Eeuw. I just read Markos Moulitas’ new March 15 dictat. Is it just me, or is this sounding more than a tad authoritarian? Patronizing? Dare I say gate-keepy?
Mr. Moulitas seems like a nice young guy, and his family is adorable. But I never never come here to read what he writes. Especially recently, his pieces always sound like the irritated scoldings of a burned out preschool teacher to an overcrowded classroom at 2:59 on a rainy Wednesday. They are tiresome and pompous and just not interesting to read. Mr. Moulitsas is a much more talented and effective graphic artist and businessman than he is an insightful writer and/or political scientist. Which is fine, as long as talented writers continue to feel welcome. But he may want to think twice about stifling free expression on this website. It could make the website itself a less commercially successful endeavour.
And he is also factually wrong. The primaries are not over until a nominee is chosen. Many things can happen between March 15 and the nominating convention. People can fall ill, be indicted, make a terrific political blunder, etc. etc. etc. If any of those things were to happen to the front runner, a primary process which had a clear alternate who was still in the race would be preferable than a process in which the game had been called on account of scary clouds.
Furthermore, continuing to provide a venue for supporters of all candidates makes for a much more dynamic political process and allows for an engages electorate to become more educated about all candidates strengths and weaknesses. We have already seen Mrs. Clinton coopt some of Mr Sanders’ policies and/or rhetoric. This has been useful and valuable and should continue to be useful and valuable until the actual nomination.
Many of us here are old enough to be Mr. Moulitsas’ father or mother, some probably old enough to be his grandfather or grandmother. Perhaps in twent years (or forty years) he will realize that being harangued by somebody with much less life experience (and, in fact, being told what one can and cannot say with regard to how one is going to cast ones vote is a very poor way to make friends and influence people. It is, in fact, dickish.