I look at the 2016 primaries, and the 2020 primaries, and I have little reason to expect people to suddenly show up for the primaries. They just show up to bitch about their lack of choice leading up to the election.
2016 and 2020 make great examples of how the Democratic establishment rallies around their preferred candidate to ensure that The centrist choice wins. There was a lot of activism in the primaries, how in the world can you call that “showing up to bitch”? Then this year Biden conveniently did not allow us to have primaries.
You really can’t tell progressives to just “vote in the primaries” when it’s very clear that Democrats will do everything in their power to prevent a progressive from being nominated.
I agree with everything you say. At the same time, if more of the people bitching about the ultimate candidate actually voted in the primaries they may have made a difference. I get it. Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, everybody knows that the good guys lost.
more of the people bitching about the ultimate candidate actually voted in the primaries
I want to push back on this. “The people bitching” were probably out knocking doors for their candidate with me. It’s just one more insult that moderates use. We don’t have the massive get out the vote machine that the establishment does, but my guess is that the most vocal people are pretty active.
they may have made a difference
“May” is doing a whole lot of heavy lifting here.
The DNC is a private entity able to pick it’s candidate however it deems fit. The primaries are like a basketball game where the refs are wearing the other team’s uniforms.
It was Biden/Harris. He stepped down, but that doesn’t suddenly mean that she has to. And with the way the rules around succession and such are worded, especially campaign finance, she was the only choice. Because she was already the VP nominee.
But most importantly, Biden stepped down for the good of the country, and Harris has stepped up.
Given how Harris was chosen, I’m really not sure this is the year to make that argument.
I look at the 2016 primaries, and the 2020 primaries, and I have little reason to expect people to suddenly show up for the primaries. They just show up to bitch about their lack of choice leading up to the election.
2016 and 2020 make great examples of how the Democratic establishment rallies around their preferred candidate to ensure that The centrist choice wins. There was a lot of activism in the primaries, how in the world can you call that “showing up to bitch”? Then this year Biden conveniently did not allow us to have primaries.
You really can’t tell progressives to just “vote in the primaries” when it’s very clear that Democrats will do everything in their power to prevent a progressive from being nominated.
I agree with everything you say. At the same time, if more of the people bitching about the ultimate candidate actually voted in the primaries they may have made a difference. I get it. Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, everybody knows that the good guys lost.
I want to push back on this. “The people bitching” were probably out knocking doors for their candidate with me. It’s just one more insult that moderates use. We don’t have the massive get out the vote machine that the establishment does, but my guess is that the most vocal people are pretty active.
“May” is doing a whole lot of heavy lifting here.
The DNC is a private entity able to pick it’s candidate however it deems fit. The primaries are like a basketball game where the refs are wearing the other team’s uniforms.
It was Biden/Harris. He stepped down, but that doesn’t suddenly mean that she has to. And with the way the rules around succession and such are worded, especially campaign finance, she was the only choice. Because she was already the VP nominee.
But most importantly, Biden stepped down for the good of the country, and Harris has stepped up.
I think the parent poster’s point is that Biden didn’t have to win a primary this time, because they didn’t have one.