THREAD:

I'm proud of my fellow comrades. I stated my intent to vote for Biden and don't feel like I've been "shamed." Most have been pretty understanding, but one thing stood out to me that I want to address: I can afford to vote for Biden because of my "privilege."

1/x

I hate Joe Biden and know he'll require nonstop scrutiny. But there are key differences between him and Trump that make this a no brainer, and my decision to vote Biden was partially *based* on me acknowledging how privileged I am in this situation.

2/x

When I see DREAMers beg me to understand how their lives hang in the balance, I'd be a terrible person to not put my ego aside and acknowledge their pain. Biden has a terrible track record on immigration, but he may reinstate DACA. Trump won't.

https://twitter.com/GeovannyAlcibia/status/1315815246078963713

3/x

We're not going to make progress on healthcare, or pass M4A under Biden. But maybe we won't regress further. Maybe I'll be able to keep my shitty Obamacare plan that makes my overpriced prescription affordable. Maybe.

4/x

If the ACA stays, millions of lives could be saved because of the Medicaid expansion, especially during a pandemic. I know. It's unforgivable that thousands will die because Biden refuses to support M4A, but we should try to save as many lives as we can.

5/x

Biden is a warmonger that isn't going to end our forever wars. But neither will Trump. Biden, however, will be far less likely to be hostile towards Iran. He may even try to get back into the Iran deal.

6/x

Biden doesn't talk about it much, but he's been fairly consistent about a $15 minimum wage. If he actually follows through on this, it will immediately ease some pain. It won't end poverty and it's not enough, but it's one thing he might actually do.

7/x

I'm furious we were talking student debt cancellation and now that's off the table for the foreseeable future, but Biden claims he'll cancel $10,000 for people making less than $125k/yr. If he follows through this would alleviate *some* of the stress I feel being $90k deep.

8/x

I'm skeptical Biden would follow through on his current climate plan, but if at a minimum, all he does is gets us back in the the Paris accord for 4 more years, that's huge. Trump is pouring gasoline on our burning planet. Even inaction is better than regression.

9/x

I don't think Biden would pack the Supreme Court, but just making sure another far right ghoul doesn't get on the Court is important. Thomas could retire soon. I'd rather have Biden fill that seat than Trump, obviously.

10/x

This Court will definitely overturn Roe and Obergefell. I have no doubt. Even if my marriage won't be impacted because I'm in Oregon, others would suffer. We shouldn't have to have this fucking fight AGAIN. Refighting old battles is NOT what I want to fucking do, ever.

11/x

Trump has handled COVID-19 like a fucking child. His incompetence has lead to 215k+ deaths. This can't stand. Trump deserves to be landslided. Biden at least promotes masks. He'd at least handle COVID competently, albeit likely imperfectly.

12/x

I get it, the bar lowered, but I'm not voting for Biden because I'm "privileged." To use my platform to perpetuate a false equivalence would be utterly fucking reckless. Privilege would be me never backing down because of my ego JUST to own the libs.

13/x

Privilege would be me huffing and puffing about how "principled" I am while crossing my fingers that leftists in swing states hold their nose and vote for Biden so we can defeat Trump. This isn't about ego or optics. Lives are on the line and I have to think about others.

14/x

Trump is a unique threat to democracy. Sowing chaos, stoking unrest, not committing to a peaceful transition... you only have a limited window to vote out fascists in most cases. I'd rather vote for the lesser of two evils now than not be able to vote at all in the future.

15/x

This doesn't mean I'm a "neoliberal." I was a social democrat in 2016 and now I consider myself 100% anti-capitalist. But as @daviddoel put it, voting is a tool. That's it. A vote doesn't give us identity, it's one small form of action.

16/x

This doesn't mean I'm done pursuing a 3rd party, but I will be honest: if the loudest proponents of a 3rd Party don't get serious about electoral reform (H.R. 4000 specifically), I have no choice but to regard it as a fruitless endeavor.

17/x

I don't want to support a 3rd Party that remains obscure and on the fringes forever. If you're not serious about getting electoral reform FIRST, then this route will not be conducive to leftists attaining power. That's an undeniable fact. It's Duverger's law.

18/x

We couldn't get Jill Stein to 5% in 2016 with the most hated candidates ever, so the duopoly is here to stay unless we change the electoral institutions, but that will be difficult, so taking over the Ds is slow, but a faster route to securing power.

19/x

We're starting to see some movement. AOC, Ilhan, Bowman, Cori Bush, Donna Imam, etc. ... the bloc is growing. We have to learn how to more effectively wield the power we have and grow it. It's a long, frustrating process, but politics is inherently infuriating.

20/x

And that's it. I won't voter shame anyone (unless they vote for Trump, then fuck them), but I hope people understand my position. I don't want to take a chance this time even in a blue state, so I'm voting to reduce harm. You can disagree, but at least understand it.

21/x