If you think Biden's candidacy was inevitable, you were asleep during the primaries. Here's the simple obvious explanation: Biden never lost his nationwide polling lead, not once, during the whole race. Are the polls part of the conspiracy too?

The craziest thing about your conspiracy theory is that it's flatly contradicted by Trump, who was clearly NOT the establishment choice in 2016. Establishment politicians and media pushed Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, John Kasich, anyone but Trump. They all criticized or downplayed Trump non-stop (for good reason)... and yet he won.

Well, how’s the fight coming?

I'm living through one of the biggest shifts left in politics in a generation. The left/center-left coalition has been surprisingly dominant. Mid-terms, special elections, etc. We keep winning. It's not perfect, but it's the right direction. But we need to keep winning elections for a long time for durable change.

At what point do you consider the fight won?

Never. Politics is a continual process, not a destination. If we get complacent, progress dies.

Do you envision some point in the future where Republicans no longer hold office and the country is some utopia of pure Democratic leadership?

No. That's not even the point. Republicans used to be the progressive party (that's why they use the color red). Parties don't matter as much as ideas. The point isn't for "my team" to win. If Republicans continue losing for a decade, then they will be forced to shift left, just as Dems shifted right after Reagan with Clinton.

[–] go_go_gadget@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

If you think Biden’s candidacy was inevitable, you were asleep during the primaries.

I feel like you're asleep now. Even as people sweat the possibility of Biden losing they are claiming Biden had the best chance of anyone running in the primaries to defeat Trump in the general. Let's dissect that claim for a moment.

That would mean:

There are people who would either vote for Trump, 3rd party or not vote at all in the general election if Biden had not won the primaries.
That population of people must exceed the number of leftists and progressives staying home or voting 3rd party because Biden won the primaries.

Furthermore, this message isn't being delivered as a political reality backed up by numbers and proof, but rather a promise by moderates. If leftists or progressives did manage to get a candidate through the primaries moderates would abandon all that "vote blue not matter who" stuff immediately and outright fight them in the general election to prove a point.

Apathy, rebellion and anger are rational responses to this experience.

[–] SkepticalButOpenMinded@lemmy.ca -2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You're changing the subject. My claim was about 2020, not 2024. This year, yes, Biden's candidacy is inevitable. It is almost unheard of to challenge an incumbent president, and Democrats want to avoid an intra-party fight. When Ted Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter in 1980, it was a disaster that damaged the party for a long time.

I agree with you that Biden is a weak candidate and there are better candidates. But you made the extreme claim that elections don't matter, that we have no choice, that shadowy elites choose all the candidates, and other silly conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories don't become justified just because you're apathetic and angry. I'm not sure how you think you're being rebellious. When you don't vote, that's not rebellion. No one cares. You don't matter, politically.

[–] go_go_gadget@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I was talking about the 2020 primaries as well. Even in retrospect plenty of people still say out of all candidates in the 2020 primaries Biden was the best chance of beating Trump. Then they turn around and try to figure out why so many leftists and progressives are becoming apathetic, angry or voting 3rd party.