# Now what should people on the left do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 6, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778 "2024-11-06T12:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/61 "2024-11-06T14:47:26Z")
> [@BorealisCooper](#): > > When somebody in a crowd mentioned Jesus Christ, Harris responded that the person was at the wrong rally. Oh for fucks sake. They were heckling/crashing her rally to be disruptive. She used it as a way to mock Trump (that his rallies were smaller). She wasn’t saying “Jesus is not welcome at my rallies” or anything like that. Take your bullshit “Christians are the real oppressed people!” bullshit the fuck out of here. > [@BorealisCooper](#): > > A lot of people consider Antifa to be a violent and anti-democratic movement. Antifa isn’t real. It’s a boogeyman that your media feeds you. Name some antifa. Who voted for them or otherwise empowers them? Because I can name the MAGA movement and point to how they operate and who funds them - since they’re real. ---
**Author:** ![BorealisCooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/db5fbb/32.png) [@BorealisCooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorealisCooper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/62 "2024-11-06T14:48:13Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Because it’s irrelevant, people like that would consider her an enemy of Christianity just for being a Democrat, and thus Satanic. No. It’s irrelevant to you, or at least you pretend it is, because winning the internet is very important. But to a lot of people it isn’t irrelevant, perhaps even to some family members that disagree with each other. And that is the entire point. Eschewing loved ones because of politics is how ignorant and unreasonable people would do. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/63 "2024-11-06T14:50:12Z")
> [@BorealisCooper](#): > > No. It’s irrelevant to you, or at least you pretend it is, because winning the internet is very important. It has nothing to do with “winning the internet”, it’s about the Christofascists thinking that everyone but them is a follower of Satan, including every last Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/64 "2024-11-06T14:51:33Z")
> [@BorealisCooper](#): > > A lot of people consider Antifa to be a violent and anti-democratic movement. So you probably …errrrr…disagree. Yes, no, maybe ? I think when the right uses the term Antifa, they use it to mean an ill-defined group of dark skinned people. It has no relation to reality. Antifa fear mongering is precisely the kind of thing that’s why I advocate cutting Trumpists out of your life. If you don’t, you have to spend a lot of time trying to counter their vague fears based on some dark skinned other. It’s exhausting trying to engage with someone who lives their life in a defensive crouch and you will never change their mind. If you keep them in your life, you just feel like a bad person for being complicit in the real harm they do. It’s not healthy. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/65 "2024-11-06T14:53:27Z")
Build a plan to cash out our family’s life here and move overseas. While here, be “Harriet Tubman” for any and all in need, be a sanctuary. Resist fascism and cruelty in every little way possible, be one of the million little cuts that can make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/66 "2024-11-06T14:53:47Z")
> [@BorealisCooper](#): > > Eschewing loved ones because of politics is how ignorant and unreasonable people would do. That’s the sort of attitude that gets people hurt when they tell themselves that a right winger will put family ties above their hate. It’s contributed to a homeless epidemic among young homosexuals who came out to their parents thinking that. You might love them, but they don’t love _you._ Or anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/67 "2024-11-06T15:02:55Z")
I assign zero weight or respect to hallucinatory beliefs, no matter how fervently they’re held. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/68 "2024-11-06T15:03:47Z")
**Now that should people on the left do?** Oooh! Oooh! I know this one! Is it, “tack even further left”? /S > [@Sigene](#): > > they should learn from this, and realize that not everybody shares their limited view of the world, and that ‘non-left’ people have legitimate issues that should be acknowledged and addressed. This is the conclusion I have been coming to. Yesterday there were some insane stats, like 72% of non college educated white men voting for Trump. I’m sorry, but if our message overwhelmingly does not resonate with these people, we cannot just shake our head at the poor dumb racists and move on. We need to understand why our messaging doesn’t work there, and adjust accordingly. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > What exactly are those legitimate issues? And how will he address them? Seriously. He won’t address them at all, of course not. So what? Does that mean we are absolved of trying to reach these people? How does that win us elections? > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Since the “legitimate issue” of the Right is their desire to see everyone else enslaved or dead, that’s pointless advice. Thank you for demonstrating precisely why we lose! ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/69 "2024-11-06T15:09:10Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Does that mean we are absolved of trying to reach these people? The Democrats have been trying to reach those people. They do have legitimate concerns about availability of jobs, housing, and healthcare. The Democrats have spent the last four years working on those very issues, and Harris had policies in her platform to continue trying to improve those very things. > [@](#): > > How does that win us elections? Apparently, it doesn’t. They should have pledged to stop all the cat-eating, and ban schools from conducting one-day trans surgeries on toddlers. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/70 "2024-11-06T15:18:02Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Does that mean we are absolved of trying to reach these people? How does that win us elections? Trying to reach them has been losing the Democrats elections for decades. It _never_ works. As for going to the left, the Democrats have been letting the Republicans drag them right, not left; also for decades. We’ve seen how well that’s worked out. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/71 "2024-11-06T15:21:33Z")
> [@BorealisCooper](#): > > Eschewing loved ones because of politics is how ignorant and unreasonable people would do. When one of the politics is aspiring to be a theocracy based on lies, misinformation, conspiracy theories and viciousness, why would you want to **not** eschew them? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/72 "2024-11-06T15:34:23Z")
Well, not sure about the left, but clearly the Democrats need to get rid of at a minimum every single political consultant who was on either the Harris or the Clinton campaign. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/73 "2024-11-06T15:35:39Z")
My wifes family is full of MAGA’s, but we see them maybe once a year. Perhaps some have changed their minds. I really don’t know. There are three couples that live on this road now. One couple hates Trump as much as I and I suspect might be moving to Ireland (duel citizenship) I will be very sorry to see them go, I consider them good friends. The other couple just moved here about two years ago. We had them over for dinner and the wife started ranting about ‘woke’ people. So I think I know where they stand. I retire in a little over a year, my biggest fear (for myself and my wife) is that Trump is going to fuck over Medicare. I suspect it’s on his ‘to do’ list. Myself, I’ll just keep plugging along and hope that Trump does not screw over health care and the economy. I work from home, so it’s a bit easier as I don’t run into random MAGA’ts > [@Stratocaster](#): > > It’s not about politics, it’s about morals. This 100%. It’s about ethics too. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/74 "2024-11-06T16:54:27Z")
Assuming there is an election in 2026 (not a given), gear up for that and any off-year elections. Brian ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/75 "2024-11-06T17:22:50Z")
> [@bmasters1](#): > > [and I’m sure MSNBC is the same way on the left, in reverse] Missed this earlier. No, this is not true. MSNBC is fact based. This sort of “both sides” thinking does a lot of damage because you’re essentially doing PR work for the worse side. Do not reflexively try to assume or justify why you appear to be unbiased because you’re assuming everything is equal. ---
**Author:** ![bmasters1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@bmasters1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmasters1)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/76 "2024-11-06T17:32:37Z")
You are absolutely right-- that is a knee-jerk reaction; I need to quit listening to FOX “News” so much. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/77 "2024-11-06T18:00:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > That assumes that it _will_ be over in 2016. Okay, so based on that, what should I do? What should my family do? What will you do? I started this thread because there are already a million others talking about potential negative consequences, and I want to know specifically if, for example, you plan to cash out investments and retirement funds to finance a revolution or move overseas or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/78 "2024-11-06T18:00:49Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Do not give up hope. Do not give in to despair. Do what you can to protect the people most at risk. This. Work out who your community is; and work with that community. Try to protect them, and hope that they’ll try to protect you. And, to whatever extent we get to vote again, show up and vote. > [@dolphinboy](#): > > I don’t believe US citizens will be rounded up and put in concentration camps based on their beliefs Oh, not immediately. You have to ease people bit by bit into locking up their neighbors, who they used to think they were friends with. They’ll start with undocumented immigrants, and work their way up bit by bit from there. (Of course, not only are those immigrants some people’s neighbors, they’re also some people’s workforce. So there may be some resistance. I don’t know that there’ll be enough.) > [@Leaper](#): > > I want to know specifically if, for example, you plan to cash out investments and retirement funds to finance a revolution or move overseas or whatever. I have no money with which to do either. I’m staying here. If they have to shoot me on my own ground, I’ll hope some of the neighbors think twice about what’s happening. Different people will make different choices about that. I’m not telling anybody not to get out – at least, anybody in high risk groups. Those of you who are moneyed and white and at least sort-of Christian and cis and straight – I wish you’d stay and help the rest of us, instead of running. > [@madmonk28](#): > > I told my sister that there have to be consequences for your fascism and the consequence is you lost a brother. > > There no discussing politics with Trumpists. Do you recommend talking politics with Nazis? What’s the point? I don’t know if you need to talk politics with them, as long as they know you don’t agree with them. But I think there’s something to be said for keeping up family and neighborly communications. It does make some – not all – people think twice when it’s somebody they think of as in some sense in their ingroups who’s being demonized. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > > That assumes that it _will_ be over in 2016. > > You know what? I had a whole passage written out about your doom and gloom attitude, but I will refrain for my own peace of mind. Have a nice day, and I’m sure you’ll have a reply about this too. It might be more or less over, or more likely significantly reduced, in 2028 (which I assume is what was meant, not 2016 which is 8 years gone already). Or it might not. How on earth can you be certain that it will? > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “I hate you and want you to suffer and die” isn’t just _any_ political opinion. I don’t think that’s actually what my relatives are thinking. I think they’re thinking, ‘the leopards won’t really eat her face. Or ours.’ > [@BorealisCooper](#): > > When somebody in a crowd mentioned Jesus Christ, Harris responded that the person was at the wrong rally. AIUI, they were shouting something else when she said that, and brought up Jesus later. I played the clip, and I couldn’t hear at all what they were shouting; only that they were shouting. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/79 "2024-11-06T18:03:27Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I don’t know if you need to talk politics with them, as long as they know you don’t agree with them. But I think there’s something to be said for keeping up family and neighborly communications. It does make some – not all – people think twice when it’s somebody they think of as in some sense in their ingroups who’s being demonized. I mean if they didn’t think twice after Trump’s first term, his attempted coup and the campaign he just ran, I think you have to accept this is who they are. And it’s not just “talking politics,” it is literal fascism. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778/80 "2024-11-06T18:04:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, so based on that, what should I do? What should my family do? What will you do? If you believed the things Der Trihs says, you certainly shouldn’t post evidence for Trump’s SS to use against you in the near future. You’d be going dark and preparing for the upcoming civil war. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-what-should-people-on-the-left-do/1009778.md?page=5)