Fusion Craziness

So much of NYC and New York State politics is crazy but a lot of it has nothing to do with politicians but the structural forces they operate under.

Namely, Wilson-Pakula.

This is a law that allows "fusion" tickets in elections, where candidates can run for the same office on multiple ballot lines. It creates confusion, opportunism, and all sorts of other bizarre goings on in our elections -- and most people, even the politicians themselves, understand it.

Here's a handy primer about the history and current workings of this law and other oddities about elections in New York. It's a fascinating, if also depressing, read.