As you know we just took a beat down out here in rural WI. We were somewhat broadsided by the extent to which our community bought into the “recall is unfair” message. We really weren't hearing it from folks that much until right at the end when it was too late to counter the message.
It is a great example of how Republicans effectively pull off what I call the 180-degree lie:
First, they attack the right to collectively bargain which was rightly perceived as unfair by most Wisconsin citizens. Then they proceed to attack voting rights, women’s rights, etc. To win after having enacted such an unprecedented series of unfair attacks, they had to reverse people's sense of outrage. They did it by impugning the recall over and over again until many voters perceived the recall itself as more unfair than taking away fundamental rights. Doing so provided those voters an outlet for their frustration and a sense of justice having been served.
Well there really is no rest for the wicked. It seems they are about to do it again out here in rural, Wisconsin -- this time to defeat Obama on access to contraceptives.
A local Republican, Dr. Aharon Zorea, Assistant Professor of History at University of Wisconsin - Richland plans to moderate a forum:
"First Freedom: Religious Liberty and the Dignity of the Human Person".
Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 7:00 pm
UW-Richland Coppertop Theatre
1200 Hwy 14 West ~ Richland Center, WI
Zorea has published a right wing history of contraception, Birth Control (Health and Medical Issues Today). He is the leader of the Young Republicans on campus. The other panelists are also conservative leaders with one possible moderate (we'll see Wednesday evening). All are men -- it goes without saying.
Republicans spent the year trying to restrict access to contraception. They have impugned Obama's health care plan in general and continue to confuse voters on Obama's religious faith. Now I believe they plan to make voters forget their unpopular positions on contraception and frame the contraception issue as an unprecedented attack on religious freedom.
This is an evil genius plan. A recent Greenberg-Quinlan-Rosner poll commissioned by Planned Parenthood shows both solid support for access to contraceptives and a perception that Democrats are weak on protecting religious freedom. This poll was conducted in heavily rural swing states including Wisconsin. The Republicans plan to make hay out of the lawsuits by Notre Dame and other religious institutions. If we don't stop them they will turn public outrage about Republican attacks on contraception into November voters fearing for their religious freedom. Richland is a swing county that leans Democratic in presidential races. It is rural, elderly, and religious. We must find a way to effectively neutralize or gain an advantage on this now.