Politics again, sorry. Also, I'm sorry for saying "fuck" and variations thereof so many times.

In retrospect, it's the most predictable thing in the world that the Democratic Party would coalesce around Joe Biden. I don't think there's much currency in blaming some shadowy "establishment;" obviously, Biden did have institutional help, but the voters voted for him all by themselves, so here we are.

Really, what's to blame is the garbage fake concept of "electability." We have a dismal fucking track record of electing candidates no one is excited about because they're "electable," but hey--maybe this time it'll work! And, hey, lest I be accused of buying into the concept myself, let me note here that I'm mostly serious: it really might. People compare Biden to Clinton in terms of being a centrist candidate that no one really likes, but you can't just leave the fact that the right spend twenty-five years projecting their psychopathologies onto Clinton. That, uh, makes a difference. And in any case, it's entirely possible that there's enough rage against Trump and his hideous slime beasts currently befouling the nation that literally anyone you choose would beat him. It's possible, and one also has to admit that Trump's defeat would be SUCH a profound relief that I'd even be glad on some level to see someone as profoundly inadequate as Biden in there. He'd do some things I'd like! I'm not denying it!

And I mean, hey, on the one hand, he's better than Michael Bloomburg. There's a low bar to cross. On the other hand, he effusively accepted his endorsement while talking about how wonderful Bloomburg is. Which is to say: he barely fucking crossed it, and it really tells you all you need to know about whether he'd even make the most token fucking efforts to dismantle the capitalist system that's poisoning the country and the world. I mean really, let's be honest, even Sanders' stated policies aren't really adequate for the task, but Biden. Ha! I bitterly LAUGH in your general direction!

The temptation is just oh so goddamn fucking strong to say "oh, you chose this incredibly insipid candidate who doesn't remotely speak to my own politics because you think he's 'electable,' did you? Well! You clearly know best! And in that case, given how fucking electable he is, you clearly don't need my swing-state vote! Have fun! I sure hope there are no massive, fundamental flaws in your idea of 'electability!'" GOD that would feel good. And...I'd never do it because I'm a better fucking person than Joe Biden and the people who expect me to vote for him in spite of the fact that we could've had a good candidate whom I actually like. Goddamit. You don't have to TELL me: I am perfectly cognizant that, regardless of the medium- and long-term problems that will arise, the most important thing right here right now is to defeat Trump, and that even Joseph Goddamn Biden would--will, let's be optimistic, I suppose--be a massive improvement.  People who say that there are no differences between the candidates are delusional, or even who try to downplay them: there are differences, and they are extremely substantial.  You can admit that.  Also, say what you will about ol' Joe: he's clearly capable of emotions other than rage, resentment, and self-pity, which, you know, by itself is enough. So there's that.

But goddamnit, this is how THEY ALWAYS GET YOU. They give you bad candidates and you have to vote for them because the alternative is way, way worse. That fucking sucks, and I don't know what to do about it. Because they really do have you. There are no flaws in their logic.  I mean, I don't think that they consciously planned for it to be this way, I'm not insane, probably, and they certainly didn't force the Republican Party to be so profoundly evil so that they have to do so little to look good by comparison, but still, here we are. Sure, you can say, fuck you, I'm not voting for your corporate candidate, but please tell me ONE TIME that's actually helped anything. It never has and never will. If we were less ethical people, we might not vote for him. But we are what we are. What a paradox.