So I looked at the exit polling data, and a substantial number of Wisconsinites (60 percent, according to MSNBC) seem to have voted for Walker because they thought this recall election was an abuse of the recall process. That they thought recalls should only be used for “high crimes and misdemeanors”, not political differences. (You know, like the pending indictments in the John Doe investigation?)
And of course the lesson Democrats will take from this election is that they need to act more like Republicans.
The tentative silver lining in this is that the Dems seem to have won one of the four state senate races, giving them a razor-thin edge in controlling the senate – and thus, depriving Scott Walker of his previous rubber stamp:
RACINE — In a crucial election that swings control of the state Senate to the Democrats, Racine County appeared to have ousted current state Sen. Van Wanggaard Tuesday.
Former state Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine led state incumbent Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard, with 36,255 votes to Wanggaard’s 35,476 votes, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting.
Three Republicans won state Senate races Tuesday in Wisconsin, but with Lehman winning Racine County, the Democrats will take control of the Senate and gain the 17-16 majority.
Lehman declared victory shortly before 1 a.m.
“First of all, this victory is solely dedicated to all the hardworking volunteers who have put us over the top tonight,” he stated in a news release. “Tonight, the citizens of Racine County voted for checks and balances in our state legislature. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the state senate.”
Around 12:50 a.m., Justin Phillips, Wanggaard’s campaign manager, released a statement saying, “We owe it to all of Senator Wanggaard’s supporters and the voters of Wisconsin to thoroughly examine the election and its results and act accordingly once we have all of the information.”
Some of the delay came from absentee ballots. More than an hour after polls had closed in Racine, and as late as 11:30 p.m. in Mount Pleasant, election workers were still entering stacks of absentee ballots.
But (you knew there was a “but”) their regular legislative session has already ended for the year:
Though taking control of the Senate is a huge moral victory for the Democrats, they won’t be able to do much with it, at least for a while. The Legislature isn’t scheduled to convene again until January, and Democrats will have to defend their majority in November’s elections.
But Democrats will be able to block any Republican legislation should Walker call for a special session of the Legislature. And if the Democrats maintain their majority, it would make life politically difficult for Walker for the first time; his fellow Republicans have controlled both the state Assembly and Senate since he took office in January 2011.
You will never “win” until you start fighting by their rules. And because you “liberals” refuse to fight fire with fire you just lost quite possibly the most crucial vote in our life-times. You seriously don’t think a failed recall is going to slow them down, do you?
“You?” I am not a “liberal”. Never have been. I identify with much of the “liberal”, the Progressive worldview, yes, and as I was raised (a bastard child) by Socialist/Wobblie grand-parents I suppose I am of “the left”, but that same Wobblie background lends credence to my long standing contention you must fight fire with fire – you have to engage the bare-footed rubes blind on Ambien, Prozac, Viagra and crotch-shots on Fox Kool-Aid at the same level that they do. You failed to do that. More notable, the charismatic “leader” you are all following, dragging the rest of us, to suicide didn’t do a bloody-damned thing to stop this, and come summer there will be blood in the streets.
It has been said that “violence is the last resort of the incompetent” (Asimov, Foundation 2, paraphrased ) but I would argue that violence is the last resort of the incontinent – of those who have lost all control, who no longer have any avenue open to them. So be it. It is far better to be gunned sown by the cops fighting for my grand-children’s future than to live out the life I once thought I would retire to in the world the Christian Republican Nazis have created for us.
The Tree of Liberty is watered by the blood of patriots and tyrants alike.
Actually, in November, the 21st District is changed so much it essentially disappears.
When the R’s still had leadership control of the state senate they got their redistricting plan through, and the 21st District essentially disappears. Instead of a block-shaped blend of rural, surburban, and Racine city, it now is just Racine and Kenosha cities as the 22nd, with the 21st made up of all the non-urban areas from the previous two districts. So much for bringing Wisconsinites together — they just split the rural, suburban away and set them against the urban.
Scroll down to the the third set of maps, but also note how the R’s worked to protect two other Republican senators.
Ah, the power of redistricting, which carries on for a good 10 years. Unless Dems win big and want to break tradition….