2020 was... truly unique. It was so hard to stay away from doom scrolling, and I (and many others) were pretty disillusioned by the sad fact that so much of our country legitimately supported the Orange Man. I didn't get a wink of sleep the night of the election because I genuinely considered it to be a make or break decision for America.

My point is that looking back on it, in the end the only real difference I made was at the ballet box. This year I'm going for the Head-in-the-Sand approach. I'm done with the political memes. Done with the Twitter screenshots. It just riles me up and this year I'm gonna do my best to fight that.

  • AOCapitulator [they/them]
    hexbear
    26
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    There is no electoral solution to the accelerating depravity of this evil and crumbling Empire

  • SovietyWoomy [any]
    hexbear
    25
    7 months ago

    Definitely not voting for either of the parties that killed Roe v Wade or any of the parties that support the zionist genocide of Palestine. That leaves...PSL again I guess

  • @TheImpressiveX@lemmy.ml
    hexbear
    25
    7 months ago

    It can be easy to feel like a drop of water in a large ocean when it comes to national elections. But you should also vote in your county and state elections; you can probably make more of a difference there.

    I'm not saying "don't vote in the national election", but just know that there are other elections to vote in, and thry are just as important as the nationals.

  • @pohart@programming.dev
    hexbear
    24
    7 months ago

    Definitely voting for someone who doesn't support genocide for president. Down ballot I'll likely vote 3rd party as well, but I haven't decided for sure.

  • GarfieldYaoi [he/him]
    hexbear
    23
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    I'm checked out of voting, I live in Texas. Nothing but card-carrying neo-nazis in this shithole. Shame too, because I'd love to live in Austin if I could afford to.

    Maybe I'll just vote PSL or something.

    • UltraGreen [comrade/them]
      hexbear
      7
      7 months ago

      Hello fellow Texan. I also plan on "throwing my vote away" for PSL. If they are even on the ballot, that is.

      Also, I recommend North Austin if you are looking for something less expensive. Depending on how close to the metro rail you are, life might be more car-dependant. But you'll still be close to more like-minded individuals, and will have a clearer path towards moving more in town if you want.

  • @snoopfrog@midwest.social
    hexbear
    21
    7 months ago

    I'm going to complain about not having a primary option for president, vote for the left-most person I can in the primary, and then vote down-ballot (D) in November. There's nothing I need to research with respect to these modern conservatives. Most democrats aren't really much better in most ways, but at least I can look my marginalized friends and colleagues in the eye after the election.

    • CarbonScored [any]
      hexbear
      27
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      This is the argument every single election. Every time, for decades, and yet things get continually worse.

      I'd argue the belief that voting for an establishment party is any kind of a long-term solution is the biggest threat. By all means do it if it'll help a little in the short term, but the ship's still sinking.

    • @furrious09@lemmy.ml
      hexbear
      8
      7 months ago

      While I agree in my dislike for the current Republican Party, the attitude of blindly voting for your team because the other is evil is exactly what my (late) fox-addicted grandfather used to uphold. I loved the man, but I think we ought to do better and do the hard work of researching every candidate and choosing the best, be it democrat, republican, or independent.

  • @SandbagTiara2816@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    hexbear
    20
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    I like the Green Party’s eco-socialism, but their anti-vaccine lunacy and inability to do anything electorally beyond run a presidential candidate every four years doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies.

    I like Cornel West, and I appreciate his long-standing commitment to left-wing and anti-racist values.

    That said, I live in the real world, where Donald Trump is running as an open fascist promising to make America a dictatorship if elected, and Joe Biden is the only candidate running with a realistic chance of beating him.

    So I’ll be voting for every Democrat I possibly can, while wishing they were better than they are, as always.

    • glingorfel [he/him]
      hexbear
      27
      7 months ago

      Joe Biden is also an open fascist who is proudly facitating a genocide and ethnic cleansing

  • @eksb@programming.dev
    hexbear
    17
    7 months ago

    It does not matter who I vote for for federal office. My state is never close to competitive and my house district is gerrymandered.

    If fascists win my districts for state office, it will not affect the balance of power in the state assemblies.

    So I told all of the Democrats running for state and local office that if there is not a primary for the presidential election, then I will not vote for any Democrats in the general elections in 2024, for any office. Maybe they can put pressure on the DNC.

    This is the only way I can potentially have any input.

    The only way this works is if Democrats would shift left if they started losing elections because people refused to vote for old white male conservative Democrats.

    But I fear they would actually shift right. The Democratic Party is not a big tent that holds both the neoliberal corporate shills and the progressives. It is a hostage situation where the neoliberal corporate shills demand our support, otherwise the fascists will kill us.

    • @AnarchoSnowPlow@midwest.social
      hexbear
      3
      7 months ago

      People who aren't insane on social issues have been fleeing the GOP. This is, and will continue to pull Democrats right until some viable alternative emerges, if it ever does.

  • @Du3K@lemmy.ml
    hexbear
    16
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    If I dont vote Biden, it's a vote for Trump. If I dont vote Trump it's a vote for Biden. cancels out.

    Voting 3rd party is like voting for 3 people it seems, I'll take advantage of that

  • Adkml [he/him]
    hexbear
    15
    7 months ago

    Live in upstate new york so unless I throw my ballot at Biden so hard he dies my vote will have exactly zero effect on federal elections.

    So voting for people who think public education is a positive and not communism in local elections where the differential is 12 votes and writing in Hunter Biden for president because it's funny.

  • @angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com
    cake
    hexbear
    14
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    I'll vote for a non-Zionist candidate in the primaries with no real expectation of them winning. But I will vote blue no matter who for national and state politics, and Working Families Party for local if any run.

    Is "Genocide Joe" an accurate nickname? Yeah. But fuck that, it's not like Trump will be any less zionist and third parties/independents don't work in FPTP. I'm mixed race, I'm bisexual, I'm worried about worst case scenarios with a second Trump presidency (which is basically "what Trump is saying out loud" at this point,) and I am willing to vote in enlightened self-interest.

  • SUPAVILLAIN@lemmygrad.ml
    hexbear
    14
    7 months ago

    Afroman until he drops out, if he does, writing in every member of the Wu-Tang Clan that I can remember. I'll vote for anyone that isn't blue or red at this point; and that goes double for local and state elections.