“I don’t think the government gets to have a say about what health care is provided in what circumstances and why.”
Attaboy, this is EXACTLY the message. And, speaking from experience, it throws conservatives right on their asses.
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“I don’t think the government gets to have a say about what health care is provided in what circumstances and why.”
Attaboy, this is EXACTLY the message. And, speaking from experience, it throws conservatives right on their asses.
He also had one of the most incredible comebacks I've ever seen to the "mutilating children" bullshit; "Are you circumcised?"
For the record, circumcision on children (without a medical necessity) should absolutely be illegal.
Not arguing with that, there's definitely a clear consent issue there. But calling out the hypocrisy is still highly effective.
Because here's the thing; it's the "mutilation" that gets a visceral response from voters. Most Americans are not actually going to respond all that well to discussions of consent around children's bodies because they still fundamentally do not see children as having bodily autonomy.
This deranged fantasy story about evil Democrats transing your kids is effective because it's about transing your kids. Only you get to do that. The child is not actually important, they're just property that's being vandalized.
By pointing out the obvious disconnect, Sayed takes the entire conversation to a very uncomfortable place. What was an easy rhetorical ground to occupy - mutilating children would be objectively bad - suddenly becomes much more difficult when you have to explain why some mutilation is OK. That's exactly why the transing kids attack is normally so effective; because dems fall into the trap of either saying "It's not happening" (people believe it is, and that's enough for them), or saying, basically, that this mutilation is acceptable. That's not the position we're taking, obviously, but it sounds like the position we're taking to them.
Shutting down the line of attack entirely is often more effective. You don't have to play fair with people who aren't arguing in good faith.
He's a baller in interviews.
Also: I like how he uses his look.
I want to be clear: I don't think every candidate should try and look like a macho tough guy. But I think everyone should find their look and lean into it. And his happens to be a flawless visual performance of traditional masculinity.
Which makes it so satisfying to watch when people try and put him off his game with fearmongering over evolving gender norms, and this absolute chad just dunks on them about what losers they look like when they insist on creating a lists of state-approved genitals.
I wish him so much success tomorrow, but regardless of the outcome he's done amazing things in the campaign, and he's going to be a force in American politics either way.
Reminds me of a fun moment from back when I was still on Facebook, a decade or longer ago:
During a political discussion about something else entirely, an American right wing nut job blurted out something about Scandinavia "being overrun by Muslims because of all Scandinavian men being low testosterone weaklings".
Heinous bigotry, I know. But here's the fun part: I, being a Danish guy born and raised in Denmark with very masculine features including an impressive full beard (who happens to be a far left pacifist internationalist) just said "both my nationality and profile picture of my own face are public" and that was enough to shut his vile white supremacist Islamophobic tirade down 😁
I remember how they used to air The World's Strongest Man competition on ESPN 2 way back in the day, and all of the best competitors were Danish (and other Scandinavians).
Like every time.
Man, I remember that. Those dudes were massive. Look like they could bear hug trees and rip them out of the ground.
People (particularly, young men) have been so inundated with propaganda, that we need to have some visible people on the left who come off as traditionally masculine.
It's stupid, but right now it's necessary unfortunately.
I saw him do this. Epic. The smug prick who asked him about it acted like he won some kind of gotcha but it was totally a self own. Amazing.
"Aren't you guys the ones always rallying around the 'small government' ideal? I'm just walking the walk while you keep talking the talk."
Protecting human rights really is that easy. Anti trans folks always gotta twist themselves into pretzels for their ideology, making endless carveouts and caveats to justify their bigotry. It's the same thing with abortion rights, gay rights, immigrant rights, or anything else reactionary thinking attacks.
my daughter and i saw him in a small room at msu when he first began campaigning for governor. i was very impressed with him from the start. not just the fact that he had well thought out, wonky answers to difficult problems, but also because he really seemed to have a big heart. i've voted for him three times now. feeling good about his chances against oxy mike.
Please win
If the polls are any indication he should win by double digits.
the last ten years is example enough as to why you cannot trust pre-election polls.
Eh I’ve been through a few of these in Michigan and I’d wager the margin is a tight 1% for either candidate
I don’t just expect Wayne county to show up big and Oakland county will probably not help much.
Would love to be wrong though!
Not quite double digit margin but your prediction was a lot closer than mine! People did show up
I’m getting worried that the fix might be in in Michigan. I don’t think they can cheat hard enough everywhere to avoid the wave, but they might just hate him enough to risk it in Michigan.
AIPAC money already turned his primary opponent. The right is terrified of a reasonable voice in the senate from an “other” demographic showing people that Muslims are actually good people who might even care about them more than the white power network that they’ve voted for for decades, which has never actually done anything to help them in their economic struggles.
Talarico elicits the same fear in Texas from a different angle.
AIPAC money already turned his primary opponent
I suspect she's been turned for a long time.
Definitely. They're like money sucking vampires.
The lives of conservatives (including neoliberal journalists) are valueless. Completely valueless.
Any biological body can be used to make compost. Unrelated, I just felt like talking about organic farming.