There’s been some talk lately across the Cheddarsphere and Facebook that perhaps some Wisconsinites who typically vote for Democrats may be sitting out the 2014 election. I don’t think that’s a very good idea as either a quiet protest of Burke/Tate/DPW, or a threat to coerce stronger progressive issue positions from Mary Burke, but I think a lot of mainstream Dems exacerbate the problem with the set of talking points they seem to have organically developed from within their ranks, and from some of the more blatantly dumbassed remarks that emanate from their incumbent electeds . So in order to attempt, from my tiny pulpit here at Blogging Blue, a rescue from the downward spiral that is currently Dem politics in Wisconsin, I’m going to offer a set of recommendations to you, the Dem faithful. Bear with me. I’ll address my progressive brethren in another post soon, but this one is just for you.
1. Email Peter Barca and Chris Larson, cc Mike Tate, and tell them to muzzle any legislator or candidate or party official who starts telling the press that we’re screwed until 2020, which is when we’ll have our next chance to redraw legislative boundaries fairly or, in their words, elect a new governor. Tell them to STFU with that stuff. All of those dire predictions are predicated upon analyses of the known electorate and historical electoral trends, which surely have strong predictive power, but these things aren’t absolute. Talking that way precludes any discussion at all of possible solutions beyond conventional political so-called wisdom, like how to mass mobilize presidential year and new voters. And why in the hell would anyone vote if we’re screwed until 2020? Think about it, for Chrissakes. It’s puny, pathetic, and pitiful. Knock it the eff off.
2. Quit telling people who criticize Burke or the DPW that they’re helping to re-elect Scott Walker. This betrays a one-dimensionality of thought unbecoming of grown, presumably cerebral, people. And it’s puny, pathetic and pitiful.
3. Cease and desist with the Tea Party/Progressives false equivalency. We are nothing like the Tea Party. The issues we champion, like Medicare for all, progressive taxation, jail time for criminal bankers, living wages, and an end to wars fought for Wall Street profits, are often supported by a majority of the American people, as well as a majority of the people who attend your conventions and pass resolutions and the planks of your platform. Saying that we’re like the Tea Party betrays a one-dimensionality of thought unbecoming of grown, presumably cerebral……. so on and so forth.
4. Quit calling progressives purists and crybabies who whine because they don’t get everything they want. Again, most of our positions on issues have been quasi-codified by your members through the process laid out in your by-laws, so we’re hardly being either pure or whiny when we expect candidates and party officials to be at least familiar with the dust covered platform binder lost somewhere in the back room of the DPW office in Madison.
There you go. Four simple recommendations for at least attempting to stem the boycotting mentality of independent progressive voters which you fear will doom Mary Burke’s chances in November.
You can thank me later.
Right on! The excuse-making and “clap louder’ mentality is the mark of a loser. The Dems should be working on giving a platform and candidates that make people want to go out and vote for them, as well as encourage others to get out and vote for them. And the numbers indicate that the tipping point to a Dem majority in the Legislature isn’t as far off as ythe DPW and the media want you to think.
In fact, one of the resolutions up at this week’s 2nd District Dem convention urges the DPW to run and support candidates in every Assembly, Senate and Congressional district, to get the progressive message out in every corner of the state. Even if the Dem may not win the district race, good candidates help to carry the DPW team in the statewide elections.
Instead of trying to mute our enthusiasm with lame, milquestoast statements, why don’t they call out this sickening group at WisGOP who wants to suppress the vote and has failed in pretty much any economic metric? Stop being afraid of telling the truth to people!
Clearly! Of course! Obviously! Without a doubt! Certainly! Indubitably!
We are all ONE in restoring sanity to the State house under Governor Mary Burke.
Given the latest Politifact from the JS, “Scott Walker says 2013 job growth in Wisconsin was best since 1990s,” it might be a moot point.
JS rated “Mostly True.”
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2014/apr/27/scott-walker/scott-walker-says-2013-job-growth-wisconsin-was-be/
Walker can load up on that headline in radio and tv ads.
This might be a sign that Walker’s emails are going to get released before the election. That’s about all that Ms. Burke can hope for.
Hope I’m wrong.
And tell the people who are criticizing Burke to STFU as well. They do in fact sound whiny and petty and I can’t help them if they continue to refuse to get involved in a positive way.
“The Dems should…The Dems should…The Dems should” If you think they should do something then get involved with the Dems. There are no excuses.
Ed-Some of us are taking action, even though having a job, wife and a life get in the way. The defensive act is very tired, and is part of the reason we’re as critical as we are. I recommend you consider the input, instead of automatically blowing it off.
For John Casper- Those job numbers are cherry-picked, and will ring hollow and irrelevant to people by this Summer. It’s still well short what most of our Midwestern neighbors have been doing.
Ed,
The above post is actually pretty good advice. Take it as you will.
What defensive act Jake? I am not defending a soul. I am just asking those finding fault to provide a better alternative and no one has done that. And don’t tell me it’s because they are afraid of Mr. Tate and the state party.
And most of us do have jobs and families and things that get in the way. I haven’t posted here as often as I have in the past nor as often as I’d like for just the same types of things. And I am really fairly upset that I am not as involved in this election cycle as I had hoped. There are a lot of candidates that I like that could use my help, but I am tied up with other things.
Ms. Burke wasn’t my first choice for a gubernatorial candidate…but with essentially Rep. Hulsey the only active alternative…sheesh.
I am going to paraphrase this but essentially this is the kind of stuff that I keep seeing on social media: Someone should oppose Tate for state chair and the party should replace him. I would have gone to the convention and voted against him but you have to be a party member. Sure I picked a particularly egregious example but many aren’t that far off.
Ed- we recognize there isn’t a better Dem candidate out there, and I’m not moping over why that is. What I am disturbed about is that candidate’s campaign has little coherence and isn’t gaining ground when it should.
With that in mind, we have the right to be asking questions and giving suggestions as to how Burke can improve her chances of winning. And the Tate-Bjork crew has not earned anything close to blind trust.
Don’t blow it off. Discuss and improve. Even Barca is publicly questioning what’s going on
I am not suggesting that we don’t criticize the campaign…I have never suggested that. But notice I said the campaign…not nit pick the candidate. There are plenty of issues with her campaign to find fault with. One of them is obviously the lack of coherence…and the slow start out of the gate…and so far, low visibility.
Steve’s first point is spot on…but the other two and four aren’t any real help at all…and sound like the defensiveness that you mentioned earlier.
“The above post is actually pretty good advice” Sorry but some of it reads as a subtle threat.
Ed,
There was nothing in this post intended as a threat. In fact, I explicitly wrote that I don’t think threats of boycotting the election are a good way to coerce more progressive issue positions out of Burke.
Maybe you weren’t able to read through the entire post? Or maybe you did and you’re just being a jerk?
Now who’s being defensive? Name calling becomes you.
I didn’t call you a name Ed, I asked you a question. A smart guy like you knows the difference.
Some very decent thinking/advice Steve, thanks. Looking forward to your thoughts for “progressives.”
JS Politifact rates Mike Tate’s statement a “False.”
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2014/apr/30/mike-tate/scott-walker-outsourced-making-welcome-wisconsin-r/