Late but here’s my model of the situation. Sort of a WIP and very new but a /gen effortpost, so I welcome thoughts:

It’s individualism versus collectivism. The collectivist understands intimately the function of working together for the protection and future of the group. There is no doubt in her mind about the practical nature of her actions because she can see them play out in her community. The individualist, by contrast, operates solo; everything for him is about your vote, your candidate. This leads to a divide between the individualist and the material outcomes of his actions. This gap—this absence of practicality, we might call it—leaves a vacuum where symbolism can enter. This becomes a problem not when symbolism is simply encountered by the individualist, but when the symbol becomes the act, when the vote becomes a kind of personal expression, and any thought for collective consequences falls by the wayside.

“Ordinarily,” if we imagine such a thing exists, these two identities intermix and act in a complex and altogether non-problematic way; I don’t wish to imply that individualism is simply “bad” while collective action is “good.” For example, concepts of individualism are fundamental to advancing human rights to consent and bodily autonomy.

However, the setting and background of your question is the USA, a country with deep, deep historical ties to white supremacist, capitalist, colonialist, even fascist values, all of which hold the individual as intrinsic over the collective. The result is that hyperindividualism is catastrophically rooted in the heart of U.S. society—even in progressive and leftist spaces!

So, when you see a pro-Palestinian proclaim abstention or that they voted third party, you are witnessing the complex outcome of genuine compassion intermingled with the values instilled by white supremacy and individualism. And so you hear the phrase, “I just can’t in good conscience vote for XYZ.” To degrees varying between people, the vote loses its material value and becomes nothing more than a symbolic moral statement.

This doesn’t mean the leftist non-voter is a white supremacist, of course! Rather, it’s that they have been deeply affected by the presence of those values in their cultural context and have not yet had the opportunity or experience with group frameworks to question their assumptions and reassert the significant importance of collectivism.

So, in conclusion, the unnuanced TLDR is “because America is a racist capitalist hellhole.” The good news I conclude from this, though, is that collectivism can be learned and promoted. Cultural values are definitely not static, and perhaps with education, support, and time, mindsets among leftists can be shifted to better support the whole of the community.

OP asked for a steelman but good try

bro is just afraid that it won’t be an ez W for MAGA now, and OP is capitulating to that fear

like do we live in a democratic republic or not? the idea that a candidate who isn’t even nominated yet can’t be replaced is laughable and should be attacked at all fronts, not given lip service.

ah my bad. don’t have an answer to that question at this time.

i mean i’ve been ignoring Biden’s garbage capitulation to the false framing that immigrants are doing crime and rapes en masse and that this is a serious concern.

i’m gonna ignore it into the future but i’ve been ignoring it too.

Trump will visibly age on stage like Palpatine from the absolute roasting Harris would do to him

Harris 2024 babyyyyy

article author is tragically misinformed, everyone knows it’s wiiings that redbull gives you

1 bread

harris but im still hoping for pritzker 🤤

do you think that if a democratic candidate drops out that no one will replace them lmao

please please please (x5) (refrain) please please, yes please, (return to chorus) (bridge) please sir please (return to chorus x2)

she conflict on my interest until i return 700%

proof that the american dream is real and yall just need to level up your skills 🤷‍♀️

_/s

also real life doesn’t usually have unsquare rugs or gas pumps indoors

ai

i mean i definitely know it’s satire. they do a good job of that. i just don’t know if their all caps words and exclamation marks are characterization or just how they prefer to type.

trying to figure out if your account has a carefully picked stylistic choice or if u just talk like that

donald trump if he was a horned ram

there isn’t even a joke here lmao it’s just some pretty lukewarm concept associations