Over the last decade, multiple news organizations have inflicted Cletus Safaris on their readers, in which a reporter goes to a diner or some other folsky communal spot and talks with MAGA diehards with the goal of Elucidating The Real America. One would think that with the DSA seizing all three branches of governmentthree Mamdani-endorsed candidates winning Democratic primaries in New York City and a democratic socialist winning the D.C. mayorality it might behoove members of the political press corps to interview voters who voted for these candidates so as to understand this supposedly seismic event.

In D.C., for example, I really doubt democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George only lost D.C.’s Ward 3 by 1.8% (45.4% to 43.6%). It might be that Ward 3 is chock full of socialists, but I really don’t think that’s the case*. But a news organization could send reporters out to ask some questions! It would provide people with useful information, and it would be interesting: unlike the same fucking Cletus Safaris, this would be new–and you can’t spell news without new!

That they do not do this, and instead, fall back on the same tired tropes suggests that our news media also need the equivalent of a replacement election.

MOAR CLETUS SAFARIS! But leftistly!

*Not only do I think the Democratic primaries in areas where the primary is the de facto election experienced a ‘change’ election, but we also are seeing the weakening, if not collapse, of traditional urban power centers, and those centers are slowly being supplanted by new organizations and groups. Also, personality, as always, played a role. When Democratic voters in heavily Democratic areas are angry at Democrats, they don’t vote for Republicans, they move farther left (or off the axis entirely).