September
2006
Bobot Drops Recount Plans
Channel 58 news at 10 p.m. last night reported that the Journal Sentinel "is reporting" that Vince Bobot will not seek a recount of the sheriff's vote in the Sept. 12 primary election.
However, the Journal-Sentinel has not published the story on their website and it's not in this morning's paper, so it appears that what's likely happening today is that the daily is trying to confirm whether or not Bobot is, in fact, scuttling his plans to recount the ballots.
Bobot would have had to pay for the recount out of his own funds, and he had earlier told Journal Sentinel that his campaign is broke. Bobot had also said he was considering running a write-in campaign in hopes of splitting the vote between the GOP's black Republican experiment in Milwaukee, David Clarke, and Republican candidate Don Holt, a well-qualified candidate.
We've presented ample evidence here that Republicans jumped party lines in the primary to vote for Clarke, lacking interest in the Republican attorney general's primary and urged on by right wing media's campaign against Bobot. Helped out by a likely good showing for Clarke among black voters, it was apparently enough to get him past Bobot by a 53-47 percent margin.
Or was it? The city elections commission still has its originally "gliched" ballot-cast totals posted online.
After a recount of the ballots, the city arrived at a ballots cast total of 46,548, according to the Journal Sentinel. The votes counted in Clarke-Bobot came in at 35,182 (with write-ins). This means that one out of every four city ballots cast did not count in the highest interest race in the city — more people in fact voted in the sheriff's race than in the Democratic Attorney generals race, very suprising given the high TV profile of the AG's race between Kathleen Falk and Peg Lautenschlager. Bobot did no TV.
One out of every four city ballots did not count! 11,366! We had thought this is what Bobot was trying to get to the bottom of with the recount, which would be included with the full county vote. He would need some 3,700 votes to make up the difference against Clarke.
If the reports of Bobot dropping the recount pan out, that means we can also forget any hope of a strong, high profile Bobot write-in campaign. (He'd have to pay for media, one way or another).
Ousting Clarke may now rely on Democrats, progressives and independents being informed enough to get behind the Republican, Don Holt.
John-david Morgan
John-David Morgan, Watchdogging Campaigns
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I saw the Bobot story pop up on the “Daywatch” a couple days ago, actually.
I met Don Holt the other night at Drinking Liberally. He has my full support.
Ample evidence that Republicans jumped over to vote for Clarke?? Give me a break. Your “ample evidence” is anecdotal at best and mainly just wishful thinking. The actual votings results (specific addresses that voted) will not be available for weeks.
Pray for the Deputies that are losing their jobs thanks to all those that Voted for Clarke. More people without jobs. I know — to bad right — at least it isn’t me — Well tell you what hope nothing like 9/11 happens in Milwaukee no cops to back up support.
Are you really this close-minded? Sheriff Clarke didn’t cut those deputies…the county executive cut them. If you really have a passion to save those jobs, then lobby your county supervisor to put them back in the budget. The deputies would have been lost either way had Bobot won the primary.
mkelover,
Do you really think Walker creates the budget for the Sheriff\’s Department? That is the job of the Sheriff.
Bobot would have fought to save the Deputies jobs. Clarke doesn\’t care — that is the difference.
mkelover,
You are clearly confused. The Exec either funds or doesn’t fund positions. The Sheriff decides to put them in or not. If Walker cuts positions, the Sheriff can decide he won’t cut them because he’s a constitutional officer and can choose to do what he wants to a certain extent.
It is dishonest to say it is the responsibility of the County Supervisors to fill every hole in the budget the Exec has made. There are so many holes in this budget that even a tax to the max strategy would not balance the budget. They may end up approving some of Walker’s phantom revenues just because they don’t want to take the heat.
It is really Walker’s responsibility to submit an honest budget but there is no state law that requires his budget to be either honest or truly balanced. This is one of the reasons that the position of County Executive should be eliminated.
Jim Mc, You are correct sir. What I find interesting in Walkers sheriffs budget. $400,000 to fund park patrols. 75 posistions gone to whatever. Former GRIP officers now TEU are to be the park patrol. These posistions, as stated before, have been in the sheriffs budget for the past three years. Thus being funded from cut posistions within the department.
Get out the vote, and vote DON HOLT SHERIFF. Mr. Holt is a man of integrity and honor. I to have spoke to Mr. Holt on a few occasions, and it is correct he is very qualified to be the next Milwaukee Sheriff.
Holt can’t even make it through a candidate forum without several memory lapses or just flat out not knowing about a topic discussed!
I just find it hilarious that on a lefty web site you’ve got several people clamoring for a REPUBLICAN. It’s probably the first time in the history of this site that people are actually supporting a republican.
Holt is getting up-to-speed on the topics. He will do just fine.