The NY23 house race is over, in which a Republican, a Democrat, and a Conservative all ran for the same seat. The Republican dropped out. In the end the Democrat won in an area largely leaning Republican in the past. Why?
Because the Republican threw her support behind the Democrat. Criticized by many for being a Republican In Name Only (RINO), she decided to prove it.
What this shows is that there is one thing that our two main parties hate more than each other: the idea of a third viable party. Oh sure, there have been a few independents reach office here and there, but those often are people who started out with one party or another and became Independent-in-name-only (uh...IINO?) after their party abandoned them.
No, this was a case where a candidate from an actual third party ran and nearly won. Even though there are more ramifications for the struggling GOP, the message is clear to both parties: you are both losing your grip on the electorate. If Americans get the idea that "none of the above" is a viable alternative to the classic Rep vs. Dem dichotomy both parties stand to lose power.
And in the end that's what this is all about. Both parties crave power. They're not so much interested in helping the country as keeping their power. To do that they have to keep the American people firmly divided into two camps; Us against Them. They would rather see one of the approved opposition win than someone supposedly closer to their own values who is outside the artificial two-part structure.
Congratulations to you, Doug Hoffman. You nearly started something. You may still have. But it's obvious that this race mattered, because reports of the outcome are buried in the news. MSNBC.com barely even acknowledges it, even though it provides counterpoint to their lead story of several key GOP victories. Since it doesn't fit the GOP vs. Dems narrative it's just not important, I suppose.
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