Go Team!

So I ended up in a twitter thread where someone accused Hillary fans of viewing politics as a team sport (and of not caring about policy). I’ll leave aside the charge of not caring about policy because it’s a ridiculous argument on its face. But I did want to interject “Yes, yes! I do view it as a team sport BECAUSE REPUBLICANS DO.”

Republican and conservative/R-leaning voters very much view politics as a team sport, which is why our elections are so close now, even with Republicans offering up remarkably flawed candidates election after election. As I’ve said in previous posts, R’s and R-leaners/voters will beat feet to the polls for literally anyone with an “R” beside his name. Literally. Like you could run a poop emoji wearing a Brooks Brothers suit and R’s would trample a field of Pomeranian puppies to vote for Tom P. Emoji.

The election of Donald Trump has conclusively proven that R’s will literally vote for anyone who does not have a “D” beside her name. And while I think that that is dangerous and badwrong, I do think we Dems/libs/lefties need to keep that in mind every election. Maybe water down that impulse with the common sense but basically adopt the same game plan.

Mind you, I think this plan has limitations. Like, I could never vote for, say, Joe Manchin or Joe Lieberman or Bob Casey Jr. just because they had a “D” beside their names. (I know Lieberman’s an “I” now.) But I make the calculation that any even halfway-reasonable Dem is at least a little malleable and open to listening to her base. As I said in a previous post, I expect to have to *make* a candidate do certain things. It’s why even though I was a Hillary supporter I would have rabidly and loudly and bitchily supported Bernie Sanders. He wasn’t my first choice. So the fuck what? I can work with him. I’d be Team Bernie.

I have no problem admitting I view politics as a team sport because the other side sure the fuck does. And look what that got them. And, honestly, look what it got all of us.