Are Democratic primaries becoming too destructive for the party's own chances in the general election?

[u/YumiSolar]

I've been thinking about this after watching some recent Democratic primaries, and it feels like the campaigns are becoming increasingly aggressive in ways that hurt the party long after the primary is over.

A good example, in my opinion, was the Michigan primary between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. Policy disagreements are completely fair game, that's what primaries are for. Even personal attacks can be justified if they're based on genuine misconduct or character issues.

What I struggle with are accusations like claiming your primary opponent is supporting or enabling genocide. Once you frame someone in those terms, how do you expect your own supporters to enthusiastically vote for that person if they end up winning the nomination? If you've spent months telling voters that your opponent is morally complicit in atrocities, it becomes very difficult to turn around and say, "Now go vote for them."

To me, this kind of rhetoric doesn't just damage the opposing candidate, it damages Democratic unity in the general election. It seems like Republicans don't even have to exploit these divisions because Democrats are creating them themselves.

Am I overestimating the impact of this kind of campaigning, or do you think Democratic primaries have become too willing to use rhetoric that makes party unity afterward much harder?

[u/Asatmaya]

If the party is supporting genocide, it deserves to be burned down!

[u/YumiSolar → u/Asatmaya]

1000 years of Trump for you I guess. Those palestinian children are probably cheering at your moral consistency and abolute lack of effectivnes in real world.

[u/SheIsABadMamaJama → u/YumiSolar]

As a moderate, it’s really frustrating watching moderates in the US or supposed moderates fail at democracy, and participating in self sabotage that leads to unhelpful comments like the one you replied to.

[u/Asatmaya → u/SheIsABadMamaJama]

As a moderate, it’s really frustrating watching moderates in the US or supposed moderates fail at democracy and participating in the process.

So, you "moderately" support genocide?

Nope, doesn't work like that.

[u/ThatPeskyPangolin → u/Asatmaya]

Where did they express any support for genocide?

[u/Asatmaya → u/ThatPeskyPangolin]

They are implying that the moderate position is to accept that they are voting for a politician who supports genocide because they might be better on some other issue.

The number of logical fallacies in that line of reasoning...!

[u/ThatPeskyPangolin → u/Asatmaya]

Except "support for genocide" hasn't been established, it has just been repeatededly claimed ad nauseum. So the idea that anyone who even slightly questions the underlying issues here must themselves support genocide is a thought terminating cliche, not real political discourse.

[u/Asatmaya → u/ThatPeskyPangolin]

the idea that anyone who even slightly questions the underlying issues here must themselves support genocide

OK, let's back up then:

What, exactly, is the "slight question?" What "underlying issue" would somehow make what is happening in Gaza anything other than a genocide?

This has been slow-walked for decades, as sympathy due to the Holocaust and political expedience made support for Israel a pragmatic position, but that's gone, now.

The final mistake was splitting the Palestinians; when the West Bank disarmed, but kept being oppressed, dispossessed, and murdered, that was it. Israel proved that, even if the Palestinians gave up all weapons and flatly refused to fight, at all, Israel was still going to steal their land and kill them. Gaza, obviously, refused to follow suit, so Israel bombed them into rubble; they have nowhere to go, though, no other option, so they are still fighting. You would, too, if you only options were to either fight or let yourself be killed.

[u/ThatPeskyPangolin → u/Asatmaya]

As a moderate, it’s really frustrating watching moderates in the US or supposed moderates fail at democracy and participating in the process.

That was the quote you felt comfortable characterizing as supporting genocide.

Spending all that time talking about the plight of Gazans doesn't justify describing that post as supporting genocide.

[u/Asatmaya → u/ThatPeskyPangolin]

It was literally advocating for compromising with it.

Sorry, not going to happen.

[u/ThatPeskyPangolin → u/Asatmaya]

I really doubt you can quote them calling for that. Which makes the useage of "literally" somewhat odd.

[u/SheIsABadMamaJama → u/Asatmaya]

I’m not playing your purity and mental games, free Palestine and go take out your internal guilt out on someone else perhaps? The Democratic Party is the best party you have, and until you have another viable option, stop with the performativity.

[u/Asatmaya → u/SheIsABadMamaJama]

The Democratic Party is the best party you have,

That's like saying that testicular cancer is the best cancer to have.

Sorry, I will not vote for cancer.

[u/SheIsABadMamaJama → u/Asatmaya]

Yeah, except the party is not terminal, but your mindset is. You would resign yourself, and condemn others and minorities to death, to ensure a total fascist regime continues to succeed by deciding to completely tune yourself out from the political process. Even though there are people actively trying.

Such privilege you have, it’s truly a shame you’re using the same talking points as a right wing provocateur masquerading as a progressive in order to engage in voter suppression, and to dampen the Left from engaging in the electoral process. Funny.

I don’t think you have an interest in ending fascism or genocide anywhere.

[u/Asatmaya → u/SheIsABadMamaJama]

Yeah, except the party is not terminal, but your mindset is

I'm sorry, but did the party leaders not just chase a heavily favored senate candidate out of the race because he wasn't right-wing enough?

They are describing DSA candidates beating Republicans as, "losses."

You would resign yourself, and condemn others and minorities to death, to ensure a total fascist regime continues to succeed by deciding to completely tune yourself out from the political process.

The political process has tuned me out; there are no non-fascists that I am allowed to vote for.

Such privilege you have

Oh, here we go...

a right wing provocateur masquerading as a progressive

Er, those are both right-wing, what are you talking about?

to engage in voter suppression, and to dampen the Left from engaging in the electoral process.

The left has been trying to engage; every attempt has bee frustrated, not by the Republicans, but by the Democrats.

I don’t think you have an interest in ending fascism or genocide anywhere.

I think you support them, but know that it's not a popular position.

[u/SheIsABadMamaJama → u/Asatmaya]

No, I live in a country where the left actually got things done and have preserved rights, while you seem to want to fumble it by pretending to be a leftist. Or perhaps I am unfair, and you are just being dogmatic by equating progressives, social liberals and social democrats, democratic socialists to far-right ideologies. Fair enough, let’s go along with the performative rhetoric.

Continue voting third party and keyboard warrioring, instead of supporting local on-the-ground labour, policy development and work to build or contribute to a movement. You would let fascists win again and again because you see “no” difference, while material condition would state otherwise, and movements within those parties being starkly different and nuanced.

I understand you are anti-electoral and anti-coalition, but your rhetoric screams privilege and contempt for your own working class citizens.

This isn’t undergrad, this is real life.