Hoist by his own peter(ard) (No one likes forced-puns, Chris, except you)

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“If I said it, I’ didn’t mean it — c’mon, man!”

Having already determined that their former darling Eric Swalwell is not as desirable a gubernatorial candidate as some others in the race, and started a removal effort, the latest accusations of sexual misconduct have forced the Democrats to move swiftly to finish the job. Even though the current complainant seems to have had a serious problem with alcohol at the time — she admits she was in constant, repeated alcoholic blackouts during her sexual bouts with the Congressman — under the Democrat mantra of “believe all women”, they have no choice but to believe this one. Of course, they’d have found a way to evade or ignore that rule if they still considered Swalwell an asset rather than a liability, but they don’t, so he won’t last. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving pos.

Update: Matt Margolis explains further why Swalwell has to be booted from the governor’s race

Even though this is California, Swalwell’s problems could very well cost Democrats the election. California runs a jungle primary, where all candidates from all parties compete together and the top 2 vote-getters advance to the general election — regardless of party affiliation. With a historically crowded Democratic field splitting the liberal vote, two Republicans — former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — had been polling at the top of the field. Swalwell was running in third.

If he stays in the race, he keeps siphoning off a substantial share of Democratic votes. That risks producing something extraordinary: a November ballot with zero Democrats. A Republican-only general election for California governor would be catastrophic for the party — it would threaten Democratic turnout in the midterms and make competitive House races far more winnable for the GOP.

The calls to exit the governor's race are about one thing: political survival. Party leaders want the governorship to stay blue. Trust me, none of the Democrats calling for Swalwell to drop out care about the women who came forward. If Democrats actually cared about accountability, they would be demanding that Swalwell resign from Congress as well. Their silence on that front reveals the calculation beneath the outrage.