Damn You Wisconsin

RealClearPolitics ^ | 11/7/04

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

We fell just short of perfection in our electoral college prediction this year thanks to 13,646 more Cheeseheads in Wisconsin voting for John Kerry than George Bush. I'll remember that next time I catch a game at Lambert Field.

Seriously, what is interesting about the result in Wisconsin this year is that it marks only the third time since 1928 that Wisconsin and Iowa have split their vote at the federal level.

In 1940, Iowa went for Republican Wendell Willkie by four points while Wisconsin went for FDR by only two. In 1976, Iowa stuck with Gerald Ford by a one point margin and Wisconsin went to Jimmy Carter by two points. Obviously, in all three instances Wisconsin has favored the Democrat and Iowa the Republican, and never the other way around.

The similarity in presidential voting patterns of these two states is even more pronounced if you just look the last four cycles:

State - WI
YR - 92 - Clinton- + 4.3
YR - 96 - Clinton- +10.3
YR - 00 - A. Gore- +0.2
YR - 04 - F.Kerry- +0.4

Add up the difference between the spread in these two states' voting results over the last four presidential elections and it's only 3.2%. That is simply amazing. Our final polling averages had both states going ever so slightly for Bush, and because of the history I was almost certain they would indeed fall together. Then again, that's why they play the game.

[Keith in Iowa]

If you discount the fraud, Bush won in WI.

[OldFriend]

Watched a program on CSPIN this afternoon and it would seem to be generally accepted that there was fraud in Wisconsin.

Since they have election day registration it is almost impossible to police on a timely basis.

[Cicero]

I suppose they need to build from the state level up if they're ever going to deal with the fraud there. Don't they have instant registration on election day or some such thing?

I'm sure there was quite a lot of double voting in places like Madison.

[38special]

That's OK, Minnesota and Wisconsin will swing our way in 2006 and 2008. They're just a little late to the dance.

[DoughtyOne]

From motor voter, to extended polling efforts (two weeks etc.), to provisional ballots (in some cases) to same day registration, the democrats are pushing the limits every way they can. It can only be seen as desparation time.

Then there's the counties with more registered voters than there is population within them. There's the vandelized vans, tires slashed so voters cannot be drive to the polls.

I have yet to hear where one single scandle has been laid at the feet of the republicans, but yet the republicans are accused non-stop by the left as having stole the election.

We live in intersting times. The left has lost touch with reality. It's an amazing thing to watch.

[TaMoDee]

You don't understand that there is a basic Socialist underpining to the election results, + or - voter fraud!

These good people go back three or four generations to Goode Odle Bob LaFollet. Read the Wisconsin Socialist
history.

[Phoneman]

With John Dingle and rest of the loony left intimating fraud by the Republicans, I say this year is a perfect opportunity to revisit the flawed "Help America Vote act" passed in 01.

If just a picture ID would be required to register and vote, the Dem's would be in a bottomless hole. Time to repeal the motor voter act while were at it.

If it's to much trouble to go TO the registrars office and present a picture ID to register. Stay home and watch Micheal Moore fantasies.

[An American In Dairyland]

Wisconsin with its 10 electoral votes was used as a decoy to keep Kerry and his band of illegal voting tricksters from fully concentrating on Ohio. Saving Ohio's electoral votes and winning the election was worth losing Wisconsin's 10 votes to Democrat voter fraud. Just the same, I hate living in a blue state. Now that idiot Moore has me living in Canuckistan with the rest of the Godless liberals. :(

[OldFriend]

JCWatts indicated that the Help America Vote act will help address these remaining problems.

[shield]

FRAUD

[OldFriend]

Election fraud been around since the beginning of time.

Living in NJ, I can attest to that!!!!

[OldFriend]

Part of the problem is the unwillingness to purge the voter rolls. The dems scream racism but in fact it is something that MUST be done.

Too often people move and then vote in both districts. If someone dies or moves away, then another voter simply takes their place at the polls.

The ID would certainly go a long way to solving that problem.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

If no wall is defined and henceforth protected, the liberals will continue to force this back to it's limits. Think of it as raising a child, fail to discipline and the problem doesn't simply continue, it get worse!

[Ruth C]

Is the final count in? I can't find dates on their website for absentee ballot counts and when all the counts are due.

[OldFriend]

Try googling in Wisconsin final election returns.....

[Phoneman]

Absolutely.

If the Bush margin had been say 30k rather than 130k, we would have lawyers crawling all over Ohio, as well as Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Iowa as we speak.

This country barely escaped a Gore/Sore Losreman sequel. I fear if this is not addressed, the Lefties will have perhaps the most potent weapon yet to further undermine this great Republic.

[so_real]

Please don't judge Wisconsin too harshly. There's a lot of good folks in Wisconsin -- remember Bush only lost by 12,000 votes. And, as far as fraud is concerned, it's hard to prove that either party is completely innocent or completely guilty of the crime. Don't get me wrong; I have no doubt that voter fraud occurs in Wisconsin during just about every election. But fraud, by its nature, is time-consuming to prove in the first place and Wisconsin's voting laws make it ever so much easier to hide it successfully. The first step is to amend Wisconsin's voting laws to reduce the opportunity for fraud and to increase the penalty for perpetrating it. Then we can have an honest election. The question is, will we be able to achieve election reform through the efforts of the next-to-worthless incumbent democrat politicians we habitually re-elect year after year?

PS. I too am very surprised that Wisconsin didn't turn red this election, but without hard evidence of voter fraud there's no point in making that claim. Let's just get the laws in place to reduce the possibility of it and hope for a clean election four years from now.

[factmart]

I live in Kenosha, Wisconsin and it always has been a very Demorate city but in recent elections the county has been trending toward Republican. We had a local guy here running for senate for the Republicans and he was way up in the polls and his signs outnumbered 8 to 1. His name is Reince Priebus and was running on the property tax freeze, which is a big issue in the State of Wisconsin right now, and has helped Republicans get elected in most areas. I believe in Kenosha County alone there were close to 4,000 votes of "fraud". I cannot believe he did not win. Yet Priebus lost the election by 5,000. What's wrong with this picture? On the Milwaukee TV stations - almost everybody had Priebus winning the election. Hmmmmmmm

[so_real]

I'm not too surprised... I feel for you. With registration happening at the polls on election day, you in Kenosha have the additional problem of border-hoppers from the south being paid to influence election results. (I believe there is historical fact supporting that concern.) I maintain, however, that we bring this on ourselves by not amending the voting regulations. The question is how to achieve fixing the problem when it (historically if nothing else) works in the favor of the party that currently holds government office.