PoliticsUSA: Primary Elections: Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin

Democrats who won their primaries in previous races are rarely these days pursuing ad campaigns that mention Obama not at all, distancing themselves from even the troika (Pelosi, Reid, Obama) healthcare legislation passed in the last Congress and signed by the President.  In the primaries yesterday, there weren't many Dem candidates wearing the mantle of ram-the-bill-thru-&-don't-waste-time-reading-it.

Republicans, contesting with one another the chance to represent their political party in the November general elections, were enshrouded in the new problems posed by the anti-incumbent wave that pits the throw-the-bums-out approach against that of the stand-pat incumbents like Sen John McCain (Arizona), the Republican establishment in several cases (including Karl Rove who blasted anti-incumbent Christine O'Donnell among last n+t's winners in Delaware), and rank-and-file members who rank party unity as the prime political virtue (unlike Fox News commentator, Sean Hannity, a conservative die-hard who ton+t harrassed a party-unity conservative, Dana Perino).

Were I a Republican, I woud not want to throw out moderates and liberals who persist in the party; were I a Democrat, I woud distinguish my loyalty to the party's leader from approval of the law-ramming illiteracy that pervades the overly legalistic legislation just passed, unreadable due to its sheer length as well as its head-spinning legalese.  There's something to be said for reporters, whether in mainstream media or bloggers / iPhoners, who don't join a party and try to keep an irenic spirit in the face of the seemingly-everlasting, special-pleading political warfare that saturates almost every corner of our society.

Tomorrow evening, I hope to review some of the contests and winners of primaries.  I've already seen most of the results, but I want a bit of time to assimilate the patterns that have emerged.

-- Politicarp

dictionary:

special pleadingnounargument in which the speaker deliberately ignores aspects that are unfavorable to his/her point of view• appeals to give a particular interest group special treatment :
    we heard his special pleading for his aging constituency.