American gen Z voters share how they feel about Kamala Harris’s presidential bid, why they like or dislike her as a candidate and whether they think she could beat Donald Trump, as the vice-president races towards winning the Democratic nomination for November’s election.
‘I think she’s just what we need’
“I think [Kamala Harris] is the only one that makes sense. She will get the votes Biden couldn’t. She could get the Black, Asian, Latino, women’s, LGBTQ+ and youth votes. She stands more for progress and equality than an old white dude and if she wins it will be historic. The Democrats need a bold move and I think she’s just what we need.
“I hope the Democrats realize what an opportunity this is for them.” Will, 22, construction worker from Portland, Oregon
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That’s because their party reflects their voters’ will. More than two-thirds of Democrats said that they didn’t want Joe Biden for a second term, but they forced him through the nomination process anyway, without any challenge or debate. Meanwhile, the Republican party elites didn’t want Trump on 2016 or 2024, but when their voters chose him, they accepted it. They didn’t make back room deals with the other candidates to make Jeb the nominee, like the Democrats did for Biden.
I honestly think it’s more accurate to say Republican voters reflect their party’s will (or more accurately Trump’s will). Trump can say and do anything and Maga voters will fall in line behind him no matter what. Even if what he says or does goes against what Republicans have historically been in favor of. Like when he sunk Nafta for his own terrible plan. He runs a cult of personality and the republican party had to either nominate him or be abandoned by their enflamed base.
Dems should have absolutely nominated Bernie. But if Bernie started spouting hateful rhetoric like Trump does he wouldn’t have a base anymore.
No. It isn’t. And no, it doesn’t.
They vote no matter what. They vote even if they hate the candidate. Even if they hate the platform. They vote out of a sense of moral obligation that progressives entirely lack.
Their party works against their interests. I know it, you know it, and anyone who looks at it critically for half a second knows it. And yet they still vote.
There was that interesting research ten years back about the pillars of conservative and progressive morality. I seem to recall conservatives having five nearly universal core values, while progressives had only three of those. Conservatives value tradition and loyalty on an equal level with eg fairness and truth. Liberals still value tradition and loyalty, but they are not core values, and so things like truth take a higher priority. Conservatives literally don’t care about the facts when they feel like their loyalty is tested.
I didn’t say their party reflects their interests, I said it reflects their will. Sure, the Republican policies screw over the working class, but Republican voters want candidates that will blame their problems on welfare recipients and immigrants, and they get it. They want religious zealots who will merge religion and government, and they get it. They want regressive social policies, and they get them. Meanwhile, Democratic voters ask for universal healthcare and get Mitt Romney’s healthcare plan. They want the BBB plan, with universal pre-K and the expanded child tax credit, and they get an infrastructure deal.
Republicans tell their politicians what they want, and their politicians go out and get it, or at least try. Democrats tell their politicians what they want, and their politicians tell them why they can’t have it. That’s why turnout is different.
We have lots of research on this subject. I am not stating personal opinions. This is the reason that voter disenfranchisement favours conservative voters.
Voter disenfranchisement? As in, laws that restrict voting? Then which is it? Progressives don’t show up or progressives are disenfranchised?
You guys are both right. Democrats ignore progressives to their detriment, and republicans line up dutifully to elect people who that truly represent who they are (i.e. hate-filled war mongers that want to punish women, minorities, LGBT, and democrats for being different).