Vote!

[mu_hilltopper]

In the end, I just don't think there are many votes up for grabs in Wisconsin, very few people who can be convinced to switch teams. 

Evers and Michels .. are terrible candidates (for different reasons.) 

The economy should have been a big driver.  Inflation, big driver.  January 6th, big driver.   Election denial, big driver.  Trump, big driver.  Crime, big driver.  Dobbs/Abortion, big driver.

Yet the results are plus or minus a fraction of a percent from 2018, 2020.

Either all those big drivers evened out, or none of them made any difference and Wisconsin voters have chosen sides already and issues nor candidates really move the needle.

[Goose]

Topper

I know a number of R's that did not vote for Governor in WI because they felt Michels was a poor candidate. I thought he was a very poor candidate. IMO, R's lost to Evers because Michels was bad candidate and folks decided not to vote that race.

[MUfan12]

Full disclosure, I'm a political orphan. Longtime GOP voter they lost when they sold out to Trump. Still have a lot of interest in this stuff, though.

I can't get over how far behind Evers Barnes ran. 61,000 votes! I thought the Dems needed a candidate who was similar to Evers... not much of a policy background to attack, uncontroversial, almost boring. That formula worked statewide against controversial opponents like Walker and Michels.

Instead they cleared the deck for Barnes without vetting him fully. Interviews with Russian TV, the unpaid taxes, Abolish ICE, etc. It gave the GOP all the ammo they needed to attack him, and his campaign never fully recovered. A massive missed opportunity for the Democrats.

Also what the national Dem party did to Brad Pfaff was shameful. Hung him out to dry and let a January 6th participant flip a seat.

[Jockey]

Jockey

I am talking about individual R's, not the party. As a lifelong R, I think last night was victory because the Trump candidates struggled.

Got it.

And to your later remarks, Michels was a terrible candidate. but, so was Barnes. Both those races were there for the taking if better candidates were running.

[mu_hilltopper]

Topper

I know a number of R's that did not vote for Governor in WI because they felt Michels was a poor candidate. I thought he was a very poor candidate. IMO, R's lost to Evers because Michels was bad candidate and folks decided not to vote that race.

No doubt, since Michels underperformed Walker (2018) by 30k, your theory could be in play.

But .. even if Michels kept all of Walker's voters, he'd still have lost.

Dems have won 16 of the last 19 state-wide races.  Frankly, it's been tough for GOP candidates to win without the gerrymandering picking their voters.

[4everwarriors]

Dems told Lasry and Godlewski, 2 weeks before the primary, to step aside for Barnes. Very bad error in judgment, hey?

[Skatastrophy]

I'm surprised Ron Johnson could win with the entire FBI conspiring against him.

[The Sultan]

Dems told Lasry and Godlewski, 2 weeks before the primary, to step aside for Barnes. Very bad error in judgment, hey?

They did that because Barnes was going to win and they didn't want him wasting any more cash.

[warriorchick]

We also have no idea who the Dem nominee will be in 2024.  I'm also not sure moderates exist anymore for either party.  Maybe Mo Khanna?  I dunno.

When anyone has brought up who will be the Dem nominee, I ask them, "Who had heard of Bill Clinton in November of 1990"?

It wouldn't shock me if something similar happened in 2024.

[The Sultan]

When anyone has brought up who will be the Dem nominee, I ask them, "Who had heard of Bill Clinton in November of 1990"?

He wasn't a front-runner, but hardly an unknown. He gave that disasterous speech at the Democratic Convention in '88, only to redeem himself playing the sax on the Tonight Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfcKQcGg_sM

Like Obama in 2008, he was one of those "second-tier" candidates who people thought might be able to break through.

[mu_hilltopper]

They did that because Barnes was going to win and they didn't want him wasting any more cash.

Maybe and yes.   Polls are polls.  Lasry was 4 points down when he quit!  Let the voters vote.

[dgies9156]

Interesting evening last night in Florida.

It wasn't that Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Little Marco won. It's how they won.

Governor DeSantis carried Miami-Dade handily. That had been a Democratic stronghold in our state. Not no more.

The Governor even carried Palm Beach County. For those of you who remember, Palm Beach County is where the blue-haired Jewish ladies inadvertently cast a few hundred votes for Pat Buchannan, ensuring that George Bush carried the state and won the Presidency. Palm Beach County has been a solid, Democratic county. They elect Lois Frankel, the most liberal congresswoman in Florida. Their children voted for Governor DeSantis!

Governor DeSantis carried all but five counties, two around Tallahassee, Orange, Broward and one in the middle of the state. That's amazing down here, especially since he ran against an experienced and well-known opponent.

Senator Little Marco, who ran one of the more disgusting and irrelevant campaigns I've ever seen, rolled up similar vote totals but didn't carry Palm Beach County.

If Governor DeSantis wasn't running for President before last night, he is now.

Finally, Sister Chick, if President Biden doesn't run, and I have to believe his age and health won't let him, I'm guessing the race would be between Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer. Look for JB Pritzker to throw his oversized hat in the ring. With the money he brings to the table, he's more of a possibility than anyone would admit. I'd find a race between Governor DeSantis and any of the Democratic governors in this group fascinating.

[Jockey]

He wasn't a front-runner, but hardly an unknown. He gave that disasterous speech at the Democratic Convention in '88, only to redeem himself playing the sax on the Tonight Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfcKQcGg_sM

Like Obama in 2008, he was one of those "second-tier" candidates who people thought might be able to break through.

Josh Shapiro would be an excellent candidate as a moderate Dem. And it would be fun to see heads explode over a Jewish candidate for president.

[Galway Eagle]

Josh Shapiro would be an excellent candidate as a moderate Dem. And it would be fun to see heads explode over a Jewish candidate for president.

Great way to bring MTG, Kanye and Kyrie together on stage 😂

[MuggsyB]

nm

[MuggsyB]

Josh Shapiro would be an excellent candidate as a moderate Dem. And it would be fun to see heads explode over a Jewish candidate for president.

Interesting but I think we would see the extent of antisemitism in this country. 

[Galway Eagle]

Brother dgies, are these really the four best Dems out there?

If I were Tammy Duckworth I'd be chomping at the bit to run. Given the recent positioning the Rs have done as the "patriot" party it'd be fascinating to see how the strategists/opposing campaigns would go after a double amputee veteran.

[warriorchick]

He wasn't a front-runner, but hardly an unknown. He gave that disasterous speech at the Democratic Convention in '88, only to redeem himself playing the sax on the Tonight Show.

But was anyone talking about him as being on the short or even medium-list for nominees in November of 1990?

[mu_hilltopper]

Finally, Sister Chick, if President Biden doesn't run, and I have to believe his age and health won't let him, I'm guessing the race would be between Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer. Look for JB Pritzker to throw his oversized hat in the ring. With the money he brings to the table, he's more of a possibility than anyone would admit. I'd find a race between Governor DeSantis and any of the Democratic governors in this group fascinating.

I'd add Tim Ryan to that list.

[MuggsyB]

If I were Tammy Duckworth I'd be chomping at the bit to run. Given the recent positioning the Rs have done as the "patriot" party it'd be fascinating to see how the strategists/opposing campaigns would go after a double amputee veteran.

I think Ro Khanna could be a sleeper candidate.  I would also be shocked if Kamala Harris ran.  Last I checked her approval rating was south of 30%.

[warriorchick]

Interesting but I think we would see the extent of antisemitism in this country.

Do you really think that there are more anti-semites than racists?

[Dickthedribbler]

Jockey

I am talking about individual R's, not the party. As a lifelong R, I think last night was victory because the Trump candidates struggled.

I agree with this. But as far as Wisconsin is concerned, the R's have generally solid candidates. Michels turned out to be a tough choice. But Ron Johnson wins a 3rd term and 6 of the 8 House Districts are represented by Rs. At the State level, Rs control the Assembly and Senate by ridiculous margins---to the point where they are within an eyelash of a veto proof supermajority.

I think, overall, the Rs in Wisconsin are doing their part.

[MuggsyB]

Do you really think that there are more anti-semites than racists?

Probably not but I think Obama was a really good politician and a likeable candidate compared to most.  I also think there were votes that canceled out racist votes and that wouldn't happen with Shapiro. 

[4everwarriors]

They did that because Barnes was going to win and they didn't want him wasting any more cash.

Nonsense, hey?

[4everwarriors]

Josh Shapiro would be an excellent candidate as a moderate Dem. And it would be fun to see heads explode over a Jewish candidate for president.

Kyrie wood chit his jockeys, aina?