Yesterday’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election has flipped the ideological makeup of the the court with now a 4-3 liberal majority. This has profound implications for anti abortion and gun control legislation but nationally for the next election and the extreme gerrymandering of WI. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/04/wisconsins-supreme-court-race-00090253 Liberal judge wins in Wis. Supreme Court showdown Liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz crushed her opponent on Tuesday in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election. The outcome of the contest will likely determine the fate of abortion rights and other key issues in the top presidential battleground. Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority on the state Supreme Court — an advantage that’s helped the right lock in power for the Republican-dominated legislature. But Protasiewicz’s win could provide a new check on the state GOP. She will be sworn in this summer. The contest between former state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, a conservative, and Protasiewicz has been unusually contentious for a judicial campaign. The lone general election debate between the two was cutting, and the opposing sides lobbed brutal attack ads back and forth. Kelly acknowledged his loss on Tuesday evening, but savaged the now-justice elect in his concession speech."I wish in circumstances like this, I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent, but I do not have a worthy opponent,” he said, calling Protasiewicz’ campaign “beneath contempt” that launched “rancid slanders.” He said she would damage the integrity of the court. Protasiewicz struck a more optimistic tone. “It means that our democracy will always prevail,” she said at her victory night party. “Too many have tried to overturn the will of the people. Today’s result shows that Wisconsinites believe in democracy and the democratic process.” The election has drawn outside national press — and a gusher of money. Spending in the race exploded and surpassed $45 million as of late last week, according to WisPolitics.com, roughly tripling the previous state judicial race record. More at link
GOP has been collecting L after L but please, by all means, continue with the anti-abortion, anti-LGBT, gun promotion, and everything else that most of the country isn’t in favor of they look so goofy waging this anti-woke war too…nobody but their loser base gives a single fck that the green M&M changed boots, Looney Tunes, the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, x-box being woke because they want to reduce carbon emissions, Bud Light can designs, and whatever else they cry about each week…not a single fck
Her opponent sounds like a real peach. Why do bad things happen to such good people? [Newsweek] Conservative Judge's Concession Speech Raises Eyebrows: 'Sour Grapes'
Identity politics really working out well for the GOP. Who would have thunk Americans are more interested in kitchen table issues than fighting against "wokeness"
I wouldn't project this to the rest of the country. Wisconsin is truly a state of voters who are willing to look at both sides of the aisle. Its really one of the most independent minded voter states.
I don't think you have to project it to the rest of the country to get how significant it is. This wasn't a narrow win...it was a solid ass kicking in a very heated election. Republicans are rallying around a message that isn't working at this point...they can't carry anywhere near a majority in a presidential election...and purple states keep pushing them away. Their margin of error isn't big enough for that. At some point they're going to have to try to find a way to come up with a message that plays to Millennials and Gen Z.
yes and no. Wisconsin has its own unique voting pattern but the big takeaway was the continued erosion of suburban voters. The Milwaukee suburbs are something like 15% of the population of the state and they turnout above the state's average. Combined with the continued growth in the Madison area, the math starts to look bad. One big difference between Wisconsin and Minnesota/Michigan is that a lot of the Twin Cities and Detroit suburbs have already turned blue and that helped offset the loss of rural voters. The Milwaukee suburbs are still red but the trend is only going one direction. This particular election was also bit of a throwback. Protasiewicz swept the driftless and boosted her numbers in Northwestern Wisconsin. These are ancestral Democratic areas where Trump made big gains. This election was the worst result for Republicans as she not only regained a lot of the old Democratic voters, but she also made huge inroads in the Milwaukee suburbs (along with gigantic turnout in the Madison area).
Stronger unions, fed min wage pegged to inflation, enforcing anti-trust laws, fortifying safety nets, Medicare for all? lol
Apparently the 8th district Senate race is very tight with the Republican in the lead. That race also controls the balance of power in the Senate in terms of an actionable majority for things like impeaching liberal court members, which the Republican candidate has threatened he would do if elected.
I'll agree with one thing and that conservative politics pay out over time with younger voters. But as an anti abortion person yourself do you think that abortion politics are really going to turn Republicans into Democrats? Abortion rights play well in a state like Wisconsin. And maybe in the grand scheme of things that's all it takes to really damage the GOP brand but the GOP is married to pro life so maybe I'm wrong on national implications but the GOP isn't changing on abortion
GOP ain't gettin' any younger. Turns out that younger people live in a diverse world that they accept and don't care for hate politics.
Demographics have been going the wrong direction for a long time which is why Republicans have lost all but one presidential popular vote since Gen X started voting. I truly expect a blue wave in 2024. Millenials and Gen Z have had enough and don't want to work just to sustain a luxury lifestyle for retiring rich baby boomers with control of all the capital.
There's a point where the votes are so few for the radical **** the GOP is pitching that it won't matter.
Yes. It's been clear for years that Republicans have abandoned democracy. It's all about power now. There are no rules except that when they lose it's invalid.
I'll back off my original post. That being said, the country is changing, society becomes more progressive over time, but there will be a place for the current GOP. I think they already have turned into an opposition party even though they are competitive in national elections. It is a natural progression. That being said they will always be competitive when it comes to the anti government talk.
