dave cieslewicz

Evers Best Bet in 2022

You would have to be a fool to predict the outcome of elections that will take place almost 14 months from now. Yeah. So, what’s your point? I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Gov. Tony Evers will win a second four-year term in November, 2022. Here are a handful ofContinue reading “Evers Best Bet in 2022”

Keep the U.P. Wild

I love Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where my wife and I own a cabin. While I also love the north woods of Wisconsin, the U.P. is very different. While Vilas County feels light and fun and even somewhat prosperous, Gogebic County just across the border was much more a working landscape. The legacy of lumbering andContinue reading “Keep the U.P. Wild”

America is Still Okay

I’ve spent the morning watching the coverage of the 9/11 remembrance ceremonies and much of the last week or two reading various reflections on the course of the last 20 years. The dominant narrative (as far as I can tell, the unanimous narrative) is that things are worse, that nothing good has happened in twoContinue reading “America is Still Okay”

Pic of the Day/Outboard in Rearview

Won’t be too many more opportunities for spins around the lake with the Johnson outboard.

Is McCoshen Crazy Enough?

Yesterday, as expected, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch formally announced her run for governor. She went right for the red meat, praising Donald Trump and promising to hire more cops, ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools and — in a creative and bizarre touch — vowing to send the Wisconsin NationalContinue reading “Is McCoshen Crazy Enough?”

Embracing “Inconsistency”

In today’s tribal culture it has become much harder to be an individual. That’s especially true in politics. If you identify as a Republican you need to profess (if not actually believe) that climate change is an overblown hoax, that mask mandates are a blow to fundamental freedoms, that there was widespread fraud in theContinue reading “Embracing “Inconsistency””

Evers Does Right Thing at Wrong Time

Yesterday Gov. Tony Evers announced that he would pardon 71 more people. It was absolutely the right thing to do and absolutely the wrong time to do it. Evers is now on track to pardon more people than any other governor in Wisconsin history. That makes sense since his predecessor, Scott Walker, issued no pardonsContinue reading “Evers Does Right Thing at Wrong Time”

Remembering Megan McGrorty

Running for reelection is no fun. When you run the first time you have no record to attack and there’s the excitement of being new and representing change and the future. But when you run for reelection it’s all about you — and not in a good way. Your opponent spends every minute of everyContinue reading “Remembering Megan McGrorty”

Pic of the Day/ Labor Day Sunset

This evening’s sunset over Duck Lake. Already feels a little like autumn.

What Liberals Don’t Get About Workers

Let’s start by blaming Thomas Frank. In 2004, before John Kerry lost to George W. Bush, Frank published What’s the Matter With Kansas? What was the matter with Frank’s home state? Voters there were just too dense to understand that the liberals in the Democratic Party had all their answers. Frank’s thesis was that, evenContinue reading “What Liberals Don’t Get About Workers”