Thoughts on production, alienation, and ideology
These are posts on voting from the blog Base and Superstructure. These posts concern issues about who to vote for, particularly from a left-wing perspective.
For a few months, COVID-19 relieved us from a fight we’d have otherwise faced. Which fight? The one where leftists decide whether to vote for this cycle’s bad Democratic candidate. The Democratic Party served us a rotten Joe Biden sandwich. And we can’t put off forever the decision on whether to take a bite. We’ve seen a new argument for voting Biden – the idea that he’ll create ‘better organizing’ conditions for leftists.
Let’s take a look at this one.
The closer we move toward the 2020 presidential election, the more heated discussions become over whether to vote for Biden. On one side, there’s ‘vote blue no matter who.’ And on the other side, there’s…something. It’s not entirely clear, which composes part of the problem. As Joe Biden moves closer to accepting the nomination at the Democratic convention, the debate moves toward its height. Or toward its nadir, depending on one’s take on it.
And so, should we – as leftists – vote for Biden? How does one hold Biden accountable in an era where not being Trump is good enough for many Democrats? And if we do vote for Biden, what price should we expect in return? My three answers to these questions: No, One can’t, and Medicare for All, respectively.
Back in the summer, I came up with a scale and rating system to evaluate each of the Democratic candidates and figure out which one is the worst. You can find that here. I think it’s time to revisit the question of the worst Democratic candidate. Joe Biden ‘won’ the previous results. Pete Buttigieg followed him somewhat distantly as the second worst.
Why was Biden the worst candidate? Some of it’s his platform, though several other candidates – notably Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar – are just as bad on platform. The biggest difference was that Biden had a great chance of winning, and so it was the combination of bad platform and strong chance of winning that made him the worst.
After Biden’s faceplant in Iowa and New Hampshire, his chances have gone down. And so, I thought running this idea again might change things. Biden might no longer be the worst candidate. Maybe now it’s…Buttigieg? Someone else?
Let’s find out.
There are many reasons to love Iowa: corn, bacon, cold winters, lovely people. One of my favorite reasons is the New Pioneer Food Co-op. Oh, and we get to vote first. Yes, that last one is controversial, causing much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Much of it justified. But I’m not here to discuss fairness in the nomination process. I’ve already done that. Today, we Iowans vote (actually, caucus). I’m voting for Bernie Sanders. When your time comes, I think you should, too.
Here’s why.
Last July, a Silent Generation Vermont senator from Brooklyn met with a Millennial Bronx rapper. In a Detroit nail salon, Bernie Sanders and Cardi B talked about a lot of issues. But the conversation hinged on young people, the issues they face, and how they can get involved in electoral politics.
In his 2016 run for president, Sanders earned his reputation as the candidate of young people. It was that election where Cardi B first noticed Sanders, instructing listeners to ‘vote for Daddy Bernie, bitch.’ From the middle of the country to the coasts, Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton again and again among voters under 40. And he’s earning that reputation again in the 2020 cycle. In the most recent polling, Sanders leads young voters by 17 (HarrisX/The Hill), 21 (YouGov/Economist), and 21 (Quinnipiac) points. When young people vote, Bernie Sanders wins. And more broadly, when young people vote, social democracy wins. So, why didn’t Bernie win in 2016? And why is he still running a bit behind Joe Biden in 2020?
Let’s think about this by looking at the Iowa problem.
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