It’s a big primary day today, let’s dive into it!
- Connecticut: Generational change is on the ballot, with three younger Democrats challenging soon-to-be 80 years-old Rep. John Larson (D-CT).
- Minnesota: Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants to be Governor Amy Klobuchar.
- South Carolina: The replacement for late Senator Lindsey Graham is the race and appointed Sen. Darline Graham (Nordone —she returned to her maiden name for some odd reason) wants to be full-time Senator. She has 4+ opponents.
- Vermont: Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) wants another 2-year term.
- Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) decided he didn’t want a third term, and boy-howdy this race is a PIE FIGHT and will be the one to watch!
Our Pals at Electoral-Vote explain what’s going on in W-W-Wisconsin:
After Evers called it quits, his #2, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (D-WI), jumped in. So did former Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes (D), Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Assemblywoman Francesca Hong, and a handful of bit players. When Crowley discovered that he was the only one who wanted him to be governor, he dropped out, suspending his campaign on July 8, When Rodriguez discovered that her campaign manager had been cooking the books and the financial cupboard was bare, she was forced to drop out on July 17. When the Democratic powers-that-be panicked after Rodriguez left the race because they were scared to death that the Democratic Socialist Hong would win the primary and lose the general election, they convinced Crowley to un-drop out, which he did. Then Barnes took one for the team by dropping out on July 30 to avoid splitting the non-DSA vote (and to avoid scrutiny of his past behavior regarding female staffers).
So it is going to be unliked establishment Democrat David Crowley vs. Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong, and the Electability Fairy gets its wings. Electability gives the pundits a lump of coal and they make diamonds. Don’t believe me? Here’s Tiger Beat on the Potomac teasing their podcast:
“On today’s Playbook Podcast: Dasha and Will weigh the viability of a third party in 2026, and Playbook’s Irie Sentner shares the view from ground zero of Democrats’ next civil war battlefield in Wisconsin.”
As regular readers and all Good Scissorhead know, the position of MPS is that electability is self-fulfilling BS: definitionally every candidate who wins a primary is electable, and every candidate who loses is unelectable.
What part of that is not understandable?
Electability splits the party and everyone blames everyone else, and usually some mug with hurt fee-fees says that they will not vote in the election when their side loses. And the gleeful pundits declare either that the Democrats are in Disarray (or more seldom, that the Republicans are Rudderless).
Don’t fall for it. Primaries are for voting for your aspirations and letting your better angels have their shot at making America a better place. Electability is status quo.
Published with permission of Mock Paper Scissors
