A lot has been said about the democratic response or a lack there of one. From podcasts to newscasters to comedians. But this hasn’t been just since January 20th. Democrats being reactive instead of proactive has been the achilles heel of the Democratic Party since 2010. Right now all we hear from Democrats is a bunch of whining. I am here to say that if you want to win an election. You need the progressive version of Project 2025.
I first noticed it in 2010 in Wisconsin. Scott Walker came in with a Republican majority and took away collective bargaining rights for public employee unions. Blamed Jim Doyle for everything from the state of the Wisconsin economy to his shoe being untied. He even rejected high speed rail money, medicaid expansion and railed against big government. Wisconsin erupted. We saw massive protests, Wisconsin state senators fleeing the state and even a recall election. An election Scott Walker prevailed and was the new Republican hero. All that whining, all that protesting. What did the Democrats fail to offer? An alternative vision.
At this very same time. National Democrats were being reactive instead of proactive. Obamacare was allowed to be defined by death panels and big government spending. Democrats failed to get ahead of it and in the end it cost them. Allowing conservative media and think tanks to get ahead of the narrative created a Tea Party Wave.
In 2014. Wisconsin Democrats propped up Mary Burke. Who most Wisconsinites never even heard of if they don't follow state politics. Wisconsin progressives favored Blue Jean Nation founder Mike McCabe or then State Representative Jeff Smith. Scott Walker was Re-elected for a third time in three years with almost the same amount of percentage points that he did the previous two times. Democrats were in the wilderness. Wisconsin became a right to work state. Walker cut 300 million dollars from the University of Wisconsin and created a two tiered school system that put private schools over public schools. What was the resistance during this entire time? Dana Wachs and Peter Barca. Again. Wisconsinites heard nothing from Democrats but whining and failing to offer what would win them back majorities. An alternative vision.
After this we had a chair election. This was before Ben Wikler transformed the state party to the machine that is there now. Joe Wineke, a chair candidate at the time, went on Wisconsin Eye and said that Scott Walker would have trouble a fourth time. Before we even had announcements yet. I thought who could beat Scott Walker if he ran for a fourth time. Before I thought of candidates I wrote down what I thought the qualities would look like. It looked like this
1. Won a Statewide Election Before.
This was non negotiable. I told one of my friends that to beat Scott Walker you have to have someone who has won state wide.
2. Offering an Alternative Vision.
Calling Scott Walker every name under the sun only got us 47% of the vote. 47% went to a candidate no one had heard of before she announced. Having a vision would counter Walker’s attacks.
3. Have No Connection to the Doyle Administration
I have nothing against Jim Doyle. Jim Doyle was actually my first vote. But having a candidate with no connection weakens the he will take us back to the days of Jim Doyle argument that he was trying to narrate.
4. Can win a contested Primary Untarnished.
In 2012, Tommy Thompson came out of that primary bruised from a contested primary with Eric Hovde. Then Tammy Baldwin defined by the Tommy is not for you anymore ad. I did not want this to happen with a Democratic candidate.
5. No one from the legislature.
This was a must for me. Dems from the legislature were the biggest whiners Walker agenda. Saying this would even repel some of my Democratic friends. I was focused on winning, not making friends.
When the candidates came out. There were some progressive fan favorites like Mike McCabe and Kathleen Vinehout. Then there was Andy Gronik from the private sector and Kelda Roys and Dana Wachs from the Assembly. But coming off his largest victory as State Superintendent was Tony Evers. Tony Evers prevailed in the primary. Came in with a fix the damn roads approach and he got up to 49.54%.
The conclusion I drew from this was that the DNC should take a look at the Scott Walker era in Wisconsin and learn that protesting and whining does not work. But you need an alternative vision. A fix the damn roads approach. Calling Trump every name under the sun is only going to get you where you are now. 47% of the vote.
