what’s really getting me is people saying being anti-genocide is a political loser. not everything is a purely political calculation—people genuinely believe in things. bowman went to israel and saw the apartheid for himself. think of how many electeds have seen the same thing and said nothing.
TBH mainstream Dems have been salivating for a wedge issue to kick progressives out of congress ever since they got in. This not only worked as that, but AIPAC was willing to spend obscene amounts to help them achieve that end.
This is the thing I keep thinking about too. Like, if there's one principle that you'd think would be held in the face of any projected consequences, "don't support a genocide" would be it.
I cannot imagine the monsters that would be pro-genocide because it's a political winner.
Actually scratch that because i see those monsters every day in our government
It also seems a lot like - being anti-genocide will not save a struggling candidate, but while it attracts AIPAC money, it doesn't turn a campaign into a fight about Israel per se.
I'm not sure; like, they were already all pretty comfortable voting for a conservative Democrat. Latimer's campaign was not focused on exploiting the political costs of Bowman's Israel positions, but just a generalized attack on him.
I know my group isn’t a representative sample but they were obsessed with Israel. I’m actually not clear on the messaging of his campaign but the messaging his supporters spewed was he’s an antisemite and the more casual observers assumed it was true. Again acknowledging this is anecdata.
Going full extremist, ridiculing journalists, promising to jail Hillary, calling all Mexicans rapists... all political losers. But. Trump won his party by being true to his terrible self. Maybe Dems should have the courage of their convictions for a change. They may accidentally win big.
