this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2026
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Some people out there seem to be confused, but I always vote in every local and every national election for every office and every ballot initiative since I was 18 years old. Some of my greatest civil rights heroes have fought and died so that we can all vote and I honor their memory in the ballot box every single time. 

To some of us, especially those of us like myself who have been scheduling secretaries for US senators, it often seems like a morally reprehensible choice between compromised corporate Democrats and fascist-minded Republicans. Where I live in California, I have the luxury of voting my conscience for president for third-party candidates that better align with my ideas of justice and equality. 

But in any and every contested race, as my mom Mary Morello always said, we have to fight the fascist every which way we can, recognizing that even if there's but an inch of difference between two candidates, there are a lot of vulnerable people who could be greatly harmed in that inch. So vote your ass off, but don't just exercise your right to vote. Exercise your right to fight for, organize for, struggle for, and manifest the kind of world you'd like to really see without compromise and without apologies before, during, and after election day. And let's stop the fascists every which way we can. Power the people.

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[–] CharlesDarwin1809@piefed.world 156 points 2 weeks ago (29 children)

But in any and every contested race, as my mom Mary Morello always said, we have to fight the fascist every which way we can, recognizing that even if there's but an inch of difference between two candidates, there are a lot of vulnerable people who could be greatly harmed in that inch. So vote your ass off

I think this is reasonable. A "corporate Democrat", even if bad, can be better than a Republican in many cases. The Democrat might end up being less bad, for lots of disadvantaged people, than a Republican would be. These aren't ideal choices to make, but you have to deal with reality as it is.

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[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 97 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I hate this title - it’s a bit misleading with respect to the point he’s making.

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 54 points 2 weeks ago

It honestly seems downright disingenuous, as though the author of the article wanted to make a "both sides" article but then realized Tom isn't a fucking moron.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 18 points 2 weeks ago

A bit? Fuckers.

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

It's like the exact opposite of the article content.

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[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 63 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (16 children)

Dude is my personal hero and he's showing why again here.

He's doing exactly the right thing. Voting Democrat when the only alternative is a Repugnican who WILL hurt more people than the Corpocrat, but always, always and with all his power trying to move things to the left of corporate Democrats whenever he can without hurting vulnerable people.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

It pains me that the kids these days don't have similar idols. Like Kneecap is righteous, but they're not RATM playing a show on wall street despite being told they cannot play a show on wall street.

Icons.

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[–] adjectivenoun@lemmy.world 59 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Tom Morello lives in California.

You don't.

Vote strategically, dumbasses.

[–] mcv@lemmy.zip 34 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is the vital detail. By all means vote your conscience if you live in a safe state. And his criticism of conservative Democrats is entirely justified.

But if you live in a battleground state, please do whatever you can to block Republicans, even if it requires holding your nose.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago

Even in battleground states, you can vote in primaries, for school boards etc. If the choice comes down to a corporate shill vs. a Nazi, you should always vote against the Nazi, of course, even if the alternative is also unpalatable.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, he even explicitly makes that clear. It's a pretty good take.

[–] zqps@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And educate people on ranked-choice voting.

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[–] UpAndAtThem@lemmy.world 39 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

This is a pretty good response. I wish there was more focus on that 'inch of space' and who gets harmed, and less on the disappointing sock puppet figureheads.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

He does have a PhD from Harvard for poli sci. I would be surprised if he couldn't put together a decent response. I've been surprised before though...

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[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 34 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I see it's time to purity test Rage Against the Fucking Machine!

This is straight up conservative hit piece propaganda. The dude is a Harvard educated pol sci master, maybe if he says one single thing you disagree with, listen to what the cunt is saying.

They're trying to just throw whatever little piece of shit they can on him so they can go- "hey, this guy disagrees with you on one point of all the thousand things you are both in FULL agreement of. See? Everything he says is fake."

GTFO of here with this mainstream media psyop diarrhea.

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[–] GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 22 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Seems reasonable to me. God knows no one in Pennsylvania has been any better off for voting John Fetterman. Play the game as best you can with the cards you have, and fold when that's the right choice, and then work to make the game function better through organizing and other means.

[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

You think Dr. Oz would have been better? I have my doubts.

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's a ridiculous assertion. Dr. Oz would obviously have been worse. As terrible as Fetterman is, Oz would have been in full lockstep with Trump and the Senate would be under even firmer control of the GOP right now. Trump could have been more successful legislatively if they had another Senator to make winning votes easier. If nothing else, it would have provided another seat they could use to let Senators like Collins and Murkowski do their performative BS on more votes so its easier for them to win re-election.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

People don't realize that Fetterman votes with Democrats 90% of the time. That's a lot better than having a Trump sycophant in that seat.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago

This is the answer.

Fetterman makes me want to punch my walls. But still better than something like Oz.

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[–] ech@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (8 children)

There is no "folding" in life. There is no walking away. You can abstain from giving specific input, but you are still subject to and share responsibility for the results. What is needed is people that push to have the best possible choice for a given election and will vote for the best choice available. Doing only one is not enough.

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[–] wide_eyed_stupid@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Holy hell, misleading title, JFC.

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[–] Squirrelanna@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 2 weeks ago

But in any and every contested race, as my mom Mary Morello always said, we have to fight the fascist every which way we can, recognizing that even if there's but an inch of difference between two candidates, there are a lot of vulnerable people who could be greatly harmed in that inch. So vote your ass off, but don't just exercise your right to vote. Exercise your right to fight for, organize for, struggle for, and manifest the kind of world you'd like to really see without compromise and without apologies before, during, and after election day. And let's stop the fascists every which way we can. Power the people.

He did not vote for Harris. He said he was lucky enough to not have to. Then quotes his mother advocating for harm reduction if you do not have that same luck with your vote.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Those 2 or 3 DNC glazing posters on Lemmy: “sO yOuRe a FaScIsT tHeN.”

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I've seen those.

I'm sure I've been called those, but my point is two-fold:

  1. Act BEFORE the general election to support better candidates
  2. But when the choice is between lesser-evil and greater-evil, NOT voting for lesser-evil IS VOTING FOR GREATER EVIL. That's not opinion, it's simple math.

If the only thing someone does with politics is refrain from voting in the general election, they absolutely are supporting fascism. If the only thing someone does is vote in the general election, they are not supporting progressive candidates if their only option is between a fascist and an establishment Democrat.

You must act BEFORE the primary to support who you want to SEE in the primary. Vote for the best option. In the general, vote for the least-bad option. Not doing those things supports the greater evil of fascist.

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[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Anytime a left-wing person talks about being disappointed with their lesser-of-two-evil options, people get all up in arms about the idea that we owe the Democratic Party our fealty.

Nobody owes anyone anything, but when given the choice between a fascist who wouldn't mind seeing me dead vs. an establishment Democrat who doesn't mind if I manage to survive just as long as the oligarchs get their tax breaks, I'll go with the one who doesn't want to actively take away my human rights every time, if for no other reason that it's the better choice at that point.

So what the fuck are you doing BEFORE the general election? Or are you blowing the entire process off and then feeling smug about not voting for the lesser-of-two-evil THEREBY HELPING THE GREATER EVIL WIN.

[–] hraegsvelmir@ani.social 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (8 children)

Or, and I realize this is a big ask for idiots captured by the Democratic machine, you could spend two minutes to read the actual article and realize that he takes into account that he's voting in a state that so reliably swings to the Democrats that his vote is negligible when he says he didn't vote for Kamala. You people would rather twist yourselves into knots rather than realize that you fielded a shit candidate and actually acknowledge that you should do better next time.

No, it's not you who's wrong when your base says they can't vote for you, it's your constituents who must be wrong, no matter the circumstances.

He also addresses the need to take action between presidential elections, for all the dumbasses who just go "He no vote Kamala, downvote the evil person."

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[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Well it's fine that he didn't vote for shit Democrats but honestly wish he would have been this outspoken DURING the campaign, when it mattered, instead of now.

Notwithstanding but FFS, organize and make the statement during the election for not voting for crappy candidates.

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[–] jaykrown@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

Given the plurality voting system, voting Democrat is the only meaningful way to take power away from the Republican fascists.

You can vote third party all you want in the PRIMARIES. When it comes to the general, you vote Democrat or you're helping the fascists.

[–] korazail@eviltoast.org 7 points 2 weeks ago

Also, don't stop at the primary. You can be part of your local organization and help choose the people in the primaries. As well as improve the local government.

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