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The Collapsible Party




I believe you know I’m a fan of the unintentional quirkiness of Facebook Marketplace. I often find items which are either puzzling or hilarious. Yesterday, though…there was one offering that made me think of politics.



 
BRAND NEW - Progressive 3-in-1 Party Carrier


Much has been made of the current dearth of Republican candidates in local elections. And some Republicans seem to be dealing with that by running as Democrats, which I find odd and unhelpful.

What I find far more troubling is how quickly some local Democrats have descended into the kind of just plain nasty politicking that we’ve normally seen from the opposing party. Is this what happens when the regular competition is out of the picture? You turn on each other?

Don’t tell me “it’s just the primary” because in some races the primary will have the final say. (See above.) In my opinion the primary campaign should help clarify what each candidate stands for so voters can make an educated choice at the polls.

What’s happening right now? Well, when this is all over there are some folks I will never want to lay eyes on ever again. No one says that the democratic process is purely about likability. But if I’m coming away from this ashamed of what some members - -  of my chosen politcal party - - are willing to say and do to get elected , then that’s a problem.

About the picture. I’m not sure if this item is meant to be for a progressive dinner or it is somehow progressively collapsible.



I looked at it and saw progressive as in politically progressive, a term that many Democrats use these days. And I thought of the current destructive frenzy to discredit one’s opponents as the most effective way to bring about a collapse of the local party. 

I’m embarrassed to admit that I thought Democrats didn’t operate like this. Don’t laugh, we all want to be aligned with good people. I want my party to be the good people. But we can’t blame this flame war on the Republicans when we are just doing it to ourselves.

Telling the truth and articulating one’s positions in a campaign can be confident, forceful - - even blunt - - without creating an environment of destruction and character assassination in the process. Where does a local party go once the election is over if the base has been fragmented and demoralized? How do the elected leaders lead?

At the moment I feel flattened, rather like the item for sale on FB Marketplace. I wonder what kind of a “party carrier” we will need after this election season to pick up the pieces? 



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  1. Julia A. McCreadyMay 24, 2026 at 5:00 AM

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