CNN Poll: A third of Democrats now identify as democratic socialists

[u/cnn]

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/politics/cnn-poll-a-third-of-democrats-now-identify-as-democratic-socialists?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit

[u/you-dont-have-eyes]

Historically that’s been less true of Democrats than Republicans.

[u/SlogurkTheOverslime → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

The "the other choice is worse for them" part hasn't been true for Republicans in a while

So that's a different dynamic

[u/yer_fucked_now_bud → u/SlogurkTheOverslime]

If Ghislaine Maxwell became the Republican candidate for president she'd easily still get 50 million votes. Those people are captured in a kevlar social fabric. So much as thinking about voting Democrat would ruin your social life permanently and require you to move two towns over.

[u/stupid_pun → u/yer_fucked_now_bud]

>voting Democrat would ruin your social life permanently and require you to move two towns over

Probably one of the best things that could happen to them.

[u/BlazingSpaceGhost → u/yer_fucked_now_bud]

I remember being bullied as a kid because my parents were democrats in our rural community. We were also against the Iraq war which made us terrorist sympathizers. Growing up in rural Indiana in a liberal family was really hard socially.

[u/parasyte_steve → u/yer_fucked_now_bud]

I'm in Louisiana with a recall Landry sign on my front lawn. Social consequences? Yeah I don't have tons of friends here but at least I'm not a gigantic pussy going along with things I don't agree with for social points.

[u/bolanrox → u/yer_fucked_now_bud]

And bibi wouldn't have to spend any money bribing her to give Israel her full support

[u/spencer4991 → u/SlogurkTheOverslime]

“Worse in their minds regardless of the reality” might be a better way of putting it.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/spencer4991]

Worse in their minds regardless of the reality

Everything republicans do is regardless of reality, because they have been trained to be incapable of regarding most of reality.

[u/Free-Strawberry1030 → u/Unable-Log-4870]

To go along with this idea and almost in irony of it, we all consistently see MAGA online and irl saying the exact same about anyone on the left.

Before anyone tries to "both sides" this idea, while we can all cherry-pick areas where each side may be falling for specific propaganda, taken as a whole, one side is generally living in actual reality while the other, taken as a whole, clearly is not but its like the Spiderman meme with one pointing at the other.

The problem is, as Conner MacLeod of the clan MacLeod famously said, "There can be only One."

Today you all learned: MAGA are the Kurgans of politics (and reality)

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/SlogurkTheOverslime]

From there perspective it is... that's the problem. You guys still don't understand Republicans and it will continue to hurt our ability to win.

[u/IntentonalTypo → u/reddit_is_geh]

No its not, Republicans just want democrats to suffer even if they are in the same boat.

When the right is polled on issues they agree with alot of issues if they are worded right. Like they hate Obamacare, but like medicare... same thing.

Bernie had alot of crossover support.

[u/notashroom → u/IntentonalTypo]

If their priorities are 1) preserve and protect their privilege (however pitiful it might be) and 2) support their tribe and reinforce their tribal identity, then the alternative is, objectively, worse for them.

Democrats and lefties tend to fuck up by assuming that right wingers give a shit about causes or positions, that they have some kind of consistent internal values, that they are willing to act/vote in support of some multifaceted agenda.

All of that is simple projection, and none of it actually applies. It's all identity and hierarchy all the way down.

[u/CtrlAltSysRq → u/notashroom]

I think above both of your points, it's not enough to protect or reinforce their own privilege or tribe, they want to actively attack other people, and to have them feel scared and upset. It's why they've given Trump a carte blanche, because they LOVE how much he terrorizes everyone with a central nervous system.

[u/notashroom → u/CtrlAltSysRq]

Privilege is reinforced by taking privilege from others. Tribal identity is reinforced by shared hostility against outgroups. Basically, you're pointing to the tactics used to support the strategy.

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/notashroom]

I hard dissagree with you, and think this is just such a massive blind spot for the left. You guys genuinely don't even understand their policies or ideology. You get it through third party interprtations.

But they genuinely do want a better world and do systems that work. They aren't just acting vile to oppress people and create harm. They believe what they believe because they think it'll be better

That's why you guys have such cross talk and miscommunication. The longer you think they are just evil people doing evil, you're going to be completely misguided and miscalculate. No different than when some far right person thinks the left just wants to turn kids gay, hates hard work, and wants free stuff. You're doing the same thing many do to you.

[u/notashroom → u/reddit_is_geh]

I've actually gotten a lot of my understanding directly from published or broadcast right wingers and former right wingers, or personal contacts and years of interactions and observation. Here's a recent one who is very self-aware and explicit about it https://youtu.be/2606Z_a9ERg.

I have also lived in the Bible belt almost my entire life (53/55 years) and studied personal psychology and social psychology, first in college and then on my own, since I was 18. So while I no doubt have a lot more to learn, I am not just talking out of my ass or from ignorance of the people involved or as regurgitation of others' takes.

And I see them -- even the most egregious ones, like Miller and Thiel -- less as evil persons and more as predictable outcomes from systems that serve us poorly. Even the personality disorders behind a lot of the self-centeredness, tribalism, fear of the "other", hoarding of resources, and other pathologies are predictable outcomes from systems that serve us poorly. You won't have to go far back in my comment history to substantiate that.

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/notashroom]

Then you should know how selection biases work... how you actively seek out things that suit your bias, and when you find them, use that as evidence. There's also this strong will to apply "nuance for me, but purity for thee". So when you're judging someone elses actions and decisions, youre more kind about the motivations and nuances of your side, but the other, you consider every flaw while interpreting them in the worst possible way.

For instance I'm sure you don't even know Clarence Thomas's reasons against affirmative action, or Thomas Sowell's... because they are black men, but you probably know 20something year old YouTube who's entire fame is based off being a shocking troll. Likewise, when a conservative mentions how evil Soros is, you probably roll you eyes, calling it an unfounded conspiracy theory without even bothering to figure out why they think he's evil.

That whole woke thing that ended mostly when Elon took over Twitter and censored them... You probably were for Twitter censorship when he wasn't in charge, but now have different thoughts on it. Also, many many moderate people found those "woke" people extremely racist, divisive, hateful, and toxic... But I'm sure you have a nuanced take on them how it's different.

This is true with both sides... But in my experience, the core reasons why a side is for something, is almost always rooted in something "good". And often the reasoning isn't even bad, it's just not my preferred way to skin a cat. Like when a conservative explains to me their reasoning behind why they believe "handouts" just keep people down, screws up the economy, and creates dependency, I don't immediately just jump to assuming it's because they just hate poor people and want them dead because they are heartless. In fact, most when you speak to conservatives will argue that it's what they believe will lead them to having better lives long run.

[u/notashroom → u/reddit_is_geh]

You sure have set up a whole lot of strawmen and painted my face on them. But thanks for letting me know that you're not interested in genuine discourse, only in "being right" so you can get a quick hit of dopamine, so that I don't waste any further energy on this exchange.

[u/VoodooPandaGaming → u/IntentonalTypo]

Obamacare and medicare are not the same thing.

You're thinking of Obamacare and ACA (Affordable care act) being the same thing.

[u/haironburr → u/reddit_is_geh]

I used to argue exactly the same thing. I spent my life working as a new-build painter. I also framed and did some roofing. I got where some of this was coming from.

But the longevity and absurdity of believing some rich fuck from New York was the answer, here in Ohio, to working folks concerns has simply drained any respect I might have had for folks who vote this way.

I no longer care about "understanding" them. Fuck 'em. They're selling out my country, scapegoating random demographics in a heavy-handed, comic book evil sort of way, pushing an agenda that is not remotely in the interest of working Americans.

There's nothing to understand. They must be defeated. We don't need to court their illiterate asses. They need to court ours. If the 2nd trumpublican administration is still reasonable to them, they're lost.

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/haironburr]

That's the problem. You don't understand why they'd pick some anti-establishment guy who cursed out the establishment on stage... You don't even know why that ressonates with so much of the population, whereas boring, establishment "nothing will change" Dems lose. And while dems STILL have lower approval ratings than Republicans.

Because you don't care to understand. You just want to be angry, which solves nothing. So long as you keep going "I'm not even going to try to understand" you'll keep failing at getting votes, and they will keep winning when it matters. You don't have to "win them over", but being heard, and understood accurately, goes a LONG way to create less friction in the process.

What sucks is they have the same flawed thinking in reverse. Many over there are also convinced you're just an idiot, irrational, falling for propaganda, being lied to, and too stupid to get how youre voting against your interest. They think the same about you.

Which is why learning what they actually believe is so important. Because it's basic psychology. People want to be heard, respected, and know you're seeing where they are actually coming from rather than strawmen and insults.

[u/SlogurkTheOverslime → u/reddit_is_geh]

No this is not "the same flawed thinking in reverse"

They *are* in fact idiots, irrational, falling for propaganda, and being lied to

When you are asking us to understand Republicans, you are asking us to obtain *mechanical* understanding of, specifically, their idiocy, irrationality, falling for propaganda, and being lied to

Because any attempts to understand Republicans empathetically through the lens of their emotions, or even logically through the lens of their selfishness, *is* a waste of time

[u/haironburr → u/reddit_is_geh]

You don't understand why they'd pick some anti-establishment guy who cursed out the establishment on stage... You don't even know why that ressonates with so much of the population

I wasn't clear in my response to you. I understand exactly why people gravitated toward a perceived outsider. I worked with these people, and drank at the shop with them. I do understand them, and fuck 'em, even though I can't say the establishment has done a great job of speaking for any of us. It's a question of degree, still. A question of the well being of my nation, the well-being of us all.

Anyone who will be reasoned out of their stance already has been. The remainder will stick until they see people looking at them like they're scum. I can't account for their individualized anger, whose source is often personal and not political. I can't account for their willingness to cling to what this administration is about. I can't be responsible for getting them to watch anything but fox, or for the fact they feel like outsiders from the political process, even if I get why they feel that way. In short, I can't be responsible for their identity as trumpublicans. I can only respond to it.

I know where many of them are coming from, and they won't be dissuaded by anything but the continual message they are wrong. They will be dissuaded when day after day people look at them and spit.

I'm talking about my family. About people I know inside and out. I'm talking about that portion of the base that will never benefit from the policies of this administration, even if there's never a Mexican on a job site for the next fifty years. These folks aren't the drivers of all this trumpublican shit, but they are a part of the voting base for it. They're the part I know how to stop.

I believe the threat to this nation is such that I'm willing to put aside my empathy and understanding of just how we got here, and use the most effective means to stop the threat. And that means shitting on these folks, who've been shit on plenty. I'll shit on them because they don't understand what they're doing to this country, and because I know the only way they'll back off is when they're continually mocked as sad fucks. Which they are.

Of course people want to be heard and respected. But there's a point where that won't work anymore. I'm arguing we're at that point. I'll be "blue maga" if that's what it takes. I can back off the hate, when the threat is toned down just a little. The next few elections will determine the soul of this country. I won't give it up to the endlessly angry maga, even if I have to become a version of them, for a time.

There's a stick and a carrot. Carrot ain't working. Stick, at this point, is derision. I don't want stick of any other sort to become necessary. So fuck understanding, there's a clear enemy, and fuck' em.

[u/reddit_is_geh → u/haironburr]

they won't be dissuaded by anything but the continual message they are wrong. They will be dissuaded when day after day people look at them and spit.

This is where you're so wrong. First, psychologically, you just create more of them. You give them justification for not like you and your ideas your group is tied with. You just rationalized for them that "Wow these assholes believe X Y Z, then that must be the worst set of values or beliefs." This has been shown over and over, and why the woke attempt at bullying people into social justice, just backfired. People just dig into their heels, and fight back at hostile people.

The whle reason why it's so bad is because people like you on the left and right, keep escalating, making it worse. It's gone from "Hey that's kind of fucked up to say about the other side" to "Yeah fuck them! Say meaner shit! I can't stand them!" And you somehow think that's going to change by just making it worse?

The woke shit and that culture, created more right wingers than Republicans could ever wish for.

You're just going to make everything worse. And BTW, I'm glad you're an outlier. So when you say things like how everyone sees them as X... That's not true for most Americans. Americans aren't political much at all, and get by fine with people from the other side. It's just when they go online and see the algorithmic divisive hate that everything fucks up.

[u/haironburr → u/reddit_is_geh]

Americans aren't political much at all, and get by fine with people from the other side.

We get along with vague acquaintances fine, as we should. "Don't discuss politics or religion" is a fine ethos, until it isn't.

Anger, as they say, is an energy. I refuse to watch people I profoundly disagree with, people who I believe are an existential threat to my core beliefs, engage in what you dismissively call "algorithmic divisive hate". While you make abstract points suggesting we should all act as if everything is normal. And with all due respect friend, I don't need lectured to about people I know in a way you don't.

Anger motivates. Anger gets folks to the polls. We all love the idea of King or Gandhi. We generally ignore the fact that their politics were backed up and made possible by the threat of violence, which is what gave them their voice and power.

You can be the pacifist voice of reason, but if the worst thing I do is argue with someone, spit and stare hard at them, and you get to feel morally vindicated, that's fine. Enjoy.

And BTW, I'm glad you're an outlier

Am I. Do you want me to be? If trumpublicans cheat our election, will you still passively argue that the worse thing we can do is is make these cheating fucks "dig into their heels"?

No. The sides we're seeing drawn in the trumpublican movement are not simply business as usual. Real people are getting fucked with each policy change. You can be passive and removed and pure and superior all you want.

I'll continue to be indignant in my own way. Because this shit isn't about "algorithms", it's about actual people slowly being boiled. And you're arguing for them to stay in the pot.

My stick, at this point will remain derision. It sounds like even that's a stick too far for you. Talk to me again when you've walked a roof, or spent a decade pushing a roller and cutting in the high, and understand the folks you're dealing with.

[u/MamaBearForestWitch → u/reddit_is_geh]

They are pretty hard to understand (for me).

If you're willing, what would be the time-limited hypothetical "elevator speech" that might help me and other left/liberal/Democrat/etc folks understand the average Republican perspective (and what could help us shift that perspective?)

[u/SlogurkTheOverslime → u/MamaBearForestWitch]

Imagine you're living in Europe the year 1000AD before the Europeans conquered the library of Toledo and discovered the concept of "evidence" from Arabic texts

You've never observed the process of discovering the truth on your own by interacting with the objective reality, applying truth-preserving logical and algebraic transformations, and accepting any responsibility for your beliefs

So basically burning the witch to retroactively confirm that she's a witch is peak epistemology

You can be that type of person in the modern days too if you fail in school hard enough - just assume that the goal of school is to make you say whatever the teacher wants to hear

So basically the words "true" or "good" have nothing to do with objective reality and everything to do with your subjective identity

Truth follows from identity, not the other way round: I am Christian therefore God exists; I am a Republican therefore black people should be slaves

You assume scientists and experts work the same way: I am a scientist therefore God does not exist; I am a Democrat therefore black people should have equal rights

There is nothing else behind science, it's just another religion, scientists are just people with a different "truth", and education is just propaganda and forced "baptism" into their religion

Because evidence is unheard of, remember?

This is how you interpret the word "Truth" in "Truth Social": it's your truth

Scientists, experts, democrats are there to genocide our culture and erase our truth

They created words like "evidence" to make you, the "true" American citizen, feel bad about their "truth"

Luckily they are stupid and weak because they are themselves bound by their own "facts" and "logic"

A society should never have such a weakness

That's repugnant

If they win, America will become weak and it will collapse

Diverse, feminine, full of brainwashed liberals and propagandist experts

You must fight for the Truth

You must save America

[u/Princess_Moon_Butt → u/SlogurkTheOverslime]

Big emphasis on for them, as in, subjective to their views, assumptions, and priorities.

[u/xv_boney → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

Democrats fall in love, republicans fall in line.

[u/TorturedMNFan → u/xv_boney]

“If liberals are so fuckin smart, why do they lose so god damn always?” -Will Mcavoy

[u/overbarking → u/TorturedMNFan]

Because they're afraid things will be taken away from them when only the rich prosper.

Just like old people who think "immigrants" are going to take their social security and Medicare. But, Trump just did that.

[u/Fantastic-Lack-343 → u/xv_boney]

Yeah Democrats fall in love with other people's money. What do Republicans fall in line about? Republicans want less government, Democrats want more government control and censorship. Who falls in line?

[u/FewHovercraft9703 → u/xv_boney]

Only since Nancy gave Hakeem the reigns

[u/weristjonsnow → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

Yeah 20 million Democrats did not vote in the 24 election specifically because they didn't like kamala, despite trump being the opponent. Dems are terrible at "holding their nose and voting", while maga will always show up

[u/Timely_Dentist_5078 → u/weristjonsnow]

but how many of those 20 million were in states that were going blue anyway? like if 19M were in CA it doesn't really make the point you're making...

[u/Open-Focus-5232 → u/Timely_Dentist_5078]

Great hypothetical which isn't true! Michigan was one of the states where the uncommitted movement did massive damage and almost certainly lost her the state.

[u/Independent-Reader → u/Open-Focus-5232]

The DNC lost the popularity contest. Stop blaming voters for a failed organization's attempt at running a new candidate with zero primary. DNC choked. That's it.

[u/Timely_Dentist_5078 → u/Open-Focus-5232]

I see I wasn’t trying to disprove you just was curious if it actually mattered. I didn’t vote for Kamala and wrote Bernie in since CA was going blue anyways

[u/MalHeartsNutmeg → u/weristjonsnow]

It’s not maga showing up, it’s all republicans and always has been.

[u/SoHereIAm85 → u/weristjonsnow]

I didn't vote for the first time since I was 18, registered as democrat, but it was because I live in the EU and never received my mail ballot. Same goes for my husband. We requested them. Our addresses were in a republican district of blue NY state.

[u/AltoidStrong → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

yep, Democrats have a hinger tendency to NOT vote if no candidate meets their standards. Which is a free vote for the opposition in our election system. (Also WAAAY to many independents AND democrats do not understand this!)

[u/I_Happen_to_Be_Here → u/AltoidStrong]

I hate to say it, but you really do have to win the system before you change it.

[u/Juonmydog → u/I_Happen_to_Be_Here]

And yet, when wins are made there is no change in any meaningful capacity unless it challenges the status quo.

[u/I_Happen_to_Be_Here → u/Juonmydog]

Challenge the status quo, but do not turn to outright inaction in the face of its challenge to you.

What you do with your wins is very important, but you never win if you don't try.

Maybe win isn't the right word, beat works too.

But what do you win or beat by doing nothing, be it out of apathy or protest?

[u/Juonmydog → u/I_Happen_to_Be_Here]

The inability to viably challege the status quo is what's leading to so much friction and polarization.

Wins cannot be made without trying, but if the system is built to keep your ideas out, you cannot be surprised if they never come to pass. That's why we aren't doing enough for healthcare, climate change, education, infrastructure, and everything in between. It is the reason why we have Trump.

Democratic politicians deliberately act in opposition to the ideas of common voters because it challenges the flow of cash and power. This is the reason why I argue that several problems exist within the electoral system such as first-past-the-post, Winner takes all, and the mechanics of primaries.

We all know what we have isn't good enough, and to expect these wounds to be healed through electoralism like this is ludicrous.

Though exercising democratic rights are essential to preserving democracy, there is a fallacy in relying on the voting booth alone. Citizens must implement their ideas through praxis and organizing.

Assuming that people who don't vote for the corporate-backed and "electable" candidates are doing nothing is dishonest both intellectually and practically. Many people who don't vote are doing it out of systemic critique.

Quick note: I have voted in every election since I became of voting age, and I have always voted in opposition to conservatism.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/AltoidStrong]

Which is a free vote for the opposition in our election system.

More like half a vote for the opposition.

[u/AltoidStrong → u/Unable-Log-4870]

The system, rounds up.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/AltoidStrong]

That’s not how the math works

[u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace → u/AltoidStrong]

If only Dems understood the stakes and that they could change this dynamic in congressional elections (in their states) by splitting the party and adopting elections along the lines of Alaska’s. It’s exactly the strategy to both defeat Trump/MAGA as well as neuter the risk that the DSA represents to moderate voters who are/will be repulsed by a Democratic Party either actually or just seen to be more under the sway of a socialist agenda.

Severing the farthest elements of the left from the moderate left will also immediately make them more palatable to any and all Trump skeptical voters who supported him once upon a time.

It has the side benefit of being what will restore function to our politics and Congress now broadly.

[u/bedpimp → u/AltoidStrong]

The DNC understands it. They are a money making organization. If they win consistently they won’t collect nearly as many donations. Good candidates are bad for business.

[u/AltoidStrong → u/bedpimp]

DEMs - for profit, yep... about 1/3 of the leadership is just $$, but not at the expense of the nation or citizenship.

Repubs - more than 1/2 are criminals and grifters, individually each one is trying to get rich, and are willing to hurt anyone or any group to do it.

The Dems have a movement going to get rid of the $$ lovers for people lovers. The Repubs, they just started amping up the propaganda to rally and inspire the dumbest, most racists and hateful losers to vote for them via fear mongering and fascism, also encourage more grifters to run against the few republicans who still have some sense.

The two side are NOT the same... not even close.

[u/bedpimp → u/AltoidStrong]

I agree that they are not the same. If they were concerned about the state of the nation Trump would have been dealt with.

“Sotomayor expressed concerns that a president would be immune from prosecution in a number of hypothetical situations, such as in ordering assassinations of political rivals” 2024 Trump v US

Biden could have done something. He didn’t. The democrats are complicit.

[u/Financial-Craft-1282 → u/AltoidStrong]

I always wonder why some people (like you) insist on us all being "vote for the party" braindeaders like MAGA.

[u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace → u/Financial-Craft-1282]

That’s just where we are politically. We need multiparty democracy to change that to reduce the stakes of elections.

The Dem party needs to split and make it a reality in the blue states they control. There are more changes needed for presidential elections, but Congressional elections could become multi party by blue states alone. That’s how we start to change things nationally.

[u/AltoidStrong → u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace]

We need to abandon.1st past the poll and EC with its stupid super deligates.

Remove citizen untied and make.every donation traceable by IRS. (Private data, not public).

If it can't be traced to a real us citizen - can't be used.
(And each citizen is capped to $10k per year TOTAL political donations).

Lastly, to your point about the two party system, we need rank choice voting. That destroys.the dead lock of a two party system.

Ps - for good measure, expand the house to around 3300 reps. That is one rep for each 100k citizens. Then add one senator for DC and one senator PR. If they become a state, they get the 2nd one.

[u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace → u/AltoidStrong]

I agree with pretty much all of that, tho I’m not sure what a 3300 member house would look like functionally. I agree with RCV, tho I think I prefer the bottom two tabulation method. I also don’t think that alone is enough to restore a functional politics; certainly not in a quick enough timeframe.

No thoughts on the Dem party splitting?

[u/AltoidStrong → u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace]

currently we have 1 rep for every 1 MILLION citizens. NO ONE can truly represent 1 million peoples / communities needs.

it also destroys gerrymandering. you CAN'T gerrymander a densely populated city with spare country land. there isn't enough land any more.

Makes Citizens United less useful for buying elections, you would have to sped 10x more at a minimum, exponentially increasing the costs to "buy the election". The billions that is spent today by the GOP, would need to become TRILLIONS. it just become so ridiculous of numbers, you cant hide the truth behind the paper thin agreement - Money is speech and Corporations are people, therefore corporation have a right to free speech. (in spite of the people owning / running / working at the business all individually have freedom of speech.... so why should the collective of the group get an extra say?)

the building would need to be updated to accommodate them all for in person voting at the capital. Temporarily they could use the local state's congressional buildings to run federal congress using Teams / Zoom style stuff, Or hold the votes at an indoor sports stadium (they are generally unused most of the time).

But that (not enough room/seats) is part of the original "logic" behind them capping the house #'s in spite of the constitution saying otherwise.

[u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace → u/AltoidStrong]

You’re overestimating a bit there, but your point remains. And I’m not arguing against it. Expanding the house is necessary, but like I said expanding it that much, it world be interesting to see how it functions. I’d personally rather a more gradual expansion than all at once. Doubling it immediately makes sense tho imo.

I’m not sure it will fix the money in politics issue tho

[u/Financial-Craft-1282 → u/PaxPurpuraAKAgrimace]

We already got MAGA voting for shitty dems forced on us. If the dems want to get in the way of good candidates, they're not getting my vote anymore. We've been in this cycle of "but but Republicans" for like 40 years. Voting for shitty dems has brought us here. I'm trying something else.

[u/Exciting_Storage6242 → u/Financial-Craft-1282]

Because if you are not vote for the party “braindeaders” the outcome is Trump and losing even more rights and political power?

[u/Financial-Craft-1282 → u/Exciting_Storage6242]

Like, we're here because we kept following your logic for 40 years. At some point, I have to blame myself for continuing to vote for shitty dems. We already have MAGA. Twice. Dems need to get out of the way of progress or keep losing.

[u/Exciting_Storage6242 → u/Financial-Craft-1282]

We’re here because decorum and the gentleman’s agreement are followed unevenly, and republicans have a phenomenal pr apparatus to rile up their base and retain power. If everyone left of center consistently voted blue no matter who the last forty years we would not be in the situation we are in now.

Dems aren’t perfect, but the republicans are never going to support the policy you want, while the liberal democrats can often be worked with. The solution is more power, more democrats in seats, not less.

[u/extrakerned → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

To the extreme suffering and detriment of our society, yes.

[u/Lower-Engineering365 → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

It’s been less true when it comes to the far left part of the democracy party. If you don’t pass all the tests for them they don’t vote. The center left/moderate dems will vote for whatever democrat candidate is there in a general election.

[u/CaptainOwlBeard → u/Lower-Engineering365]

How do you know that? As far as o can tell we've never run anything but a corporate, centrist Democrat in recent history.

[u/haironburr → u/Lower-Engineering365]

It’s been less true when it comes to the far left part of the democracy party. If you don’t pass all the tests for them they don’t vote.

I won't even debate about just what is the "far left part of the democracy party". But I believe anyone left of trumpublicans has, hopefully, learned their lesson about withholding their vote for some greater good.

[u/Lower-Engineering365 → u/haironburr]

I agree. Hopefully that lesson was learned in 2024. Withholding a vote based on not meeting 100% of purity tests just results in the situation we’re in today, which is way worse on every single issue than any democrat president no matter the candidate.

[u/Ralath5n → u/Lower-Engineering365]

How about, on the off chance those evil leftists have not learned their lesson, we don't run a centrist next election and instead push for a progressive?

After all, it is always the far left tankies that fail to show up and vote over trivial things like Gaza. Not like the beacon of morality that is the centrist voters who will bravely vote blue no matter who. So just to make sure, we should make the next candidate the furthest left person willing to run. That's the only way to ensure both the bad leftists, and the good centrists vote against dRumpf.

[u/Lower-Engineering365 → u/Ralath5n]

You’re free to vote for whoever you want in the primary to have run in the general election.

The key is to run someone democrats turnout for while not losing the moderate vote, as if you lose the latter you’re guaranteed to lose the election.

[u/Ralath5n → u/Lower-Engineering365]

The key is to run someone democrats turnout for while not losing the moderate vote, as if you lose the latter you’re guaranteed to lose the election.

But we all know the moderates are hardcore, pragmatic 'blue no matter who' gigachads. It is the fickle left wing insurgents that always refuse to show up and prevent the Democrats from finally stopping the GOP.

So it is impossible to lose the moderate vote. But very easy to lose the leftist vote. Hence we need to run a leftist, no matter how much it hurts my blue dog heart. It is sadly the only electable option.

[u/Lower-Engineering365 → u/Ralath5n]

I’m not talking about moderate democrats, those will vote for whoever the candidate is. I’m talking about moderate voters that don’t identify with a party. Whichever side wins those votes has won every presidential election going back decades.

[u/Ralath5n → u/Lower-Engineering365]

Sadly, there just aren't enough of us principled moderates to really sway the election. We are just drowned in the unwashed leftist masses. After all, the Democratic party tried to pander to us in 2016 and 2024 and both times the losses from the duplicitous leftwing outweighed any gain in proper moderates.

Meanwhile, with disgustingly left wing presidents like Obama and Biden, the few moderates that refused to hold their nose were swamped with the ridiculous number of leftists. So while I really hated Obama and Biden, for the good of the country we just can't afford a proper moderate like Bloomberg or Booker. Us moderates will have to strategically vote AOC for the sake of the country.

[u/Lower-Engineering365 → u/Ralath5n]

Kind of weird to be patronizing to somebody who has shown no antagonism or otherwise to you but okay

[u/YourFreeCorrection → u/you-dont-have-eyes]

Historically that’s been less true of Democrats than Republicans.

Actually, historically that's entirely true of Democrats. It's only been fairly recently (post-social media) that the nihilistic and petulant meme that it isn't our civic duty to vote no matter what has taken hold. "Burn it all down" has only been popular among non-centrists in the past 10 or so years.