My September 2024 election reminder: ideological purity will not win you anything.
I see people on the left saying that they can't possibly vote for Harris because she's too pro-Israel, because she's too far to the right on immigration, because she's too far to the right on criminal justice, because she was a cop (she wasn't), because you think this policy or that policy is too conservative.
Not voting for her only increases the chances that we get a president who is even further to the right.
Those are our two choices. Like it or not, support the American political system or not, we have two choices, and one of them is further to the right on every single policy that you have opinions about.
So if you think Harris is too far to the right on Israel/Gaza, remember: Trump is so much further to the right. You don't like that the Biden administration is providing military aid to Israel (a thing that Harris cannot actually stop even if she wanted to, given that she's not president)? Trump has already proven, on a policy level, to be more pro-Israel. Remember when he moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, functionally acknowledging Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem? He is extremely pro-Israel and has materially proven it. Harris, on the other hand, has been calling for a cease fire since March and has recognized out loud the need for Palestinian sovereignty.
If you're wondering why she hasn't changed U.S. policy on Israel, I would like to remind you once again: she is not currently the President of the United States.
Holding on to your precious ideological purity and not voting for someone whose policies you find distasteful will not result in policies you like. It only increases the risk of policies that are so much further away from what you want.
Voting is public transportation. Voting is harm reduction. Voting is moving us a little bit closer towards the policies we want or, at the very least, keeping us from moving further and further away.
If you do want to express your disagreement about Harris's policy positions or the policy positions of any other politician who can or may represent you, a much more effective method than not voting is contacting their office or campaign.
Don't want your politicians supporting military aid to Israel? Tell their office. They do record and track those numbers.
Call them! Fill out an online form! Send a letter!
Having an issue in your state or district? Talk to constituent services!
There are existing mechanisms to express disagreement or displeasure directly to a politician's office that don't involve forfeiting your say in election results.
Amen!