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Undertoad · 07-14-2006, 12:03 PM

Their strategic objective is generally to retain as much power as possible.

But that's an oversimplification because inside each machine are a bunch of people trying to individually retain as much power as possible, and sometimes that subverts the machine.

In the current Connecticut primary situation, for example, one sector has broken away to support their principles, even though it hurts the overall machine.

Possible outcomes:

A) Lamont wins Primary + General
B) Lieberman wins Primary + General
C) Lamont wins Primary, Lieberman wins General

So they are subverting a politically powerful Dem, who 10% of Ds in the country felt should be President in 2004, and 100% of Ds felt should be Vice-President in 2000. And they are replacing that person with:

A) a freshman Dem who passes the litmus test; or
B) a politically powerful Dem who now alienates and is alienated by the left; or
C) a politically powerful Independent.

So in this case, the win-at-all-cost tactic would be to support Lieberman, but people on the edges change how it works and throw a monkey wrench into the equation. (To mangle a metaphor.)

07-14-2006, 12:03 PM	#12
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Their strategic objective is generally to retain as much power as possible. But that's an oversimplification because inside each machine are a bunch of people trying to individually retain as much power as possible, and sometimes that subverts the machine. In the current Connecticut primary situation, for example, one sector has broken away to support their principles, even though it hurts the overall machine. Possible outcomes: A) Lamont wins Primary + General B) Lieberman wins Primary + General C) Lamont wins Primary, Lieberman wins General So they are subverting a politically powerful Dem, who 10% of Ds in the country felt should be President in 2004, and 100% of Ds felt should be Vice-President in 2000. And they are replacing that person with: A) a freshman Dem who passes the litmus test; or B) a politically powerful Dem who now alienates and is alienated by the left; or C) a politically powerful Independent. So in this case, the win-at-all-cost tactic would be to support Lieberman, but people on the edges change how it works and throw a monkey wrench into the equation. (To mangle a metaphor.)