#william lawrence

Until Temeraire forces his eyes open with a crowbar, he is absolutely convinced that England is 100% the best nation on Earth and its society is the only correct way to live. If any English citizen questions this or resists the will of the English government, it’s TREASON and can only be punished with turbo-execution!

At the same time, though, Lawrence has no respect for the admiralty, expects no consideration for justice from the government, considers the courts a cesspool of disappointments/injustice, understands that his favorite military branch typically leaves veterans and their families on the street, thinks most of his societal peers are overpaid frivolous idiots, and has admitted his king is insane. But woe to you if you point any of that out to him! (And the endless whataboutisms involving Napoleon!)

Kevin Robillard at HuffPost:

Progressives appear on the verge of sweeping a trio of heavily contested Democratic primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin, alarming party operatives who fear the left-leaning candidates could endanger the party’s chances in two of the nation’s iconic swing states. Public surveys released in recent days have pointed to significant primary leads for Assemblywoman Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s governor’s race, for Sunrise Movement co-founder Will Lawrence in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District and for former public health official Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s Senate race. All are set to defeat comparatively moderate opponents and will have overcome ferocious efforts by establishment-aligned forces to stop them. All have been seemingly boosted by Republicans in one way or another. All are facing some degree of worry about whether they can triumph in territory won by President Donald Trump in 2024 in November.

All of their rises have led to finger-pointing within the party’s establishment and its moderate wing, with many arguing they were too slow to adjust to voters’ post-Biden preferences on everything from Israel to data centers to economic populism. Others are pointing to race-specific problems, with the moderate wing failing to consolidate its voters early in both the 7th District and in the Wisconsin governor’s race. “Shame on the establishment Democrats for not having a message that resonates with people,” said Emily Cherniack, the founder of New Politics, which is backing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the Wisconsin governor’s race and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam in Michigan’s 7th, adding voters were looking for a different type of candidate: “People don’t want the pragmatic leader who’s going to put the country first.” If the progressive candidates do win in November, however, they are set to provide significant boons to their movement, giving the left a counterargument to consistent doubts about their candidates’ ability to win over swing voters in the nation’s most crucial political battlegrounds.

“Michigan is ground zero for the future of the Democratic Party and a primer for the upcoming presidential race,” Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said Friday on MSNOW. “If Abdul can win after $60 million is spent against him … that will send a signal to every other Democratic politician. If he goes on to win the general election, that sends a signal to scared electability voters.”

While progressives have often had a leg up on the Democratic establishment throughout the 2026 primary season, the potential victories for Hong, El-Sayed and Lawrence seem set to cement this year as the Democratic equivalent of the Tea Party movement that rocked the GOP in 2010. While Republicans benefited from massive political backlash to a president of the other party that year, the energy coursing through their party also resulted in the party nominating unelectable candidates in a host of critical races, allowing Democrats to maintain control of the Senate.

[...] There are limits to the progressive surge, which is also expected to lift Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan over Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary. House primaries between left-wing insurgents and incumbents backed by AIPAC in St. Louis and Detroit are seen as toss-ups, and most competitive seats in both House and Senate races saw establishment-backed candidates win with relatively little trouble. The level of concern about each candidate’s ability to win in November is different: El-Sayed, a more established figure, draws the greatest electability worries from Democrats inclined to back his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, while many others note most polls of the race indicate both he and Stevens would face a tight matchup with Republican Mike Rogers.

[...] Other Democrats have long questioned the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s decision to back Stevens over state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the race last month. The committee has long said Stevens’ track record of winning a GOP-held district made her the most attractive candidate. In Wisconsin, Hong’s membership in the Democratic Socialists of America is seen as a significant drag on her appeal, though her relatively weak opponent — Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee, is a member of the archconservative House Freedom Caucus — and focus on “permanent affordability” have convinced many Democrats in the state she can triumph regardless. “I’m bullish on her ability to close the deal,” said Joe Zepecki, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state. “The voters are telling us they’re looking for something different, and they think Francesca Hong is that something different.” Democrats in the state closely watched Hong’s appearances on Fox News and CNN on Friday, attempting to evaluate how she would stand up to relatively hostile questioning. Republicans, meanwhile, are salivating at the chance to run against her, with the Republican Governors’ Association spending millions on an ad campaign not-so-subtly intended to boost her name ID.

Today’s primaries in key Midwestern states will reveal where the direction of the Democratic Party will go.

MN-Sen: progressive favorite and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan v. establishment centrist Rep. Angie Craig.

MI-Sen: progressive darling and former health director Abdul El-Sayed v. AIPAC darling Rep. Haley Stevens.

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William Lawrence