Accepting the lesser evil is the definition of privilege. Everyone saying “blue no matter who” wants to go back to the status quo under Obama, which was unacceptable. Obama deported millions, locked kids in cages, militarized the border. The lesser evil had an abysmal record overall on immigration to which the greater evil appealed to justify his own horrendous actions.
When presented with the option of Bernie, the only candidate who wants to abolish ICE, and someone like Biden, who wants to “preserve Obama’s legacy,” the privileged thing to do is go with the latter choice because you’ll be fine either way.
You say that voting blue is some kind of symbolic act of solidarity with the oppressed. Sorry, it’s not. I would rather spend my time helping the marginalized in ways both material and symbolic, such as raising money for the Fair Fight Bond Fund or accompanying detainees to court through my local DSA’s immigration workgroup.
You can donate here:
A lot of the “Bernie Bros” that you’re trying to shame into voting Democrat are people who have been out there putting in the work. My UT classmate Bob, whom I worked with in the anti-war movement and private prison divestment, has been on the frontlines of fighting against immigrant detention through three different administrations.
His group Grassroots Leadership was instrumental in pressuring the Obama administration into closing the T. Don Hutto family detention center. And after it was turned into a women’s detention center they documented and exposed the rampant sexual abuse there—under Obama.
The main problem “blue no matter who” folks have with Trump is that he says the quiet part loud, forcing them to confront the ugly reality of what our government has been doing in our name for a long time now.
Right now, we don’t have to settle for the lesser evil. Bernie has the best platform and the best chance of beating Trump period. If defeating Trump is your top priority, vote for Bernie in the primary.
When he wins, then y’all can go back to brunch.
