In chess there is a condition called Zugzwang. A player isn’t allowed not to move. In Zugzwang, any move results in a worse position than the status quo.
That’s where Harris finds herself.
If she says, fewer armaments for Israel, she loses votes. But if she backs Israel, she loses crucial Muslim voters in Michigan. Either way loses Michigan.
She finally said yes to fracking for the folks in western Pennsylvania, but that will alienate environmental voters.
She can’t be pro-gun or anti-gun.
She won’t even come out against the death penalty, which she has opposed her whole life. She won’t come out against the freakin’ electoral college, because that might cost her votes in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Wouldn’t it be Harris’ karma to win the popular vote and lose the electoral college after she was too mealy-mouthed even to condemn that archaic, loathsome institution.
So she’s running a nearly issue-free campaign (with the exception of reproductive rights, a likely winning issue for Dems). There’s almost nothing she can stand for without losing one of her coalition’s pieces.
If she wins, it seems we’re getting a big, bad Defense Department; neocon foreign policy; little or no gun regulation; open season for crypto oligarchs; and a tough-on-crime government that may resume executions at the federal level. Also at least one Republican in the cabinet.
Yet she’s obviously the only rational choice.
But if only a few people stay home on election day because they don’t know what exactly the Dems are serving, but they suspect it’s Elephant Lite, it’ll be closing time for Harris.
This is how Hillary lost. It’s how Kerry lost. And all the other Democratic losers.
There’s no progressive issue they can dare to stand up for without alienating the centrist swing voter, who may not even exist. And they pay for it in people unwilling to do retail politics—get-out-the-vote efforts.
The party is stuck in Zugzwang. But Harris has to move, or forfeit the game.
If she wins, count on her opponent to knock over the board.
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth.”—Rev. 3:16
“Leaves of Oak” © MMXXIV Lindsey D. Eck. All rights reserved.
Articles may not be republished in any medium, including reuploading to the Web, without permission.