What's wrong with the Democrats in this state

[Jackpine Radical]

is the same as what's wrong with the Democrats in the rest of the country. The leadership has betrayed the rank & file. Face it--How exciting was Doyle? What great advances did he bring in, beyond cancellations of raises for state workers? How 'bout Tony Earl? All he got us was a prison that the state had no use for (back in those innocent pre-"Incarecrate Everyone" days), and that Tommy ended up selling to the Feds. Pat Lucey( the slum landlord who kept us entertained with all those domestic violence calls to the Governor's Mansion)? We haven't had a visionary Democratic governor in this state since Gaylord Nelson.

As the Rude Pundit so incisively commented, the referenda proved that the people like Democratic ideas; they just don't like Democrats.

And, given what we've shown them in the past 40 years, who can blame them?

We'll get our state back when we take our Party back. Bob LaFollette showed the world how to do it, and we can do it again.

[earthside]

1. Indeed -- Not just your state.

Here in Colorado the same: progressive/Democratic ideas are popular, but party 'leaders' are too afraid to advocate for those positions.

Frankly, there are too many Democratic 'leaders' and consultants that deep down believe that the natural state of the average American is Repuglican. They are convinced that if they are strongly populist, grassroots, liberal and progressive that they will be rejected. Of course, look what happened Tuesday when they give into their misguided fears.

Furthermore, Democrats need to get real and understand that their base voters are different than Repuglican base voters.
Repuglican base voters will show-up and vote no matter what -- because they are told to go vote.

Democrats, progressives and liberals need a good issue-based reason to go vote -- that is why we are different than Repuglicans.
So, when candidates like Mark Udall soft-pedal their progressive credentials and run away from populist ideas, well, we saw what happened.

This should be a warning to supporters of Hillary Clinton. A center-right, 'third way', establishment candidate is exactly the wrong way the Democratic Party needs to go. Democrats have to finally understand that they absolutely have to motivate the liberal, progressive base voters in this country if they are going to win.

[Z_California]

2. Follow the $$$ (eom)

[mokawanis]

3. I moved to Wisconsin over 30 years ago

My dad moved us here when I was in high-school. I left when I graduated high-school and returned after going to college, because I liked the people here and because I saw the political climate as healthy and progressive. I really thought we were different than much of the rest of the country. I no longer feel that way about Wisconsin. In a very short span of time Walker and his stooges have downgraded this state and sold us down the river, and I see no reasons to believe things will change anytime soon.

I hope you are right, Jackpine. I hope we can do it again and restore what's been lost. I hope the Rude Pundit is right, and that we the people come to our senses and reject what the new order is shoving down our throats. We need strong leadership to make that happen, and right now we don't have that in Wisconsin.

[Scuba]

4. "We'll get our state back when we take our Party back."

[ewagner]

5. As you know, Jackpine...

because you and I have discussed these things at length....

our party suffers from a kind of clinical depression...we can't fire up enough people at any given time to get an organized movement going, and when we do we get resistance "from behind"....

You know I dearly wanted to run for office this go-round but my health sort of betrayed me. Seeing the passion that Phil Swanhorst had in his public presentations was inspiring...and Norb (I won't even try to spell his last name) running against the heavily monied Bob Kulp was one of the bravest acts I have ever seen...I'm not sure I could have done any better than these guys and yet we were taught (once again) the cruel lesson of gerrymandering...neither Phil nor Norb did better than any of the other Democratic candidates before them.

The object lesson for Democrats is "why even try?"

[Jackpine Radical]

6. To some extent, I think the local candidates failed because

the top end of the ticket was--to say the least--uninspiring. People will come out for a high-profile, strong gubernatorial candidate and then vote for the Dems lower on the ballot, but they will seldom bother to come out for an Assembly candidate when they don't care much for the top of the ticket.

[ewagner]

7. I think that was a factor too....

but gerrymandering is still hard to overcome...