On Wisconsin...
Yesterday, Democrats got a huge win in Wisconsin when liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on the state Supreme Court, giving liberals a majority on that bench. It is expected to have a major impact on abortion rights and unbalanced Republican gerrymandering in the state.
Before going any further, we interrupt this website and offer a momentary musical interlude.
There’s been a good deal of analysis of the race and its impact – not to mention video of her conservative opponent Dan Kelly’s almost comic, but reprehensible loser speech, saying Judge Protasiewicz was dishonorable and a serial liar. And there was a truly massive campaign in the state for the race -- $43 million dollars were spent (for a state Supreme Court seat!), which around 2-1/2 times more than the average money spent on a U.S. Senate race, which is $19 million. The day before the election, Rachel Maddow had the head of Wisconsin Democrats Ben Wikler as a guest on her show. I was intrigued to see how he handled thing, explaining bluntly how important the race was and how divided a state Wisconsin is and how every vote was critical, while noting that he cautiously felt that Judge Protasiewicz had a fair chance of winning.
I mention that because, after the fact now, I wrote almost nothing about the race because I’ve felt totally confident that she would win ever since the primary. But since so many people on social media were freaking out about the importance of the race and concerned that she had to win, I didn’t want to make the race seem like people could take it easy, but at the same time feeling that it’s important to run from strength, not fear – especially when the fear is unjustified. So, I think I only wrote twice online, and as circumspect as I could.
Why did I feel so sure she’d win?
In the primary, there were two liberals running and two conservatives. Judge Protasiewicz won the primary – but she didn’t just win. She got more votes than the two conservatives combined. That’s a pretty good starting point. And then when you added in the votes that the other liberal got – which would all go to his fellow-liberal, not to the conservative opponent – it seemed like Protasiewicz would win by around 9-10 points. Yes, you never know what will happen in the run-off, you don’t know if Republicans would mount a massive, you don’t know if Democrats would be complacent. But there’s a lot of “you don’t knows” that would all have to fall into perfect place to make up for a 10 point starting deficit.
And in the end, Janet Protasiewicz won by 11 points.
That’s why I was intrigued by how Ben Wikler would handle his interview – wanting to stress the race’s important, knowing he had to make sure no Democrat took it for granted, but knowing far better than I did what the internal polls showed.
All that said, the larger point in all this isn’t how the race is one of those rare times when I was so comfortable about an election and was absolutely right. (Although, okay, that’s a good point…) What stands out is something else: how such a usually 50-50 divided state landed so heavily on the side of the liberal candidate.
Horrifically unfair gerrymandering was one issue – when voting was split, or even slightly in favor of Democrats, yet Republicans had a super-majority in both state legislatures. And once again, abortion was a major issue.
It remains almost inexplicable why Republicans don’t seem to get this. They have to know what polls show about public support for abortion. And have to know how they lost a major race about abortion law in very Red Kansas. And have to know how the GOP did far more poorly in the 2022 Mid-Term than the “Red wave” they were sure of – for which abortion was one of the more significant reasons, along with extremes GOP candidates. And yet Republicans don’t just accept that the Supreme Court gave them a lot of what they’ve long wanted, but instead they go beyond doubling down and pass laws making abortion even more draconian. Like in Florida which passed a “six week” law, a period so short that most women have no idea they’re even pregnant.
(Side Note: how "very Red" is Kansas? Just yesterday, the deeply conservative Kansas House and Senate overrode the governor's veto and passed an anti-transgender law for high school sports that would allow challenges whereby a child would have to undergo genital inspections. That's how "very Red." And yet this state still voted against a restrictive anti-abortion law.)
There is no way such anti-abortion actions can do anything but enrage and activate women voters and supporters of abortion, whatever the party. And we’re seeing that time and again. And just did in Wisconsin, in a race that may have significant impact on the 2024 election. But Republicans pushed an extremist candidate who was heavily anti-abortion. And in a 50-50 state got crushed by 11 points.
How extremist was the conservative opponent Dan Kelly? He came across like the Bob & Ray comedy sketch about candidate Neil A. Sturbish who spent a fortune on a race for County Commissioner and lost. (“I know that after my opponent is in office a couple of months, that people are going to come to me and say, ‘I wish now I voted for you, Sturbish. You’re all right, he’s a bum. Won’t you please run again?’ You know what I’m going to say to them? ‘NUTS! You had your chance to vote for me, and you didn’t! Nuts.’ I’m never gonna run again.”) Except Kelly wasn’t funny, just extremist. Which probably is a big reason he lost in a landslide.
Here's some of what he said --
“I wish that in a circumstance like this I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent. But I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede. This was the most deeply deceitful, dishonorable, despicable campaign I have ever seen run for the courts. It was truly beneath contempt.
“Now I say this not because we did not prevail. I do not say this because of the rancid slanders that were launched against me — although that was bad enough.”
He then later went on, “My opponent is a serial liar. She’s disregarded judicial ethics. She’s demeaned the judiciary with her behavior. And this is the future that we have to look forward to in Wisconsin.”
And ended – “So I respect the decision that the people of Wisconsin have made.” [NOTE: Yes, he really said he “respects” the decision!] “But I think this does not end well. As I look forward I hope, I hope it does end well. This has been a beautiful, beautiful life here in Wisconsin with all of you. And I wish Wisconsin the best of luck, because I think it’s going to need it.”
All he left out was, “NUTS! She’s a bum. You had your chance to vote for me, and you didn’t!”
And so Judge Janet Protasiewicz won in a landslide. In one of the most impactful races that could affect the 2024 presidential and legislative elections. Because, in part, Republicans just love to double-down on extremism and against abortion.
And if you think I'm even remotely exaggerating about the GOP extremism here, just know that they are already talking about impeaching her! Yes, really.
By the way, Janet Protasiewicz's campaign did not respond to Kelly’s bitter, self-pitying, extremist rant.
But if you’d like to hear the response from Bob & Ray, it comes along at the 4-minute mark.
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