Editorial: A party for politics as usual

An effort by Governor Andrew Cuomo and his running mate to establish the Women’s Equality Party line sounds great in theory. Who doesn’t stand for equality? And rallying any group for a common cause is something that should be celebrated in a democratic society. 

But voters should note that if they choose to vote the Women’s Equality line this November, they will essentially be voting Democratic.

To put it simply, Mr. Cuomo and Kathy Hochul are Democrats and we’d be willing to wager that all the other candidates the Women’s Equality Party endorses across the state will also have a “D” next to their name.

Minor parties, too, often function as lines on a ballot meant to confuse a voter into believing they’re supporting an issue. Does the Working Families Party — another minor party that endorses almost all Democrats — care more about working families than any other party? Are Conservatives really more conservative than Republicans? How could they be, when both parties endorse almost all the same candidates? When a Republican fails to get Conservative Party support, it’s usually more about personality conflicts than actual conservatism.

Republicans are now rumored to be creating a new party line of their own, one focused on capturing voters unhappy with Common Core.

We don’t believe that improving women’s rights or our educational system are unworthy causes — quite the opposite, actually.

But a political party created by another political party is unfortunately nothing more than politics as usual.