I am wondering if anyone, maybe Doug, has any further thoughts on his this might game out in practice? I ask because, I can actually think of some ways it might be good for the left. On the other hand, I can think of many more reasons it would go bad. I mean, the right is still much bigger than the left, and they would have a mass mainstream opposition political party in the republicans. Whereas I think the left would have a much harder time contending in any way, outside of a couple states. Also, labor would be even more neutered than now. Many of the stronger unions, whatever you think of them, have immediate material interest in putting strong supporters in office, particularly governorships. And I have a very hard time seeing any left split off from the dems, green party or working families or whoever, winning any serious elections anywhere. So the unions would have quite a problem on their hands. I mean, I think the Dems can walk a LOT further away from labor without losing them.
Whole thing isn't helped by the fact that the country's most dynamic unions, seiu and unite here, are both undergoing intense periods of internal self-destruction that will probably continue for a couple years.
Speaking of unions, I've posed a thought experiment to a few friends of mine in various unions lately: if the senior leadership of every major union in america were to all simultaneously die of a heart attack or whatever tomorrow, would it be net positive or net negative for organized labor. Pretty much everyone I ask, no matter how dedicated a solider for their respective organizations, agrees that it would be positive because it would break the personality-centered cycles of feuding and conflict that increasingly characterize organized labor right now.