Comments on: Understanding the Clarke victory http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/ Your Progressive Source for Local Opinions and Insightful Commentary Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:54:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: John-david Morgan http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6060 John-david Morgan Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:42:57 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6060 361,551 votes were cast statewide in the Dem primary for AG, only 241,851 votes in the GOP primary. Barring the unlikely event of major changes from the Milwaukee recount and the Bobot countywide recount to come -- the numbers still spell a lack of interest from Republicans in the Bucher vs. Van Hollen race for AG. In the Green Bay area 8th Congressional District, where Republicans John Gard and Mary McCormack ran, there were 56,000 votes cast in the GOP primary -- about 5,000 more than were cast in the Democratic Primary won by Dr. Steve Kagen. So -- there would seem to be no sudden shortage of GOP voters in the state, just not much for Republicans to get excited about outside of District 8. In Milwaukee County, Scott Walker bowing out of the guv\\\'s race, as Jim pointed out above, was a major factor in what happened Tuesday. Bobot\\\'s not a liberal, either, so I question whether informed independents would find Clarke engaging. As far as proof of cross-voting, the Journal Sentinel reported it both <a href=\\\"http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/john-david-morgan/2006/did-republican-voters-push-clarke-over-bobot/\\\" rel=\"nofollow\" rel="nofollow">Wednesday</a> and <a href=\\\"http://http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=497648\\\" rel=\"nofollow\" rel="nofollow">Thursday</a>, and people called in to Charlie Sykes confused about why they couldn\\\'t vote in the GOP AG primary and also vote for Clarke. And remember that the black vote is a factor that likely went to Clarke\'s advangage. Still awaiting the city recount and more detailed breakdowns to get a better idea of how exactly all voter equations seemed to have worked for Clarke. Calling on Bobot to step up and demand a county-wide recount! 361,551 votes were cast statewide in the Dem primary for AG, only 241,851 votes in the GOP primary.

Barring the unlikely event of major changes from the Milwaukee recount and the Bobot countywide recount to come — the numbers still spell a lack of interest from Republicans in the Bucher vs. Van Hollen race for AG.

In the Green Bay area 8th Congressional District, where Republicans John Gard and Mary McCormack ran, there were 56,000 votes cast in the GOP primary — about 5,000 more than were cast in the Democratic Primary won by Dr. Steve Kagen. So — there would seem to be no sudden shortage of GOP voters in the state, just not much for Republicans to get excited about outside of District 8. In Milwaukee County, Scott Walker bowing out of the guv\\\’s race, as Jim pointed out above, was a major factor in what happened Tuesday.

Bobot\\\’s not a liberal, either, so I question whether informed independents would find Clarke engaging.

As far as proof of cross-voting, the Journal Sentinel reported it both Wednesday and Thursday, and people called in to Charlie Sykes confused about why they couldn\\\’t vote in the GOP AG primary and also vote for Clarke.

And remember that the black vote is a factor that likely went to Clarke\’s advangage. Still awaiting the city recount and more detailed breakdowns to get a better idea of how exactly all voter equations seemed to have worked for Clarke.

Calling on Bobot to step up and demand a county-wide recount!

]]> By: NewDeal http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6059 NewDeal Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:26:55 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6059 I'm not convinced that party cross over voting occurs at the level often claimed. I do think independents are more likely to participate in primary races that interest them. I assume conservative independents may have been motivated by Clarke and voted in the Dem. Primary. However, I believe partisan strategic cross over voting is largely overblown talk among political insiders. Maybe I’m wrong here. However, I think the burden of proof lies with you on this, since all solid quantitative looks at this theory show little for support it. Speaking of race saliency, I don't buy that the local sheriff’s race was a high profile race that motivated lots of voters as local insiders and bloggers are speculating. Both candidates spent very little, no TV was aired. Yet the AG race had a significant volume of TV - even if it was all VH. His TV hit on white hot conservative GOP issues (immigration included) that surely motivated and engaged the average GOP voter Unfortunately, TV matters a lot. Just ask Falk who did a high volume strategic TV campaign. And I’m with JD on open primaries. I’m not convinced that party cross over voting occurs at the level often claimed. I do think independents are more likely to participate in primary races that interest them. I assume conservative independents may have been motivated by Clarke and voted in the Dem. Primary. However, I believe partisan strategic cross over voting is largely overblown talk among political insiders. Maybe I’m wrong here. However, I think the burden of proof lies with you on this, since all solid quantitative looks at this theory show little for support it.

Speaking of race saliency, I don’t buy that the local sheriff’s race was a high profile race that motivated lots of voters as local insiders and bloggers are speculating. Both candidates spent very little, no TV was aired. Yet the AG race had a significant volume of TV - even if it was all VH. His TV hit on white hot conservative GOP issues (immigration included) that surely motivated and engaged the average GOP voter

Unfortunately, TV matters a lot. Just ask Falk who did a high volume strategic TV campaign.

And I’m with JD on open primaries.

]]> By: gottagonow http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6058 gottagonow Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:20:53 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6058 ALL I GOT TO SAY RIGHT NOW IS -- RECOUNT THE VOTES --- HAHAHAHA -- DEMOCRATS GET THERE REVENGE ---- Lets all help Bobot make that ultimate decision in should he press the issue of a recount because of the ballot error or if he shouldn't. I plan on sending him a check for a significant amount of money to help him in that thought process. 35,000 more ballots than registered voters. Things that make you go HMMMMMMMMMM. Evil never prevails!!!! Remember Star Wars, I sense the good in you, let go of your hate. Bye Bye Dark Side and crossing fingers Bye Bye Clarke. ALL I GOT TO SAY RIGHT NOW IS — RECOUNT THE VOTES — HAHAHAHA — DEMOCRATS GET THERE REVENGE —- Lets all help Bobot make that ultimate decision in should he press the issue of a recount because of the ballot error or if he shouldn’t. I plan on sending him a check for a significant amount of money to help him in that thought process. 35,000 more ballots than registered voters. Things that make you go HMMMMMMMMMM. Evil never prevails!!!! Remember Star Wars, I sense the good in you, let go of your hate. Bye Bye Dark Side and crossing fingers Bye Bye Clarke.

]]> By: John-david Morgan http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6052 John-david Morgan Thu, 14 Sep 2006 22:53:25 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6052 Change same day reg to close primaries? No way. There\'s not been any talk here of changing the system because of the Clarke vote. We\'ve simply been pointing out what happened and why. No, there wasn\'t much interest from Republicans in the AG\'s race, a factor that kept them home across the state. <a href=\\\"http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/john-david-morgan/2006/did-republican-voters-push-clarke-over-bobot/\\\" rel=\"nofollow\" rel="nofollow">We pointed that out yesterday.</a> Change same day reg to close primaries? No way.

There\’s not been any talk here of changing the system because of the Clarke vote. We\’ve simply been pointing out what happened and why. No, there wasn\’t much interest from Republicans in the AG\’s race, a factor that kept them home across the state. We pointed that out yesterday.

]]> By: folkbum http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6050 folkbum Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:56:24 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6050 No, you were right the first time with the Star Wars metaphor They're <a href="http://widewhite.blogspot.com/2006/04/great-divide.html" rel="nofollow">stormtroopers</a>. And they <a href="http://badgerblogalliance.blogspot.com/2006/04/request-for-joey-or-rep-who-made.html" rel="nofollow">embrace it</a>. No, you were right the first time with the Star Wars metaphor They’re stormtroopers. And they embrace it.

]]> By: HPfan http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6049 HPfan Thu, 14 Sep 2006 20:36:30 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6049 DEATH EATERS!!!!!!! not dark walkers. DEATH EATERS!!!!!!! not dark walkers.

]]> By: Sue Moe http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6048 Sue Moe Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:27:47 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6048 It couldn't possibly be that Milwaukee Republicans have more of a vested interest in the Sheriff's race than they do by a nebulous position in Madison where the candidates were busy talking about issues that predominately affect out-state Republicans, i.e. methamphetimines and random sobriety checkpoints? You give more credit to Sykes than is perhaps deserved. If you don't like the system, perhaps you should be calling for closed primaries and we can all register a party well in advance, but then you'd lose same-day registration. Which is worth more to you: closed primaries or same-day registration? It couldn’t possibly be that Milwaukee Republicans have more of a vested interest in the Sheriff’s race than they do by a nebulous position in Madison where the candidates were busy talking about issues that predominately affect out-state Republicans, i.e. methamphetimines and random sobriety checkpoints?

You give more credit to Sykes than is perhaps deserved.

If you don’t like the system, perhaps you should be calling for closed primaries and we can all register a party well in advance, but then you’d lose same-day registration.

Which is worth more to you: closed primaries or same-day registration?

]]> By: Bill Stocks http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6047 Bill Stocks Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:13:49 +0000 http://watchdogmilwaukee.com/blog/jim/2006/understanding-the-clarke-victory/#comment-6047 How about Bobot as Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard? How about Bobot as Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard?

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