“What’s going to happen in this next election? I’m terrified about what could possibly happen, because our leaders matter. Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit, it affects us in ways sometimes I think people take for granted,” Obama told Jay Shetty on his podcast “On Purpose.”

“The fact that people think that government — ‘eh, does it really even do anything?’ — and I’m like ‘Oh my God, does government do everything for us, and we cannot take this democracy for granted.’ And I worry sometimes that we do. Those are the things that keep me up,” she said.

“The bars are different for people in life. That I’ve learned,” she said.

Without naming Trump, she continued: “Other people can be indicted a bunch of times and still run for office. Black men can’t. You just learn to be good. And in the end, you benefit from that extra resilience.”

  • ComradeSharkfucker@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    Im gonna be real with y’all. Fascism in the US is already here and it’s only getting worse. Whether you vote Democrat or Republican you are voting to maintain a system that actively harms and kills millions. These days voting Democrat only means minorities in the US get a little more rights if they’re nice while everything else stays the same or gets worse and honestly I can’t tell if it was ever any better. It makes me genuinely sick that I have choose between two of the worst people I’ve ever had the displeasure of observing and any consideration of an alternative is met with active hostility or dismissal. I cannot fathom how people can accept being forced to choose between two genuine evils

    My vote will accomplish nothing because there is no one to represent me

      • ComradeSharkfucker@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        I shouldn’t have to choose between evil and slightly less evil. My vote is already useless in the state I live in because it’s been gerrymandered into dysfunction so it’s hard to even find a reason to bother

  • Hackerman_uwu@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    9 months ago

    I’m fucking convinced you guys are going to vote that chud in again. Or let him be voted in again. There is nuance but it’s the same outcome.

    • 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      The people who want to spite Biden’s genocidal support by not voting for him don’t realize that the alternative is a fascist dictator who actively relishes in the prospect of killing brown people. If you think Biden’s treatment of the Gazan war is bad, wait til you see Trump.

      Same with the Ukrainian war. If Biden is milquetoast, Trump will guarantee your toast is forever black and inedible.

      • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        People like you want to have your cake and eat it too. During the primaries you swear up and down we should be okay with Biden winning the primaries because we can push him to the left. Then when that turns out not to be true you say we need to vote for him anyway.

        You can’t keep doing this. You’re liars. You’re gaslighters. You’re enablers of the Republican party. You are the bad guys. You need to change.

  • TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    9 months ago

    Me too and I’m not even American, dissolution of NATO, serving Ukaine on a platter to Russia, possibility of more war in Europe with Putin getting bolder.

    No pressure Americans but your elections are kind of important for the future of the world.

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Imagine the worst outcome you can think of on the issue that’s most important to you, and that’s probably likely no matter who we elect. Both parties rule as conservatives, and conservatism in recent memory has meant a slow-burn of lost liberty.

      Don’t worry though. No matter who we elect they’ll still run us further into debt in order to fund the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, because it’s making our legislators and their backers obscenely wealthy. War is one of the shitty things for which there’s always bipartisanship.

      • Custoslibera@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        9 months ago

        You’re part of the problem.

        There is no ‘both sides are bad take’ here.

        There’s Biden who at worse maintains the status quo and then there is Trump who will become a literal dictator.

        No I’m not exaggerating. You fucking centrist morons can’t see you’ll be on a train for the gas chambers if he is elected again and will be shocked when it happens.

        • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          LOL

          I’m a Green.

          Though you’re partly right. It is the centrists who truly paved the way for fascism in this country. 40 years of lesser evils really added up.

            • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              9 months ago

              They’re not the centrist though. They want someone to the left of Biden. You want someone to the left of Trump.

              You’re the centerist here. And yes you will be the death of the Democrat party and probably the entire country along with it.

              • Custoslibera@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                0
                ·
                9 months ago

                I can’t vote for the American president.

                But if I could I would still have to vote for Biden because of first past the post voting. Third way candidates are a wasted vote.

                Would I want to vote for Biden? Of course not.

    • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Yeah but a bunch of white college kids who don’t even know what Mer7aba means have decided that the way to serve the Palestinian cause is to let the guy who handed Jerusalem and the Golan Heights to Netenyahu back into office to teach the establishment a lesson so we’re fucked.

      I’m starting to think they’re actually just right wingers who know that saying what they ACTUALLY want will get them dumped by all their cool allies club friends. Probably why they keep insisting on dumb fuck takes like “bErNiE wOuLd Be A cEnTrIsT iN pOlAnD!” and “AmErIcA hAs No LeFt!!!”

        • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          Ok but really objectively consider that statement though.

          Policy by policy the Dems flank left of most of Europe’s old guard of social democratic and socialist parties. Dems tend to be more in favor of new and expanded welfare programs compared to their European counterparts, they’re less likely than said counterparts to adopt right wing policy and talking points to try and appease alt-rightified voters, and on social issues there is no contest, just say the word “Roma” and watch Europeans range from saying that pulling that card isn’t fair because “that’s different” to saying that what the fascists did wrong was lose before they finished the job on the Roma.

          The metric by which America has no left is one by which the western world at large has no left, and at that point what value is gained at all by insisting on it?

          • Eldritch@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            Policy by policy the Dems flank left of most of Europe’s old guard of social democratic and socialist parties.

            In what bizzaro world!!? We don’t have basic singles payer health care like all other major western nations. Not to mention millions of other things.

            Dems tend to be more in favor of new and expanded welfare programs compared to their European counterparts,

            Not even. They’ve passed maybe one thing in nearly the last century that approached it. As flawed as it was. And on top of that. Large amounts of Dems have happily voted for eligibility exclusion on even pre existing social welfare programs. Making them more and more useless.

            they’re less likely than said counterparts to adopt right wing policy and talking points to try and appease alt-rightified voters,

            Hello, last 40 years? Hello, third way Democrats? Hello, bipartisanship over principles. Even to this day Biden still waxes poetically about how we need Republicans and how they are good.

            and on social issues there is no contest, just say the word “Roma” and watch Europeans range from saying that pulling that card isn’t fair because “that’s different” to saying that what the fascists did wrong was lose before they finished the job on the Roma.

            There are multiple groups who would elicit similar reactions throughout the United States. Including black, Muslims, trans, gays, and even Democrats. Oh and by the way those fascists and Nazis you were talking about. They got their start by checks notes oh, they literally got their start by emulating the United States. Not only that, around topics of which the United States still hasn’t resolved properly yet to this day. You’re batting 0 here.

            • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              9 months ago

              You seem to have mastered the art of using many words to not say a thing, except maybe for how little you understand European politics compared to American other than “but their actual fascist parties that have elected seats have healthcare.”

              • Eldritch@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                9 months ago

                You seem to have mastered the arts of deflection and not being able to address a single point made. I’ll take my skills over yours any day.

          • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            at that point what value is gained at all by insisting on it?

            Make this argument in the other direction to prove your sincerity.

            • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              9 months ago

              The value gained in there not being a fascist for president because white college kids decided not to vote strike?

      • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        m starting to think they’re actually just right wingers who know that saying what they ACTUALLY want will get them dumped by all their cool allies club friends.

        So you all lost the 2016 general election all on your own then?

        The absurdity of your perspective is that you believe there is a large group of voters who didn’t show up for HRC while also apparently believing not one of them is sharing their reasons why in anonymous forums.

        • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          9 months ago

          The absurdity of yours is that you’re pretty obviously one of those people who thinks a millions of votes lead in the primary race is “the DNC establishment shoving her down our throats” and not “we have to be dragged kicking and screaming to even vote for the guy we supposedly support!”

          • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            0
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            I mean it’s either that or “a bunch of selfish pieces of shit voted for Biden specifically to fuck over progressive or leftist efforts”. You sound like the kind of person who would do just that.

    • ZK686@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      You’re spending too much time on Reddit and Lemmy. Republicans will always support Ukraine (they hate Russia too!). The issue isn’t about support, it’s about limits. We have to have checks and balances when financing a war, this isn’t a free for all. The Republicans are just making sure the money is being spent how it’s supposed too. All of a sudden, they’re called “traitors” and “ass-kissers.” Which is just ridiculous. How soon we forget Ukraine was once considered one of the most corrupt countries on Earth.

      • TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        9 months ago

        That’s not what Trump’s actions suggested the last time in office, I have no doubt republicans hate Russia, maybe even more than Democrats, it’s Trump specifically I’m worried about.

        • ZK686@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          Trump won’t pull support for Ukraine, that’s just a scare tactic from the Left. The entire government is united on the issue of stopping Russia, Trump alone can’t do much about that. If anything, he’ll just crack down harder on how/where the money is spent. Again, I hate this “just give them what they want!” mentality coming from the Left. There should always be questions, concerns, limits…etc…when giving billions of dollars to any country.

  • ZK686@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    Oh brother…her and her elite inner circle will be fine. When I say BOTH sides are guilty of using scare tactics to get votes, this is what I’m talking about. Democrats and the Left want to scare people into thinking the world will end if a Republican becomes President. They all said the same thing when Trump became President in 2017.

    • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      9 months ago

      “Both sides” is a tired old argument that doesn’t hold water. If you haven’t seen the damage Republicans have done in the past 8 years on the Federal and State level, you need to look harder, my dude. The Democrats aren’t amazing, but they aren’t actively stripping people’s rights away and trying to erase minority groups from existence. There is no Democratic “Plan 2025”.

      • ZK686@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        It’s a balance. I don’t agree with everything that the Republicans do, just like I don’t agree with everything the Democrats do. However, both parties are flawed and both parties are doing things in the interests of different groups.

  • spyd3r@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    9 months ago

    I’m terrified of the outcome no matter who wins… Our system is seriously broken if these are the best candidates we, the supposed bastion of freedom and democracy, can come up with.