Fetterman to Democrats criticizing Biden: ‘Get your MAGA hat’

As a lifelong democrat, I find this to be very dangerous rhetoric. It sounds tonedeaf. Regardless of the candidate, being critical of politicians is a cornerstone of democracy.

I understand it's important to be a united front, but the need to seemingly bring dissenting voices into line is not a good way to do it. We cannot force people to say we have a perfect candidate for the sake of avoiding discussion.

Edit: a word

We cannot force people to say we have a perfect candidate for the sake of avoiding discussion.
They seem to believe if something isn't discussed, the other side won't notice and / or discuss it either. That's delusional.
I don't think we have enough nuance in our politics to have that as more than an idyllic dream.
I disagree that's what's happening here. He's saying that you can be disappointed with Biden all you want, but not voting for him means we get trump and Project 2025 and fascism.
I don't know a single person that is stoked on Biden, but he's all we have right now. And we cannot let Trump get a second term.
- Unfortunately, that’s not what Fetterman is saying.
  Fetterman noted during an interview an uptick in Democrats who have become more critical of Biden lately, and said it’s only helping former President Trump.
  “I don’t understand why,” Fetterman said, speaking on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. “I don’t know what’s in it for you to do that whether you’re just chasing clout or you want to make it in the news or anything like that. But if you’re not willing to just support the president now and say these kinds of things, you might as well just get your MAGA hat, because you now are helping Trump with this.”
  He’s addressing other Democratic politicians, whom would probably be one of the last groups to not vote for Biden. He seems to think that Biden would fare better in November if Dems outright refuse to acknowledge the realities of unprecedented homelessness, Israeli war money, or being 81 years old. (Because forcing people to look to Republicans for a dissenting opinion on these subjects is a great idea.)
  You should vote for Biden if you don’t want Trump, obviously. And vote for Fetterman over whomever if you don’t want whomever. But either Fetterman severely misspoke here, or his opinion goes way beyond that, and I can’t help but lose a lot of respect I had for him.
- Oh, I totally agree everyone needs to vote for Biden based on how the system currently works. But what I disagree with is the insinuation that anyone disagreeing with Biden needs a MAGA hat. That's tonedeaf and bad for the party.
That has been proven time and again to not work. You can't take the high road and expect to win.
- Win what? Ultimately no one wins if we can't discuss areas for improvement even within one's own party.
Try criticizing Biden openly here or on Reddit. This is the party sentiment right now, open criticism is viewed as being equal to supporting Trump. It's nutty.
- I don't think that's true, there's plenty of disagreement over Biden policies. It's when people try to play the both sides card, lumping Biden and Trump as both being senile or blaming the situation in Palestine on Biden that gets people riled up especially when people try to use those arguments to convince people to not vote.
- Yeah, that's one of my fears with this rhetoric. We keep reducing issues to bifurcations which is incredibly dangerous.

It should be news when someone calls himself progressive for years and as soon as he gets to congress he starts ranting about how much it pisses him off everyone thinks he's progressive.
Asshole pulled a Sinema and the most annoying part is everyone defending him because he wears a hoodie.
- I hope it's more due to the fact that he had a stroke rather than he's doing it intentionally. Either way he has had a complete shift in personality and its disappointing to no end that he's not who he was when elected.
  I'm not worried about Biden's age mostly because I think this comes from the racist fear that Kamala Harris isn't capable of running this country.
- he'd been saying for a while he's NOT progressive
there’s no appropriate time
Biden's been in office for more than 3 years. But all the complaints get drummed out during election season. I wonder who's pushing them...
Just like the GOP when it comes time to talk about firearm reforms or another shooting

I mean, I'm still voting for Biden over any of the Nazis on the red team, but the whole funding-a-genocide-on-gaza thing is going to make it a pretty unenthused vote.

I really wish I could vote for someone on a basis other than lesser evil.

I really wish I could vote for someone on a basis other than lesser evil.
Down-ballot exists! That's where I'm most enthusiastic about voting. There might be some places where it's just lesser evil option in some down-ballots, unfortunately, but you're more likely to have a representative that represents voters within the down-ballot which makes lesser evil choice less likely.
- Down-ballot exists!
  And has the added benefit of a vastly lower vote count so your vote matters much more. The general election for my state rep got like 4,000 votes. And it was a blowout as expected, so really it was decided in the primary where there were a little over 2,000. One of the other races was literally decided by a single vote!
- Exactly. The game sucks, but it exists and one must play to win. The other team has been remarkably successful at working every lever to their advantage for half a century now.
I got to vote for Bernie Sanders twice. That was the only time I've voted for a politician I fully support, as opposed to voting for not-the-republican.

If valid criticism of a candidate causes someone to decide not to vote for them, then so be it. That's how democracy is supposed to work. What's important is that people vote for who they want to lead them, period.

America isn't really a democracy though. You can't apply idyllic democratic principles to an oligarchy with FPTP.

Funny how demanding unquestioned loyalty is a MAGA cultist quality.

Hey, I’m gonna be honest: his enormous about-face of political ideology (“I no longer identify as a progressive”, when, you know, him being a progressive before was a big part of why he got elected) and obvious personality changes make me extremely suspicious that his stroke permanently affected his brain in some pretty serious ways.

That’s not a derogatory comment. That’s just an observation, and strokes can absolutely have that effect on someone.

Regardless of Fetterman's ideology or any stated or perceived shift, he's a pragmatist and straight-shooter above everything else. He was that way long before the stroke. The fact that a lifetime grifter and department store rapist with 91 felony indictment counts has a good chance of winning the election is absurd. A bag of rocks running against Trump should win. Biden and the Democrats are in a very weak position, but it's clear that Biden is the chosen candidate. It makes no sense at this point to have Democrats amplifying GOP talking points, unless they're in any position of power with the DNC to change what is inevitable right now with the Democratic nomination.
I'm in PA and I doubt his progressiveness got him elected. Anyone with a D after their name carries Philly and Pittsburgh by default. Fetterman's no nonsense approach and the fact that the working class can relate to him got votes in Pennsyltuckey, a segment the Democrats have been losing over the years. Democrats should be in a lab right now trying to figure out how to clone Fetterman.
I'm sure I'll be labeled a Fetterman fan boy, but I'm a 50-something 30+ year Democrat that has seen Democrats do a really good job at losing elections and letting the GOP walk all over them. Fetterman no doubt has a cult-like following, but the DNC powers that be should be examining why that is.
- makes no sense at this point to have Democrats amplifying GOP talking points, unless they're in any position of power with the DNC to change what is inevitable right now with the Democratic nomination.
  That's a bunch of horse shit. Self criticism is the only thing keeping Democrats from becoming a clone of the GOP.
  Anyone telling me I can't participate in discourse involving totally valid criticisms about any politician can go kick rocks.
  Also, how is discussing his drastic turn towards conservative politics "amplifying GOP talking points"?
  Democrats should be in a lab right now trying to figure out how to clone Fetterman.
  Ahh yeah, America surely needs more brain damages politicians advocating for genocide...
  50-something 30+ year Democrat that has seen Democrats do a really good job at losing elections and letting the GOP walk all over them.
  Maybe because your generations idea of a progressive is John Fetterman? Maybe because Democrats have just become the GOP from the 90s, and thats not typically what actual progressives want?
  has a cult-like following, but the DNC powers that be should be examining why that is.
  I'm not sure if that's still true. Fetterman had a cult like following because he primarily ran on labour, something he was actually progressive about. I don't think it's super common to be progressive on labour but an insane reactionary when if comes to everything else.
- he’s a pragmatist and straight-shooter
  Is he? This doesn't look like someone particularly concerned with pragmatism to me.

Fetterman noted during an interview an uptick in Democrats who have become more critical of Biden lately, and said it’s only helping former President Trump.

If it were closer to the election, I would definitely agree, and maybe it is too close now, although I don't think so... if it is not too close, then Biden should be criticized by Democrats who have their ear to the ground to move him towards supporting more popular policies.

I'm voting for "not trump" no matter what, but if Biden doesn't want to get criticized, he should get his shit together.
- It's absoultely fair to criticize. I'm astounded at all the people who got pissed about John Stewart calling Biden old. It's clear we need an upper age limit on the presidency. Also, my main "wants" for the Biden admin were... Resolve covid crisis Resolve or at least drastically reduce inhumane conditions at the US Mexico border. Hold trump and members of Congress accountable for criminal acts and fomenting an insurrection.
  Right now, I'd say we're a fail on all 3 fronts.

'Get your MAGA hat'

He's got it backward and needs to look in the mirror.

i.e.,

There are people who defend Trump, no matter what.

and

There are people who defend Biden, no matter what.

Sure, but we also have to realize that we live in a country with a two-party system and a winner-take-all electoral college. If you're not helping your candidate, you're helping the opponent.
- we live in a country with a two-party system
  Although they're perpetually marginalized, we do have third-party candidates.
  Edit: Amusing how people downvote a neutral, factual statement.
- There's always some excuse for progressives to shut up.

He's not entirely wrong. I've been critical of Biden myself, but it is because I am concerned about Biden's ability to beat Trump. I want Biden to be a stronger candidate, and a stronger leader for that matter. Criticizing Biden is the best way I know to make him to better than he's doing now. Poking holes in candidates is my love language.

But I'm a nobody. I don't make headlines when I point out his flaws. Maybe somebody somewhere will read something I wrote, or at a minimum it becomes part of the rising din of concern, and Biden is forced to make an effort to speak to my concerns. That's the best I can hope for.

I'm not backing an alternative candidate. I'm not calling for him to step aside or resign. I'm not suggesting we all throw our votes away on some long shot third party candidate. Anybody who is doing those things is helping Trump. And it's hard not to think that they don't know they are helping Trump, which makes it hard not to think that their intent is to help Trump.

So while I think Fetterman ought to be more specific with his criticism of critics, I don't disagree that there are people who fit his accusation. I also think there are far more reasonable progressives and moderates who have voiced legitimate concerns that Biden should do well to hear. Hillary ignored many of those same criticisms, to the peril of all Americans. America would be a much better place if Democrats tried harder to be more than just the lesser bad option. "At least we're not traitorous rapists" isn't a campaign slogan that inspires confidence.

It's a primary. Vote for whoever you want.
- Always vote for whoever you want. That's how voting works.
  But know what you're voting for. Know who you're voting for. Our electoral system is inherently flawed.
  Voting for some schmuck running against Biden in the primary might make you feel good about protesting one or more of Biden's policies. His support of Israel, his approach to border policies, his inaction on any number of progressive issues, whatever the objection, who else are you going to vote for? I know there is the pro-Palestine contingent in Michigan promoting a "none of the above" campaign, which is effective at registering your complaint.
  But in the general election, it's time to put away such petty animus and defeat the orange monster that will destroy everything.
- I chose "none," since I'll be stuck voting for Joe in November anyway.

Listen, Coach Fetterman: We love your size and bombastic past but "if you aren't for us you are against us" is not the type of faux populism that is needed in 2024.

Yes it is. Don't want to vote for Biden because you're not so happy with him? How about Trump? Would you rather Trump?
Here we are again in a forced choice, as if democracy exists in the US. But it's Biden or fascism.
- You're not going to make that outcome more likely by berating people.

The “I’m a progressive until I’m voted into office” guy?! Nah fuck him

Is this the the guy that chases innocent black men around with a shotgun or is that someone else.

Fuck you, Fetterman.

What a fucking disappointment this guy is turning out to be compared to all the love he got on his campaign. Not that I'd prefer Oz by any means, but it's still pretty crushing.
I'm increasingly sure that the rising tide of never-Biden-ers is going to send Trump back into the White House. People need to be pragmatic and strategic about their voting and encourage others to do the same. So I understand WHY he felt a need to say stupid shit like this.
But if you're not allowed to criticize Biden without being banished to Siberia, then he's actually insufficiently different from Trump.
I'd bet Biden would not agree with Fetterman's message. He's not a whiny little thin-skinned gremlin the way Trump is. Based on his political career, he can even update platforms and change policy based on that feedback. So yeah, lay down the criticism to him re: Israel, he deserves it, and enough voices might actually change the foreign policy here. Do not tell the critics their votes aren't welcome. Their votes are still needed. And hopefully they're smart enough to know that NOT voting for Biden will create even worse outcomes, even while they continue clearly and loudly speaking up.
- I’ve said this before and got downvoted but I’ll say it again. I will not tell a Muslim person or a Palestinian that they should hold their nose and vote for Biden. If the guy in charge is actively supporting a genocide and is providing the weapons that are killing your family, friend’s family, or just someone with your same religious beliefs, I don’t think we have the right to tell them they are wrong to abstain from voting for the pro genocide of their people guy. If a president was actively supporting the Nazis in killing my people, I would not have voted for that president.
  It is the candidates responsibility to listen to his constituents. Not be finger wagged into voting them.
- Basically no political operatives would agree with his message. You're not positively influencing voters by yelling at them and doing it as a representative of the party paints it in a negative light. We liked candidate Fetterman because he was an outsider, but this seems like the consequences of not really understanding what's effective vs. what's emotionally satisfying.

I mean, what's his point we should never bitch about it when Biden does shit we don't like? I have a novel idea, maybe he should start focusing on public approval instead of you demanding that the public blindly approve of everything he does.

Yeah, I'm going to vote for him because the alternative is a bad fucking idea.

His criticism isn't out of left field He's earned this shit. It's not that he's an irredeemable president, but a significant amount of his campaign is not being Trump. And still we hope all the hell that that's enough.

I’m still on the fence about whether I can stomach knowing that I voted for the genocidal monster that can barely remember his name because he’s better than the fascist genocidal monster that wants to end whatever semblance of democracy we might have. This country is just the worst.

WOULD YOU RATHER eat a chocolate bar off a public toilet seats lid.
OR WOULD YOU RATHER Eat a chocolate bar out of a public toilet bowl.
- Lol wtf you can literally choose neither??
It could be worse. We could have a dictator that regulates literally everything we do. My porn is anonymous for now.
But he's the lesser of two evils! Doesn't that get you motivated to get to the polls on November? Lesser!
- It really should.
It's unfortunately nothing new, but I do think the alternative is a new level of bad.
Literally every single US president since 1948 has assisted Israel in committing genocide against Palestinians. Don't clutch your pearls now.
- "That's the way we've always done it" - people who like the way we've always done it.
  Genocide must stop.
You’d prefer to have voted for Trump?
These kinds of comments are getting obvious. You’re string here bitching about Biden, when we can all agree the alternative would be worse.
Go peddle your bullshit elsewhere.

While voting for Biden is the right thing to do in these circumstances, Fetterman has zero understanding of optics and apparently the oil companies got to him judging by his pro-Israel stance.

There are other choices. We don't have to settle for Trump or Biden.
- Come to me with your plan to convince 160 million people to vote 3rd party and then I'll take this seriously.
- what plan does anyone have to make one of these other choices viable? bonus points if it doesn't involve trying to overhaul both the electorate and the electoral system in 9 months.
- We kinda do though. Sure you can vote for someone else if you want, but we are going to end up with either Trump or Biden.
- There is literally no other reasonable option than Biden, thanks to FPTP. Voting for Trump is voting for a fascist, every other "option" is throwing your vote away.
- Sounds like you're ok with Trump winning then.
  That's what you're gonna get, unless you think the Republicans are going to infight like this (non-spoiler-because-duh, they aren't)

This guy turned heel pretty quickly.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) panned Democrats who are upping their criticisms of President Biden ahead of the November election, saying they might as well don a “MAGA hat.”

Fetterman noted during an interview an uptick in Democrats who have become more critical of Biden lately, and said it’s only helping former President Trump.

Democracy! No longer allowed to question or criticize our politicians.

That's a dishonest way to look at what he said. An honest one would be that he has just as much right to criticize Democrats offering aid to Trump as the Democrats offering aid to Trump have a right to criticize Biden.
Biden: [Does things]
Anti-Biden Democrats: [He shouldn't be doing that.]
Fetterman: [They shouldn't be doing that.]
You: [Fetterman is anti-democracy and pro-censorship.]
This is just pure clownishness.
- Context is key, and you've broken down the situation to the point of absurdity.

Destin Sandlin, aka the Smarter Every Day guy, got some great advice from Obama about negative feedback which I think Fetterman should take to heart.

But what else would I expect from someone from York?

Supreme Leader is above criticism, and to believe otherwise means you're the one in a cult.

Folks talking shit isn't news.

This is the guy (whom I proudly voted for) who was getting defensive because people didn't think he was as progressive as they were led to believe. The people criticizing Biden and Fetterman are typically liberals and progressives, not MAGA.

I think Joe Biden is grossly under-appreciated for what he's accomplished thus far. He's legit incredible (imo). He's also old as shit and I reject the idea that he's the only American citizen capable of running the country as well as he has for three years. Dude, take the W and GTFO.

I don't think Joe Biden is underappreciated, it's just that the main issue is of Gaza War, and people just don't like how Israel conduct their war campaign and how US responded. No one reasonable would support Hamas, and any people with a moral compass would rather support a war campaign that minimizes deaths of civilians over those who signed up for combat.
- But the reality check is that Gaza isn't the main issue, it's just the most recent one. And even if it were the GOP would handle it far worse than Biden has.
- That's a good point but most people care more about the economy and his approval ratings were shit before Gaza.
Any progressives who actually pay attention to what the government is doing and not just Republican propaganda are probably also supporting Biden.
He's not been perfect. I wish he was younger, and i have criticisms on a lot of middle east foreign policy including Israel, but on the whole he's been by far the most progressive president in my lifetime.
- You can support someone while criticizing them.

"haha jk I'm mid right just like every other dem! Vote mid right or vote far right cause you can suck a dick otherwise!"

DJ air horn

He already got his I suck Israeli lobbyist dick hat.

Eat shit Fetterman.

Ahhh, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where you're not allowed to mock your elected leader without hurting someone else's feelings.

Unfortunately, he decided to run whether or not we think he "should". What are we supposed to do? We had better vote and not let apathy get the best of us.

If the criticism only comes up now, it's not real criticism. It's astro-turfing for Trump. We've had 4 years of Biden but the amount of Biden criticism I've seen lately has risen sharply. Sure, criticize the things he's done lately, but I've seen stuff from years ago.

There's no point in that unless you're trying to tank his chances against Trump.

Progressives who would rather primary a nobody who will absolutely fail to get non-progressive votes and lose to Trump are unhinged or failed gradeschool civics. It's just stupidity or worse: Trump propaganda.

he thinks people criticizing biden should vote for trump? i don't think that's going to work out the way he hopes.

no. its that a tacit non-democratic vote is a vote for fascism. while true, doesnt mean we cant blame the DNC and Biden for refusing to run a defend-able candidate.
Fuck the DNC and how they shit all over america, putting us in this position.
- Fuck the DNC and how they shit all over america, putting us in this position.
  You could go ahead and blame boomer generation for putting us in such a bad position. All of that can be traced back to them. Newer generation needs to vote out GOP, and then when GOP dies out, vote for progressive party, and ignore the whims of the boomer generation.
- its that a tacit non-democratic vote is a vote for fascism.
  a vote for biden is a vote for fascism. the antifascist candidates i see are cornel west and jill stein.

Backstabbing lib says lib shit. More at 7.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) panned Democrats who are upping their criticisms of President Biden ahead of the November election, saying they might as well don a “MAGA hat.”

Fetterman noted during an interview an uptick in Democrats who have become more critical of Biden lately, and said it’s only helping former President Trump.

But if you’re not willing to just support the president now and say these kinds of things, you might as well just get your MAGA hat, because you now are helping Trump with this.”

He also told longtime political strategist James Carville to “shut the f‑‑‑ up’ after the ex-Clinton aide said that Trump could dethrone Biden in the general election.

Carville also noted that concerns about Biden’s age are a very real thing for voters amid his polling swoon.

Fetterman also projected confidence that Biden will win in Pennsylvania, which he carried in the 2020 contest, and that it will buoy him to a second term in office.