What's the deal with Wisconsin?

[fujiyama]

Doen't the state lean somewhat to the left? Instead I see several polls with Bush ahead. After all they have one of the most liberal/progressive senators, Russ Fiengold...And their other senator is also a democrat.

Though I know that Tommy Thompson was governor there...and Joseph McCarthy was from the state...so I guess it's sort of a weird state eh?

Is the division similar to other states where cities like Madison go democratic, but rural areas go for republicans?

[Bucky]

1. Liberals have been wrongly counting on Wisc, Minnesota too long

They demand leaders with a message, not just some silly left-vs-right litmus test. Massachusetts and Wyoming vote for ideology. People from the upper Midwest overall vote for character and vision. Bush is making the sale there.

[Gildor Inglorion]

3. People from the upper midwest think the chimp has

character and vision? I guess that explains Jesse Ventura. Never mind.

[Lefta Dissenter]

10. OK, I can't let that one go...

and since you're bringing MN into this, we'll put Feingold and Wellstone and Tammy Baldwin and Bob LaFollette and Gaylord Nelson and William Proxmire up against Ventura any day...

Gov. Doyle (Dem) ran on fiscal responsibility - and the repugs in the state legislature are fighting him every step of the way. Imagine that, the party that claims fiscal responsibility as its banner will do anything to try to battle our Democratic Governor, regardless of what they cost the state. :shrug:

Nader was a problem here in Dane Co. (Madison area) in 2000. I don't know what effect the new Green nominee will have here this year. I know that a lot of Greens and Indies will vote Kerry, when it comes right down to it, but some people (like the Socialist I had a 'discussion' with as I left F9/11 Friday night) are voting Nader because they want to see our country completely destroyed so they can 'fix' the political system.

I wish that the Kerry campaign would focus more on Wisconsin. I know that voters in all of the states probably say that, but the people I know who have seen Kerry in person have been very impressed with him and feel that he comes off a lot better in person than he does on tv (particularly in the little snips selected for the evening news). I know a couple of republicans I could probably drag to a Kerry town-hall meeting or rally, who would most likely be willing to vote for Kerry if they could just see what he is really like.

That doesn't do much to answer the original question, does it?

[mzmolly]

13. Kerry's been ahead in MN for some time. But in Wisconsin, liquor stores

are open 7 days. Perhaps that explains it? :P

Kidding of course.

[The Commie]

15. The reason here in MN is...

The anerage Minnesotan is very liberal ECONOMICALY (we had lots of socialists here at the turn of last century), but contry folk and suburbanites here tend to be SOCIALLY Conservative (lot of evangelical Lutherans here). The Dems owned MN untill the social consevatives deserted the party for the Repugs in the 70's.

[Prodemsouth]

2. They voted for Gore, My theory is that I heard their new Dem Gov is not

that popular and may be pulling down Kerrys number.

[ewagner]

4. It's a mixed bag

The Northwest part of the state is heavily Democratic but the Fox Valley (Green Bay down to Fond du Lac) has been the fastest growing and economically most prosperous part of the state. Suburbs of Milwaukee are pretty conservative too. The Central part of the state is a big battleground.....Madison and the surrounding suburbs are pretty liberal....

To some extent the traditional committment to Progressive Government has disappeared in the last couple of decades.

[eyesroll]

5. We're kind of a maverick state

And, yes -- cities go Dem, rural and suburban areas go Republican (with small pockets of exception).

But people here tend to vote for the person, not the party or the ideology -- that's why Sen. Herb Kohl (owner of the Milwaukee Bucks) can win my Congressional district, even though it's solidly Republican. A Democrat could even theoretically get elected to Congress here, if he/she's the right Democrat, because they're not all that enamored with Sensenbrenner. We don't have a lot of people voting the straight party ticket (even I don't -- I've never voted for a Republican, but I don't just check off "Democrat." Sometimes, it ends up being straight Democrat by default; other times, I vote for an independent who's the only one running against a Republican.)

Russ Feingold doesn't win my CD, nor will Kerry. They're both perceived as too liberal/too out of touch/too whatever. But they try, since a vote from Waukesha counts the same as a vote from Madison when they're adding it all up.

I really don't see Wisconsin going Bush this year -- I don't know what's up with the polls. Maybe it's the "who would you rather BBQ with" factor; if so, that disturbs me greatly about my fellow Wisconsinites.

[TNMOM]

6. Lots of catholics and loud anti-choice advocates

I was surprised, after moving to Milwaukee from Charlotte a couple of years ago, how many people go to mass. that could be part of it.

---on edit: and there's the voucher issue. it's a big deal for people who send their kids to Catholic school, which is like the only option for people who want to avoid the Milwaukee school system.

[JI7]

7. remember that Gore only won by a small amount, so it's not a gaurantee

we have to fight hard for it and many other states which al gore won. this is why id on't want people to assume the states which voted for gore will automatically go for kerry.

[shadu]

8. Factory workers and farmers

Easily fooled, I am afraid.
Feingold is popular because he holds open meetings
in every county - he is very accessible
and very sharp.

[Racenut20]

9. Kerry needs to show up at a Packer game

[gumby]

11. seems to me that

the anti-choice brigade has been a big influence here.

And don't misunderestimate the effect of 15+ years of hate radio. The Milwaukee stations do non-stop bashing of any Dem candidate while praising and promoting any wack-nut.

[pdmike]

12. Lie Down For America - Read It

If you want to read a highly interesting article about why it is that the Midwest is putting an administration into power that is dedicated to screwing them up one side and down the other, read: "Lie Down For America" in the April edition of Harpers.

pdmike

[newyawker99]

14. Hi pdmike!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[gumby]

16. here's another reason

Watching c-span covering the Constitution Party. This is the political expression of Christian reconstructionism and is in play here in Wisconsin.

Wisconisn is also the home of the John Birch Society.

Seems that the Progressive Era was just a blip on the blue screen of right-wing vapidness.

[lojasmo]

17. Two words: Packers and beer.

In all seriousness, I don't understand. Rural areas should go democratic, as should urban, manufacturing bases. It doesn't make ANY sense to me.

Lots of churches, and catholics in WI, though.