Obama's comments appear in a new video supporting Gavin Newsom's Proposition 50 which would allow the California legislature to draw new congressional boundaries ahead of the midterms

Barack Obama has entered the political fray ahead of November's special election in California, accusing Republicans of attempting to "rig the next election" in a new ad backing Governor Gavin Newsom's Proposition 50, a ballot measure that could reshape the state's congressional map.

"Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years," Obama says in the 30-second ad, urging voters to approve the proposal. "You can stop Republicans in their tracks."

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 127 points 10 months ago (31 children)
  • [–] 100 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    They also rigged the last election, and every election for several decades.

    If all of the Geriatric Old Pedophiles various attempts at election fraud were prosecuted the US wouldn't be a failing fascist state today.

    "Purging" voters, "gerrymandering", etc are morally and ethically no different than election fraud; you've already chosen treason against democracy.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • load more comments (30 replies)
    [+] 66 points 10 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (17 children)
  • [–] 24 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    AOC is my top choice, but I know everybody has a million reasons why America wouldn't elect her as president.

    But, I had this thought the other day, and I know this is nobody's dream team, but possibly the odd couple situation that just might work. Am I crazy for thinking a Pritzker-AOC ticket might actually have a decent chance?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 20 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    The Pritzkers are literally the billionaire family of the Hyatt hotel chain fortune. They are, if anything, one part of the problem with the democratic establishment. If you want there to be zero change in society when it comes to taxing the wealthy to create social safety nets, JB is your guy.

    Realistically there is zero chance that an actual progressive and a Pritzker could ever function on one ticket. Thats like Bernie running with Bezos, it makes no sense

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 19 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    Pritzker is a guy who comes from money but actually does try and govern for the people. I live in Illinois and he did a bang up job for COVID, is actively doing things to try and fight/resist ICE and shows up in person to talk to the people, has signed vaccination protections to law, he helped to get stalled projects (like road repairs) going, he’s helped with education funding and requiring homeschooling to have more standards, and more.

    Yeah, he’s not perfect but he’s at least one who fucking fights for the people and is trying to find ways to make things better for us in Illinois. I truly believe he would do the same on a national level.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago

    Definitely among the top five people that should be president. AOC is my first pick, but I would be alright with Pritzker too. Newsom is vaguely acceptable, in the sense that he at least has the ability to lead and isn't a complete idiot. I guess he would at #10.

  • source
  • parent
  • load more comments (3 replies)
  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    So the argument most people seem to focus on regarding AOC is that she's too far left, especially in terms of economics. If we could have an actual progressive VP, I would hope we could logically then actually have a progressive as a president.

    Pritzker may be from a wealthy family, and not be extremely progressive in terms of economics, but several of his economic policies seem more progressive than a lot of establishment Democrats. They would be an odd couple, but might offset each other enough to make a good team and cast a wide net.

    He raised minimum wage in his state to $15 an hour back in 2019, he passed a law to protect collective bargaining, and he passed a graduated tax law that didn't make people making $250K or less pay more in taxes.

    I would say the least likeable trait, and probably the thing that would make their pairing least likely, would be his unwillingness to call for the ceasefire in Israel until October of 2024 (which sadly is still a better track record than a lot of establishment Dems).

    It's also worth noting that he apparently funded his own campaign for governor with his own wealth, and that could make him less beholden to big donors like many establishment Dems.

    I also think he and AOC are two of the few politicians who could really mop the floor with the MAGA narrative control bullshit, and their individual strengths and differences could make them more difficult to target with typical narrative control attacks.

  • source
  • parent
  • load more comments (16 replies)
    [+] 30 points 10 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (15 children)
  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago (19 children)

    This is a great example of "the left" being manipulated to turn on itself. Newsom ain't great but he is better than anything my former party Republicans put forth. If he makes it through the primaries, please for the love of Satan vote for him in the general. If Republicans win again it's completely over. If I were still one I'd be completely OK with so many worse things happening. Be more scared of what is yet to come than a groveling centrist like Newsom.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 20 child comments
  • load more comments (18 replies)
  • load more comments (13 replies)
    [–] 22 points 10 months ago

    They are actively shaping the electoral environment. They don't just want to, they are actively preparing to do so.

  • source
  • [–] 21 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I’ve been watching republicans do illegal things my entire life. Nobody has ever stopped them

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [+] 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (10 children)
    load more comments (10 replies)
    [–] 11 points 10 months ago

    So they're finally acknowledging it.

  • source
  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago

    Rig the next one? Like they already haven’t done that before. Just ask Elon.

  • source
  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    When are you going to endorse Zohran and new bloods of couragous young democrats trying to reshape the party?

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • load more comments (1 reply)
    [–] 8 points 10 months ago

    I swear... if Trump lasts past 2028, I'm gonna lose my shit

  • source
  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago
    [–] 8 points 10 months ago (1 child)
    load more comments (1 reply)
    [–] 8 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Quit trying to make Newsome happen

    It's really fucking tone deaf to push a Zionist in the face of cratering support for Israel among Democratic voters.

    But then the Democratic party has a history of being tone deaf, like Biden picking Kamala "top cop" Harris for vp during the height of the George Floyd protests.

    Biden won, but these stunts often fail.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    If someone isn't capable of making the easy call to be against genocide, then they absolutely can't be trusted to be defenders of democracy.

    We gotta quit pretending it's about this one issue or that one issue. Over and over again we see that there are politicians committed to fighting for what's right, and there are politicians who aren't. That's it. That's the line. The politicians that sell out to AIPAC are selling out to big tech, to Wall Street, to the military industrial complex, etc.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago

    Yes, Obama, who was okay, bombing people in the middle east, many of which were innocent, doesn't care about the, innocent people, in the US.

    If they care, they should be in the front line protesting the shit show of the ICE. They are the one that cannot be touch by Trump and his government. He is the one who doesn't fear losing his life nor does he fear losing his income.

    These people are out of touch, they hope Trump do as much damage so they can get voted in without the need to listen to their voters.

    It is like a divorce kid, where both parents are abuser. One of which doesn't abuse you as much as knows that the other is worst.

    People and Unions should break this abusive cycle.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago

    Lets not forget Obama (in-part) paved the way for the shit we're in now

  • source
  • load more comments
    view more: next ›