Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

Being a socialist could well bury a candidate in the general election. The trouble for Democrats is that it could win a candidate their nomination in August. It was conceded that the latest Marquette poll, which came out yesterday, was going to be of limited utility. But limited is not the same as useless. IContinue reading “Socialism is Toxic in November”

My party is being very much my party. Just as its crowded gubernatorial primary was coalescing around the candidate most likely to win in November, that candidate’s campaign stumbled hard, her less electable opponents pounced and, just like that, somebody else will get the nomination. Sara Rodriguez, who had been steadily gaining momentum saw itContinue reading “Disarray”

Since I last wrote about the Wisconsin governor’s race a whole lot of water has rushed under the bridge. Let’s review. Up until Monday, it appeared as if the race was coming down to Francesa Hong, representing the hard-left wing of the Democratic Party, and Sara Rodriguez, representing the moderates. Hong has been surprisingly strongContinue reading “Still Anybody’s Race”

When I shut down my blog for the summer I noted that I would occasionally comment about the governors race. It looks like we have the most convincing evidence to date that Sara Rodriguez is the front runner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. That evidence comes in the form of the latest story, this oneContinue reading “Who’s Behind the Rodriguez Smear?”

When I shut down my blog for the summer I noted that I would occasionally comment on the Wisconsin governor’s race. For Democrats it’s time to choose. For me the choice for Wisconsin governor is Sara Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s camp has been picking up a little steam lately. She won the straw poll at the DemocraticContinue reading “Sara Rodriguez for Governor”

Last month when I announced that I’d be taking the summer off to develop a new book project, YSDA readers — and the YSDA adjacent — rejoiced. Dark clouds would not be making a daily appearance in their inbox. The summer would be all sea shells and balloons. But some failed to read the fineContinue reading “Dems’ Straw Poll Gives Us Some Signs”

Last year I took the summer off to finish a book. It worked. Wisconsin Watershed: Tony Earl and the New Democratic Party will be published by Michigan State University Press later this year. I enjoyed that project so much that my plan is to try to finish a book every year for as long asContinue reading “See You in September”

It could by 1978 all over again. The politics behind the failed bipartisan state surplus deal is starting to look much like what happened almost 50 years ago. A quick recap. A couple weeks ago, after lengthy negotiations. Democrat Tony Evers and the Republican leadership struck an agreement to spend just under $2 billion ofContinue reading “Weird Politics”

When the field was set for the Wisconsin governors race late last year I thought I had it figured out. Republicans would nominate Tom Tiffany, who would be a weak candidate in November. The Democratic contest would come down to Sara Rodriguez, representing the moderate wing of the party, while Mandela Barnes would be theContinue reading “Mod Dems May Slump Toward Defeat”

Yesterday, I offered my own take on what an honest post mortem on the 2024 election would look like for the Democrats. I concluded that the best solution going forward would be to split the party into two sub parties — progressives and moderates — with each agreeing to come together behind one candidate afterContinue reading “The Four Party Solution”