— Rep. Seth Moulton’s primary problem in taking on Sen. Ed Markey is … our primary-election system that gives way too much power to political ideologues in both parties to choose who runs for office in general elections. The latest example of this happening in deep-blue Massachusetts, via the Globe: “Pro-Markey super PAC launches ad accusing Moulton of not being progressive enough.” Now imagine the headline reading instead: “Pro-Moulton super PAC launches ad accusing Markey of not being moderate enough.” Never going to happen. Moderates just don’t think that way. But more fanatical ideologues with airtight world views do.

And that’s why Markey will probably win the Democratic primary contest this fall. He’s passed all the progressive purity tests with flying colors. Moulton hasn’t.

— Speaking of Democrats, Sam Rosenfeld and Daniel Schlozman, authors of “The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics,” have some advice for Dems: Try connecting more with actual voters – and connecting less with party ‘activists’ pushing specific ideological agendas. The authors don’t exactly put it that way. But that’s the gist of their NYT column. 

— And speaking of ‘activists,’ are we now supposed to call them ‘advocates’? Just asking. Because I don’t know at this point. Political language keeps changing. But fear not: the NYT’s Nadja Spiegelman explores why “careful language is falling out of favor.”. Hmmm. “Careful language.” What could that possibly mean? Left-wing political jargon? Yes, but you can’t be that blunt, I guess, so to be careful the NYT calls it “careful language.” 

I did learn this from the piece about what’s hip and not hip when it comes to political language: pronouns in emails are no longer obligatory. What a relief! And “politically correct” is just so 1990s, which I sort of knew but needed to explicitly hear before it truly sank in.

— It’s safe to say Gov. Healey is feeling President Trump’s war-on-fraud heat a bit, based on her recent moves to crack down on EBT fraud in Massachusetts, as the Globe and Herald report. And, yes, there is welfare fraud in Massachusetts (even the Globe says so). The governor is obviously trying to pre-emptively position herself as a welfare reformer before JD Vance and Leah B. Foley come at her full force.

But will they come at her full force? After reading this Atlantic article (“Vance’s ‘Fraud Czar’ Title May Come Back to Haunt Him”), I’m beginning to wonder. Is Vance’s ‘Fraud Czar’ designation the rough equivalent of Kamala Harris’s ‘Border Czar’ title, i.e. it’s all bullshit?

— Back to political primaries: Here’s a local example of conservative activism at work in the Mass. GOP primary for governor: Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton’s endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve, calling him a “warrior for conservative values,” as the Herald reports. … An endorsement from an Arkansas pol? In Massachusetts? Only in a purity-test primary.

— Finally, after seeing the following WBUR headline (“Mass. AG’s office investigating Lawrence mayor over alleged wiretapping”), I briefly thought: is Willie Lantigua still mayor of Lawrence? No, he’s not. Willie’s long gone. But Lawrence is still Lawrence without him.