Recall Elections

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

The Republicans retained the State Senate in Wisconsin yesterday:

Democrats won two state Senate seats in Tuesday's historic recall elections, but failed to capture a third seat that would have given them control of the chamber.

By keeping a majority in the Senate, Republicans retained their monopoly on state government because they also hold the Assembly and governor's office. Tuesday's elections narrowed their majority - at least for now - from 19-14 to a razor-thin 17-16.

Consider me very surprised, as I assumed we'd see at least 3-4 switch over. Of the losses, one was from a Republican in Democratic territory, and the other was immersed in a number of scandals.

What does this say about Walker and the Republicans in Wisconsin? About the local impact of the changes in how the public sector deals with unions? Heck, about the popularity of the arguments put forth about the unions at all?

There are two recall elections for next week for Democratic incumbents, as well. I haven't seen polling for them yet.

Comments

DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

If I say that people are retarded and being exploited, then tough luck. They are.

^ Somebody please preserve this for posterity. ^

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced from the political process that people in this country aren't fit to govern themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutFkykjmbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjxzmaXAg9E

Corporations have hijacked this bought Congress using fear on Evangelical Christians and ignorance on them and everyone else to paint a picture of the world that doesn't actually represent reality. These people have no idea how the world works and let their emotions, not their wisdom, guide them toward the polls. Democracy has failed in this country.

We need the party of Teddy Roosevelt back. We need to remind people that this country used to protect them, not exploit them.

Re: DQ!

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

What a weird thing to post.

Re: DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Well if the people are not fit to govern themselves, who is?

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Once we reform the electoral process so that it's actually possible to vote in a manner where your decisions aren't already compromised and manipulated, then platforms will be geared towards an educated populace instead of fear and ignorance. Right now, people are stupid and voting with their gut. The worst part is, a lot of time they don't have any real choices. Corporate sellout A or corporate sellout B. We need more engineers and scientists in Congress, but there's rampant anti-intellectualism in this country.

Re: DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

And you plan to do this how?

State your terms.

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Have elections be publicly financed (reduce corporate influence), introduce alternative vote (reduce effect of gerrymandering), among other things.

Re: DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

So who gets to decide which canidates get public funding and how much?

Likewise define "alternative vote" explain how it addresses the issues you've raised.

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

AV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3jE3B8HsE

As for public funding, do whatever it is they do in Canada and other countries.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Canada used to give money to political parties according to how many votes they got in the most recent election. Limits were imposed on personal and corporate donations. The government now intends to discontinue the per-voter subsidy.

Re: DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

And how exatcly is that supposed to reduce corporate influence or adress the issue of the people being "not fit to govern themselves"?

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Take the money out of politics and politicians are beholden to their constituents instead of their funding sources?

Re: DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

And the alternate vote will do this?

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Public finance will do that.

Re: DQ!

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Oh, so reduce everyone's speech and disenfranchise the population. Sounds great.

Re: DQ!

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

"If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war."

Oddly enough it's the book I'm reading right now because the wife found out I never actually read it in high school.

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

They don't seem to have this problem in other countries.

Re: DQ!

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

They don't? Speech rights are terrible in other countries, and their freedom is worse too.

Re: DQ!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Citation?

Re: DQ!

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

How do we know this occurs... well because the wrong guys win!!

Drop upon drop. Ounce after ounce. Reduce. Repackage. Alter. Change.

Make things better! Progress! Upwards! Onwards! Dispose of the regressive!

Ever sure of that final goal of "better". Always confident that when you lose it's because of the errors of the electorate and when you win because of their brilliance. Never content to believe it's neither inferiority of your argument or strength of theirs. Always others and their failings.

Re: DQ!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Hence why Tea Partiers claim up to the day of the deal that not raising the debt ceiling and the US government defaulting is no problem at all but the fault of all is on the Communist hyena vermin traitors of the Left.

Re: DQ!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

OK, a dead white dude thought this. What does Bogey think? Can Bogey in fact have views of his own as opposed to that of dead people?

Re: DQ!

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

These people have no idea how the world works and let their emotions, not their wisdom, guide them toward the polls.

And I could say the exact same thing about many on the left. It isn't a partisan trait, it is a human one.

Re: DQ!

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

That would be Teddy Roosevelt of Great White Fleet fame and one of the most notorious jingoistic militaristic racist bastards of the modern era? Why exactly is bringing *that* back an improvement?