Yellow Stripes & Dead Armadillos
The Problem With Liberals
A lot of voters aren’t voting against liberal policies so much as they’re voting against liberals.
Tom Nelson Might Be the Guy
I had a chance to spend a little time this morning with Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, one of three announced Democrats to take on sitting Sen. Ron Johnson, assuming he runs again. As the vaccination rate climbs, Nelson feels it’s safe to start venturing out of his garage and basement to make campaign swingsContinue reading “Tom Nelson Might Be the Guy”
The Hard-Left’s Purity Tests
Liz Cheney is standing up to Donald Trump and will likely lose her leadership position, and probably her seat in Congress, because of it. But that’s not good enough for Charles Blow and others in the purity business. Blow is a columnist for the New York Times who vowed to remain red-hot angry for everyContinue reading “The Hard-Left’s Purity Tests”
Trump and Free Speech
It’s a measure of how strongly I believe in free speech that I almost feel that Facebook should allow Donald Trump back on their platform. (Emphasis here on almost.) Yesterday, Facebook’s Oversight Board told the company that it has to decide within the next six months what to do about Trump: ban him permanently, allowContinue reading “Trump and Free Speech”
Liz Cheney’s Profile in Courage
It shouldn’t require massive amounts of political courage to simply acknowledge that a president who lost an election by seven million votes, well, actually lost the election. But it’s a measure of just how far gone the Republican Party is right now that Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming will now almost certainly lose her HouseContinue reading “Liz Cheney’s Profile in Courage”
Could Dems Actually Expand Their Majorities?
I’m starting to think that Joe Biden could pull off the near impossible. I no longer think that it’s out of the question that his party will hold on to — or even expand — their slim majorities in Congress next year. In the 21 mid-term elections since 1934 there have been only two inContinue reading “Could Dems Actually Expand Their Majorities?”
Freedom and Security
The greatest threat to liberal values isn’t any longer the Russian nuclear arsenal. It’s the dynamic Chinese economy. It was buried in Pres. Joe Biden’s speech to Congress and the nation last week, but it may be the most consequential observation he made. About halfway through his speech, Biden mentioned that when he was viceContinue reading “Freedom and Security”
The Streak is Alive! (And Don’t You Just Hate the Cable Companies?)
Brett Favre started 297 consecutive games at quarterback. In baseball, Cal Ripken, Jr., played in 2632 consecutive games. I’m pretty sure nobody is keeping track of consecutive posts to a website blog. But I haven’t missed a day since February 18th, which, by my count, is 74 consecutive days. That’s in the Ryan Braun rangeContinue reading “The Streak is Alive! (And Don’t You Just Hate the Cable Companies?)”
James Carville Goes After “the Faculty Lounge”
Democratic strategist James Carville gave an interview to Vox recently that is so good it’s worth reading in its entirety. Here are some excerpts. “You ever get the sense that people in faculty lounges in fancy colleges use a different language than ordinary people? They come up with a word like “Latinx” that no one else uses.Continue reading “James Carville Goes After “the Faculty Lounge””
Gone Baby, Gone
Just deal with it, Packer fans. Aaron Rodgers is history. Here’s who I care about in the world of sports: 1. The fans, who, by the way, pay all the bills. 2. The players, who actually perform on the field. 3. The owners, who.. what is it that the owners do, exactly, besides print money?Continue reading “Gone Baby, Gone”
Joe Biden is Still a Moderate
Republicans are trying to make the case that Pres. Joe Biden has some how become a socialist. Good luck with that. Part of being moderate is to live in the real political world and Biden is nothing if not a realist. He is a moderate, but he is not an independent. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool DemocratContinue reading “Joe Biden is Still a Moderate”
The Problem With Populism
Should Democrats try to exploit resentments over race or resentments over class? Here’s an idea. What if we dropped appeals to resentment altogether? Every Wednesday, Thomas B. Edsall writes a new Guest Essay (no longer to be referred to as “opeds”) in the New York Times. Edsall is unerringly thoughtful and even-handed, if from aContinue reading “The Problem With Populism”
The Disastrous Language of the Hard-Left
Like Frankenstein’s Monster, it has escaped the laboratory to wreak havoc. White privilege, the patriarchy, intersectionality, toxic masculinity, systemic racism, unconscious bias, erasure. These are words used in academia to describe, in most cases, real phenomena. But when they escaped the ivory towers and entered the broader culture and the world of politics they wereContinue reading “The Disastrous Language of the Hard-Left”
It’s Not All the Same
We need to be able to make distinctions between murder, mistakes and the appropriate use of force, or we’ll never find justice. When I first saw the video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for what turned out to be nine minutes and twenty-one seconds I was appalled and outraged. It seemed toContinue reading “It’s Not All the Same”
My Ten Favorite Beers
Hey, folks, it’s Sunday. So, let’s lay off the serious stuff for a day and think about beer. Well, it’s Wisconsin, so maybe this is serious stuff. Anyway, I was inspired this morning to think about my favorite beers by a column by the Wisconsin State Journal’s “Beer Baron,” Chris Drosner. Drosner’s been writing hisContinue reading “My Ten Favorite Beers”
It’s a Big, Beautiful Dangerous World
The other day one of my favorite columnists, David Brooks, wrote a depressing piece about the state of the Republican Party, of which he used to be a member. His premise was that the party is spiraling downward, becoming ever more obsessed with the grievances of its disgruntled base. “The level of Republican pessimism isContinue reading “It’s a Big, Beautiful Dangerous World”
The Wall Street Candidate
Do you like Wall Street? Then you’ll love Alex Lasry. Earlier this week, Urban Milwaukee Editor Bruce Murphy wrote a perceptive piece on the race for the Democratic nomination to take on Sen. Ron Johnson, should he decide to go for a third term. (I found it perceptive because he mostly agreed with my ownContinue reading “The Wall Street Candidate”
Foxconn Still a Con
From the start it was clear to anyone who knew Foxconn’s record that former Gov. Scott Walker’s $4 billion taxpayer give away to the company was, well, a con. Now, after four years of broken promises, false starts and a lot of just plain bizarreness, Gov. Tony Evers’ administration has crafted a much more sensibleContinue reading “Foxconn Still a Con”
Verdict More Evidence For Cop Cams
Much of America breathed a sigh of relief when the jury delivered guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin trial. As I wrote yesterday, the opposite verdict would have further eroded Americans’ confidence in their own institutions. But there’s a special meaning in it for Madison. Interviewed on this morning’s Today Show, George Floyd’s brother, Philonise,Continue reading “Verdict More Evidence For Cop Cams”
Accept the Verdict
It may be only a matter of hours, at most days, before the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial delivers a verdict. Whatever it is, I’ll accept it. When we demand justice in a given case we cannot possibly be saying that we demand a conviction. If that were true, then why bother with theContinue reading “Accept the Verdict”
A Chance for Fair Maps
Oops. He did it again. Last week Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn sided with liberals on an important case. The case was Zignego v. WEC, and what was at stake was the potential disenfranchisement of some 70,000 voters. (Earlier estimates were closer to 200,000.) The conserviitve law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty claimedContinue reading “A Chance for Fair Maps”
Stay in Afghanistan
The Taliban are a bunch or psychopaths. And now we’re going to give them a country back. Under Taliban rule girls can’t go to school and women can’t hold most jobs. They are essentially prisoners in their own homes. And it only gets worse from there. Women are sometimes publicly flogged for transgressions like notContinue reading “Stay in Afghanistan”
The Hard Stuff
What is infrastructure? It’s whatever Joe Manchin says it is. There is a truly ridiculous debate going on right now about the definition of a single word. Pres. Joe Biden has outlined an ambitious set of investments that he defines as infrastructure. Republicans say it includes things that aren’t infrastructure. The hard-left says that itContinue reading “The Hard Stuff”
Handicapping the Senate Race
The Democratic primary for the right to take on Sen. Ron Johnson (should he decide to run for a third term — see below) is starting to fill up. There are now three announced candidates and at least as many waiting in the wings. Here’s a quick review of the field as it starts toContinue reading “Handicapping the Senate Race”
“Hard Left”, Not “Progressive”
Today’s “progressives” aren’t progressive at all. Back when I was in politics (I was retired by the voters exactly a decade ago) “progressive” was just what liberals called themselves. Ronald Reagan had done such a thoroughgoing job of destroying the word “liberal” (not without a big assist from liberals themselves) that liberals needed to findContinue reading ““Hard Left”, Not “Progressive””
Lincoln, the Moderate
On today’s date in 1865 Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre. He died the next morning. He was our greatest president and he was a moderate. Lincoln was assailed by both sides. He was careful during his 1860 campaign and during the early part of his presidency to tread a fine line on theContinue reading “Lincoln, the Moderate”
Madison Needs Cop Cams
Yesterday’s shooting of Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb is only the latest, but maybe the most impactful, evidence of the value of body worn police cameras. The video from officer Kim Potter’s camera makes it clear that, in a moment of high stress, she pulled her gun when she intended to use her taser.Continue reading “Madison Needs Cop Cams”
Asa Hutchinson Does the Right Thing
When it comes to people’s sexuality I figure it’s none of my damn business. I’m glad that at least one Republican still agrees. Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) did the right thing when he vetoed a bill that would have prevented gender affirming treatments for those under 18 years old. Unfortunately, his fellow Republicans in theContinue reading “Asa Hutchinson Does the Right Thing”
Liberal v. Liberal
Madisonians decisively rejected the idea of a full-time city council by a 58-42 percent margin in an advisory referendum on April 6. But the geography of that vote is interesting and it represents a subtle change in how Madison votes. The full-time council idea lost in every part of the city with the exception ofContinue reading “Liberal v. Liberal”
The Ungracious Brandi Grayson
It’s a free country and I believe in maximum free speech. People should be able to say things that I find offensive and even fact-free, if they like. Yes, that includes former (and how wonderful is it to use that word in reference to this guy?) Pres. Donald Trump. But it also applies to theContinue reading “The Ungracious Brandi Grayson”
China Road
Pres. Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill is about more than good roads. It’s about demonstrating that democracy is stronger than authoritarianism. China is delivering prosperity, it’s getting stuff done, it’s starting to influence the world. The Chinese model is a combination of aggressive capitalism, centralized planning and authoritarian rule. What makes it work is that theContinue reading “China Road”
Drive the Camry Fast
As of today, the Democrats can count on 634 more days in power. In all likelihood they will lose their majority in at least one house of Congress, and probably both, on January 3, 2023. After that, nothing meaningful will pass for the next two years. Since WW II, the party in power has lost,Continue reading “Drive the Camry Fast”
The Right Tries to Cancel More Books
There is a lot of talk these days about cancel culture. That talk mostly comes from the right and it’s directed at “woke” leftists. But, at least when it comes to the time-honored tradition of banning books, the right still holds the cancel culture crown. Don’t get me wrong. I am very concerned about illiberalContinue reading “The Right Tries to Cancel More Books”
Support Your Local Alders
Yesterday’s decisive defeat of a full-time Madison City Council in an advisory referendum wasn’t surprising. Among many good arguments against it was the comparison to the state Legislature. Voters looked at their part-time citizen council and they looked down the street at the “full-time” Legislature and they decided, wisely, to keep what that have, insteadContinue reading “Support Your Local Alders”
Let’s Vote on Election Day
Sometimes I know that I’m screaming into a howling wind, but I do it anyway just because I think I’m right. It’s a character flaw. Take today’s blog. In honor of election day, I’ll try to make a case that we should go back to voting on one day and eliminate or scale back earlyContinue reading “Let’s Vote on Election Day”
Georgia On Our Minds
We need to lower the temperature on rhetoric about voting. One side falsely claims wide spread voter fraud while the other charges that some election law changes are, “the new Jim Crow.” Neither accusation holds up under scrutiny. To hear Democrats tell it, the bill recently enacted in Georgia to change some voting rules isContinue reading “Georgia On Our Minds”
Tuesday’s Choices
What can I say? I like voting on election day. It has been my ritual since I was 18 years old. I did the safe thing for the elections during 2020 and voted absentee. But now, all vaxed up, it seems responsible again to vote in person. (I think we should go back to mostContinue reading “Tuesday’s Choices”
We Need More ‘More’
Nice weekend weather, but if you’re looking for an evening movie, you might want to check out A Man For All Seasons, which is available on demand at Turner Classic Movies right now and probably for the next week or so. The movie won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1966. The film is aContinue reading “We Need More ‘More’”
Pay the Players
College sports as we know it are coming to an end. And that’s a very good thing. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could rock the NCAA. But, even if the court rules in favor of the association — which appears unlikely — college sports will still look moreContinue reading “Pay the Players”
Reconsidering “Equity”
A few years ago I started reading and hearing the word “equity” where I would have expected the word “equality” to be used. I put it down to the too common desire some people have to use a more obscure word in place of a plain one in order to sound smarter than they reallyContinue reading “Reconsidering “Equity””
Bipartisanship Is a Two-Way Street
Congressional Republicans seem determined not to give Pres. Joe Biden support for his proposals. By Spencer Black On the dance floor, it takes two to tango. And in Washington, D.C., it takes two to be bipartisan. Despite President Biden’s invitation, congressional Republicans won’t dance. Unlike Republican politicians in D.C., Americans are joining together in aContinue reading “Bipartisanship Is a Two-Way Street”
Bernie Sanders: Incrementalist
What’s come over Bernie Sanders? He just wants to make progress. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is pushing, not for Medicare for All, but for Medicare for More. He’s championing legislation, which could be introduced in April, to lower the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60, to expand coverage to things like hearing aids,Continue reading “Bernie Sanders: Incrementalist”
The Shadow Issue
Who wins the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction is important. But probably not because of what you think. On April 6th, Wisconsinites will choose a new Superintendent. To read the media accounts or listen to the candidates you would think that this is all about the highly charged issue of school choice. It’sContinue reading “The Shadow Issue”
More Guns = More Killing
Short and bitter for today. All we’ve got for you is a simple graph. This is a graph of gun deaths and gun ownership in five countries: Canada, Germany, Russia, Japan and the United States. Want to guess which is which? A – U.S. B – Canada C – Germany D – Russia E –Continue reading “More Guns = More Killing”
One For the Road
Wisconsin’s got a drinking and driving problem. The Legislature just made it worse. Earlier this month there was a late night crash at the intersection of two rural highways in Racine County. Three vehicles were involved. All three drivers were legally intoxicated. All three. A few weeks before that, a Green Bay driver was arrestedContinue reading “One For the Road”
The Battered Middle Majority
Who do the hard left and hard right activists in the two major parties ignore? Most of us. Think of politics as a tennis match. Those of us who are moderates are the net. The ball keeps getting slammed over our heads — and sometimes right into us — by partisans to our left andContinue reading “The Battered Middle Majority”
Moderates For City Council
We here at YSDA won’t be making candidate endorsements. But what we will do is provide our best sense of which candidates are more moderate when there’s a choice. So, for those of you who live in Madison and are voting in competitive city council races this April, here is our take on candidates inContinue reading “Moderates For City Council”
Gun Owners for Gun Control
I am an avid hunter who owns two guns. I’m also for the strongest gun control measures we can get. Gun control is one of those issues that should be easy to compromise on. That’s because there are so many options for things that we might do. But, as is the case on too manyContinue reading “Gun Owners for Gun Control”
This Land is Whose Land? (Part 2)
“Today’s version of private property is a moderate position,” asserts Prof. Harvey Jacobs. Americans are not free to do whatever they want with their land, but the question of exactly what they can do is never settled. Climate change may be the latest disruption that redefines our relationship to land. By Harvey M. Jacobs This isContinue reading “This Land is Whose Land? (Part 2)”
It’s OK to Reject Critical Race Theory
My fellow liberals: It’s okay to say you don’t accept critical race theory. It really is. I call myself a moderate these days, but truth be told, I still meet most of the liberal litmus tests. I’m pro-choice, pro-labor and pro-environment. I think climate change is an existential threat as are Donald Trump and RonContinue reading “It’s OK to Reject Critical Race Theory”
On the Hard Woods With Joe Grump
It’s March Madness. You know what’s really madness? Not paying the players. This is another in an occasional Sunday series with our sports columnist, Joe Grump. Joe scours the sports pages and then pummels you with his insights. It’s best just to nod in silent agreement. If you engage, it will only encourage him. ByContinue reading “On the Hard Woods With Joe Grump”
More Full-Time Pols? Really?
If you live in Madison, on your April ballot you’ll find a series of questions about the makeup of the city council. These are advisory questions only. Any changes would have to be approved by the council in separate action and some would require approval in another referendum, which would be binding. The questions springContinue reading “More Full-Time Pols? Really?”
Bigotry
Why is it okay to be openly hostile to old white guys? I’m on my neighborhood listserv here on the very liberal near west side of Madison. The vast majority of the traffic on the listerv is about somebody trying to get rid of something in their attic or looking for a recommendation on aContinue reading “Bigotry”
Apocalypse Never
The moderate mind set is averse to drama. Moderates just want to work the problem. One of the things that’s wrong about our public debates these days is the tendency for both sides to declare everything a matter of fundamental principles or basic rights. That makes it virtually impossible to find common ground because everyContinue reading “Apocalypse Never”
The Wrong Kind of Social Distancing
We’re separating ourselves, even more than previously thought, by our political beliefs. This only deepens our divides. My neighborhood on the near west side of Madison is replete with yard signs. In the fall we had just about every variation of a Joe Biden sign you could imagine and many remain, now in the snow,Continue reading “The Wrong Kind of Social Distancing”
Who Are You Callin’ a Girl?
In the debate over transgender biological boys participating as girls in sports, just leave in place the sensible WIAA policies. Legislation at the federal or state level just plays to the culture wars. This dustup illustrates what’s wrong with a zealous ideological approach to any issue. So here’s the question and it’s an interesting one:Continue reading “Who Are You Callin’ a Girl?”
The Tsunami Ebbs
For a decade or more Democrats have been counting on a demographic tsunami to sweep them to a long-term majority. It might just sweep them out to sea instead. To understand what’s going on we can consider just one word: Latinx. This word was invented in academia to be a gender neutral alternative to LatinoContinue reading “The Tsunami Ebbs”
Around the Horn With Joe Grump
Baseball’s owners and players are screwing up the game. Our baseball commentator, Joe Grump, tells it like it is. It’s time for baseball! Now and then during the season we’ll be checking in with our in-house baseball analyst Joe Grump. Like you, Joe reads the sports pages and forms his opinions faster than Tinker toContinue reading “Around the Horn With Joe Grump”
Cancel Culture Is Real
The first time I heard the phrase “cancel culture” it came from Barack Obama. In an interview in late 2019, Obama said, “This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically ‘woke’ and all that stuff. You should get over that quickly. “The world is messy; there are ambiguities,” he continued. “PeopleContinue reading “Cancel Culture Is Real”
The Upside of Plague
Too many people died, but when we step back and look at the broad sweep of history, there are reasons to be very hopeful. One of the most impactful books I’ve read in the last couple of years is “Enlightenment Now” by Harvard Professor Steven Pinker. In the book, Pinker makes a convincing case thatContinue reading “The Upside of Plague”
Stand and Deliver
While there are good arguments on both sides of the debate, I would abolish the filibuster. But that’s not going to happen, so it would be better to double down on it instead. Getting rid of the filibuster has become something of a cause among hard left Democrats, but they should be careful what theyContinue reading “Stand and Deliver”
It’s Kind of Time
Democratic Congressman Ron Kind of La Crosse has thought about running for statewide office over and over again. He never pulls the trigger. Maybe 2022 is his time. So, imagine that running for statewide office is a football. And those of us who have wanted Ron Kind to run for U.S. Senate or governor, we’reContinue reading “It’s Kind of Time”
The Bipartisan Power of the Outdoors
Just before the November election, Congress came together behind increased funding for a program that has helped protect natural places from Devil’s Lake to the Apostle Islands and thousands of areas like them around the country. Just in time, because the pandemic has spurred a renaissance in Americans’ love of the outdoors. By Spencer BlackContinue reading “The Bipartisan Power of the Outdoors”
Suess and Desist
Where is the line of defense against de facto censorship? To be honest, I had never even heard of, much less read, the six Dr. Seuss titles that Theodore Geisel’s estate recently decided to stop publishing. And, of course, just because a private entity makes a decision, which is perfectly within its rights, to stopContinue reading “Suess and Desist”
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