Yesterday was eventful.
As noted in my last piece, Bernie Sanders held a rally near my home in West Allis, Wisconsin last night. My 70 year old cousin and I made plans to go as soon as it was announced. Arriving nearly 2 hours before doors were set to open at 5 PM, we stood in a substantial line after paying 6 bucks to park at State Fair Park. We ended up with a pretty nice place to park, too.
Volunteers for local and state candidates who will also be on the ballot April 5 worked their way the high energy crowd that stood in line for the event. In Wisconsin, our town, city, village, county elections are held with the Presidential Primary as well as an important State Supreme Court race.
We need to rid ourselves of a bigoted Scott Walker appointee on our State Supreme Court while big time dark money ads are working overtime to get the odious Rebecca Bradley elected to a full 10 year term. We also need to replace our terrible Milwaukee County Executive who fooled us all (yes, me, too) into believing he was on our side. Well, he wasn’t as we saw from his use of the Republican dominated State Legislature passing law after law to facilitate his power grab until he is, today, literally an Emperor using his official might to benefit the 1%.
The line kept on stretching longer as time passed until we couldn’t see the end anymore. There were no provisions made for people with disabilities. I saw at least 3 people walking on crutches moving slowly from the parking entrance toward the end of the line. That wasn’t a good thing.
Chris and I stayed in line for 2 hours while Bernie volunteers worked the crowd to solicit volunteers. However, most people had already registered via the web site and were already active. Folks were shooting cell phone video of the people standing in line and we waved and smiled at them all. And then …..
I got to pwn a local reporter
Oh, yeah. Some guy who I thought was shooting cell phone video of the people in line came up to Chris and I and introduced himself as a Fox 6 reporter streaming live video on the TV stations’ Facebook page. Apparently picking us out of the line because we are seriously “old people” who stood out in a youthful crowd, he asked why we were there. We were there for Bernie, of course.
Keeping his recording device aimed at us, he asked about the line, how long we had been waiting, where the line was when we arrived, and a few other questions. Then he got right down to business:
Why are you here when Bernie Sanders has no chance?
Clearly the guy thought he was talking to a couple of old farts who would fumble and mumble at a question like that and, perhaps, that’s why he came to us in the first place. Dude was seriously wrong in his selection. I drew a breath while I gave the man a serious eye roll behind my sunglasses and answered:
No chance? You’re talking about a candidate who won the last 6 out of 7 states. He won the last 3 in blow outs, too. He’s ahead here in Wisconsin and only needs 57% of the remaining delegates. That doesn’t sound like a guy with “no chance” to me.
The reporter couldn’t leave fast enough. He backed away without so much as a thank you with his mouth hanging open. Yeah, dude, that went out live to anyone watching that feed. He left the area after that without approaching or interviewing anyone else. I almost felt sorry for the guy with his totally busted, incorrect, and dismissive narrative. No sale at this window.
The other people in line were nodding their appreciation. A few sighed in relief, fearful that the old ladies couldn’t handle that question.
The Rest of the Saga
So, we waited in line until doors opened and people started moving inside. We passed through a more extensive security check in than I’ve ever seen (even when I went to see VP Joe Biden at NN in Detroit). My purse got dumped and the agent questioned nearly everything I carried inside. I had to explain my metal portable ash tray that looks like a giant lighter, my E-Cig, the spacer for my inhaler, and demonstrate the safety device I have on my key chain (it breaks car windows and cuts seatbelts in an emergency). I then spent time putting my purse back in order before moving to the rally hall.
Once there, we were herded into a large space with a raised platform in the middle for the media, television cameras, etc. There was no place to sit or even lean (yeah, we tried to lean on the platform to give our feet, knees and backs a rest, but got chased away). We were told it was a standing only event and the first speaker wouldn’t appear for at least 2 hours. After 2 hours in line, my 70 year old cousin realized we wouldn’t make it for another 2 hours (plus 2 more hours for speeches) since we were already seriously hurting.
So, yes, we decided to leave and stream the event live. Sad, but true. We went to grab some dinner before heading to my place and settled on a great family restaurant 2 blocks from State Fair. The place was very busy and a quick chat with the server explained why. Her own daughter and many other diners in the place had been turned away from the Bernie rally since the event was too full. Some hand decided to have some dinner before heading home which is why they were so busy.
One middle aged couple related that the parking attendant told them she would be happy to take their 6 dollars, but that they would not be allowed to get in line for the event because it was too full. However upset that people were, we were all happy that a rally organized 2 days ago was so well attended that people were turned away.
I was told that the line for the rally ultimately snaked all the way through State Fair Park to the intersection of 84th Street and Greenfield Ave. Yowsa! We spoke to those turned away and while they were a bit upset at not being able to attend, hearing that it was standing only, they were pretty grateful that they avoided that.
Had Chris and I stayed, we wouldn’t have known any of this. Amazing to actually learn more by leaving an event than by staying.
The Speech
Bernies speech was fabulous and the whacks he took at Scott Walker were well appreciated. Media coverage mostly featured the latest shenanigans of Donald Drumpf as he brought his carnival act to Wisconsin. But there was this from the “Politics” section of the local newspaper (and not on the front page where it should have been):
He criticized Walker for his attacks on labor unions and Planned Parenthood, for his cuts to education and support of a voter ID law many see as a veiled attempt at voter suppression.
"We have to make it easier for people to vote, not harder," said Sanders. "Next Tuesday, let's show Governor Walker that his plans have failed."
Here’s Bernies speech:
Marquette University Poll will be out today are in
I’m anxiously awaiting a new Marquette University poll due out today (I was actually polled on this) and will add results when they are available. Marquette polling in Wisconsin has pretty much been the gold standard.
First report of poll results is here.
A new Marquette Law School Poll finds Ted Cruz ahead in the Wisconsin Republican presidential primary race, supported by 40 percent of likely voters to 30 percent for Donald Trump and 21 percent for John Kasich, while 8 percent don’t know whom they will support. Among likely voters in the Wisconsin Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders holds a 49 percent to 45 percent edge over Hillary Clinton, with 6 percent undecided. In the election for Wisconsin Supreme Court, Rebecca Bradley is supported by 41 percent with JoAnne Kloppenburg at 36 percent and 18 percent undecided.
I wish Bernie was polling higher. He needs 57% of all the remaining delegates. I guess that means more phone banking and canvassing are in order to pull out a more substantial win.
This isn’t good news at all for Joanne Kloppenburg as all those the dark money ad lies are giving a boost to Scott Walker appointee Rebecca Bradley. Our media, of course, isn’t helping.
I’m waiting further poll results.
More Results:
For the US Senate race, Russ Feingold is at 49% and Ron Johnson is at 42%. That compares to 49/37 in the last poll.
As for possible Presidential Match ups:
- Sanders 46 percent, Kasich 44 percent.
(Not asked previously.)
- Sanders 52 percent, Cruz 39 percent.
(February: Sanders 53 percent, Cruz 35 percent.)
- Sanders 54 percent, Trump 35 percent.
(February: Sanders 54 percent, Trump 34 percent.)
- Kasich 48 percent, Clinton 39 percent.
(Not asked previously)
- Clinton 44 percent, Cruz 44 percent.
(January: Clinton 43 percent, Cruz 43 percent.)
- Clinton 47 percent, Trump 37 percent.
(February: Clinton 47 percent, Trump 37 percent.)
Interesting that in head to head matchups HRC ties with Cruz and loses to Kasich. Bernie, however, tops them all! Those results are incredibly worrisome. If electability is of concern, Bernie is the MOST electable in the general according to most polls.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is now reporting the poll results here, but it’s not quite comprehensive yet. Looks like a story in progress that will be updated as time passes.
Update: And then there’s this, a scathing editorial in the state’s most read newspaper going after what they call Hillary Clinton’s abysmal record on open government.
Nothing matters more to leadership in a democracy than support for an open, honest government in which citizens are informed and in charge. It is the foundational building block of the republic upon which all else rests. And any candidate vying for the votes of the American people needs to have demonstrated a firm commitment not only to the ideal but to the reality of open government.
As we noted Tuesday, Republican front-runner Donald Trump is not one of those candidates. But neither is Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Her horrible track record on transparency raises serious concerns for open government under a Clinton administration — so serious we believe they may disqualify her from public office. We hope Wisconsin voters give this issue the consideration it deserves when they go to the polls on Tuesday.
Following that, multiple examples are cited. Yes, they chatter at length about the whole stupid email thing, but round things out with several other examples of being needlessly secretive.
Interesting.