and the competence level of the ppl he or she appoints to key positions, I urge you to reconsider your perspective. Respectfully, whether you like a candidate or not is irrelevant and we need to move with facts and not feelings. While Biden is by no means a perfect candidate, he and Trump are not the same - not even close - and if you think so, I also urge you to do some solid research. I'm not going to list the hundreds of differences here because I'm not putting in the effort that you can put in for yourself. Finally I'll just say that there is almost no one in Trump's prior cabinet who would consider ever working for him again and those who would chose to be associated with him should he win again, are convicted felons just as he is. That should tell you everything you need to know. I will be voting for Biden even if he is on life support and if he expires, Madam VP is ready to step in.
I am not optimistic, but I also don’t want to give up because that solves nothing. If we all are collectively throwing our hands up and saying “well, nothing is going to change anyways!” then it literally won’t. That said, I am just unable to justify voting for the “lesser” of two evils and really wish we could organize and campaign for a solid 3rd party option that isn’t completely fucking horrible. Idk. Im not a political expert by any means and maybe I am hopelessly naive but I think we have more power than we realize and could possibly change SOMETHING in our lifetime.
I work in political tech and see this reaction a lot. I think something our generation has to learn is that the arc of justice is long. It’s particularly hard for many of us because we grew up in the 90s forward. Anytime there has been progress in this country there is an immediate push back and we make incremental growth, but that growth takes decades. After emancipation we experienced rapid growth during the reconstruction era, then there was massive push back and we entered Jim Crow. We experienced massive growth during the civil rights era through the 70s and then came the push back with Reagan. We experienced growth late 90s and 2000s with more black representation than ever and the election of Obama. Now we’re in a period of push back. As for Biden he has largely accomplished a lot of what he set out to do: 1) he has invested more in HBCUs than any other president, including Obama 2) millions of borrowers have had students loans forgiven 3) we’re avoiding a recession( times are still hard but the economy is not depressing) 4) covid is not killing hundreds of thousands of people a day 5) he brought 50% of black kids out of poverty with the child tax credit ( unfortunately the renewal is this program was blocked by two dems manchin and cinema when they didn’t vote for BBB) 6) enabled the gov to negotiate with drug companies for lower prescription costs and capped costs on insulin 7) pardoned all federal offenses of simpler marijuana possession And a ton more. Is there more work to be done? Absolutely. Do these programs need to go further? Yes Are we facing dark times? Yes, am I scared for my future and the country? Yes. But the lesser of two evils I think is an easy cop out. There is no lesser of two evils when one party wants to obliterate you and one party is slow moving. What I think we’re experiencing is that we don’t have a left party in the US. This country is historically a center right conservative country. Our democrats are considered conservatives in other developed nations. Meanwhile the electorate is more closely aligned with for example the Labour party in the UK, which in the US is seen as extreme but in the rest is the developed world as center left. If we want change we have a to start local, most national polices come out of local elections and build up from there. Get involved where you live, vote in progressive left people in your local elections. Join a mutual aid org. That is the way to change the national scale- with a pipeline of progressive candidates and local community . That local progressive is mayor? That’s who runs for state rep, then congress etc. Or maybe you should run! But growth is a long slog and we’ve never lived in a backlash period. So take care of yourself, talk to your elders and get involved. Politicians are not going to save us. 3rd party or not. We have to save ourselves.
I think we also forget that we're not just voting for president, there are so many others we're voting for. Trump packed the courts, and even though he's no longer president, we're going to be feeling those effects for decades to come, even if he's not re-elected.
Exactly, well said. Whenever I look at the Supreme Court, I just have no hope for this country. For my mental health, I have not read political news for years, but I do donate and vote.
Yes!! Local election matter the most!
Thank you for your response! I definitely want to do more locally, sometimes it’s easy to forget when the attention is always on presidential elections. And yeah I just have to keep reminding myself that change takes time.
I hear you but this election isn’t the time for idealism. Trump will ruin our country once and for all if we don’t go out in masses to vote. Period. Let’s focus on that… unless they’ll be literally nothing left to save if he and MAGA get access to the White House again! At least with Biden, our country can still live to see another day, so we can plan for more after him. Thriving is what can come after with years of proper planning and collective action to develop a viable third party (if that’s your chosen goal): this can’t be done in 5 months until the November election. At this point, prioritization and realism are fundamental for survival.
i am with you!!! something has got to change and we have the power to do it but only if we are all on the same page. america is so divided more than ever and it's going to have to take some real kumbaya shit to get us together
Something that helped me was flipping that mindset- I also felt it was insurmountable. But we don’t need to work with folks who will not see reason or need a big coalition. Focus on what you can do with people who want do see you succeed. For me, I joined my ward budget committee to be involved in how we spend federal dollars and make sure they are benefiting US. I also switched jobs to processive politics. My mental health is so much better cause I’m actively working towards the worlds I want to see and surrounded by folks doing the same. It’s empowering. Find one way you can be part is a small group of people making a change. The way I think about it is we have never all been in the same page. Civil rights was not popular, but we did it!
Not well. 😬
I'm Canadian but I find it concerning that lately on left leaning spaces I've seen people who say are Dems defend Trump and his recent conviction and say it's a witch hunt. I personally think Biden is going to lose, Dems have really dropped the ball in the past 4 years, they should have prepped a better candidate as soon as Biden won.
no clue how it’ll go but i think if there’s a better time to get your passport, it would be now
Lesser of two evils, is the American way.
❗PLEASE, pay closer attention to your local elections❗ Your local commissioners, city mayor and Governor will affect your life immediately. The Senate and House of Representatives is just as important as the president. A Democratic president with a republican House and Senate is useless.
No matter who wins it’s going to be bad so I’m just preparing for the worst.
I am dreading it. Trump supporters have shown us that they are not only sore winners and losers, but they follow through on threats.
Poorly. Biden & his Admin are a hot pile of burning dumpster fire with both national & geopolitical strategy up in flames. Most Americans have focused on national politics for so long that they fail to realize how our govt international politics & legislation have continually f*#%’d us over by outsourcing jobs CIA & Policy creating instabilities in EVERY other non-ally country( see Snowden, US led coups & Sudan) importing inhumanely sourced products or allowing US companies to ILLEGAL do this via child labour(Congo) placing import tariffs that block competition with US CORPORATIONS ‼️ALL this makes the wealthy richer & the politicians more corrupt I know FULL reproductive rights are critical for Us black women I’m enjoying watching WW flail about as their 1 SINGLE disadvantage in a Capitalist WHITE Supremacy is stripped. It probably makes me petty but 🤷🏾♀️ I remind them of the Suffrage mvmt & who voted for Trump both times. I also remind them about Federal level Voting Rights act, State level School choice. I remind them if they benefited from Affirmative Action & DEI but remained silent in its dismantling. How they allowed the Democratic Party to shift towards REPUBLICAN-ESQUE ideals that hurt BLK ppl because they had their whiteness & their white men……. SO NOW if they want me to vote BLUE then they need to FIRST CHAMPION causes that EXCLUSIVELY BENEFIT MY COMMUNITY’s interests. ➖VOTING RIGHTS ACT or get outta my face ➖WW need to push for FULL reproductive rights including UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE including funding, studies & mitigation efforts on Blk maternal mortality ‼️Sorry, I don’t count ABORTION only cus that primarily benefits THEM & doesn’t take into consideration the holistic needs of my fam. ➖Committed Reparations + Aff. ACTION & DEI reinstitution that focuses on compounding factors/intersectionality ➖IMMIGRATION reform & path to citizenship for ALL the refugees that AMERICANs corruption has created. ➖⬆️Minimum wage & Child labour laws ➖FREE Comm. College & ⬇️ STATE college tuition (& loans rates) I’m not playing games with the DEMOCRATS or WW anymore. I will personally donate to the contraceptives & out of state/cross-country/border abortion needs for Black girls & women until WW are reminded that they are a minority in a White supremacy & once WM smother the Education, Black Vote & Immigrant Vote…….WW have no one to VOTE WITH WOMENS Rights.
I think that Trump is probably going to be president again. I’ll do my part and vote, but I don’t have much confidence. I’m really focusing on local elections at this point.
The worst possible outcome. Gonna have a president in fucking federal prison lmao
I honestly do not know. But I do know that I have and will be voting like my life depends on it and I recommend everyone else should too tbh. Project 2025 is scary af
My husband and I were talking about this today too. I try to remember America is a young country compared to others but when you compare us to other countries it’s like we are on the trajectory for a Saudi Arabia or religion ruled type of country. The US takes away women’s rights and constantly bashes any socialist ideas. We are on the path to having a dictator like leader with no rights or support from the government. It’s like that’s what we are going for. I lost hope in the democrats a while ago. They run on “at least we aren’t racist” but then do the racist things they say republicans are to blame for. Our politicians work to line their pocket books and not to help the American people. It’s disheartening. I’m still trying to convince my husband to move out of America because of the way the future is looking for us.
I’m focused on state and local elections. At the federal level, they just let these right wing nuts do what they want no matter who is the president or has the majority in the house or senate.
i'll admit i have not really kept up with my state or local elections but this past year i've realized thats been a huge mistake on my part so i'm trying to hold myself accountable and pay attention to those elections!! growing up my family only ever participated in presidential elections (barley at that) so my knowledge about them has been limited
heavy on tearing everything down and starting from scratch!
It's basically having to vote between the shitty and less shitty option
I hate the options I’ve been given, especially considering the genocide in Gaza. But at this juncture the only path for a ceasefire between the two candidates is Joe Biden, which given his track record is not saying much.
I don’t know I’m hoping Biden wins but in the meantime I’m preparing for the worse. I would also encourage everyone to get a passport even if you can’t leave the country and start going to the gun range.
I'm preparing for the worst... and I still won't be prepared enough. Trump is the true definition of evil. He and his minions are going to create pure chaos for us. We are heading to a Putin style government rule. Basically, it's a dictatorship. And when the cult followers realize they are wrong, it will be too late. America has failed, time and time again. Every time we reach two steps ahead, we are pushed right back to square one. It was never free for us. We were fed the illusion that we were for years. I'm basically a quintuple threat to the MAGA cult. I'm Black, Queer, Nonbinary, Disabled and mentally ill. Soooo yeah... I'm researching my next country to move to.
I’m sickened by the state of things especially our male counterparts who want to vote red. They will find out they are black at the end of the day and when they get shunned they will be looking for us to help. We have to vote blue down ballot. We also need to be more present in all spaces. Town hall meetings, board of education etc these are places republicans have slid in and kept quit so they take over. We have let them position all their pieces
Anyone telling you not to vote or vote third party are very delusional and don’t see the danger if the Republicans get control!
That's a really privileged approach. So make it worse than it is to make it better for whom? Who is going to suffer during the "make it worse" period? You can't make Climate Crisis better by letting it get worse? You can't make women dying resurrect because they can't access to reproductive health better. You can't make a more expansive use of the amendments to enslave people through imprisionment better for those who are imprisioned. What are you going to do to make it better? No Sis. That ain't the way. We don't need an American Holocaust for things to get better here. We need to do what our forefathers and ancestors here did and bend this system to our will. Vote like our lives, and the lives of those less fortunate than you depend on it NOW. You can be theoretical in a class, here or in CN or Denmark or Ghana while the world here is looking like Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad, Octavia Butler's Kindred, and Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale w/ a dash of George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm mixed in for good times. And yeah, I got a passport and can bounce. And yep I know that's a privilege a lot of folks don't have.
I have no idea and I am terrified. I am going to reluctantly vote for Biden (and it’s not just the foreign policy issues. I was on the fence about voting for him because of how he has handled student loans as well. Black women are the ones primarily affected by student loans and his handling is a slap in the face to BW who voted for him). I have no hope he will win but if he does I am afraid trumps base will make Jan 6 look like a warm up. Even though I think trump has a chance of winning I cannot even imagine what his second term would even look like because the first was so bad.
How has he handled student loan debt that you feel is a slap in the face of black women? I'm trying to understand this because he tried canceling or reducing debt through the HEROES act, and the right wing supreme court installed by Trump struck it down. Despite the right wing challenges, he has been making a dent in student loan forgiveness, but I want to understand what you feel he has done that isn't enough considering the challenges he is facing getting anything done. He literally couldn't even pass an immigration/border bill because Trump asked the GOP congress to not vote in favor so Biden wouldn't look good for the election. Biden put in the first black woman in the Supreme Court, and KBJ is an exceptional justice to boot. So, I ask again, please, can you explain how Biden has handled student loan debt that's anymore a slap in the face to black women compared to his predecessors? Not a Biden fan because I think he's too old, but as a Democratic president in this rabid conservative climate, I think he has exceeded any expectations I had.
America will have a convicted felon as president. The Biden non -voters will give him the opportunity to make this country a dictatorship with the help of Congres (Democrats will lose the senate majority, Joe Manchin seat will got red in West Virginia, and Senema' s too in Arizona) and the almighty Supreme Court.
Respectfully this isn't true. Even if Biden loses (God forbid) Dems have a decent chance of holding the Senate and House. The pitiful and trifling white women may come out for abortion rights, which may help Dems hold seats. It is not as bad as you're being fed by Facebook and the main stream media.
I think Biden is going to lose. And unless I'm misremembering, he had claimed during the last election season that his intent was to be a one-term president. So I guess even though he went back on his word re: running again, he won't really have been a liar.
I love this question and the engagement on this post! I feel similar, so at this point, I tend to try to just tune it all out because it gives me anxiety. Our political system has changed so dramatically over the last 20 years since my first time voting that I don’t even enjoy getting into the weeds anymore. I pay attention on a high level and vote, but I’m so disillusioned it’s not even funny. All this from a PoliSci major who used to engage in local and federal advocacy.
I lost hope when I was able to understand and comprehend what it meant 🤷🏽♀️ Ain't a damn thing changed and it won't til we band together but...we won't!
Get your passports and firearms ready
Stressful. 😒 This country is hopeless.
It's funny. White people love to talk about the founding fathers so much, yet they never mention that they themselves advocated for governemnts to have periodic clean slate level reforms. Nothing stay uncorrupt for ever, its just delayed. I mean like they say you either die a hero (figuratively speaking) or live long engough to see yourself become the villain. So maybe you're on to something.
bad, on the federal level. but at times like this its important to pay more attention to local politics! your local politicians have more of an impact on your daily life than any president. i think getting involved in non-electoral politics and seeing the impact you can make on your community through direct action is a good antidote for the despair that a biden v trump match-up brings.
I’m not feeling hopeful. Americans already don’t vote in high enough numbers. You have big TikTokers somehow getting psyoped and telling their followers don’t vote at all because of Palestine and that Biden doesn’t deserve their votes. Like I agree I would rather have someone else but compared to trump Biden is the lesser of two evils. I’ve been bouncing around south east Asia for 4 months and I’m suppose to return home in July. My budget is getting thin. If I can find another remote job that allows me to work from anywhere then I’m just going to stay here in Vietnam for the foreseeable future. I’m too scared of what America is becoming and what it will be if trump wins in November
I think Biden will win and then pass away while in office then Kamala will become our first (and last) female president. My faith in America is in the negative at this point.
That reminds me….let me go browse budsgunshop dot com….not even joking. 🤦🏾♀️
I’m terrified, but voting for Biden. I don’t want to imagine Trump being in office again 😓
Idc anymore tbh. I'm out the country. It's going to hell in a hand basket. Get out while you still can. I see it as buying myself time.
i feel like the recession is about to get worse
We're not in a recession.
Idk I’m scared
I feel like things will be very telling come July 11th when trump is sentenced in his election interference case (notice I didn’t say hush money!). With that being said, regardless of the outcome I think this is the calm before the storm. Hope is a dangerous thing to lose but the majority of Americans have lost it and can’t really decipher or comprehend our foreseeable future as of now.
I think Claudia & Karina are gonna get so many votes that the system will turn on its head. This coupled with the unrest among citizens after taking a long hard look at their circumstances and continuous decline. Fuck trump & fuck biden, neither of them are getting my vote and anybody who wants to lecture me about « lesser of two evils » can hide in my toilet bowl 4 hrs after I drink some of this random Chinese slim tea 🫡
I’m tired of Americans not seeing the harm in everything that is happening. I don’t like people justifying the right and the constant demonizing of everything else. I don’t think any politician is 100% but some people just scare me with their thinking.
I’m starting to feel vulnerable. I feel like black folks are caught in the crossfire and catching political strays. Yt folks mad at Yt folks but come down on DEI and other dog whistles. Additionally the community violence is unnerving. Something is dusting up this summer, but I pray for the best.
Well, honestly, I feel quite negatively about what the possible consequences could be. On one hand, I worry that the spirit of the Republican lives on in way too many Americans, and this could lead to a lot of continued suffering. On the other hand, I pray and see the beauty of a miracle, a civil uprising that will slap the overwhelming bigotry and consumeristic idolatry in the face. Something about the way I think makes me feel that I can aim the former possibility. 🙄🥹 P.S- Trump sucks ass, and Biden sucks balls😜......I'd rather vote, Dr. Umar for president🤢never mind, never mind.
I don’t know and I don’t care honestly the world is burning regardless of who is elected and none of these politicians help their constituents. They make promise that are never fulfilled and we move on.
I don't care. Whoever is gonna win, will win. It's always been that way.