September 21, 2004
W STANDS FOR WISCONSIN
The Guardian’s Suzanne Goldenberg wigs out in Democrat-friendly Wisconsin:
After weeks of intense campaigning, a CNN/USA Today poll last week showed Mr Kerry falling behind George Bush in Wisconsin by eight percentage points.
That seems unthinkable at first in a state which has a strong independent streak and a history of political activism.
Why? Why does this happen? It’s not as if George W. Bush's death-dealing RoveSquads -- invisible to police research due to Halliburton-altered DNA; implanted with devices enabling them to decode the President’s speeches; chanting "fair and balanced!" -- have successfully liquidated dissent:
"In Wisconsin, there is an anti-war base larger and more organised than any other state," said John Nichols, editorial page editor at the Capital Times in Madison. "I don't think there is a town in the state where you have to hide the fact that you were against the war."
A possible explanation for John Kerry’s low support is ... John Kerry:
"Unless John Kerry opens a serious dialogue about the war - and how he is going to end it - he is going to have a problem capitalising on the vote in Wisconsin from people who are sceptical of the war, and anti-war," Mr Nichols said.
Frustration with Mr Kerry's incoherence on the issue is now openly acknowledged among his colleagues in the Senate, who say it is time for him to take a stand. In effect, they are longing for Mr Kerry to return to the persona he inhabited during the Vietnam war when, as a returning navy lieutenant, he delivered a speech against America's military misadventure.
If only Kerry could re-write the intro to his convention speech: "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting ... the serial atrocities committed by myself and other American servicemen during the war in Vietnam! Where, by the way, I won several medals."
The votes are there for the Democrats; [Democrat activist] Mr Ziesler is convinced of it. "If he could at least come out and say, 'I am going to stop the war,' that would be a resounding message for the people," he said. "We still need a single message."
Which is one reason Bush is leading. Another reason being ... John Kerry:
This week, Kerry will also take steps to address what advisers call "the likability factor" -- trying to raise voters' comfort level with Kerry on a personal level.
In related news, advisors to the Oily Kyoto Water Scorpion That Shoots Puke From Its Eyes are taking similar steps. Good luck, advisors.
Posted by Tim Blair at September 21, 2004 02:00 AMAh the McGovern strategy. It worked so well in 1972.
This should help
It's only the wife but calling anyone who disagrees with you a scumbag is one way to get people to like you.
Posted by: Jack Tanner at September 21, 2004 at 02:50 AMWhich is exactly why the new media (Kerry surrogates) tack of calling for "fight harder or get out" in Iraq will inure to Bush's benefit. Can you imagine if Kerry adopted this rhetoric??? Sobbing leftists, protest puppets--the streets would not be safe.
Posted by: PJ at September 21, 2004 at 02:52 AMKerry is losing in Wisconsin because he claimed to be a Football fan and then called "Lambeau" Field "Lambert." Cheese heads love their Packer and they hate pretenders. He would have done better to say he was a hard-core Patriots fan. At least they would respect that.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge at September 21, 2004 at 02:55 AMSuzanne Goldenberg? This woman was al Guardian's Jerusalem reporter and she did everything she could to apologize for Palestinian terror. I am glad taht she is out of Israel.
Posted by: Joel at September 21, 2004 at 03:09 AM
These anti-war people still think that the whole of the United STates views "The War" as being Iraq -- first, last and always -- yeah, we're having some big trouble in Iraq, but my sense is that most of my countrymen understand that (a) the war is bigger than Iraq and (b) to the extent the biggest issue in the war is currently Iraq, getting out of Iraq (or not letting our boys deal with Fallujah) is worse than staying there, and far worse than dealing with al-Sadr and crowd with a smart bomb.
Independant streak? You are missing the point Tim! Obviously Karl Rove and his minions have signed petioned Nader and this undermining the great Kerry! Don't be confused by the great Rove! The evil incarnated himself is pushing GW for a second term of evil free market goodness. (at this point I'm obviously deluding myself, but hey... can't stop dreamying....)
Posted by: drscroogemcduck at September 21, 2004 at 03:18 AMAhh.. crap! Why isn't there a grammar checker on this interweb site. Like what the fuck do you mean mr scroogemcduck?? (I'm glad I changed to the ! to ? I wouldn't want to look stupid again!)
Posted by: drscroogemcduck at September 21, 2004 at 03:21 AMTalking to people in Madison, particularly the Capital Times, is not talking to people in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is the area outside of Madison.
I wonder at how Kerry mis spoke Lambeau since it is a French name. That whole tour through Wisconsin was a poseur's nightmare. He has never been to Wisconsin. He was pretending to be a regular Wisconsin guy and it didn't work anywhere in the state.
Posted by: Fred Boness at September 21, 2004 at 03:31 AM"In Wisconsin, there is an anti-war base larger and more organised than any other state,"
Well screaming soap-dodgers allways persuade me to support whatever they are against!
Could the above be the REAL reson for the strong Bush support? The Anyone But Moonbat crowd...
Posted by: Rob Read at September 21, 2004 at 03:59 AMscrooge:
You're dreamying. You should petioned for an Independant spelling-check before troubling yourself with grammar issues. Or, you can do like Bill Burkett (/grin) and open a Word Document. Use that to proof, then paste in. But Preview is always a friend-at-hand.
btw I'm nee Wisconsin, and if JFK loses there, 'tis no more than deserved. He defiled the Holy Site.
Aaah, crap. Fred got in before me. But alongside his point, Madison is more (less?) than the Capital. Glenn (the well-known one, not me) has a theory about that.
Posted by: glenn at September 21, 2004 at 04:09 AMMadison - 20 square miles of staunch liberalism (i.e. communism), surrounded by 10,000 square miles of staunch conservatism.
The most right bumper sticker I can comfortably put on my car is - Visualize World Freedom.
Posted by: Ron - WI at September 21, 2004 at 05:26 AMThere is a simple explination. Outside of Madison and Milwaukee, the state is very conservative. And Milwaukee, liberalism is in bad odor after they sided with the teacher's unions over the children. That resulted in a successful parental revolt.
Posted by: James A. Wolf at September 21, 2004 at 05:56 AMCyber Sarge is right. Saying "Lambert Field" rather than "Lambeau Field" is worth 5 points right there. If it confirms a pre-existing impression that Kerry is not an "ordinary guy," but aloof and aristocratic, then it is probably worth 10 points.
Kerry's hope has to be that the "Lambert" gaffe fades in 6 weeks. Just as Kerry is going to do surprisingly well in Nevada because of the nuclear dump issue (the last I saw he was behind, but close), Kerry is going to do surprisingly poorly in Wisconsin because of a Packers issue.
Posted by: James Lindgren at September 21, 2004 at 06:03 AMWait just a damn minute:
That seems unthinkable at first in a state which has a strong independent streak and a history of political activism.
In what way does "strong independent streak" = Democrat? Same for political activism. St. Louis in the '80s was crawling with anti-abortion "political activists". Those people, by and large, were not Democrats.
Posted by: Angie Schultz at September 21, 2004 at 06:08 AMFWIW, the Republican Party was founded in Ripon, Wisconsin.
Posted by: Tibor at September 21, 2004 at 08:02 AMGore carried Wisconsin in 2000 by less than six thousand votes. Some of those were purchased and some others were fraudulant. A Democrat won the last gubernatorial election because the Republican candidate was a quirky RINO and the Libertarian candidate had good name recognition. Said Democrat governor has since provoked a taxpayer revolt which has strengthened Republican sentiment in the state.
I occasionally blog about Wisconsin politics; Owen at Boots and Sabers has been covering it in detail. Note in particular the Panzer - Grothmann Assembly primary race, a referendum on Republican party direction. The conservative beat the country club incumbent 79% to 21% with turnout twice the state average.
Posted by: triticale at September 21, 2004 at 08:43 AM"...strong independent streak and a history of political activism."
This is in The Guardian so that means suicide bombers right?
Posted by: fidens at September 21, 2004 at 10:18 AM"...strong independent streak and a history of political activism."
This is in The Guardian so that means suicide bombers right?
Posted by: fidens at September 21, 2004 at 10:19 AMNot only did Kerry mispronounce Lambeau field; I understand that last week, Bart Starr -- probably the most revered living Packer -- was touring the state with Dick Cheney.
Posted by: Steven Jens at September 21, 2004 at 11:18 AMMaybe Kerry should have worn one of these whilst stumping in Wisconsin. He would have had some great photo ops!!