In a letter published Wednesday on Medium, an anonymous group of Biden’s campaign staffers demanded the president call for a ceasefire in Gaza, citing concerns that not shifting his policy on the issue could hurt his 2024 chances.
“Biden for President staff have seen volunteers quit in droves, and people who have voted blue for decades feel uncertain about doing so for the first time ever, because of this conflict,” the Medium letter read.
“It is not enough to merely be the alternative to Donald Trump,” the campaigners continued. “The campaign has to shift the feeling in the pits of voters’ stomachs, the same feeling that weighs on us every day as we fight for your reelection. The only way to do that is to call for a ceasefire.”
It’s good to see that people are putting pressure on Biden to do the right thing vis-a-vis Israel and Gaza. I think it’s the right thing to do and I’ve been so disillusioned to see American democracy reduced to a booster contest between soulless ghouls that must never be challenged or questioned™.
It’s not at all surprising to see toxic, bad-faith rhetoric deployed in his defense, tho. If there’s one thing I can count on from the Dem establishment is that when faced with unsolicited input from young people, out comes the reductionist rhetoric about how anything that isn’t ball-slobbering of their candidate and whatever the party has handed down as its agenda is a vote for fascism.
As it did in 2016, the Democrats are going through energetic disagreements over their future direction as a party- and as it did in 2016, the establishment is going to have to decide whether it can afford to alienate its younger/leftier constituency in order to chase votes to the center
The problem is that younger people often don’t vote. So chasing their votes is a losing strat. Younger citizens need to actually get out there and make sure that they are casting votes, otherwise they will continue to not be taken seriously
I’m sure if younger people were given a reason to give a shit they’d come out and vote. Even the candidates that are supposed to be more relatable to younger voters(Dems) have tone deaf talking points that revolve around the stock market, unemployment, gas prices, and inflation, none of which are an accurate metric that would define economic opportunity for the youth. Kind of a self fulfilling prophecy.
You’re correct but I see you’ve been downvoted by people who think young people “just don’t vote” and this defeatist attitude is prevalent in the democrat fanbase. It’s always “the president can’t do that” when it comes to helping people where obama and biden can only offer breadcrumbs in 12 years, but somehow trump can turn the entire country into a fascist hellhole in just 4 years.
Give young people a reason to vote and they will: https://www.pewresearch.org/2008/11/13/young-voters-in-the-2008-election/
But nah, it’s instead either “they don’t vote so we don’t need to care about them” or “if we shame them hard enough then they must vote for us!” Then when the democrats inevitably lose an election, it’s somehow the voters’ fault as if democrats are owed votes.
This smells like #WalkAway psyop bullshit. Anon letter on Medium as a source, lol please.
The letter was organized by campaign staffers. Five of them confirmed the authenticity of the letter to West Wing Playbook. Those staffers, who were granted anonymity because of their concern of backlash, said they were motivated to organize their letter out of a sense of moral responsibility.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/03/biden-campaign-anonymous-letter-israel-hamas-00133705
Nice try though to ignore the issue.
I jumped to conclusions, at least someone has confirmed it’s legit. Wasn’t ignoring it but the astroturfing “Anon outside any verifiable or published source says” is a problem that keeps recurring.
They are entitled to their opinions, and I’m not even in disagreement - the entire conflict is an abomination and horrendous… but I’m curious who they’d vote for otherwise. No one worth talking about in US politics would chart a different course.
I’m tired of this black mirror episode, can we go back to the 90’s please?
Though I agree that Biden should be punished for what he’s doing there, I would please like to remind everyone that the alternative guy would probably just chose to “nuke Gaza or something, problem solved, right?” Or some other insanity like that. Please please, vote Biden, as bad as he is
Here’s the thing: Politics is dead.
You know what else has broad popular support?
Medicare for All
Free college
Well funded public housing
There’s a much longer list, but you get the idea. It’s not what both parties are the same … it’s that Democrats use the same tired excuses for not doing what is popular and needed.
In 2024 not only are we going to be asked to once again ignore that Democrats are unable to fulfill the most basic functions of a political party, but we’re going to be told we need to vote for somebody who tacitly approved of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
That’s a bridge too far for me. Saying that the other guy is worse may be true, but it still doesn’t take away the reality that the Democratic nominate for POTUS is a genocidal monster.
Republicans would also support Israel. All these people who are leaving Biden aren’t doing anyone any favors, including the Palestinians.
Two people quit = droves.
ROFL. Gotta love sensationalism.
You’re referring to actual appointed staff in his cabinets, not the people volunteering for his campaign and other non-cabinet staff.
Oh… you mean the “anonymous” people that can’t be verified?
The letter was organized by campaign staffers. Five of them confirmed the authenticity of the letter to West Wing Playbook. Those staffers, who were granted anonymity because of their concern of backlash, said they were motivated to organize their letter out of a sense of moral responsibility.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/03/biden-campaign-anonymous-letter-israel-hamas-00133705
Nice try though to ignore the issue.
If you say so. Keep spreading this bullshit and you can enjoy Trump as your dictator. I’m sure he’ll navigate the Palestinian conflict MUCH better.
I’m sorry that reporting factual information is such a problem for you. Disliking Trump and Republicans in general is not a reason for me to be purposefully blind to the actions of those I do support.
“bOtH siDeS!” Right? No one is asking you to be blind to what’s going on, but to shit on the one person that stands a chance to keep us from having a dictatorship?
I sincerely hope you are going to be proud of what you accomplish here.
So, basically, you’re saying we ignore everything Biden does, no matter how terrible, and not bring up that maybe he should be better?
Hmm, let me see. Ceasefire in a country that has nothing to do with us and doesn’t effect us in the slightest
OR
We elect a literal fascist who actually admitted he will be a dictator and use the military against his enemies at home
Tough choice
Ceasefire in a country that has nothing to do with us and doesn’t effect us in the slightest
a brutal lie in the first part, a gross lie in the second part. mind you, I’m not pushing for any of the two octogenarian that will be elected.
Do you really have no other choice but one of those two over there?
It’s the structure of our “first past the post” system. Basically, each party gets one representative on the presidential ticket. The two major parties have primaries where the top candidates compete in a vote within themselves, and the winner gets put on the presidential ticket for that party.
The obvious problem with that is that the party convention picks the candidate, not the voters. So it’s possible to buy a party’s candidate or for the conventions to snub popular choice in favor of not shaking things up too much in the status quo.
The latter point, the democratic party picking lukewarm candidates that are moderate at best because the establishment doesn’t want to disturb the status quo, has been a problem for a long time and is a major reason democrat voters don’t go to the polls.
We really have no other choice
Their system automatically makes a winner of the biggest party. In any country that uses that system, it automatically leads to two main parties alternating in power. The advantage is that you don’t need “messy” and “unstable” coalitions, but can have strong leadership with a solid base instead. Except that perhaps string leadership is a dangerous thing to have in many cases, and except that if the balance tends towards 50/50, you can easily have problems getting anything done.
So is he handing the republicans the presidency this year or what? Honest question.
Sure, still going to vote for Biden over Trump. All Biden has to do is not be Trump and he is the better option.
This thread is wild… is it seriously shocking to people here that Biden campaigners (plurality young people) are upset about his response to the genocide in Gaza?? Yes, obviously we need to vote for him, but it’s crazy that criticism is labeled as astroturfing or attempts to sabotage his chances.
I really hate that every time someone criticizes him, some dumbass replies with “Yeah well Trump is way worse”
Yeah no shit lol, just because I hate the current president doesn’t mean I’m automatically selecting the deranged orange.
Also why the fuck are people working for free lmao
I’m upset too, but there is more than one issue in the world. These people need to put things in perspective. If Trump wins, America is literally over.
Too bad trump and Biden are the only two people so I just have to be pro genocide.
You don’t have to. You can have your own views and make the best decision available to you given the circumstances.
So you’re saying not to vote? Or that we should write-in a vote for a non-genocider?
No I’m saying that you can vote for someone and not agree with everything they stand for because that’s the best option you have. We do need reforms in America, but is that a reason to not vote or to wait around until all the conditions are perfect for you to vote your ideals?
So what is the move? It’s clearly wrong to vote for Biden and you say not voting is a waste. So be frank and say what you’re thinking clearly and plainly.
Vote people that has naunces on the downballot.
They did say it clearly. But let me see if I can’t help.
You can have a slap in the face
Or a rusty shank to the neck
One or the other.
If you don’t pick, one will be picked for you.
I get not wanting to vote for him. I do. But not all of us get that luxury.
I’m gay. Me and my boyfriend are talking about leaving the country. He’s got one last semester of nursing school. Lots of places are desperate for nurses. We can probably get out. If we do, then I can say we get to move.
If the Republicans win, it won’t just be get to, it will become need to as well. Any queer person who stays is taking a big risk. But not everyone will be able to leave.
Between the push for a fascist theocracy with Trump as the dictator as he uses phrases pulled from the Nazis and gives us their plans under Project 2025, I don’t get the luxury of saying “Well, let’s see if we can’t come back from this.” When we talk about being terrified of a Republican presidency, we are not exaggerating.
This isn’t a light decision to make. I hate it. Even if the dems win, we might still leave. Project 2025 will just turn to Project 2029. Project 2033. Eventually they will win. But in the mean time I have to decide between voting for Joe who supports Isreal
Or risk Trump who supports Isreal, but also supports the same thing here
It’s Biden or Trump
A slap in the face or a rusty shank to the neck
So, genocide is a “single issue” which means it should be ignored? How can you hope for any semblance of change if you start by overlooking literal genocide
How can you hope for any semblance of change…
You balance it against your other priorities
Getting a free pass for not being Donald Trump isn’t likely to work twice. Biden isn’t walking into this election running against Trump’s miserable failure of a presidency, he’s running on his record now. And his record is shit. It’s a record of going “Well, my hands are tied” when it’s time to help Americans but also having unlimited will and political capital to send our money to fund a genocide. It’s a record of not cancelling student loans, not legalizing marijuana, not meaningfully addressing climate change, not doing anything about healthcare, not doing anything about education. Biden’s presidency has been one that primarily is about chiding the left, calling us idiots and demanding our votes while flat-out telling us he’s not gonna do anything we ask and that we should be grateful that he’s not gonna send the army to kill us like Trump said he would.
If idiots are too fucking stupid to vote for Biden, because of a religious war…well, it kind of fits in with the past decade of idiocracy. You get what you fucking deserve.
Folks don’t want Genocidal Joe. Anyone supporting him is supporting the sleep walking to fascism.
Yes because clearly whomever else runs won’t put our troops into Gaza instead? Oh? You want to vote 3rd party? Lol. You just voted for Trump. I’d tell you that you’re throwing your vote away, but I won’t. There will be plenty of time for that. When we’re in the concentration camp.
Bernie.
Not running.
Also sure you want to protest vote, but you literally won’t be able to protest if Trump wins.
Well Trump will win if folks keep pushing through Genocidal Joe.
Yep might as well get ready for the camps then
What camps?
Concentrate on that question for a bit and you may finally come up with the solution.
Protest vote in 2016 worked so well for everyone /s
Exactly
A vote for Democrats is a vote for a party that “isn’t trump” but isn’t particularly interested in stopping him or the impending fascism.
As opposed to the guy who literally is fascist and “comes up with Hitler’s talking points independently”.
The camps won’t be summer camp.
Sure maybe they’ll start with trans youth. Then lgbtq. Then brown people. Then cat boys.
Do you really want to live in a country without cat boys?
Eventually they’ll find a reason to go after you or someone else who you do care about.
You posted Bernie or bust in 2016 on live journal? Choo Choo! Off to the camps!
My point is we’ve played this game for decades and it still led us to Trump because democrats and liberals DON’T DO SHIT TO STOP THEM. They’re complicit because they still benefit from Republicans getting their way.
Voting dem doesn’t stop fascism, it only delays it by an election or two as Republicans continue to consolidate power and disenfranchise voters while the dems shrug because they think the only true injustice is hurting Republicans feels.
Yep let’s vote Trump and get it over with right?
If every person who shrieked a vote for a third party elects trump voted for a third party, we’d get a third party.
You’re the one voting for Trump by refusing to move away from a broken system. Voting slightly less right is still voting for the right. 🤷
the poem starts “first they came for the communists” so you can sit down.
Okay sure let me know how many communists you know?
Let me know what your solution is?
Because they certainly have the roadmap for a final one.
me. I’m a Communist. so you can take your identity politics and status quo dick sucking and sit the fuck down.
See you in the camps then
P2025 only scares white liberals because it finally targets you. Everyone in the global majority have had versions of P2025 for decades, if not centuries. You demand we come to your rescue to prevent your version of P2025 while you didn’t have our backs while they were oppressing us. In fact liberals did worse, claim to support their plight while electing the people that amplified the struggle. Restructuring the executive branch to benefit the donor class has been happening since Clinton and his DLC.
Hey that’s fine, see you in the camps!
>You want to vote 3rd party? Lol. You just voted for Trump.
only a vote for trump is a vote for trump
You just don’t know how a two party system works. It’s okay, the Republicans will get rid of the department of education.
this isn’t a rebuttal, it’s a red herring
No it’s a warning. The concentration camp will give you lots of time to think about the time you put your principles ahead of your best interests.
I’m not voting for genocide no matter how vivid your revenge fantasy
For those who’s not voting for Joe or won’t vote because of Biden position, reminder that you can still vote, and pick the candidates that AIPAC is financing against within downballots.
However, I will vote for Joe Biden because we live in the FPTP system, and I plan to vote out AIPAC endorsed candidates on the downballot. I’m voting in people that has naunces which means I will not support people who do hate Jewish people.
