× Expand Meg Kinnard/AP Photo Presidential candidate Representative Tulsi Gabbard speaks to Democrats gathered at the Spratt Issues Conference in Greenville, South Carolina, December 14, 2019.

Democratic (for now) presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard continued down her path to become next November’s independent Democratic spoiler last night by voting “present” on both impeachment charges that came before the House. Already the favorite “Democrat” of Steve Bannon and Russian bots, Gabbard released a “pox on both your houses” explanation of her votes that was designed to set her up for an independent run for president in 2020, intended to take votes from the Democratic nominee and boost Donald Trump’s chances for a second term.

“On one side,” her statement read, “The president’s defenders insist that he has done nothing wrong. They agree with the absurd proclamation that his conduct was ‘perfect.’ They have abdicated their responsibility to exercise legitimate oversight, and instead blindly do the bidding of their party’s leader.”

“On the other side,” it continued, “The president’s opponents insist that if we do not impeach, our country will collapse into dictatorship. All but explicitly, they accuse him of treason. Such extreme rhetoric was never conducive to an impartial fact-finding process.”

The middle way, according to Tulsi, is to dismiss those who fear Trump’s conduct has posed threats to fundamental democratic norms, rules, and laws as engaging in “extreme rhetoric.” Which can only be true if she believes Trump’s conduct hasn’t posed threats to fundamental democratic norms, rules, and laws. Or if she doesn’t really care what she believes so long as it positions this onetime right-winger turned left-winger turned Trump’s ace in the hole for an independent candidacy come next fall.

Tulsi continues to play to the credulous wing of the left by spouting ideas on foreign and military policy critical of centrists and neo-cons, endeavoring to align herself on these matters with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren while utterly lacking their authenticity. Her trajectory is to run as an independent candidate appealing to whatever cluelessness she can rouse in odd left circles, aided by the bots of pro-Trump forces—a Ralph Nader to his George W. Bush. Only Trump’s a lot more dangerous than W, and Tulsi’s vastly more dangerous than Ralph.