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The Partisan's Gambit | Why Leaders Like Weak Candidates
Why would a political party support a candidate who's less likely to win an election?
Because winning the election isn't the only consideration. Party leaders and political activists also care about what their candidates will do once elected.
In this episode of The Rational Nationalist, Lee Ellis examines the trade-off between electability and political loyalty—and why a weaker candidate may sometimes offer party leadership more influence than a stronger, more independent one.
We explore:
Why independently popular politicians have greater freedom to defy party leadership.
How primaries create…
The skinny
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