Thread by @MNitzberg

Hey just a quick public service announcement.

Making the 2020 comversation about the online behavior of a candidates supporters mostly serves to move the conversation about bigger issues like policy and fitness for office.

#BERNIE THREAD /1

At the risk of sounding condescending I feel like there are 4 things we should ask in this primary.

1. What are your policies ?

2. Are you proposing them in good faith?

3. Will you be effective in implimenting them?

4. are you fit for office?

This needs unpacking...

.../2

So the hardest questions are 2-4.

Whether a politician is seen as operating in good faith is often tied to whether we think a politician is "authentic."

This shit is huuuuuuugely sexist and priveledges men over women.

/3

So what does good faith mean to you?

@SenSanders often makes big policy proposals to signal broad values or to move the conversation.

we probably won't pass medicare for all or free college but those might be jumping off points to enact ideologically similar stuff.

/4

@KamalaHarris and @HillaryClinton changed their stances respectively on TPP and Marijuana. But @JoeBiden changed his stance on criminal justice as well. The question is are these just policy moves to win votes or are they shifts in the grounding ideology of these candidates? /5

The difference in who gets coverage for what changes and how is super gendered. The question is do you care about these changes? Do you want a politician who's ideology is more important than public opinion or the other way around? But lets assume they aren't just lying (DJT) /6

Next question is about effectiveness.

Amy Klobuchar is by all accounts super abusive to staff.

Bernie Sanders reportedly had problems with sexism in his campaign.

Each of these could signal a dysfunctional and ineffective white house.

/7

Final question is about fitness for office.

I think that there is a threshold where a candidate needs to disavow supporters or they aren't fit for office.

DJT failed to do that with David Duke.

What about Bernie Bros on twitter?

/8

So this is a valid question.

But really, I think if it's not grounded in a discussion of whether its about Bernie being fit for office, it's just noise and its about shifting the conversation to more exciting issues which make for better media play. Thats an issue. /9

Wrapping this up.

I think everyone has to weigh these issues for themselves but I really think in this campaign we should be asking:

Does this deserve media play over a policy debate? Does this actually reflect a candidates ideology, effectiveness, or fitness to serve?

/END

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