• BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Biden did what most Democrats do in a close election and leaned left

    In a close election, and when running against an incumbent, Dems go to the center. Because that’s where the voters are.

    You’re the first person I’ve ever heard say Biden leaned left.

    • Tinidril@midwest.social
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      4 months ago

      I think you might just be a time traveler from the 90s. Everyone expected Biden to run further to the center but he did the opposite. Here is a partial list of his left leaning promises.

      • Free community college
      • Universal Pre-K
      • Student debt forgiveness
      • Double Pell Grants
      • Expand Social Security
      • Increase refugee admissions
      • Expand path to citizenship
      • Raise taxes on the wealthy
      • Raise corporate tax rate
      • Strengthen unions
      • Bring back manufacturing
      • Expand broadband access
      • Voting rights for felons
      • Eliminate mandatory minimums
      • Eliminate cash bail
      • End private detention centers
      • Decriminalize Marijuana
      • Lower cost of prescription drugs
      • $15 federal minimum wage
      • 12 weeks paid medical leave
      • 7 days paid vacation
      • Rejoin Paris Agreement
      • Green energy assistance for disadvantaged communities
      • Block new fracking
      • Offer a public option
      • Create public health jobs corps
      • Restore engagement with Cuba
      • Constitutional amendment to eliminate private funding of elections
      • Reverse transgender military ban

      The thing is, that the left-right spectrum isn’t the only axis that voters use to evaluate politicians anymore. A mich more important axis is now pro/anti establishment. Americans almost universally despise the DC establishment. Hillary represented that establishment, while Trump mocked it. Trump was a message in the form of a molotov cocktail.

    • AhismaMiasma@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      He certainly paid lip service to the left.

      Still waiting on any semblance of substantive policy regarding healthcare, student debt, income inequality, or labour rights.

      Remember when the rail workers tried to strike and R̶e̶a̶g̶a̶n̶ Biden told them to get back to work?

      Of course, this all pales in comparison to the giant genocide elephant in the room…

      • Tinidril@midwest.social
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        4 months ago

        If you are unaware of the massive changes the department of labor has made under Biden, then you don’t care all that much about unions. Biden has been great on labor issues.

        He has been forgiving student debt piecemeal to get around Republican obstruction, so far forgiving around 10%. It’s not what we want, but it’s also targeted to the people needing it most.

        Biden isn’t the leftist firebrand I want him to be, but he’s been way better than I anticipated. He is easily the furthest left president since at least Carter, though that’s a low bar.

        Unfortunately the most I can say on Palestine is that Trump would be a whole lot worse. Biden has been putting a lot more pressure on Netanyaho than he gets credit for, but that’s understandable given the rhetoric he uses publicly.