In chess that’s what pawns are for. In politics too. Yesterday, both parties deliberately threw a gubernatorial election to the other side. Even if that’s not how the MSM are portraying it.

Barbara Buono vs. Chris Christie in New Jersey

Frank Cucchinelli vs. Terry McAuliffe in Virginia.

The logic in both instances is devious, but the evidence is limpidly clear. In New Jersey, Democrat Barbara Buono got no help from her party. No campaign support from Hillary or Obama, no financial support to speak of, and just one DNC staffer loaned to her effort against Christie. Why? The Democrats (and the MSM) are seeking to turn Christie into the next John McCain, the so-called moderate (i.e., Democrat Lite) front runner in the Republican presidential campaign, who will be lauded and admired until after his nomination, at which time all the abundant oppo research already compiled against him will be unleashed in a paralyzing smear campaign. Like most Republican geniuses, Christie’s appraisal of his own talents is inflated to the point of blindness. He’s the perfect setup. His huge win in a Blue state he believes the result of his own shrewd politicking, even though exit polling showed him still losing to Hillary among New Jersey voters. He’s just a fat fool. And Buono is a pissed off dupe.

In Virginia, the Republican establishment wanted Cucchinelli, a Tea Party type, to go down to humiliating defeat so that the party could make the argument Tea Partiers are electoral poison. Everyone knows McAuliffe is a stone whore, the insider’s ultimate dirty, principle-free insider. So the RNC gave their candidate almost no money, no campaign support, overlooked the filthy tactic that used Democrat money to fund a specious Libertarian candidate siphoning votes from Cucchinelli, and as recently as two weeks ago basked in the fact that he was down about 15 points in the polls. The new Republican hope, Chris Christie, turned down last minute appeals to campaign for his party’s candidate in Virginia. He and the other GOP bigwigs were eagerly anticipating the landslide loss. Except that it wasn’t. Cucchinelli lost by about 2 1/2 points, and McAuliffe did not win a majority of votes cast. Apparently, people are truly steamed about ObamaCare. But Cucchinelli is just another loser, sent home to oblivion.

The truth? Both parties are hopelessly corrupt, and the kings and queens on both sides are eminently for sale to the most generous lobbyists.

Does anyone put a human face on the pawns?

Only the rest of us pawns in this dirty game.