Elections
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Three Black Governors in 250 Years, Will Progress Break Open In Midterms?
It may seem odd to say that I was glad when Barack Obama was elected president in November 2008 because he looked like me. I knew someone in my age group (he is one year older than I am) would be in the White House shaping policy. That really mattered to me. Our nation should… Continue reading
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Independent Voters Make Wisconsin’s Governor Primary Into A Late-Night Caffeinated Nail‑Biter
(I posted this column as the flash drives in Milwaukee were being transported back to the central count location before being returned to the county courthouse to have results announced.) Close election nights are democracy at its most caffeinated. (Pardon me for that cheap line.) But after the nailbiter of an uber-close precinct-by-precinct count of… Continue reading
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Pollsters Blew Michigan By Misreading Independents, Wisconsin Might Be Next
The way independent voters align in Wisconsin’s August 11th primary and in the fall’s midterm election will make or break many a candidate. All we had to do this week was look at Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary to witness the heavy influence of the middle-of-the-road voters who refuse to wear a party jersey in a… Continue reading
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Isaia Ben-Ami Is Truly Prepared To Start Work On Day One In State Assembly
There’s a particular kind of state legislative candidate who strikes my fancy. Someone who is serious about policymaking. Someone who knows the inside ropes and pulleys that make the machinery of the statehouse work. It takes more than a desire to be elected as a state representative. To be effective, one needs a certain background… Continue reading
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Democrats Need To Take A Hard Look At Electability In Wisconsin’s Governor’s Race
Wisconsin Democrats face a hard truth on August 11th when they cast ballots for the gubernatorial nominee in November. The resounding fact is that not every candidate who wins a spirited intraparty contest can survive the political climate awaiting them this fall. The state’s electorate has hardened into a rather narrow band of persuadable voters,… Continue reading
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The Supreme Court Got Dragged Into America’s False Narratives
This week can be summed up with a line from Robert Reich, who wondered if the Supreme Court would “rule the Constitution unconstitutional”. I suspect all of us were checking our news feeds this week at about 9 AM CT to find out what rulings had been handed down from the Court. Then, in many… Continue reading
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The Tom Tiffany Tangle
Tom Tiffany is clearly eyeing measurements for new drapes at the Wisconsin Executive Residence. But he first needs to navigate the many political potholes on the road from Hazelhurst to Madison. For all his name recognition in the Northwoods and his reliable conservative bona fides, a statewide governor’s race in Wisconsin is a different beast,… Continue reading
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The Preposterous Panic Over Ballots That Arrive On Time
The Supreme Court is poised to decide whether states may continue accepting mail‑in ballots that arrive after Election Day. This ruling could upend long‑standing “grace period” laws in states such as California, Illinois, and North Carolina. The case, brought by (I know you will be shocked) conservative activists, argues that the Constitution’s Elections Clause bars… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 