Another "Near Win." Yay!

The Supreme Court campaign is actually "too close to call" in Wisconsin. About 500 votes separate Prosser -- the Walker-man -- and Kloppenburg -- the Lady Person -- with some precincts still to be counted. There will no doubt have to be a recount. So it may be several months before this one is decided.

But it isn't a clear-cut victory and because it isn't, it won't be clear-cut even if Kloppenburg wins in the end. Seems to be how it goes in too many cases when it comes to getting reactionaries out of office and something resembling progressives into office in this country.

Every single one of the Near Wins is claimed to be Important, Even Stunning by the Left o sphere, and most of the few and far between Victories wind up Disappointing to the Internet Lefties because the candidate behaves very differently in office and seems to be more concerned with form rather than substance, doing things Correctly rather than doing what is Right. [ Huge sigh]

Now this has been going on for year upon year, time without end. Cycle after cycle.

Something isn't working here if the goal is to actually have enough "progressives" -- however you want to define that -- in office to make a difference, and actually have them make a difference. If "Near Win" is the standard outcome, then whatever is being done to elect "Better Dems" is failing. Badly. Even when Dems somehow wind up in the majority.

But then, what really is the goal?

Is it, as it sometimes seems, the perpetuation of the Status Quo with endless repeats of the same sort of near victory that is hailed as a Joyous Learning Experience That Punished the Other Side?

Is "punishment" the goal? Is "learning" the goal? Or is it just about keeping the game going however one might?

"Near Wins" are actually Losses.

There's no way around that.

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UPDATE: Sure. A county elections clerk with a poor record of elections shenanigans has all of a sudden "discovered" 7,500 votes for Prosser, thus ending the happy spring of Ms Kloppenburg who now -- conveniently -- cannot even call for a recount.

Yes. Well. Are we surprised?