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I understand your frustration -- there were elections that didn't go the way I wanted them too, also -- but Barnes ran virtually dead even Biden's 2020 showing in Wisconsin. Painting half of the state of WI as racist because your guy lost is not a good look, at all.
Perhaps Barnes might have won if he hadn't declined Biden's offer to campaign for him (that's a difficult sentence for me to write, since I despise Biden, but it's still a legitimate hypothetical). Certainly, it's a path of least resistance to say he lost because of racism, though -- especially if you don't actually have to say that to anyone's face.
For the record, I was not gung ho on Barnes. I don't think he's particularly qualified for the job. Johnson does not represent the views of WI on abortion, Medicare, or Social Security. He's a rich GOP dinosaur who lost by a very slim margin - only b/c many who voted for Evers could not bring themselves to vote for Barnes. Biden campaigning would not have helped. I knew from day one Barnes wouldn't win. Evers is wondering why he got more votes than Barnes. Enough of the same people who for voted for Evers also voted for Johnson. That says it all.
For the record, I was not gung on Barnes. I don't think he's particularly qualified for the job. Johnson does not represent the views of WI on abortion, Medicare, or Social Security. He's a rich GOP dinosaur who lost by a very slim margin - only b/c many who voted for Evers could not bring themselves to vote for Barnes. Biden campaigning would not have helped. I knew from day one Barnes wouldn't win. Evers is wondering why he got more votes than Barnes. Enough of the same people who for voted for Evers also voted for Johnson. That says it all.
Then it looks to me like a significant number of Evers voters said something like, "I don't think Barnes is particularly qualified for the job, so I'm voting for Johnson" which would explain the difference (this dynamic generally was picked up by polling, as well).
Then it looks to me like a significant number of Evers voters said something like, "I don't think Barnes is particularly qualified for the job, so I'm voting for Johnson" which would explain the difference (this dynamic generally was picked up by polling, as well).
We can agree to disagree. I don't think people vote on qualifications if there is deeper issue involved. There are plenty of elected totally unfit people in office put there just to keep the other guy out.
We can agree to disagree. I don't think people vote on qualifications if there is deeper issue involved. There are plenty of elected totally unfit people in office put there just to keep the other guy out.
Yeah, that's fine. We definitely don't agree. When you try to chalk up a two-point difference between a better-performing gubernatorial candidate and a worse-performing Senate candidate from the same party to racism while in the same breath admitting you didn't think the Senate candidate is "particularly qualified for the job," it's unconvincing.
Yeah, that's fine. We definitely don't agree. When you try to chalk up a two-point difference between a better-performing gubernatorial candidate and a worse-performing Senate candidate from the same party to racism while in the same breath admitting you didn't think the Senate candidate is "particularly qualified for the job," it's unconvincing.
Democrats love calling other people racists when they are among the most racist people out there.
It was their favorite tactic in my almost all white, but deep blue, neighborhood in Baltimore when I lived there.
Gerrymandering affects WI no more nor less than any other state in the union.
This is sincere question. WI is 50/50 G/R, yet state legislature is GOP 64/35, our Dems can enact nothing, about the only thing our Dem Gov can do at this point is veto GOP legislation, his powers of appointment have been taken away in a dead of night lame duck session.
For my own edification, what other states are so severely skewed that you honestly believe "gerrymandeering affects WI no more or less than any other state?"
In what other state does this level of state government disenfranchisement exist?
This is sincere question. WI is 50/50 G/R, yet state legislature is GOP 64/35, our Dems can enact nothing, about the only thing our Dem Gov can do at this point is veto GOP legislation, his powers of appointment have been taken away in a dead of night lame duck session.
For my own edification, what other states are so severely skewed that you honestly believe "gerrymandeering affects WI no more or less than any other state?"
In what other state does this level of state government disenfranchisement exist?
At least the state votes Republican by 59%, so statehouse imbalance while awful, is not completely dishonest. In WI, assembly numbers are almost the same (64/35), but we vote 50/50:
Quote:
While Ohio Democrats saw big gains in Congress, Republicans picked up supermajorities in both chambers of the statehouse. According to preliminary results, they hold 68 of 99 House seats (69%) and 26 of 33 Senate seats (79%). Both those figures blow out their statewide vote share of about 59%.
With a GOP SC, there is zero chance of a fair map in this state - ever.
A 50/50 state, with a GOP control of the legislature 64/35. And, then, people wonder why people are mad.
It looks like there will be an opportunity to flip the majority on the state Supreme Court in an election next spring. Of course even in a scenario where conservatives are no longer in the majority, I would imagine it would take awhile before any rulings are made on the gerrymanders - but this could be a critical first step for restoring balance in Wisconsin government.
From linked article below -
“This affects people in their everyday lives, and there are other decisions like whether to sustain the 1849 abortion ban and many other issues that will come before the court as well,” Wikler said. “Another giant issue that affects just about every political issue in our state is that Republicans have gerrymandered our maps so far, so extremely that they now bear no resemblance to what is required in our Constitution. We are a state where each voter is supposed to have an equal say, but under the gerrymandered maps, it is possible to win a statewide election for Gov. Evers and almost get Republican supermajorities in both state legislative chambers.”
This is sincere question. WI is 50/50 G/R, yet state legislature is GOP 64/35, our Dems can enact nothing, about the only thing our Dem Gov can do at this point is veto GOP legislation, his powers of appointment have been taken away in a dead of night lame duck session.
For my own edification, what other states are so severely skewed that you honestly believe "gerrymandeering affects WI no more or less than any other state?"
In what other state does this level of state government disenfranchisement exist?
Apologize for late reply, (Holiday and hunting - what can I say)
In an attempt to find data for your inquiry, I came across this Princeton study. Link Attached.
You can read the report intro. for yourself but I believe goal is to rank all states based on data driven analysis as to whether or not partisan gerrymandering heavily influences voting results.
From what I read, study authors do not like gerrymandering and are hoping to provide awareness and solutions for improvement.
It is not an easy tool to interpret and I have not read report in it's entirety. Therefore, I apologize if I state something incorrectly.
While not all states are yet ranked, WI gets an "F" as do OH, OR and FL. an F means political gerrymandering likely heavily influences vote outcome.
From the study:
Wisconsin is home to some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the United States. It was the subject of the 2018 case of Gill v. Whitford, in which a lower court found the state Assembly plan to be an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case in light of its ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts have no jurisdiction to hear partisan gerrymandering claims.
Soooo - I cannot vouch for accuracy but I must honestly offer this data to the dialogue. As to your question, it appears there are a few states where Gerrymandering may have as much as affect on district races but not many.
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