Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ in Michigan’s primary on Tuesday
Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor, pushed back on calls to not vote for Joe Biden over his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying on Sunday that could help Trump get re-elected.
“It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote that’s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,” she said on Sunday during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union. “A second Trump term would be devastating. Not just on fundamental rights, not just on our democracy here at home, but also when it comes to foreign policy. This was a man who promoted a Muslim ban.”
Whitmer, who is a co-chair of Biden’s 2024 campaign, also said she wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to the protest vote.
Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who is the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, urged Democrats last week to vote “uncommitted” in Michigan’s 27 February primary.
Whatever you want to call it, you go act out in the primary all you like, vote for Barney the dinosaur for all I care. But when it comes to November, you put on your big kid pants, suck it up, and vote for Biden, otherwise you’re as guilty as any other MAGA fanatic.
So….
We can’t agree that genocide is bad?
Once again: you are talking about a possible future- a very likely future. Protesting the genocide of Gaza’s isn’t about what might happen in the future. The protests are about what is happening now.
And what our current, active government is doing to support it. “First they came for the Gazans, and I did nothing because Biden was better than Trump” is not something I want to express later.
Our government is complicit in genocide. Period. It doesn’t matter if the current president is better than the alternative. It’s still complicit in genocide- and because it ostensibly represents me- I have an obligation to tell it to knock it off.
You, on the other hand, are using your right to free speech to enable and defend genocide.
You asked me for a favor, and I’m not inclined to do you any favors until you commit to voting for Biden in the general. After that, we can talk.
Why does saying genocide is bad require a favor for you to do?
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“Do what I tell you and then we can talk”
you sound like a republican. You can’t even agree that genocide is bad and you expect me to actually agree to do what you say as if you’re some divinely appointed prophet? Fuck. That.
I’m not doing you any favors while there’s still some question as to whether or not you’re supporting fascism. If you refuse to vote for Biden in the general, that’s exactly what you’re doing. So here’s the opportunity to clear the air about how you’re going to vote.
You’re concerned I’m maybe supporting fascism…. Fascists just love their genocide too.
So maybe since you’re so concerned about fascism- check the goddam mirror.
And once again: the protests aren’t about the goddamn election. It’s about the American government supporting genocide, and speaking against that.
Oh, another thing fascists do: silence dissent. They also love loyalty and purity tests.
You don’t have to do me any favors you don’t want to do. But seriously; you want to persuade people… this isn’t the way.
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You’re not gonna admit that genocide is bad because you don’t believe it is. I’m voting for Biden.
See everyone! It’s not difficult to commit to voting for the only one standing between us and Trump’s fascist takeover of the U.S. Seriously, people act like it’s pulling teeth to say they’ll vote for Biden.
Yes, of course genocide is bad, and we should immediately stop giving funding to Israel because of it. Like you, that’s not going to inhibit me in the slightest from voting for Biden in the general.
After all the times you refused to say genocide was bad, you say this.
Some of us don’t need to have stupid arbitrary demands met in order to say it.
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