Opponents went all in on smearing Graham Platner as a Nazi based on a bad tattoo choice. It didn’t work. Maine voters decided they’d rather have universal health care and an end to reckless wars than a polished politician with an unblemished past.
It’s worth noting that “blue no matter who” is just a bandaid, just a drive to get fascists out of power long enough to enact voting reform. The two party system is an organic result of First Past The Post voting; we have to move to some form of Rank Choice if we’re ever to see any progress. Thankfully voting regulations are on the local level, where change is still possible. This is one of the many reasons Trump is trying to federalize elections.
Until we get voting reform, there will only be Two Parties, and they will always drift to the right.
Yep, it was never about just accepting what Democrats tepidly offered. Primary them every election, drive out the establishment. But keep the open fascists in the Republican party out of power at the same time. Democrats aren’t good. Republicans are far worse.
I, by no means, love the DNC. Fuck most of them. But the number of tankies and leftys that have lost the plot screaming “harm reduction doesn’t work!!!” makes my fucking blood boil. If your decision in the face of fascism is to help bring it about by virtue signalling instead of accomplishing anything, you’ve sided with the fascist, full stop. No amount of self delusion will change the actual factual outcome. Your Kantian self-righteousness isn’t going to provide any comfort to the family that’s being thrown in cages.
I just wish the math was done about 75-80 years earlier than it was. If someone had shown the founders the mathematical proof that FPTP would lead to a two party system, Washington would have railed against it. He hated political parties in general, and would have absolutely hated the idea of a two party system.
It’s worth noting that “blue no matter who” is just a bandaid, just a drive to get fascists out of power long enough to enact voting reform. The two party system is an organic result of First Past The Post voting; we have to move to some form of Rank Choice if we’re ever to see any progress. Thankfully voting regulations are on the local level, where change is still possible. This is one of the many reasons Trump is trying to federalize elections.
Until we get voting reform, there will only be Two Parties, and they will always drift to the right.
Yep, it was never about just accepting what Democrats tepidly offered. Primary them every election, drive out the establishment. But keep the open fascists in the Republican party out of power at the same time. Democrats aren’t good. Republicans are far worse.
100% this, absolutely.
I, by no means, love the DNC. Fuck most of them. But the number of tankies and leftys that have lost the plot screaming “harm reduction doesn’t work!!!” makes my fucking blood boil. If your decision in the face of fascism is to help bring it about by virtue signalling instead of accomplishing anything, you’ve sided with the fascist, full stop. No amount of self delusion will change the actual factual outcome. Your Kantian self-righteousness isn’t going to provide any comfort to the family that’s being thrown in cages.
I just wish the math was done about 75-80 years earlier than it was. If someone had shown the founders the mathematical proof that FPTP would lead to a two party system, Washington would have railed against it. He hated political parties in general, and would have absolutely hated the idea of a two party system.