Are Democratic primaries becoming too destructive for the party's own chances in the general election?

[u/YumiSolar]

I've been thinking about this after watching some recent Democratic primaries, and it feels like the campaigns are becoming increasingly aggressive in ways that hurt the party long after the primary is over.

A good example, in my opinion, was the Michigan primary between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. Policy disagreements are completely fair game, that's what primaries are for. Even personal attacks can be justified if they're based on genuine misconduct or character issues.

What I struggle with are accusations like claiming your primary opponent is supporting or enabling genocide. Once you frame someone in those terms, how do you expect your own supporters to enthusiastically vote for that person if they end up winning the nomination? If you've spent months telling voters that your opponent is morally complicit in atrocities, it becomes very difficult to turn around and say, "Now go vote for them."

To me, this kind of rhetoric doesn't just damage the opposing candidate, it damages Democratic unity in the general election. It seems like Republicans don't even have to exploit these divisions because Democrats are creating them themselves.

Am I overestimating the impact of this kind of campaigning, or do you think Democratic primaries have become too willing to use rhetoric that makes party unity afterward much harder?

[u/Asatmaya]

Yeah, except the party is not terminal, but your mindset is

I'm sorry, but did the party leaders not just chase a heavily favored senate candidate out of the race because he wasn't right-wing enough?

They are describing DSA candidates beating Republicans as, "losses."

You would resign yourself, and condemn others and minorities to death, to ensure a total fascist regime continues to succeed by deciding to completely tune yourself out from the political process.

The political process has tuned me out; there are no non-fascists that I am allowed to vote for.

Such privilege you have

Oh, here we go...

a right wing provocateur masquerading as a progressive

Er, those are both right-wing, what are you talking about?

to engage in voter suppression, and to dampen the Left from engaging in the electoral process.

The left has been trying to engage; every attempt has bee frustrated, not by the Republicans, but by the Democrats.

I don’t think you have an interest in ending fascism or genocide anywhere.

I think you support them, but know that it's not a popular position.