Quick Question About The Solidarity Sing Along

Recently I posited some questions about the arrests of singers in the rotunda during the Solidarity Sing Along. I suggested that video of Capitol Police manhandling grandmothers and retired veterans and retired clergy wouldn’t play well in the media. Well the arrests seem to be steeling the resolve of Governor Walker’s supporters instead of swaying support in favor of the singers.

Now I don’t watch the mass media, I don’t listen to squawk radio, and most of my news comes from the print media. And although the print media is talking about the arrests they don’t show video or even photos and don’t personalize the events.

And the video I do see I get from the channels where most of you also see it…on our lefty blogs or from our lefty friends…not from the general public or the mass media.

So my question to you…outside of our closed circle of like minded individuals…are you seeing the real videos and real stories and real pics of the arrests in the Madison Capitol in the ‘real world’??

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15 thoughts on “Quick Question About The Solidarity Sing Along

  1. No…I do not see it anywhere on TV, except on the Ed Show once. It should be talked about more. The only place I see anything regarding the illegal arrests of WI citizens is on Youtube.

  2. Yes. The blogosphere is buzzing about it. Several national media outlets including Talking Points Memo and the Huffington Post have run articles. Every one I have asked in the Milwaukee area (anecdotal of course) knows there are arrests going on at the Capitol. Who are you expecting to extol the virtues of the singers? Wingnuts? T-Baggers? Of course like minded individuals are talking about it. We don’t want to live under a regime that hides behind lies and sends out his hired goons to arrest grannies and teenagers for singing in public. I think the point you’re driving at is, where does the squishy middle sit in all of this? Who knows, they are the squishy middle.

  3. Where I am driving on this: the media says 22 people arrested…the right and the middle pictures hippie whiners…hence the get a job comments coming from the right aisle…if they saw three burly CPO cuffing and dragging a white haired grandmother down the stairs…it makes a different impact entirely…but only those of us in this space see those youtubes.

  4. Sorry Ed, but I don’t give a cr*p what trailer-trash from the 262 think, those people are going to vote for Walker, and they thrive on hate and division. Screw em, they’re a minority that doesn’t decide elections.

    What does decide elections is confronting these a-holes and exposing the damage that their mentality causes. And the protestors are doing their job in bringing it to the public’s attention and showing it isn’t supported in the above-ground world.

    The real question is where is the DPW to show why these people are protesting, and telling the public “This is wrong!” I’m not even asking them to take part in the sing-alongs, but it is their job to give context to why it’s happening, and that doesn’t happen enough…especially when the GOPs get 18 hours of hate radio every day to give their (lying) side of the story. It’s the DPW’s job to do ads and be out in public to bring it to the general media’s attention, and they haven’t been doing enough of it.

    1. Jake,

      You couldn’t be more wrong.

      First off, it’s the ” trailer-trash ” you seem to so thoroughly despise who are crucial to getting a democrat elected governor in 2014. Hundreds of thousands of people across the state, many who live in trailer parks, have seen programs they depend on subjected to budget cuts under Walker while millionaires and corporations get tax breaks. I can tell you from experience that this pisses people off. I can also tell you from experience that a lot of them don’t vote, or if they do they vote in presidential election years only. A massive voter education/registration outreach effort to this demographic is crucial if we’re to have any chance of winning in 2014. Finding, educating and registering to vote 2000 new voters in each assembly district in the state could, theoretically, produce two hundred thousand new midterm election democratic votes, which would have been enough to carry the recall election for Barrett.

      Hoping desperately that voters will react viscerally to ” grandma getting arrested ” is as weak and pathetic a campaign strategy as can be imagined.

      The republican party was out in force this past weekend doing exactly what I describe.

      http://www.wisgop.org/2013/08/republican-party-of-wisconsin-deploys-hundreds-of-volunteers-across-the-state/

      Meanwhile, the DPW is busy putting out yet one more press release about Scott Walker’s failures.

      http://wisdems.org/news/blog/view/2013-08-top-ten-scott-walker-failures

      Not a word about what democrats stand for or will do if elected to the governor’s office. At least Kathleen Vinehout has an alternative budget that people can compare to what Walker has done, and it restores funding to many of the programs I’m talking about, including accepting federal dollars to expand Badgercare.

      What the singers are hollering about is not a kitchen table issue in the least, in fact it’s questionable if it’s a real issue at all beyond Erwin’s heavy handedness in enforcing the DOA’s capitol access policy, or the arrest of Matt Rothschild, a journalist.

      IF the DPW runs ads showing grandma getting arrested all the Walker people have to do is show ads of Blaska and his crowd singing ” This Land is Your Land “………….with a permit.

      And then we’ll look like idiots to the vast majority of voters.

  5. I’m not too quick to judge the Democratic party, the media, or our elected representatives of not getting the message out.

    I’m retired now and I have loads of time to keep politically current and active. There are plenty of sources and stories available if I take the time and effort.

    But as a working stiff and part of the middle class for 40 plus adult years, my priorities were my large family, my job(sometimes two), my Church, my personal health and recreation, and continuing education to maintain my professional skills. In last place was keeping politically informed and active. Needless to say, the time available and spent in the lowest priority was sadly lacking and therefore inadequate. I tried to follow the national scene, but I was an ignoramus as far as local politics were concerned.

    So lets not be too hasty to judge the media, our party, or others as the major source of a lack of political awareness.

    Oops, one more major factor is that the middle class has suffered a loss or stagnation of income over the last ten years causing even spending more effort and time at the job priority level such as both partners working or having the primary bread-winner adding a part time job.

  6. Morning Ed, Jake, and BB’ers

    Ed, the people who are likely interested and justifiably appalled by what is happening are learning, have learned, and are following the illegal suppression of free speech at the Capitol and likely understand also, the back history of the Solidarity Singers. But getting it out to our individual state locales takes each and every one of us to call out our own R legislator (if that is the case where one is living) and publicly tie them to their willingness to be a part of this diminution of our constitutional rights, first by their voting records on likely every ALEC piece of legislation that has been enacted these last few years under Walker and secondly for refusing to say anything against Walker or as in the case of my R “representative,” calling for greater penalties on protesters (called for criminalization of protesters within 1000 ft of a legislator’s home or business).

    As I have said before, the state D party is defunct, has not a clue, is inextricably tied to the DNC, DCCC et al, and likely doesn’t even take a dump unless it is first OK’d by national. Has anyone’s county D leadership ever criticized the TPP or FISA rules or anything the POTUS has done? How many D candidates in the last election cycle actually put the label on their own campaign ads? How come I can’t find a labor plank in the DPW platform?

    Don’t waste your time or money with the neoliberal, DPW gatekeepers, support the progressive you might find, based on a past record and a close look at their present affiliations and squawk about the R’s publicly, in your district, every time you can. Walker is, in reality, simply a little Barack. Smaller weapons at his disposal is the only difference aside from not having originated on the national scene from the belly of the Trojan Horse.

  7. Hi nonquixote,

    The point implied, but not stated in my post, is I have never, even now, depended on DPW for my news, candidates, issues, or direction. In today’s cyber world, there is more than enough info for an individual to be politically intelligent and aware of what’s happening locally and nationally. It’s MY responsibility!

    I see the primary purpose of the party is to get out the vote, to provide assistance to county chairpersons in efforts at the local level to spread the word, and to facilitate fund raising.

    1. Hi Duane12,

      I was not specifically addressing your comment previously, just commenting on the state D party as I have seen them in purposeful inaction and capitulation to their own hierarchy, who in turn, serve the 1%, lock, stock and barrel. Was privy to the the local leadership and tactics during contact when working many hours, during the recall effort.

      Getting out the vote is tough and attempting to sway an electorate when a party does not even allow in house critical party discussion of their own national and state leadership from their own best potential grass-roots level people, is ludicrous, is insanity and is the policy delivered to the 72 counties from the top down late last winter in a regional strategy announced by Tate, to beat Walker. DPW hired regional liaisons to direct and control local party affiliate activities and actions (also inactions both are specifically directed). Top down, top down, top down equals full exclusion of small d, democratic ideals and will result in abject failure of environmental, social and economic justice at the polls in 2014. That has been and is the D plan people, DPW included in collusion. Point being, no credibility with attempting to influence potential voters doesn’t win you an election. Honesty within your own party has to be the beginning of any positive steps.

      Starting at the top and heading down to you and me, a good read here.

      http://www.thenation.com/blog/175865/keeping-massive-trade-deal-out-fast-lane#axzz2ctXUN3Bx

      The end of national sovereignty, eagerly handed over by, yes, you guessed it.

      1. Thanks, nonquixote, for the link and I note your reply therein. I have been remiss on following the TPP issue and other national hot buttons concentrating on “all politics are local” and Wisconsin’s worst and most incompetent executive since 1848.

        President Obama was not my first choice, but I don’t know if even a Clinton could cope with the current 8% favorable, do-nothing, “let the government crash,” TP controlled Congress and it’s ass-sorted crazies of Ruiz et al.

  8. To answer Ed’s original question: No.

    In Milwaukee, The JS prints updates. (Seemingly out of obligation) But they don’t use the same colorful language one might find in posts here. They don’t typically play up the age or occupation of the dissidents unless it’s a politician or other public figure arrested.

    The Shepherd Express has been all over it. But I don’t know anyone who reads the SE. (Back to the closed circle Ed alluded to).

    Television news show video clips from time to time. But again, they aren’t framing the argument the way some of you feel is appropriate.

    And I don’t need to tell any of you that radio has been…unkind to the protestors.

    1. Ben,

      How did you leave out the JS’ coverage of Dave Erwin’s raise for “punching hippies?”

      “Walker fudging civil service rules: If the administration wants to pass out larger-than-normal raises, it needs to find a better way to do it.”

      http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/walker-shouldnt-fudge-civil-service-rules-b9979225z1-220249921.html

      Without the Singer, no way the Erwin story surfaces.

      If you were remotely conservative, you’d be joining the JS’ Editorial page in criticizing Walker for that.

      You claim to be listening to Sykes, Belling, and the rest. Ok, what did they said about Erwin?

      Was pleasantly shocked that you described the Solidarity Singers as “dissidents, a person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.”

      Please link to those video clips that you don’t think “frame the argument the way some” of us “feel is appropriate.” I’d like to see them.

      Are you using antennas to watch TMJ4?

      Last Thursday you ripped Ed for his “Chris Abele, it’s time to start acting like a leader.”

      “There are so many things wrong with that blog, I’d need a Saturday and a pot of coffee.
      Rather, I’ll simply write: This is the most unhinged I’ve seen you. Usually your tone is one of elevated indifference. Seems you’ve caught the fever.

      http://bloggingblue.com/2013/08/22/chris-abele-its-time-to-start-acting-like-a-leader/

      I’m still waiting to read what you thought was “wrong.”

      If you’ve changed your mind, just insert an apology in that thread to Ed.

  9. ALEC cleverly put the lid on the Capitol singing by telling Walker to require a license for creating disruptive noise in the building. The singers refusal to do this falls right into ALEC’s plan to put the label of “Greece” on the effort. And when you see the preferred coverage in mass media of the Middle East tragedies, our singers become a footnote in daily events. And with all the opportunist political fund raising organizations email bombing every good Democrat with every legislative bill and Republican initiative or Democratic politician’s birthday you now have a level of apathy to any grass roots initiative that suffocates any constructive result. There is science and hard work required in public relations. Screaming epithets and disillusion ain’t it.

    1. “There is science and hard work required in public relations.” And not much silence. The DPW’s taking a helluva a risk not messaging out this year. We’ll just have to wait and see whether it was worth taking. The problem with allowing a void is then something may fill it and that’s where the singers come in. They would be a footnote if there was strong state-wide Democratic messaging.

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