Protest Vote: Putin is manipulating your kindness, compassion and concern for others to kill you and all Americans

On 11/2/2024 MSNBC ran a 5:52 minute video segment titled “Historian on “Protest Votes: ‘Consider What You’re Doing Very Carefully.’” Host - Ali Velshi, Guest - Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss

Ali and Michael discuss the protest vote. Below is much of their conversation. I bolded what I thought were especially salient points.

Ali Velshi: Introductory comments….(0:00-0:38).

Michael Beschloss: “As far as the protest movement, and especially in Wisconsin and Michigan and other places, this is what I would say: “history gives you an extremely loud warning.”

Michael Beschloss: “Two moments in history, one was 2016. As you were mentioning Ali, Jill Stein ran as the Green Party third party candidate for president. In 2016 she ran strongly enough in Pennsylvania, in Michigan, in Wisconsin, took enough votes away from Hillary Clinton that Donald Trump was elected. Do the people who supported Jill Stein because they agreed with her on the environment think that Donald Trump did better for the environment than Hillary Clinton would’ve done? That’s a big price to pay for your protest. Also 2000. In Florida Al Gore was running for president against George W. Bush, Ralph Nader was running from the left saying that Al Gore is too centrist, vote for me as a protest. Nader got 97,000 votes in Florida, tipped the state to Bush, tipped the presidency to Bush for the next eight years. Don’t tell me that George Bush and his wars and the Great Recession of 2008 were worth casting that protest vote. All I’m saying is anyone who’s thinking about this, consider what you’re doing very carefully.”

Ali Velshi: Comments….(1:59-2:08).

Michael Beschloss: “….we are looking at protest movements throughout American history that have brought us some of the best laws and policies we have ever had, that’s what our system depends on.”

Ali Velshi: yeah.

Michael Beschloss: “But for someone out of the most well-intentioned reasons, in one of those crucial states, this week to cast a vote for someone else or uncommitted or sit on your hands, that would almost have to suggest Ali that if you’re someone who’s particularly worried about the Middle East, worried about Gaza, worried about the treatment of the Palestinians you would have to say to yourself “I’m completely indifferent on this issue to whether it’s Trump or whether it’s Kamala Harris.” You tell me that there would be no difference…

Ali Velshi: “This is an important point because I had a conversation, I had a lovely ride with a cab driver the other day and we were discussing this the whole time. And in the end when I said “do you think that for the cause that you’re concerned about,” he was Muslim, “for the cause that you’re concerned about, would Donald Trump be better?” And he said no, absolutely not. “And I said so then why are you not voting for Kamala Harris?” And and he said “out of spite.”

Ali Velshi: “Now I empathize with the sentiment but the spite’s gonna get him someone he acknowledges himself is going to be worse for his interests and causes in that limited fashion.”

Michael Beschloss: “And he could be living through what he finds that he’s experiencing is 4 years of hell under Donald Trump, just as you were saying Ali….”

Michael Beschloss: “You know, Donald Trump is very close to Netanyahu, which is not the case of most of the voters we are talking about. He has notoriously talked about Gaza as, just as you were mentioning, you know making good beach front property in the future. If you look at the Trump record on the Palestinians, they were almost ignored.”

Ali Velshi: “yep.”

Michael Beschloss: “Why does someone feel that casting a vote that winds up electing Donald Trump is gonna be in service of the cause that he or she is seeking.”

Ali Velshi: comments about Bernie Sanders (4:09).

Michael Beschloss: “….there’s one major candidate in this race, Donald Trump, who’s promised to be a dictator and has talked about fascism and not exactly consoling minority interests in this country. And Kamala Harris who has some views but she’s said ‘I’m gonna give everyone a seat at the table, lets’ have a democracy,’ let’s fight it out. For those who want a change in Middle East policy, and again I respect the principle and the passion with which they say that, there’s a much greater chance if you have a Kamala Harris, who is preserving a democratic debate, than Donald Trump, who’s saying “I’m gonna be a dictator. I don’t care what you voters in Michigan or Wisconsin or Pennsylvania think.”

Ali Velshi: Thanks Mr. Beschloss for his comments.

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The description under the video says: “In Michigan and Wisconsin in particular, victory or defeat could come down to votes who are considering casting “protest votes.” Primarily motivated by their anger over the Biden-Harris administration’s continued support for Israel’s war in Gaza, some uncommitted voters may vote for a third party candidate, vote for Trump, or abstain from voting altogether. But when the margin for victory is so narrow losing even a fraction of a percentage point to 3^rd party candidates and protest votes could spell disaster. “Anyone who is thinking about this, consider what you’re doing very carefully,” say Michael Beschloss.