#yes trump is horrible

[bookshelfdreams]

not a fucking day goes by without an american on this hellsite pondering whether they can justify voting for Biden, despite omg! he's supporting Israel!!!!11!

as if Trump didn't literally say just last week that he would not defend America's Nato partners and would in fact encourage Putin/Russia to "do whatever the hell they wanna do"

as if he hadn't been open about his disdain for Nato and his unwillingness to actually adhere to the treaty in case of aggression

as if Russia weren't currently waging a war of territorial expansion fueled by imperialistic delusions of grandeur the likes of which haven't been seen since fucking WWII

Putin has put out an arrest warrant against the Estonian head of state, as if she were a russian citizen. He recently said of course he wouldn't attack Poland unless they attack Russia first - hmm, I wonder if that could be an allusion to a historic precedent? Has anyone ever faked a polish attack on their territory to kick off a massive war???

Putin has all but explicitly stated that he does not want to stop after Ukraine. Now add to this a US president who would encourage - not just stand by, actively encourage - further russian aggression. The campaign for presidential election hasn't even fully kicked off yet, I shudder to imagine what Trump would do or say if he actually held office again.

Of course the situation in Gaza is horrible. Of course we need deescalation (and hey, if you weren't getting your news exclusively from ragebait you'd know that even its closest allies are criticizing Israel, that they will become isolated if they continue on like this. Support for Israel isn't nearly as unwavering and unanimous as you may think).

Please. I'm begging you. Another Trump term could be catastrophic in ways that can't be fully anticipated. Already his party has backed him on (or tried to downplay) his latest attempt to undermine Nato.

We are dealing with an very delicate and dangerous geopolitical situation right now. China observes Russia very carefully with one eye, and looks at Taiwan with the other. And they're far from the only global player with imperialist ambitions.

The US government unfortunately has a huge effect on the whole world, and making your vote hinge on a single issue (when that issue won't even be solved in a way you'd like by literally any imaginable US government! No US president will completely cease supporting Israel, like come on)

making your vote hinge on a single issue like that is incredibly irresponsible

[thedisdainfullysilentvisitor]

If you want to get inundated with some horrible news stuff, inundate yourself with how much life will fucking suck in America if Orange gets reelected.

[salty-software-engineer]

I wonder if they're trying to set Trump up for an insanity defense or something. Seeing a lot of stuff about how he's not in his right mind. Not nearly enough about how he may not be in his right mind but he's also incredibly malicious and always has been.

[bioswear]

Idk hot take for a Saturday morning, but maybe people shouldn’t be SO quick to switch to a mentality of: “well I’m not voting at all” about American politics in regards to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict/genocide just bc America has had its dick in those affairs LONG BEFORE fucking Biden Presidecy and people are seemingly just NOW feeling publically vocally outraged about it bc it’s in the forefront news (as you should be), but maybe also let’s use our fucking brains for a moment if you are American:

we should, and can easily, also still focus on that which is in our own backyard, if you don’t vote fucking blue, because green/third parties are not actually viable in the deeply established two party system we have had for CENTURIES, we get fucking DeSantis or some other horrible Fascist Republican and then America is going to have its own genocide against LGBTQ+ people, fascism goes up, continued attacks against drag/immigrants/etc.

You also know damn well that any Republican, If one were president, would be doing the same fucking thing of providing aid to Israel, so I guess personally I’m just confused as to why everyone is surprised biden is doing the same.

You can and should support a free Palestine, and hold contempt for Israel and condemn their actions, AND also know that voting blue is Americas literal only chancE RIGHT CURRENTLY NOW this upcoming year, to remain somewhat of a democracy instead of a ChristoFascist regime, especially with Biden being one of the ONLY blue candidates like… our hands are TIED

Like YEAH it’s gonna fucking suck to vote for Biden but like you also gotta fucking Buck up sometimes and do things you don’t particularly WANT to do. It’s called duality and compromising in life and sometimes it’s fucking unavoidable.

But idk what the fuck do I know 🤪 I’m just a girl who thinks maybe you shouldn’t just fucking give up one of your only recognized rights in America just because some actions you can’t control from a crusty old moderate blue white man in a country whose affairs are more complicated than your messiest situationship is upsetting (rightfully so, I might add) you

[archangelgabriellives]

Sometimes I fuckin hate being alive

[bunn-iiii]

I hate majority cis white rich gay men. You're not oppressed for voting for Trump you asshole. It's not funny and quirky for you to be gay and go to Chick-fil-A all the time. You're not better than trans people and we deserve a place in the community just as much if not more than you do.

[muninnhuginn]

Jack Horner is, at heart, a panto villain

[tolkpopfan]

…

[thefloatingstone]

Me: Someone tried to shoot Trump again

My mom: yes I heard. Regardless of circumstances, murder is such a horrible thing. Being a murderer is never good.

Me: both people who tried to kill him were Republican

My mom: *bursts out laughing*

[fangirltothefullest]

Yes we can laugh and say darn almost got him, but they didn't and him and his republican team are going to milk the fuck out of this. Don't let them fool you, don't let them mislead you because "oh boohoo poor trump" is gonna absolutely milk this fucking DRY and people are going to think this is some godly divine intervention, they're going to say democrats are weak, they're going to spin the shooter as a democrat, they'll throw EVERYTHING in the book at us to cause more mistrust and tear democratic votes to shreds.

They're going to support him harder than ever and it's going to fucking SUCK.

WE HAVE TO VOTE HIM AND HIS HORRIBLE REPUBLICAN ASSOCIATES OUT.

We HAVE TO VOTE DEMOCRAT EVERYWHERE WE CAN, INCLUDING CONGRESS

[qqueenofhades]

I think the veepstakes are going to continue for another week or so, both to increase the profile of her potential running mates and see how they do with the public, time to vet, and give everyone a little more incentive to be extra enthusiastic about campaigning for her, but ALSO because there's a nonzero chance Trump may drop Vance and they'll need to pivot their strategy, though I think most choices will be sound either way(I like Walz and Beshear the best). What do you think are the odds of Trump dropping Vance versus doubling down because he doesn't want to look weak or indecisive?

She is going to have to pick pretty quickly, because the Ohio GOP attempted some fuckery by putting their ballot deadline before the DNC (and refusing to grant an extension as they always did for Republicans, so you know). I expect she will pick by the middle of next week at the latest, because the virtual nomination has to be made by, iirc, August 6th in order to outwit the attempted Republican ratfuckery. The DNC is then August 19-22, where the whole thing will be made official and everyone will pledge/endorse/etc. That leaves a pretty compressed timeline to road-test Veep picks, see how they work with Harris, how they play with the public, etc. But they've been on top of it so far, so there's that. I saw someone suggest that she let it go on as long as possible in order to have 6-10 white guys hyping her up on TV every day -- which is valid, yes, but she will have to pick soon. There are really no bad options, though I too have ones that I would like in particular. I am really warming to Walz, as I think he has a great communication style and would shore her up in the white Midwest. Though I did get a fundraising email from Mark Kelly on behalf of Kamala Harris yesterday, and lbr if you can pick an astronaut, pick an astronaut.

As for Trump dropping Vance, he's in considerably more of a pickle (everyone together now: AHAHAAHHAH! HAHAHAH! HAAHHAHAHAHAHA!) because the RNC has already happened, Vance is legally and bindingly the VP nominee, and if they change it now, there are a ton of legal and procedural steps that take time and make the GOP look incredibly weak. They will also piss off the Project 2025 people (who were all over the Vance pick because obviously, Vance loves it and they are horrible) -- which, if they were at all sensible, they might do. But they're fascists and that's actually what they want to do, so they won't. Biden was able to step aside and put Harris in so easily because he was not actually the Democratic nominee yet -- he was just the presumptive nominee, delegates are technically free to vote for whoever they want and the nominee is not official until after this convention process has happened, and he wasn't locked in. But if the GOP tries to drop Vance now, it's going to be a lot of legal hassle, they'll look incredibly foolish, and they'll piss off the core fascists they have been rallying every step of the way. Too bad, so sad. No good choice, huh? Seems karmically fitting that they can't abort Vance. Oh no. They must carry his ass to term.

[skyladoragono]

Look, I'm just as disappointed as the next guy that they missed the shot, but the reality is that (as far as I know at this moment; this is subject to change) someone did die from the shooting, not to mention the shooter themselves was likely killed as well.

And to top all this off, Trump is very much going to use this as an excuse to double down on how horrible he is. We're going to see fingers being pointed at Biden and other left leaning individuals, and it may even lead to more violence. And yes, it would be even worse if Trump had actually been killed.

Enjoy your memes, but know there are probably worse things coming on the horizon.

[maccharliedennis]

As someone who lives in the deep south and just experienced a literal nazi march in my city, you can fucking Forgive Me!!!!!! if I don't consider voting against biden to be a revolutionary fucking action.

Like yes this march happened under a biden presidency, and yes biden is conducting a fucking genocide and we cannot relent when it comes to rallying against that.

But uuuuhhhhh Hey! That fucking nazi march? That was in support of trump! And if rallying against bidens genocide is difficult NOW, just imagine how much MORE DIFFICULT it is going to get under a trump presidency!! Only ONE of these men can be beholden to the political pressure put upon them by their constituents. Only ONE of these men is beholden to the process of the transfer of power that is meant to occur in 2028.

So may jesus christ and all his holy fucking angels reign down mercy upon my doomed fucking soul for when I say that voting "for Palestine" in november feels like nothing more than a shallow personal pat on the back.

Like, yes. The electoral college ultimately decides who will take office. But more people voting against trump means more political pressure on them to choose correctly. And I Am So Fucking Sorry that you don't want to soil your self-perception by just sucking it up and voting for the """lesser evil"""" here. I dont want to fucking do that either.

But what EXACTLY is the endgame of this ?

Because there are only TWO possibilities:

1) you vote for Palestine and biden wins and he doesnt care bc he won. (And we continue to put pressure on him and protest against the genocide)

Or

2) you vote for Palestine and trump doesnt care bc he won, and he enacts Project2025 which makes it A HELL OF A LOT MORE FUCKING DIFFICULT TO PROTEST AGAINST THE GENOCIDE.

So what will that vote accomplish other than relieving political pressure for the electoral college? Legitimately I DO NOT UNDERSTAND the gameplan.

It is just appalling to me when people act like trump and biden are equally horrible, and I am sick to death of people acting like voting for biden is endorsing facism or is a pathetic liberal dismissal of his genocide.

It is a fucking safety measure. For all of america. For literally the entire fucking planet.

There will be no way to continue the current level of protest we are enacting rn if biden loses. trump will have us fighting so hard for our own lives that many of us will no longer be able to fght for the lives of others.

So get over your own feelings and fucking vote for biden if you care at all about the safety of others. We cannot allow the electoral college to feel any lack of political pressure from us.

Lmao. Lol even.

[contemplatingoutlander]

The Editorial Board of the nonprofit Philadelphia Inquirer wrote the kind of column that SHOULD have been written after the debate by major mainstream media news sites--but which wasn't. Yes, it is understandable that many pundits think that Biden should step down after the first debate, but why weren't there also pundits demanding that Trump step down? Fortunately, The Philadelphia Inquirer did so. Here are some excerpts:

President Joe Biden’s debate performance was a disaster. His disjointed responses and dazed look sparked calls for him to drop out of the presidential race. But lost in the hand wringing was Donald Trump’s usual bombastic litany of lies, hyperbole, bigotry, ignorance, and fear mongering. His performance demonstrated once again that he is a danger to democracy and unfit for office. In fact, the debate about the debate is misplaced. The only person who should withdraw from the race is Trump. Trump, 78, has been on the political stage for eight years marked by chaos, corruption, and incivility. Why go back to that? To build himself up, Trump constantly tears the country down. There is no shining city on the hill. It’s just mourning in America. Throughout the debate, Trump repeatedly said we are a “failing” country. He called the United States a “third world nation.” He said, “we’re living in hell” and “very close to World War III.” [...] Trump told more than 30 lies during the debate to go with the more than 30,000 mistruths told during his four years as president. He dodged the CNN moderators’ questions, took no responsibility for his actions, and blamed others, mainly Biden, for everything that is wrong in the world. Trump’s response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection he fueled was farcical. He said a “relatively small number of people” went to the Capitol and many were “ushered in by the police.” After scheming to overturn the 2020 election, Trump refused to say if he would accept the results of the 2024 election. Unless, of course, he wins. The debate served as a reminder of what another four years of Trump would look like. More lies, grievance, narcissism, and hate. Supporters say they like Trump because he says whatever he thinks. But he mainly spews raw sewage. [...] Yes, Biden had a horrible night. He’s 81 and not as sharp as he used to be. But Biden on his worst day remains lightyears better than Trump on his best. Biden must show that he is up to the job. This much is clear: He has a substantive record of real accomplishments, fighting the pandemic, combating climate change, investing in infrastructure, and supporting working families and the most vulnerable. [...] There was only one person at the debate who does not deserve to be running for president. The sooner Trump exits the stage, the better off the country will be. [color emphasis added]

I highly recommend that you read the entire editorial.

Although it looks like Biden might be suffering from some cognitive issues related to aging, Trump has alarmed experts by some of his own cognitive slipups during rallies. Just because Trump didn't show those issues during the debate, does not mean they don't exist, since cognitive slipups can come and go in the early stages of cognitive decline.

Regardless, as The Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out, Trump's debate performance was built on lies, and his hate-filled talking points did not bolster confidence in the agenda he might pursue in a second presidency. Trump's childish behavior towards Biden during the debate also reportedly contributed to Biden's being distracted.*

______________ *According to Newsweek, Biden told George Stephanopoulos during a recent interview, ""When I realized that even when I was answering the question, when they turned his [Trump's] mic off, he was still shouting, and I let it distract me." That Trump was doing that and the moderators didn't tell him to stop, is troubling. And since Trump's mic was turned off, the viewing audience did not realize it was happening.

[moki-dokie]

anyway all jokes and memes aside i cannot be more serious at my fellow americans when i say get your fucking asses out there and vote blue. because this?? this just won all those who were still on the fence about him. it's going to light a fire under the extreme right in ways we simply can't imagine just yet. every day leading up to the election is going to be a new horrible shitshow.

there is no comparing the two of them. in no world is another biden presidency as bad or worse than trump for us as a country but more importantly for the world at large. this is not an isolated system. this is not about one or two issues or your moral standings on them.

and yes, your vote for a third party is a vote for trump. it never has and never will work in our current system - that's a fight we need to tackle later, absolutely, but not right now. a third party vote is an insult to every trans loved one, to every immigrant, to every person with a uterus, to the global south, to the very environment itself, to both ukraine and palestine, because it will do nothing other than give the far right and fascism much more of a chance at winning. you won't prove a damn thing other than being too selfish to think of how this impacts anything outside of your personal bubble of caring.

And with biden specifically, especially for a second term, you're voting for the office, for the VP, for a supreme court seats, for protections that will stay in place and more that have a higher chance of going through, for better shots at peace. cause i'd be surprised as hell if he actually lives through an entire second term

[reasonandempathy]

BIDEN'S OUT

Look man, Biden was good on a lot of things, and horrible on a lot of things. I've been rather straightforward with all of that, and with how I'd still have voted for him to prevent a Fascist Republican takeover.

But Joe Biden was polling double digits beneath local democrats. He endorsed Kamala Harris, who is her own bag of problems.

But she was also vocally the most anti-Netanyahu/Pro-Palestine person in the room, has enough verve to mobilize disaffected democrats behind being a Black/Indian Woman for President, and will likely take every opportunity to pillory Trump in any debate that's held.

And have the wherewithal to actually fucking campaign.

I said months ago that I would love to vote for anyone other than Biden who had a chance of winning the election agaisnt Trump. Now I do.

Hell yes.