which is my main counterpoint to the OP’s point of view since such a perspective justifies not voting for the lesser evil to send a message to Democrats that they need to field better candidates.
I don’t think this is effective. I consider the centrist messaging that progressives stayed home to “teach democrats a lesson” to be how centrists frame their unwillingness to appeal to an electorate they want to rule instead of serve.
Why would progressives stay home to “teach democrats a lesson”?
I mean, people don’t just do things for no reason at all, unless they’re crazy.
The most logical explanation is that they did it ultimately because centrists (i.e. the DNC) were unwilling to appeal to an electorate they want to ruie instead of serve.
A simple logical analysis shows that framing from “centrists” (I added quotes because they’re not in the political center, but rather are hard-right) as actually being an indirect admission of their own guilt - they did not do what politicians are supposed to do, which is appeal to the electorate, hence the electorate did not vote for them.
In Democracy the blame for politicians not being appealing to voters and hence failing to get their votes lies not with the voters, it lies with the politicians.
Sure, “centrists” and their useful idiots loudly cry that people have an obligation to vote for them, but that’s not a mindset of Democracy it’s a mindset of Autocracy.
I don’t think this is effective. I consider the centrist messaging that progressives stayed home to “teach democrats a lesson” to be how centrists frame their unwillingness to appeal to an electorate they want to rule instead of serve.
Why would progressives stay home to “teach democrats a lesson”?
I mean, people don’t just do things for no reason at all, unless they’re crazy.
The most logical explanation is that they did it ultimately because centrists (i.e. the DNC) were unwilling to appeal to an electorate they want to ruie instead of serve.
A simple logical analysis shows that framing from “centrists” (I added quotes because they’re not in the political center, but rather are hard-right) as actually being an indirect admission of their own guilt - they did not do what politicians are supposed to do, which is appeal to the electorate, hence the electorate did not vote for them.
In Democracy the blame for politicians not being appealing to voters and hence failing to get their votes lies not with the voters, it lies with the politicians.
Sure, “centrists” and their useful idiots loudly cry that people have an obligation to vote for them, but that’s not a mindset of Democracy it’s a mindset of Autocracy.