Watching Rachel Maddow with the tween right now. Just finished The Ed Show. The kiddo has asked question after question, working to wrap her newly-minted 8th-grade head around today's Wisconsin election and last winter's Wisconsin state-house pyrotechnics and Citizens United and what, exactly, the whole union thing is all about.
Some of this stuff is just too complex, clearly, but every few minutes, she collects a new hot-button issue I can tell she'll spend some time and thought digging into. Citizens United being a big one. All the money flowing into the election is clearly blowing her mind.
But in the midst of it all, something big clicked:
"Let me get this straight, Mom." Yes? "Big companies and rich people from out of state spent $35 million trying to help Scott Walker win in Wisconsin right?" Yep. "And that mayor guy only spent about $3 million, right?" You got it.
"Wow. So, it's that important for all those rich people to get rid of unions?" Apparently.
"So will they?" That's what we're watching to see.
"But they just said it's too close to call." Well, for now. "And that we won't know for maybe a day or two, right?" Who knows, really, but that's basically the gist of it.
"Well, I bet they're pissed off!" Who? "The rich people sending Scott Walker money!" That's interesting. Why?
"They spent all that money and it's too close to call!" Yep.
"I bet that burns their buttcheeks. Rich people are used to getting what they want. Those one-percenters buy what they want!"
Well, they still might this time. It's too close to call.
"Yep. But it's not a blowout! They must be losing their minds! Oh, my god. That's funny!"
My work's done here for the night...
UPDATED: So...after hearing the news, the Oracle has weighed in: "Well, then. I guess the new job for the Dems is to make sure Republicans and rich people have to spend a mountain of money every time they want to beat us." Yep. "Let's make it hurt!" Amen, sistah!