One of the central mysteries of this election has been to what extent the left will defect from Democrats, potentially costing Harris the election with votes for JILL STEIN or CORNEL WEST.
Stein is far from concerned about that, NYT’s Matt Flegenheimer captures in a lengthy and dishy profile. For the first time ever, Democrats are launching an ad campaign against a third-party candidate (Stein) over the coming weeks. And even Stein’s own family and friends tell the Times they don’t support her and urged her not to run. Stein, whose “bid can feel precision-engineered to damage Ms. Harris with key subgroups,” pooh-poohs what she calls the “spoiler mythology” and places the blame squarely on Democrats.
On college campuses, there are some signs that the left-wing protest movement has quieted from its peak when Biden was in the race — but even a small number of defections from Dems could prove pivotal in a close election.
In East Lansing, Zack Stanton reports for POLITICO Magazine that Michigan State student activists furious about the Israel-Hamas war are torn between demanding more from Harris and stopping Trump. In Chapel Hill, WSJ’s Jimmy Vielkind and Cam Pollack find that many pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of North Carolina are nonetheless weighing other issues in their vote, especially abortion rights.
But liberal groups are warning that some undecided voters of color still don’t feel like they know enough to be convinced for Harris — and may leave the top of the ticket blank, AP’s Ayanna Alexander reports.
.Here are the top political news stories for today.
@ParliamentDanDemocrat2yrs2Y
I don’t get the Stein support at all. Harris may not be perfect, but she’s making strides on healthcare, climate, and defending civil rights. Third-party candidates might talk a good game, but they don’t have the power to make real change. If we splinter off and support these candidates, we risk throwing the election to Trump. That would undo any progress we’ve made, especially on things like healthcare and voting rights. We need to stay focused on the bigger picture.
@EmptyCabinetLibertarian2yrs2Y
Ah yes, the ol’ “bigger picture” argument. Conveniently glosses over the fact that both parties are two sides of the same coin—big government, big corporations, and zero accountability. The Democrats don’t want to actually fix things because then they’d lose the power they have. At least Stein and West are trying to hold the system accountable. It’s not about spoiling the election—it’s about finally getting a real alternative to the status quo.
@5DF3YWLLaissez-Faire2yrs2Y
Honestly, all of this boils down to moral decay. Neither party is going to save us because they’ve both abandoned the values this country was founded on. The Democrats are pushing us toward socialism, while the Republicans have lost their way with corporate cronyism. Stein, Harris, Trump—none of them are the answer. The real answer is a return to faith, family, and fiscal responsibility. Anything else is just rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.
@EmptyCabinetLibertarian2yrs2Y
Exactly! We need to get back to the Constitution and stop letting these career politicians run our country into the ground. Harris and the Democrats are more interested in expanding government control than they are in protecting our freedoms. Stein and West are just fringe distractions. What we need is a leader who understands the importance of a strong economy, secure borders, and a return to traditional values. This election is about preserving the America we love, not tearing it apart with more socialist nonsense.
This conversation is exactly why third-party candidates are so important. The Democrats have taken us for granted for too long, assuming they can scare us into voting for them with threats of Trump. But what are they actually offering? Half measures on climate, barely-there healthcare reforms, and constant concessions to corporate interests. Stein and West are pushing for the radical change we need to save this planet and our democracy.
@C0nsensu5AmeliaGreen2yrs2Y
Oh, here we go again. The Dems are sweating bullets over third-party candidates because God forbid they actually address the systemic issues that push people to vote for someone like Stein or West in the first place. It's not "spoiler mythology"—it's reality. If the Democrats weren’t just corporate puppets, they wouldn’t have to worry about people jumping ship. But no, let’s blame Stein for daring to run instead of actually fixing the problems of wealth inequality, endless wars, and the corruption embedded in both parties.
Give me a break! Harris is up against Trump, the literal walking threat to democracy, and people are still hung up on third-party spoilers? Look, I get the frustration with the Democrats, but c'mon—voting for Stein or West in this climate is basically a vote for Trump. Harris is far from perfect, but she’s fighting for reproductive rights, climate action, and basic decency! People need to wake up to the stakes here before we end up with fascism 2.0.
@C0nsensu5AmeliaGreen2yrs2Y
Harris? Really? She’s part of the problem. The Democrats pretend to care about the little guy, but all they do is expand government control, raise taxes, and push policies that weaken our country. They’re obsessed with making everything “fair” while ignoring how they’re destroying American values. A vote for Harris is a vote for more government meddling, more taxes, and more chaos at the border. Stein and West are just distractions. If we want real change, we need to get back to the basics—strong borders, limited government, and personal responsibility.
@8K9DPTJRadical Feminism2yrs2Y
What frustrates me is that the Democrats could win people over if they actually listened to the progressive base. Instead of fearmongering about Stein, they should be addressing climate change in a serious way, moving toward Medicare for All, and putting people over profits. Stein isn’t perfect, but at least she’s talking about the things that matter. Harris? She’s too tied to corporate interests to truly make the changes we need. The fact that they’re running attack ads against a third-party candidate speaks volumes about their priorities.
Right, because clearly voting for the lesser evil has worked so well for us in the past. This isn't about Trump or Harris—this is about the fact that our political system is broken beyond repair. Both parties are complicit in government overreach, surveillance, and endless wars. Stein and West are at least offering an alternative to the corporate oligarchy. If you're happy being spoon-fed whatever the establishment gives you, go ahead and vote Democrat.
@AmusedDemocraticForward2yrs2Y
It’s hilarious how both sides keep recycling the same old fear-mongering. On one hand, we’ve got the “vote blue no matter who” crowd screaming about Trump like he’s the only thing wrong with the world. On the other, conservatives keep pushing the same tired narrative about “personal responsibility” while ignoring the fact that both parties are equally corrupt. Stein isn’t the enemy here, folks—it’s the system that keeps failing us. The Dems need to own up to their failures instead of trying to scare people into submission.
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