Playing in a Rigged Game

I am, in effect, thinking aloud here.  A week ago, after Andrew Cuomo won the New York gubernatorial election, and after Republicans swept Congress I started to think about where we can contest power in a game that isn't totally rigged.  In New York, we have a long history of so-called "third parties" cross-listing the candidates of the two major parties.  This year, Cuomo ran on the lines of the Democratic Party, the Working Families Party and the Women's Equality Party.  Four years ago his big win swept a Democratic majority even into the state Senate.  So he collaborated with a group of Democratic state senators who suddenly decided to caucus with the Republicans, giving them continued control of that house.  This year he eliminated that embarrassment by refusing to support Democratic candidates, while Republican Senate leader Dean Skelos reciprocated by refusing support to the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Rob Astorino.  This isn't about party, ideology or platform.  It isn't about working "across the aisle."  (I am so fed up with that hackneyed phrase.)  It is about two politicians collaborating to keep each other in power.

Then there was that big electoral sweep which gave the Republicans control of both houses of Congress.  Yes, they took over by winning the support of an impressive 19% of eligible voters!  I have to wonder what they are going to do with their legislative majorities: Vote to overturn health care for underserved people again?  Impeach Obama like they impeached Bill Clinton?  Pass a Constitutional amendment against abortion?

And I am ever mindful of what the Democrats did with their majorities in both houses of Congress back in 2008, which was nothing.  They didn't strengthen the NLRB.  They didn't pass immigration reform.  They didn't even pass health care reform.  They did jack shit.  Because they need an obstructionist GOP, just like Cuomo does, to rationalize their utter refusal to serve the needs of the people who elect them.  That is why all the fundraising emails I receive from the Democrats are filled with scary Koch Brothers stories: because they want my support despite their complete lack of interest in anything I believe is important.

Leaving aside the backwardness of our AFL-CIO it has been horribly difficult to organize the unorganized in this country because the NLRB does nothing.  The massive (and massively illegal) intrusion of Tennessee elected officials into the UAW's campaign at Volkswagen is a good example.  It just means that we are left to find other arenas for organization.

So where is the playing field on which we can actually accomplish something?