So....I had a discussion with a family member that kind of went like this. First, the subject of Mark Kelly came up and this family member was really gung ho on him running for president. He thinks that his service to the country, him being an astronaut, and him being Gabby Gifford's wife (congresswoman who was shot) makes him a strong candidate for whatever reason.
Me? I'm more mixed on Kelly. I mean, he's a moderate candidate, he kind of has a weak record on labor rights to my knowledge. He's just...not a candidate that I like. Of course, this led me to ask "well who do you like?" And this caused me to mention some names going through my head like AOC, Ro Khanna, Andrew yang, etc. But this just got derision from said family member. like "yeah yeah yeah, you're never gonna get that, so who do you REALLY like?"
*sigh*
This always annoys me. Why ask me if you dont like my answer, for one, and for two, I resent being dismissed and told that i should conform to some centrist majority opinion or whatever, and asked, of the centrists, who i like?
The family member asked me if I'd take Harris over Kelly...and to be frank...yeah. I would. Why? I mean, of the centrist "electable" candidates, harris is...one of the most progressive. She didn't come out that way when she ran in 2024. Heck, she actually came out as mid in 2024, but that's because she literally shifted to the center from her original positions, in trying to do what the party and Joe Biden wanted. And given those constraints, it doesnt matter, all these candidates suck, and it doesn't really matter who we pick. because let's face it, they all sound the same anyway.
And that's the thing. While yes, we need to stop Trump, that's the bare minimum. What I really care about is POLICY and IDEOLOGY and stuff. And this guy was just...acting derisively toward such things. Like "oh you're just doing your political science thing". Well...yeah. I want policies that make our lives better. "But but...most people dont think like that?"
And for me it's like what, so should we just care about cults of personality like...*checks notes* them being an astronaut? Who cares? I literally dont give AF about his personal life. I care about what he's doing to do for the country.
Anyway, I figured I'd answer here the question to this query. Like if I had to choose among "electable centrists" who would I choose?
Well, right now, the top options according to polling are Kamala harris and Gavin Newsom. Both are rather mid candidates. Newsom seems to be totally giving up the farm to MAGA at times in trying to appeal hard to some imaginary moderate that doesnt exist. Harris...well...again she has some progressive chops. I dont think they're enough, and I dont think she really holds progressive positions these days due to becoming a creature of the swamp so to speak, but that's more a problem with the environment she's found herself in. Had she stuck to her original 2020 vision she would be just a bit better than any other moderate candidate running.
I mean who else is there? Pete Buttigieg? He's to the right of Biden and about as boring as stale bread. Mark kelly? Again, kinda weak on labor. Josh Shapiro? I mean he's my governor and I generally approve of him in that role (other than him chastising Philly DA Larry Krasner for speaking out about ICE), but again, meh...
Other than that it's like, Andy Beshear, a dude whose appeal I just dont get, so he's a socially progressive dude from kentucky, what, does he deserve a medal for that? JB Pritzker? He's a billionaire, but he is hard on Trump. maybe.
But yeah, after a whole, all of these guys just blend together into just this, amorphous generic democratic blob. They offer no distinctive policies or politics. They're dime a dozen. They are about as unique as buzz lightyear in that one buzz lightyear meme. Like it doesnt matter which one you choose, they all sound the same to me.
I mean, that's the thing. I want something DIFFERENT. But to these guys, "different" isnt electable and it's just pressuring me to conform to majority opinion when majority opinion, if it even is a majority, kinda sucks. I'm not here to parrot majority opinion. I'm here to push for something different. Maybe that makes me a unique special snowflake, but so be it, that's what I am, and that's what I want?
Ugh. Like, idk what the point is in asking me what my opinion is if said person doesnt like my opinion. I dont care all that much which cookie cutter moderate we choose. Again, they all sound the same, and you can replace one with another and it literally doesnt matter. You're arguing more about window dressing than actual distinctive policy here.
I mean, I guess all things considered, I'm on team harris all things considered, but I dont really want Harris either. I want something entirely different than what the current democratic party offers. I want a fighter, a progressive warrior, someone who's going to not just give us another bidenesque period of normalcy between waves of democratic backsliding, but who will turn the page on this dark era for good. Again...if you wanna know who I like for 2028:
Andrew Yang- He's not a democrat any more, but he's basically the one guy running on my actual ideology, and he's sitting there warning us of AI job loss and pushing for UBI even now. His vision is very much needed.
AOC- Basically she's younger female Bernie. A bit weak on foreign policy given her recent brain glitch over China invading Taiwan, but offers a strong domestic policy vision. I will admit that maybe she would be better to take Schumer's senate seat for that reason though.
Ro Khanna- also has progressive chops, and he's been kind of spearheading the congressional inquiries into the Epstein files along with Thomas Massie. He's kinda standing out for that reason, and he's also a progressive in the vein of AOC and the squad.
But yeah, those are who I ACTUALLY want to see run. I dont want ANY of these worthless moderate types. Again, if I HAD to choose, give me Kamala Harris again, but again, it's like asking which buzz lightyear action figure you want on a shelf full of nearly identical action figures. I just dont want one. Why is that so hard to understand?
And yes yes, they're all better than Trump. We established that. And I've resigned myself for voting for the most pathetic moderate running against trump if needed. The conditions are THAT bad. I dont wanna protest vote in this delicate environment. But if we're talking primaries that dont even start for another two years, why should we just resign ourselves to the same old worthless moderates that got us into this mess in the first place? It makes no sense to me. Yes, in november 2028, if we get gavin newsom as the democratic nominee, I'm team newsom, but why should we resign ourselves to that inevitably this early?
I really dont get normie democrats/moderates sometimes, I really dont.
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