Okay, I see the point now. In fact I am sometimes tempted to follow that path myself.
(Being a non-affiliated voter I could have used either ballot. I had planned to use the Republican ballot and vote for spoiler candidates, but was overcome at the last moment by a burst of self respect and morality and instead took the other ballot and voted for those I wished to support. I DO get the temptation, but I believe it is the wrong course in the long run.)
My view is to always consider the very long view. What will the history books have to say about this era? In fifty and a hundred years will the story be:
~ In the early 2020’s fallout from a universally agreed upon corrupt and criminal presidency, religiously conservative forces gamed the system to impose their wildly unpopular views on such issues as abortion and gun control for a period until the majority was able to right the course and correct the evils. Laws were overturned and Executive Orders were withdrawn or overwritten routinely.
OR:
~ The second decade of the last century was dominated by partisan divide and corruption. Both sides participated in one of the darkest periods in the history of the nation. While fueled by a corrupt right wing agenda, it was not long before the left was as guilty as the right. While decrying the treatment of Japanese citizens during World War Two and the treatment of indigenous peoples throughout the history of the country, the left nether the less committed . . . .
Yes what happens in the moment can be very significant, but sinking to the level of the current GOP cannot be a winning strategy – certainly not in the long run. We KNOW for a fact after the Kansas vote on Tuesday that we are on the right side of this. Every moment that Roe v Wade is impotent is a crisis for some. But like the civil rights battle that has been raging for two or three hundred years – things are much better now than they were twenty-five and fifty and a hundred years ago. Progress can be painstakingly slow- but the only way to make permanent and lasting change is to act with morality and demonstrate the righteousness of your cause in no uncertain terms
Put another way, if WE, if our side engages in this tit for tat battle-- it really does become a tennis match where one side moves the needle as far and as hard in their direction as possible only to have the other side reverse those gains four years or eight years later.
The outrageous corruption of the right seems so threatening that any means seems reasonable to oppose them. But all that THAT manner of proceeding does is convince the larger society that both sides are as shallow and bad as the other and no one cares about the whole. The reason people believe that is because it becomes true when you act just like them.
I really want to go on and on-- the above is just laying out the foundation for me. But I will stop now and ask you this - -
If you could ask John Lewis if the best way to fight oppression and injustice was to sink to the level of your murderous opponent - or to show character and courage and dignity, even while under duress, what do you think he would answer??
How about Dr. King?
Rosa Parks?
Gandhi?
Even one nominally from “their” side- What would Jesus say about sinking to their level?
What would he say about bearing injustice and grief well for a greater good in the future?
How about the philosophers, what would Socrates say about the matter?
I get the temptation, and given the desires of the right to end democracy entirely- I see the danger. But Kansas proves that we can win without cheating and without harming those who stood up to the corruption in their own party. It will take some effort and more time, but let’s fight the good fight and win slower but better and for the long haul.
(Sometime remind me to tell you the difference between a get rich quick scheme and a get rich slow scheme. The difference is that the later works pretty much every time and the former – only very rarely. Sometimes that lesson can apply to politics as well.)
More directly on topic, here in Arizona each and every Trump supported Republican candidate won. Hopefully that will make November a great big blue wave but nothing is assured as of yet.
One more little blurb, earlier I saw that Joe Arpaio is still in his mayoral race although he is a few hundred votes behind with the count winding down.
