Voters willing to walk have the most power over the parties.
This is an opinion article from the editor, taken from a segment of the April 24th issue of the From the Hawk’s Nest Newsletter.
Independents, centrists, and moderates used to be the center of gravity around which the general election revolved. But Trump won in 2016 without a pivot, and it’s unlikely the Democrats will pivot in the general this year either. Why? Because the voters willing to walk are the ones who have the most power over the parties.
Let me say that again: the voters willing to walk are the ones who have the most power over the parties.
Don’t believe me? Why do you think Trumpism has gained such power over the Republican Party? Because Trump supporters are willing to walk-out on Republican candidates who aren’t sufficiently supportive of Trump. Just ask Mark Sanford, Mia Love, or Jeff Flake. Democrats literally have seats in the House and the Senate because Trump supporters wouldn’t show up at the ballot for non-Trumpy Republicans or would rather put forward weaker candidates than support them in the primary.
How about the Democrats? Remember that I mentioned they’re not likely to pivot in this year’s general election? That’s because they are more concerned about losing the ultra-progressive Bernie vote than they are about losing the votes of independents like me. Why? Because the Bernie Bros are willing to walk.
Lesser-of-two-evils arguments have essentially neutered the traditional center of American politics. Instead of pivoting and catering to our values, all the parties have to do is paint each election as an existential crisis. Since we’re the ones willing to swallow the pill for candidates we don’t like, the parties get to go flirt with the margins and spend their time catering to toxic extremes. Because they’re the ones willing to walk.
In 2016, I said I was done voting for lesser evils. I said, from here on out, I’m willing to walk. And that’s precisely what I plan to do. This November, I will vote for whichever candidate best reflects my values. If that candidate isn’t a Republican or a Democrat, that’s not my fault. It’s theirs.
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