Reminder that Booker is an enthusiastic genocide supporter who has pushed hard for anti-bds laws. He also very bad on plenty of other areas such as miltoquste climate policy and support for bombing Yemen. Don't champion him because of performative nonsense.

[+] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

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[–] electricyarn@lemmy.world 53 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It's more action than Schumer, rewarding improvements and all that

[+] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

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[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Talking is the only power Democrats have. At least he's doing something.

[+] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

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[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)

What exactly should they be doing instead?

[–] bluedye@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Doing anything when it matters like a couple of weeks ago. This is grandstanding and they will learn the wrong lesson. I get that we want something anything to hold on to but what it is this even accomplishing? Signaling they might do something? When? next time?

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Booker wasn't on the committee so had no power to keep it from coming to vote. Schumer was. That was his failure.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 months ago

well. let's tell them we don't want it to be a one off. at every moment we must use the levers of power that we have to move ourselves into a better moment of tomorrow. you and i, we don't have power in congress to deny, delay, and depose trump. but if everyone in the senate who even pretends to be for us started acting like Cory Booker just did, that could get us… not necessarily somewhere, but it would buy us time. that's the name of the game right now. slow trump down, build up our own strength on the margins, and slowly get in position to turn the whole thing upside down. making Booker the leader isn't the fix all, but it's something. it's a step. it's part of an overall system of resistance

[–] Wuorg 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I think the sentiment expressed in the OP is exactly why he decided to do this now. It didn't do anything material, not really no, but what it did do was skyrocket Booker's name as a possible replacement for the widely hated Schumer. People are begging for someone to replace Schumer, this is Booker throwing his hat into the ring.

Whether or not the Dems will learn the right lesson from all this remains to be seen...but given their track record, I hope you'd forgive me for being skeptical of that.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Teaching the Dems how to be a political party feels like training an incredibly stupid dog.

"Yes, good job! You gave a very long speech that didn't block anything! Yes, who's a good political establishment!"

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Uh huh... So what are you doing?

[–] Scranulum@lemm.ee 6 points 2 months ago

It is a message to the GOP that democrats are willing to filibuster. I believe that's the long and short of it.

I can see why you would view it as grandstanding, though. I'm suspicious myself. Didn't one of Bookers staffers just get arrested for carrying a gun around the Capitol while Booker escorted him past security? I'm pretty sure he got arrested right before Booker's speech too.

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Dude, stood up for over 27 hours giving a speech. That's not grandstanding.

[–] Jessica@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 months ago

It was 25 hours and 5 minutes actually

[–] Donjuanme@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Unless you go by the definition of grandstanding.... It was a bit more than soap boxing

[–] whostosay@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

The fact that it just takes one day for everyone to lose their minds over this dude is wild. We're done.

[–] vvilld 7 points 2 months ago

I'd rather Bernie be Minority Leader...

[–] Donjuanme@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

He will have support until the slightest miss step, then "Democrats" will lambast him and toss him out without a second thought.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago

Almost like they were always two different groups of people that happened to vote D

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Check the comments, it's already happening.

[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

On the one hand, at least his performance galvanized some supporters. On the other, he's still establishment and there are better options for minority leader-- although, Senate is by definition rooted to establishment due to incumbency advantage and how entrenched most senators are without term limits.