Guys, Wisconsin Democrats did NOT vote for this. Please quit saying that

[HereSince1628]

There are two parties here, and one of them stirred up a lot of jealousy in the working poor and won a bunch of contests by 5%.

Please don't blame democrats who went out and voted and lost by less than a landslide.

THe protests are NOT Buyers remorse. They are refusal to agree to unconditional surrender.

The dems are currently the ones doing the massive protests being totally overlooked by corporate media.

In my time among the protesters in Madison on Tuesday though I saw many people who seemed potentially the stereotypic tea-baggers (you know those gray haired baby-boomers everyone loves to hate). But on interacting with them, I didn't actually find a single tea-bagger or detect any tea-bag philosophy!

The teabaggers who gave the R's the electoral victories aren't protesting! They are chuckling at home as their jealousy is fed by the Club for Growth.

Please quit saying WE got what WE voted for. That's really foul. WE as in WE DEMOCRATS lost elections. That doesn't mean anything like 'WE voted for' the Kulak pledged to serving the Robber Barons.

The fact seems to be that WE VOTED AGAINST THIS KNOWING IT WAS COMING. But we lost.

Sorry, but the pundits are fucking getting to me.

[mmonk]

1. That can apply anywhere these days.

Our legislature turned into a Republican majority for the first time since reconstruction. We'll be told we got what we voted for too.

[dkf]

2. If a majority of the population did vote for this then should we accept majority rule?

If we don't then what is the point of democracy?

Was this an issue in the elections?

[HereSince1628]

5. My understanding of Democracy is that the people get to do more than vote

and have the losing side surrender unconditionally.

To imply that Democratic Wisconsinites are some sort of anarchists is wrong. Frankly, I'm surprised to read that on DU.

In the nation and state I live in there is something about the right of the people to petition their government and their representative in order to influence the outcomes of legislation.

[dkf]

6. Where are the polls on this?

Do we even care what the majority wants?

[HereSince1628]

9. That's a joke, right? Forget the Constitutions involved look for a poll?

Hasta...

[dkf]

11. If it's unconstitutional it wont work.

Then no need to worry right?

[HereSince1628]

10. Miwaukee Journal Sentinel poll result...

If you were in the Legislature, would you vote in favor of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposals to restrict bargaining rights for state public employees?
Yes (33%)
No (67%)
Total Responses: 3024

[Lifelong Protester]

13. Being in the 'minority' according to rigged elections does not

mean giving up your rights.

Many election places in Wisconsin now only have machines. Do I have proof they are rigged? No. But I suspect ALL things the establishment wants these days. I do not trust the machine. It is disenfranchising to the older voters, many of whom do not want to use that machine.

[OHdem10]

3. This is not being critical., but how was the Democratic Party Turnout

in the last election???

In many states, low turnout gave Republicans a win.

Something must be done to make rank and file Democrats
learn the importance of turning out for every election.

Elections count even off year. This business of only
voting in Presidential Year Elections is giving us
a Right Wing Government bordering on totalinarianism.
When a Governor threatens to turn the National Guard
on the Citizens, America wake up.

[HereSince1628]

8. Voter turnout for the state was between 50 and 55 percent

which for Wisconsin is not untypical.

Many Wisconsin voters do not register an affiliation, so numbers about Democratic turnout and votes for democratic candidates are going to be confounded.

Turnout in Milwaukee, where people had experience with Scott Walker was actually higher than in most years. It was down across much of the state.

You wrote "Something must be done to make rank and file Democrats learn the importance of turning out for every election." Obviously!

But it isn't just getting out democrats. Something must be done to get all voters to opt for Democratic candidates. That something is PROBABLY going to look like Democrats in DC and in the Statehouse doing things that make the insecure feel more secure and assuaging the jealousy of the tea-baggers.

The current austerity manifestos being written in DC and all across the US are simply going to make people more insecure and more likely to feel jealous and vote on the basis of their jealousy.

[OHdem10]

16. You are 100 % percent. right. Democrats of all stripes must

develop a overaching set of principles in which we can
all believe. Then they must repeat these over and over.

Over the past two decades, Democrats have waited and let
the Republican put out the principles, then the Democrats
would try to push back or attack these.

We have lost ground because of this.

We give the impression of not believing in anything. We have
a public who wants authenticity. These two can never meet.
If you do not believe in anything, you cannot be authentic.
Fairness will not cut it. Republicans think they are fair.

[jeff47]

19. You're approaching this from the wrong side.

"Something must be done to make rank and file Democrats
learn the importance of turning out for every election."

Something must be done to make elected Democrats realize "Republican-lite" is not a successful path.

I'm sorry for the suffering in WI and the other states that are having teabagger policies forced upon them. It's definitely going to suck in the short run. But blindly pulling the lever for "D" just gets us more "grand bargains" that destroy what it is to be a Democrat.

Want D's to show up in the voting booth? Stop trading away stuff D's care about in a quixotic attempt to make Republicans stop saying mean things.

[BeFree]

4. Details needed

What vote counting apparatus was used in Wisconsin?

Was there an audit of the count?

Can you prove the count was correct?

[Viking12]

12. We have a paper ballot, electronic scan.

[southernyankeebelle]

7. EVERYBODY- Call, or write your congressperson and ask them why they aren't supporting the WI

working people? Write and call Obama and ask him to support the workers unions and take a flight to WI to support the unions who put him and democratics in office.


CALL YOUR REP - TELL THEM TO SUPPORT THE UNION WORKERS

[Lifelong Protester]

14. Thank you!

[Bluenorthwest]

17. Why would I accuse my Rep of not supporting them when he

does? The assumption that he is not is, to me, a sort of artifact of geography, and in a way that point is central to the issue at hand. .

[Doctor_J]

15. No one is saying that the Dems voted for this

But Wisconsin did. 5% is not an insignificant margin. I feel your pain, but feel nothing but disgust for those "conservative" union members who want to take their votes back. There was an article about them a few days ago which prompted ridicule, not sympathy, from me.

We (all real Americans) need to realize that until every last hate radio station and host is obliterated, this march toward fascism will continue.

[nomb]

18. "Elections have consequences."

Like Rahm or hate him, his quote should remind us of the simple truth.

I'll be in Madison tomorrow, because the next election has already begun.

[GSLevel9]

20. actually Obama himself said "Elections have consequences" and "I won" nt

[cry baby]

21. righteous rant! nt