Over the years, I have had some run-ins with fellow WI kossacks when I have argued that the majority of Wisconsin voters support Scott Walker and his policies. While this point is factually supported by Walker winning an election; a recall election and many key races in State Supreme court and state legislature races which were a referendum on his administration.
In response, others suggested that I was wrong to “blame” Wisconsin voters; instead, it was conservative media; Koch brother money; the ineptitude of the WI democratic party and so on. But at heart Wisconsin voters are progressives who just needed the right incentives and candidates.
Now, we have empty vessel Ron Johnson smashing Russ Feingold who is exemplifies everything you could want in a progressive candidate and though not yet called- Trump is going to carry Wisconsin. Though a close race, when you look at the county by county breakdowns, you see blue in the population centers of Dane County and Milwaukee; but the Milwaukee suburbs and ALL the rural areas of Wisconsin skew heavily for Trump/Johnson.
After this election, we have to face some facts about Wisconsin—a large swath of the state is in economic disarray and those living in those areas feel a great deal of anger toward those who are seen as setting the game against them; that is the proverbial educated, liberal elites. But this red trend is not just economic; there is a decided feeling of white solidarity and besiegement; many rural Wisconsinites do feel that America has been corrupted or defiled by immigrants, people who are different; and gays. The undercurrent of sexism, racism, and xenophobia should not be discounted and denied. As in Wisconsin, the majority of American voters want what trump is promising in his promise to make America Great again, which means among other implications, re-establishing white privilege. If progressive can’t acknowledge that those long standing historical forces of racism, sexism, and xenophobia are part of the political equation, it will be hard to regain power.