Just Try to Go West, Old Man

That’s why it’s kind of funny that Republicans can’t seem to figure out where they stand on any of that. I am sure that they will roll out some Shrub-clones, but there’s going to be a lot of debate about who among them is the anti-Shrub. Of course, McCain comes to mind, but he’s not faring too well in some parts of this state. News about our opponents comes to us from KMEG of Sioux City (http://www.kmeg14.com/news/local/2627706.html) which reports that McCain is trying to court die-hard conservatives. It’s not going to well for J-Mac out there, largely because the GOP conservatives look at him and see a traitor.

McCain’s troubles remind us that Republican activists can be very picky about who they support. And this is a lesson for progressives. The party of Jefferson and Jackson made sure to pick recent presidential candidates who were non-controversial, and, party leaders thought, candidate blandness appeals to the middle. This didn’t turn out so well for the Donkeys.

Not all ideologically honest candidates win, but honest candidates get people talking about politics, encourage voter participation, and turn elections into referendums on issues. In this democracy, ultimately, we’re all better off when we chose people with a track record of working for us, not against us. Remember this when you vote in the June primary.

It’s time to get to work.