FOREIGN MEDDLING? Greta Thunberg urges US voters to support Joe Biden, not the Green Party candidate
Swedish citizen and climate activist Greta Thunberg, 17, is encouraging US voters to “get organized” and vote for Joe Biden, despite claiming she does not “engage in party politics.”
Thunberg made her endorsement while citing a tweet from Scientific American Magazine telling voters to “protect science instead of destroying it” by voting Donald Trump out of office in November.
“I never engage in party politics. But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that,” the 17-year-old, who has been critical of Trump in the past despite her no “party politics” rule, said.
“From a climate perspective it’s very far from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates,” she continued. “But, I mean… you know… damn!”
I never engage in party politics. But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that.From a climate perspective it’s very far from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates. But, I mean…you know…damn!Just get organized and get everyone to vote #Bidenhttps://t.co/gFttFBZK5O
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 10, 2020
In a subsequent retweet, Thunberg shared a message from activist and author Naomi Klein promising to “make” Biden ban fracking, an issue Republicans have capitalized on as Biden has said in the past he will ban it, but now claims he will not.
Actually we are going to make him do it, to borrow a phrase from FDR. Just like movements made Obama-Biden stop KXL and DAPL. It's too bad we have to waste energy on it when we should be focussed on a Green New Deal but we'll make them do both, because there is no choice. https://t.co/vDWgaXPceH
— Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) October 8, 2020
Thunberg has already begun receiving pushback for supporting a candidate from one of the US’ two major political parties, as well as one who claims he will not ban fracking, a controversial practice among climate activists.
If most people follow the science, they should vote third party and not the red or blue party. The logic is quite simple and is determined by where you live. There are three options I will explain below. You live in a solid red or blue state or you live in a swing state.
— Skacey (@Skacey) October 10, 2020
Biden supports fracking...So , why vote for him?
— Christopher Cartwright (@chriscartw83) October 10, 2020
Biden will not ban fracking and doesn’t support the GND. He’s not worthy of your support
— Kyle Zukauskas (@kzuke) October 10, 2020
The only thing Biden seems to have going for him is that he is not Trump. 🤷even the comments here reflect that. Why then not vote another candidate other than these two, who actually give an eff about the climate.
— Rishav Sharan (@Rishav_Sharan) October 10, 2020
Thunberg’s public profile has skyrocketed since she led viral school strikes in her home country to promote her activism. She has since then been awarded Time’s Person of the Year and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, despite not even being 18 years old.
Trump criticized Thunberg when she was chosen by Time and said the teenager needs to work on her “anger management problem,” act more like a typical teenager, and “chill.”
So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill! https://t.co/M8ZtS8okzE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019
Besides Trump and Biden, Thunberg could have turned her attention to major third-party candidates running this year, like Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen and Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins. Hawkins even describes himself as “the original Green New Dealer” and has made climate change central to his platform, promising a “100 percent clean energy system” by the year 2030. He is also for banning fracking.
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