Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

Whether or not it was good politics to say it, I suppose it’s debatable (though not much) if Donald Trump is really a fascist. But it’s undeniable that he is an authoritarian. In fact, it’s Trump’s strongman, give no quarter, image that so many of his supporters love about him. So, here’s what I expectContinue reading “The Authoritarian Handbook”

No commentary today. Just two extended quotes from candidates who lost elections. The first statement was made yesterday by Kamala Harris. Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it, but we must accept the results of this election. Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump andContinue reading “Who Loves America?”

There were many theories about how this election would turn out. I catalogued almost a dozen myself. But in the end it turned out to be about the fundamentals. No party had ever won a presidential election when its incumbent president had approval ratings this low. Joe Biden’s approval hovers around 40%. Most elections areContinue reading “It Was Fundamental”

When I was running for mayor for the first time in 2003 I was in a studio cutting my final radio ad. We were running through the script when a line occurred to me. “Vote your hopes, not your fears.” We tossed it in at the last minute and it seemed to work. The lineContinue reading “Hope and Fear”

You’d have to be a fool to predict the results of tomorrow’s elections. Okay, so let’s get started then. If you don’t live in Madison or Dane County you can skip on down. For those of you who live in the Magic Kingdom, I’m going to predict State Sen. Melissa Agard will win the specialContinue reading “YSDA Predicts the Elections!”

This week’s quote comes to us from none other than Pres. Joe Biden. Republicans are all in a lather about Biden’s gaffe during an interview when he referenced a remark by a comedian at a Trump rally who described Puerto Rico as a floating island of garbage. Biden said: “The only garbage I see floatingContinue reading “The Q&Q For 11/2/24”

I’m looking forward to Wednesday. Because on Wednesday we’ll be on the road to recovery. That road might get bumpy before it smoothes out. If there is any result other than a convincing Trump victory, we’re in for some turbulence. There is no way Trump will accept defeat, no matter how decisive. He’ll claim, withoutContinue reading “Wednesday”

The last Marquette poll before the election is out and it holds few surprises. Trump v. Harris? Dead heat. Baldwin v. Hovde? Dead heat. While those results were expected, Democrats should be especially nervous about Tammy Baldwin. When this race began, I thought she’d beat Hovde pretty comfortably. But when the polls tightened last month,Continue reading “Two Good Signs for Harris”

Yesterday I wondered if Donald Trump hadn’t handed Kamala Harris the election with his hate-filled rally at Madison Square Garden. Today, I’m forced to consider if Joe Biden didn’t just hand it back to him with his comments comparing Trump supporters to “garbage.” Here’s what Biden said yesterday on a program aimed at Latino voters:Continue reading “Biden’s Gaffe”

I suppose I get why Donald Trump had a big rally at Madison Square Garden the other night and why his campaign filled the Garden with crude, hate-filled speakers. As I pointed out yesterday, his closing strategy is to turn out disaffected young men who otherwise wouldn’t vote. He wants to sound like their buddiesContinue reading “Did Trump Just Hand the Election to Harris?”