WASHINGTON – Former Rep. Barney Frank and the writer William F. Buckley Jr. could hardly have been more at odds in their political views.
The Massachusetts Democrat remains a staunch liberal while Buckley was the intellectual founder of modern conservatism. But they had something important in common: Each wanted his side to win elections and could be thoroughly pragmatic about doing what victory required.
Frank said his “strategic approach” was “to always support the most electable liberal candidates, with an edge in close cases going to electability.”
From the other philosophical shore, Buckley said almost exactly the same: “I’d be for the most right, viable candidate who could win.”
What we’ll call the Frank-Buckley rule is a live issue as Democrats confront potentially divisive primary fights in House and Senate races. The debate over what price is worth paying to prevail in November was sharpened by Conor Lamb’s apparent triumph in a Pennsylvania congressional district that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in 2016.