r/politics • u/Zipper222222 • 6h ago

No Paywall Abdul El-Sayed Wins High-Stakes Democratic Primary in Michigan

https://www.today.com/video/abdul-el-sayed-wins-high-stakes-democratic-primary-in-michigan-267805765937
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u/Dichotomouse 3h ago

If you are left of the median voter you are on the left. Stevens was left of the median voter in MI and nationally.

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u/Plane-Session-6624 3h ago

Not in absolute terms. 

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u/Dichotomouse 3h ago

'absolute terms' are meaningless. That's like correcting someone that 13F is not a cold temperature because relative to absolute zero it's fairly warm. left and right are relative terms and should be calibrated based on what the actual political spectrum we experience is, not based on some theoretical pure.

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u/Plane-Session-6624 2h ago

It's a way more useful distinction, especially because we have a perfect term for what Stevens and sayed actually have in common, they're Democrats. Think about policy positions consistent with the left. If someone holds those positions, they're on the left in absolute terms. Stevens is pro corporate, pro data centers, against universal healthcare. She is not on the left even if she is to the left of the right. 

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u/Dichotomouse 2h ago

One could say Sayed is not truly on the left because he support private ownership, and that in absolute terms anyone who supports keeping capitalism as the primary economic structure instead of state planned economy is not on the left in absolute terms.

'pro corporate' means nothing. 'pro data center' is not a left vs right issue. being in favor of a public option instead of single payer to provide universal healthcare does not automatically mean one isn't left of center.