In a land of unicorns and flowers and beautiful puppies, the people rejoiced in a great victory they had won for their leader, with much heraldry and ball spiking. But then… Dark clouds approached and fears began to creep in. Now their leader faces an evil and formidable enemy whose victory would spell doom for many of the people of Happyland, or at least some of their jobs. (And some of their sites were starting to look like nothing more than choir practice) They began to worry, too, about the vanquished, and how some of those now outcast may not forgive and forget when their leader’s convenience would prefer their formerly loyal support. That just wouldn’t be fair. And, as if all that weren’t dastardly enough, now the formidable enemy is mockingly using the words and slogans of the defeated to worsen the wounds of their already weakened leader. (The blame for which is rightly placed at the feet of the leader’s corrupt and tax evading doesn’t- know-when-he’s-beat would be challenger, his intransigence having caused these unnecessary wounds in the first place) Their leader had already for many years battled the tribes of the formidable one in past wars too numerous to number, but what if it was somehow different this time? This certainly is a hugely formidable enemy. Not only that, but the very control of the tribunals, and that of the halls of the representatives of the lobbyists and chieftains were at stake. What if the defeated, in their suicidal, “bern down the world if we can’t have everything we want immediately” defiance, stayed home on Election Day and the hugely formidable enemy prevailed?!?!? OMFOMFOMFOMFOMFOMFG!!
But then… Then a beautiful fairy godmother appeared with a sparkling and magical magic wand of Progressive Endorsement. At last! At last, it was time again for rejoicing and ball spiking. Even some of those who previously hadn’t been all that keen on fairy godmothers began to come around. “A dream ticket!” they exclaimed with glee. (And, what a perfect rebuke to the intransigent sexist tax and delegate cheating challenger who doesn’t know when to quit, who had had the gall to try to claim for himself the cloak of the True Progressive, when all along the leader had been an advocate for healthcare, a scourge to the wealthy and an unfailing champion of the downtrodden – as long as they weren’t super-predatory) And, they say, behold! The fairy godmother has already engaged the hugely formidable one in battle emerging victorious and resoundingly portraying him as unenlightened in various communicative forms! Surely this signals her Endorsement, since the battle has now transitioned to the General, and the fairy godmother is, after all, attacking the leader’s hugely formidable General Election opponent. And, what’s more, there is a growing buzz!!
But alas… It was but a beautiful illusion; it could be nothing else. Unless you’re shitting yourself, there’s no real question which of the candidates’ policy goals more closely match fairy godmother’s. And, I don’t believe for a second that FG wasn’t approached when all the other big establishment names were getting in line. Most likely the farthest she was willing to go was staying on the sidelines in the primary and general support for the party in the general. (And that to avoid the tempestuous winds that would surely blow her way should she go against the establishment flow) The leader is paid handsomely for speaking to the people FG grills at her every opportunity. Were the fairy godmother to bestow the magical Progressive Endorsement upon the leader, her magical progressive powers would disappear in a flash of legal tender smoke. It would destroy her cred. But, like the song says, dream on, dream on, dream on, dream until your dreams come true.