Do Milw'eans look down to Non-Milw'eans? (Milwaukee, Madison: work, diverse, nightlife)

[MKE POL]

I have lived in MKE the better part of my life and Have experienced a hate towards Milw people when you go "up nort" or to Madison. I was told by an out of towner friend that he doesn't like coming to Milwaukee to party because were all stuck up, he also said if you ever look at a speeding car pass you look at there plate bracket it will say some Milw dealership. Is there a setiment of dislike towards Milw'eans??? and where??? I thought we all drive to slow(70 in the left lane, please speed up).

[ekg56]

I love Milwaukee. We go down there every month or 2. I see you live in Walkers Point. I love that area. We always go there for their great Mexican food. Other stops are at Trader Joes and Penzeys for spices.

[Drover]

Now you know what it's like to be a FIB in your own state. (FWB I guess?)

I don't think it's a matter of others looking down on Milwaukeans so much as them feeling like it happens the other way around. Like in your "Better Nightlife Milwaukee or Madison" thread, for instance.

[KateDaum]

Count me in as another one to loves Milwaukee. So many places to explore. I love the feel of an old city. People were very nice. I felt safe driving around. We loved exploring the restaurants.

[adam76]

I think from a political standpoint this is true. The so called "conventional wisdom" is that it would be very difficult for someone from Milwaukee to make a successful run at Governor. Then again we don't feature the most upstanding politicians in the state either

As far as ordinary folk go, I haven't really experienced this nor met anyone who really looked down on someone one way or the other. As far as in-state nose thumbing is concerned, I would guess the most likely scenario would be between Madison and non-Madison people because it's our own little slice of San Francisco. Personally it doesn't really matter to me but this is something I have experienced in both directions.

[LML]

I have spent a lot of happy hours in Milwaukee and like it just fine. I think there is a different "vibe" to Milwaukee than there is to Madison (for instance) and I like them both. They are so different that I don't think of them as competing but rather of them offering "different strokes to different folks."

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Madison has a profoundly inflated sense of itself. For instance, back in 2004, when John Kerry won Wisconsin, the standard thinking among Madisonians was that it was Madison that tipped the balance from "red" to "blue." What they often fail to realize is that Milwaukee, a city three times the size of Madison, is as staunchly "blue (though not nearly as "Latte Liberal") as Madison. Having worked the polls on election day 2004 in my neighborhood, Sherman Park, I can attest firsthand that 2004 saw record high voter turnout in Milwaukee's African American community. I would submit that growing political activity and awareness in Milwaukee's Black community has as much to do, if not more, with election outcomes in statewide races than Madison's much-ballyhooed "progressive" streak. After all, there are more Black people living in Milwaukee than there are people living in Madison.

In discussing these matters with my friends and family members who live in Madison (and I have quite a few), they have a very hard time breaking out of the fallback mindset of "Madison = Blue, Rest of State = Red" or "Madison = Open Minded, Rest of State = Closed Minded." It's just so pervasive in the local culture out there. Not only is it false, it's offensive. And I find it ironic that Madison celebrates itself as being so "in touch" while at the same time it tends to be so incredibly ignorant of its Midwestern neighbors and its role in the grand scheme of things.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Originally Posted by ekg56

I love Milwaukee. We go down there every month or 2. I see you live in Walkers Point. I love that area. We always go there for their great Mexican food. Other stops are at Trader Joes and Penzeys for spices.

I love Milwaukee too. And I've seen it change a lot over the years, in many ways for the better. To experience what Milwaukee has to offer you have to find a neighborhood and really dig into it and discover what's there. I challenge anyone to spend some time in Riverwest, Bay View, Brady Street or the Lower East Side, Walkers Point, etc, and not come away with with a sense of respect for Milwaukee's incredibly diverse urban delights.

The thing about Milwaukee is that it's not going to hit you over the head with its greatness, like other cities do. Cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, etc, lay it all out for the visitor -- the dazzling skyline, the intense urbanity of the Downtown. Milwaukee's not like that. You need to get to know it to truly appreciate it.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by adam76

I think from a political standpoint this is true. The so called "conventional wisdom" is that it would be very difficult for someone from Milwaukee to make a successful run at Governor. Then again we don't feature the most upstanding politicians in the state either

As far as ordinary folk go, I haven't really experienced this nor met anyone who really looked down on someone one way or the other. As far as in-state nose thumbing is concerned, I would guess the most likely scenario would be between Madison and non-Madison people because it's our own little slice of San Francisco. Personally it doesn't really matter to me but this is something I have experienced in both directions.

What about Frank Zeidler(1912-2006)?

[adam76]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

What about Frank Zeidler(1912-2006)?

What about Frank Zeidler? My comment was regarding the political difficulties of anyone from Milwaukee being elected to a statewide office such as governor. Zeidler was the mayor. I am pretty confident in saying that a socialist would have no chance at getting elected statewide.