blogger interrupted

I may have to ask Jennifer Brunner campaign manager, David Dettman, for some help here  - David, if Jennifer will let you, feel free to chime in.

Dettman and I are NDI alumni, both of us learning under the fine tutelage of the late Nelson Ledsky who oversaw NDI’s efforts in the former soviet republics.  We’ve both worked with dozens of political parties in many countries.  Could be as many as 100 between us.  I have the advantage of UK Labour experience over 3 election cycles, and some Latvia work, but David’s got me on the Middle East experience – I only did a few months in the West Bank.  Bottom line – I’ve worked with more political parties than just about anyone in this state, with the possible exception of Dettman, and between us, no one in this state can even come close.

And I can say, with the slimmest of caveats, that what happened this weekend in NY-23 is about as unprecedented as it’s gonna get.  One of two national political parties’ local membership chose a legislative candidate for the national legislature, via its own processes and procedures, spent $1 million on that candidate, and in the last weekend, outsiders yanked that support in favor of some looney tune no one has ever heard of, at which point the previously supported candidate endorsed the other party.  David, help me out here – has this ever happened, anywhere?  I can’t think of a single instance that even comes close.

And I’ve worked with some pretty strange political parties, I’m sure Dettman has, too.  All NDI alums, especially the political party trainers, have a long list of war stories no one would believe aside from another NDI alum.  You want looney tunes, we got ‘em.  But if I told the story of NY-23 to a seminar room in any country, through any interpreter, to any group of political party activists or candidates – I’d first be disbelieved, then I’d be laughed at, then once they accepted it as true, the participants would ask if my country had gone completely mad, certain that the political party in question has.

And that’s just the facts of the situation.  When you consider why the Republican Party did what it did this weekend in NY-23, those reasons make the NY-23 putsch practically science fiction.  That’s when the seminar room in, say, East BumFuckistan really starts scratching their heads.  They responded to talk radio hysteria?  From people who have no elected office?  None of whom even live in the district?  Over abortion?  Guns?  Gays?  Is this a comedy?

It’s not a comedy.  It’s the Republican Party.  And I feel pretty confident, almost certain, Republicans have gone where no political party has ever gone before, anywhere, in my lifetime, or perhaps anyone else’s.  Enjoy the ride, nimrods.  I certainly am!