Deus Ex Arpaio

Why nutty Republicans are a godsend for Democrats

U.S. Senate candidate Joe Arpaio.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Matt York)

There was a time not too long ago in American politics when in order to win a party's nomination for pretty much any office, you had to be approved by the party's powerbrokers. Gathered in smoke-filled rooms, they'd decide which connected guy should be on the ballot, filtering out those who hadn't paid their dues or might embarrass the party come election day.

These days, any idiot can run. And given the right circumstances, they might just win. You can probably think of one important example.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.