The superalicat's alley

1) someone is gonna be in the White House next year, and it is going to be someone who supports us imperial interests abroad

2) both the main party candidates suck in their own ways

3) for everything you (reasonably) criticize Harris for, trump is demonstrably worse (very much including Palestine)

4) we are still feeling the continued impacts of trump’s presidency, in terms of everything from the makeup of the Supreme Court ending safe abortion access and the lessening of safety regulations causing mass food outbreaks

5) a second trump presidency would be worse, for literally every possible issue you could think of

6) there is no scenario in which we could exchange our domestic issues for an end to genocide. We can’t trade reproductive justice for Palestinian statehood

7) the Biden-Harris admin had accomplished a lot of good things

8) good things the Biden administration has done do not excuse his continued funding of Israel committing genocide

9) Choosing not to vote or voting third party will not change any of the above facts. There is nothing to be gained by abstaining from voting, or by voting for a third party that has no chance of winning.

10) yes, this is supremely unfair. But there is no option b right now. This is the choice we have, and if the choice isn’t obvious to you I’m not sure what to say

11) voting doesn’t mean you’re supporting this person, you like them, agree with them, or that you cannot protest against them, criticize them, or try to hold their feet to the fire

12) voting will not fix everything. but not voting will not fix anything. Voting is a tool, it’s not the only tool, but it’s foolish to refuse to use it on principle

Everyone in this world is just living their lives, each with their own complex needs and desires and interests and emotions. They all have hobbies and friends and families and favorite foods. They all have their own motivations and varying political opinions and views on their governments. They all weigh the risks of standing out or speaking up and they all make their own decisions about that.

They all fear the same in times of danger. They all feel grief and pain and terror the same. They all love and hate and bleed the same.

every 4 years I see people talking about how they live in a red state (or more rarely a blue state) so their vote doesn't matter and I just want to briefly point out that I think nearly every state is either a swing state for the Presidential election, having a key Senate Race that will decide control of the Senate, has one or more key House races that'll decide control of the House, or is having an important Governor's race that'll could flip control of the state

Presidential Swing states:

Arizona

Georgia

Michigan

Nevada

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin

Key Senate Races:

Arizona

Florida

Maryland

Michigan

Montana

Nevada

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Texas

Wisconsin

States With Key House Races:

Alabama

Alaska

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Maine

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Texas

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Swingable Governor Races:

New Hampshire

North Carolina

A district where the Democrat gets only 30% of the vote is very different from a district where the Democrat gets only 40% of the vote. In both cases they lose (unless the conservative votes are split). But! If the Democrat gets 30% of the vote, the Republicans know that next election cycle that district is safe. They don't need to put much money or effort in getting their guy elected, they could put up an inanimate object and it would probably win the race. So they can take all their money and put it into races that are competitive. Races that could go either way.

But if the Democrat gets 40% of the vote, that changes the calculus. Maybe it's still a safe district! ... but maybe it's trending purple-to-blue. If they want to keep it safe, they gotta pour resources into it. Which means they have fewer resources to spend on the swing states, which means that Democrats elsewhere have a greater chance of being re-elected.

Also, consider it from the Democrat perspective. If the Democrat gets 30% of the vote, they're not going to support the next candidate very well. They're going to use their resources elsewhere, and the chances of your district flipping or getting competitive are vanishingly small.

But if the Democrat gets 40% of the vote, then it's worth it to pay more attention to the local races, see if they can influence things and build up a voting base and flip the district.

Politics is a long game. You're not just voting to get someone elected this term. You're also voting to try and set things up so that things are possible further on down the line.

Missouri might be in a blood-red Republican headlock when it comes to office holders, but a constitutional amendment to restore abortion rights is on the ballot, too.

Florida also has an abortion access initiative, and in addition, you've got Amendment 3 up, which will legalize marijuana use and possession.

Ohio has a chance to change the way legislative districts are drawn, hitting back at gerrymandering.

Also the "I didn't vote group" is the largest voting group by far.

Texas for example, if every Texan voted, would very likely be a purple/blue state but a lack of engagement (and aggressive voter suppression) makes it red.

I've been thinking about the right-wing in this country. The Republicans. You know, the group the coverage SHOULD be about. Especially as they've fallen into a fascistic cult of personality and vindictive cruelty-as-politics.

What is the Republican platform now? It used to be fiscal conservatism and 'business-interests' (at least on the surface), deregulation, less governmental power. Now it's, well. Trump. Sure. But what are they fighting for? "Get their guy in the White House"?

Well yes. But no. The Republicans are desperately trying to hold power. The power to dismantle the rights of every person in the country who isn't a white-male-Christian-business interest. One of Their Guys.

Why? Why so much now?

Because they're fucking UNPOPULAR. The country doesn't support them! If the entire country voted, the right wing would not meaningfully exist in the US political sphere.

Think about that for a second. REALLY internalize it: If everyone in the US voted, period, full stop. The right would be gone. The Republican party, as it is, now, would be a fucking joke.

So of COURSE they're swinging towards fascism. In a two-party system, a political party's only meaningful directive is survival of the power of their party. The very existence of Project 2025 is proof - it is the last, dying fucking breath a party that has TWO options to stay alive: Fascism and minority-rule, or change.

And they're sure not picking fucking change.

That is what we're up against.

If I could ask ONE thing of any person in the US who desperately wants to keep their human rights, who understands a loss in this election is likely the end of US-democracy as we know it - it would be to point the narrative towards the utterly vile platform of the right wing. Talk about it to everyone. Don't normalize it! Don't EVER say "That's just what Republicans do so it's normal". That's what they want.

If we win the branches of government - if we could make it 10% easier to vote. 5% easier to vote. That could swing elections and politics for a generation. We can even dream bigger: Ranked choice. Mandatory ballots. National holiday voting day.

And Republican strategists know this!! They're so terrified of it they're willing to dismantle the fundamental tenets of the United States of America to prevent it!

PART of why I'm so frustrated with the constant circling-on-Democratic-candidate is because it entirely misses the point. The choice is between a party trying to enshrine minority-Christian-Theocratic-rule in the country for generations - or, you know.

A middlingly-charismatic Democrat.

And, judgement-free - if you had a MOMENT of weighing the 'good' of those things, that's the fucking problem. These things are not remotely equal. The coverage of this political moment is like the coverage of climate change, and it gets into EVERYONE'S head - "The world is ending. But are hot summers REALLY that bad? Experts weigh in!"

The breathless both-sidesing of the current political moment is so appallingly, atrociously irresponsible I hardly have words for how fucking livid I am.