Why cant Democrats use Wisconsin as a road map going forward?

[Kilgore]

I dont live in Wisconsin, so I freely admit that I may not be understanding the whole story, so I ask forgiveness in advance if I miss the obvious.

So, Wisconsin was a solid, reliable blue state for years. Then something changed and the Republicans gained power after the 2008 elections. I remember hearing about legislators fleeing the, state, recall efforts and protests. Today it appears the Republicans control the state.

How did the Republicans take control of the state in 8 years, and can we use what they did as a road map back??

[Ace Rothstein]

1. The economy still sucking in 2010 basically screwed us for the rest of the decade.

The Republicans won big and were able to gerrymander anything and everything.

[forthemiddle]

18. The ironic part of gerrymandering in Wisconsin

In 2009 when the Democrats controlled the state, Republicans wrote a bill that would have set district lines via a panel like Iowa does. At the time no one thought that the Dems would lose the election, so they refused to bring it up for a vote.
Just as Harry Ried probably regrets changing filibuster rules, I am sure Democrats in Wisconsin regret not changing that law!
Hindsight is 20/20.

[riversedge]

2. one major factor was that Walker was supported by ALEC and Koch Bros.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. All roads lead to Bernie...

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!

[LonePirate]

4. Bernie will be too old in 2020. We need a younger candidate.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

7. Why the ageism?

[loyalsister]

13. life expectency?

By the time someone is nearly 80 (he will be 78 in 2020) it's more likely and practical that they will be ready to retire rather than take on one of the most difficult jobs in the entire world.
Our bodies and minds wear out.

[LonePirate]

14. I don't think it is a good idea to give the most stressful job on the planet to a 78 year old.

Bernie is a good man but I don't want the job to kill him.

[tritsofme]

33. Mortality tables are not "ageist"

Though they are certainly not kind nor forgiving.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. Bernie's guy in Wisconsin lost worse than HRC did

So all roads in Wisconsin should not at all point to Bernie

Feingold got less of the vote share in Wisconsin

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. The party ignores Bernie at its own peril.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. and you ignore the results of this election

[LanternWaste]

12. Your prophecies will be allowed the credibility they in fact, warrant.

Your prophecies will be allowed the credibility they in fact, warrant.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

23. Didn't Hillary lose once to Obama in a primary? Bernie's turn to take his shot to run against the Fuhrer-Elect.

[bravenak]

30. He needs to WIN a PRIMARY first

Won't happen in a Dem primary if folks keep running around dissing dems on his behalf and he keeps throwing jabs at 'political correctness' and 'identity politics', two things that many of us in Urban areas hear as dogwhistles. Can't win without minorities and him attacking our politics wont win any friends.

[dembotoz]

10. on the ground here...would not call fiengold benies guy

no way

no how

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. well, he had the same policies and supported Bernie and bernie supported him

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/bernie-sanders-russ-feingold-223603

http://mediatrackers.org/wisconsin/2016/02/04/russ-feingold-bernie-sanders-soul-mates

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

24. Agree with you... that's a stretch.

[lunasun]

31. Feingold yes lost bigger than HRC and Paul Ryan got 65% of his house district . I don't see it

Not sure why everyone thinks Walker 's state is so dem doable anymore in general

[Caliman73]

22. Disagree

I love Elizabeth Warren and think that she should consider a run, but as much as I love Sanders too, he was a catalyst not a candidate. He has even said so on many occasions. He will be 79 year old in 2020 (yes I saw your response on ageism) which is a liability no matter how sharp and healthy you are, the job sucks the life out of you. Look at how Obama, a young athletic man of 47 when elected has looked in the last year. Look at him in 2008 and compare.

I predict that Trump will not last more than half his term. The stress of the job and the hatred of more than half of the electorate will eat at him so badly that he will have a health, or a psychiatric crisis within the next 2 years.

I want Sanders to focus on animating the progressives in the party and setting the stage for the next generation of leaders. He can do that better if he is not focused on running for office.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

25. All I'm sayin is the choice is up to Bernie & the electorate. I think he's up to it, but if he chooses to stay on the sideline, respect, & we'll find anotha true progressive candidate.

[sab390]

5. Wisconsin has had a Republican Governor since 1976

It is home to the John Birch Society and the Posse Comitatus. And let's not forget tail gunner Joe McCarthy. There was a short time in the 60s and 70s when there was Proxmire, Nelson and Lucy but it has been mostly Republican. Milwaukee on the other hand had a Socialist Mayor at the same time as McCarthy was serving in Congress. It is the surrounding counties that gives Wisconsin what it has today. Waukesha county gave Trump the state. Milwaukee is dying and Madison is too small to really have too much effect. Don't forget, everyone bleeds Badger red.

[Greybnk48]

28. Not quite accurate.

Patrick Lucey 1971-77; Martin Schreiber 1977-79; Tony Earl 1983-87; and Jim Doyle 2003-2011.

Our state was targeted because it was the bastion of Unions and workers rights, liberalism and they wanted to tear that down in a splashy was to get the ball rolling.

The fucking Koch's, the Bradley's and a few other millionaire scum. Wisconsin is liberal but we're being steamrolled with no fucking help from outside.

Don't ever forget that the Koch brother's father is one of the founder's of The John Birch Society.

[sab390]

37. You're right I had to look it up

I'm getting senile. But I do remember Dryphes was elected before Reagan. I worked with Augie Pabst, the Uelines, Marcus and two of the Fitzgeralds. They were fine civic minded people. I didn't know Pettit but he gave the city the ice rink and the Bradley Center. It was the petty near rich of Port Washington, Whitefolks Bay, Cederburg etc. It was WTMJ, the flagship radio station, putting a hate radio talk show on. And it was the destruction of Milwaukee. When I grew up there wasn't street, there wasn't an alley, I wouldn't have walked down. During the closure of the county in 1968 and the tanks on Wisconsin Ave I walked around unafraid. In graduate school I lived 5 blocks from where the gas station was torched. It was a great town. It has been the years of Dryphes, Thompson, and now Walker. Yes the Koch's are a part of it now but it has been going on for a long time.
(Autocorrect is killing me on spelling)

[loyalsister]

15. Politics is local

You can't esdily apply a model that focuses on manufacturing and urban living with Iowa or Indiana. Obama won both in 2008.
Here, his bottom up ground game was awesome and. Instead of top down orders. The campaign had someone who was originally from the area, who had also worked with him in Chicago. She sought out local politicians and political activists to find out not just how best to win state offices, city councils, and even precincts.
The campaign got to know people and asked them what they should do. He didn't win MO but he won Boone county.
I'm sure there are places where a top down model works better, but what they did here inspired confidence and engagement.

[TeamPooka]

16. Use California instead. Plenty of red here too but Blue rules.

[uponit7771]

19. +1

[JI7]

39. Majority of people in California are non white .

[TheFrenchRazor]

17. hackable voting machines + electoral college advantage equals roadmap for repugs not dems. nt

[uponit7771]

20. +1, I guess people think we have free and fair elections in the US !!!!

[Uggwearingdad]

26. Is Wisconsin the only state with.."hackable voting machines.."

That is a serious question... because jellohead Walker won 3 races and NO Federal agency has shown a hack...is there something we all don't know?

[TheFrenchRazor]

35. no, but clearly hackers will put more effort into swing states, and when did the feds ever (seriousl

(seriously) investigate voting machine hacking??? we can't even get a pair of human eyes on most of the ballots. i can not believe that there are people who truly think these machines are safe. here is some math for you: 1. computers are hackable. 2. the presidency of the united states is at stake. you figure it out.

[pstokely]

21. was it ever really solid blue?

Obama only won it by single digits in 2008, and it's largely white, the HRC campaign thought it was a lock and ignored it

[Uggwearingdad]

27. Actually Pres Obama won Wisconsin

in '08 in an ass whoopin' over McCain...like 14% points..I think 56ish to McMorons 42-43...beat Romney bad also...closer but still a thrashing...8-10pts

[lunasun]

32. Plus he was from a neighboring state .Lots of volunteers willing to visit WI from Illinois for Obama

He was an Illinois senator at the time. Plenty backers to go around some of the Midwest areas for ground work.

[jodymarie aimee]

29. Live in Wisconsin

and Walker and his henchmen have burned our state to the ground in 6 years. We were the petri dish for the Kochs...it worked, they won, we have no power. Not really understanding why you want to use us as some example...OF WHAT??? We got nothing to teach you. I will be dead before they reverse all the damage those fucks have done here. Now they proceed to the entire country....don't underestimate the shitty R Wi guys....Walker, Ryan, Priebus, Sheriff Clarke....all smooching on Cheeto now.

[Greybnk48]

36. Absolutely spot on! And people need to know this.

Some of us smelled a rat when they moved the John Birch Society International headquarters here to Appleton, Wisconsin of all places. It seemed so odd at the time, but we've been a Koch target for quite a while (since before 1989).

People need to stop ignoring what happened here and start pumping money and effort into this State to cut the rot out at it's core. If we crush them in Wisconsin, we can crush them anywhere.

[sab390]

38. Odd?

Wauwatosa was the start of the JBS and Grand Chute was the home of tail gunner Joe. Appleton was so ashamed of McCarthy they changed their name. Ever wonder why there is a Little Chute. There are still people who gather at his grave on the anniversary of his death. And the Posse Comitus headquarters is near by. Not odd at all.

[lunasun]

34. Yes they did run across the border to Illinois and hide out at the Clock Tower Inn

Last edited Wed Dec 21, 2016, 11:24 PM - Edit history (1)

http://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116381289.html

I on this side (IL) of the border have seen it change when just visiting for the worse
I will say it's done and over up there but I am just a FIB

Barely holding on to Illinois for dems if you take a look past the greater Chicago metro area by county .
Good thing it's a big area but it's playing out here too
We are in trouble now ourselves with Rauner