MOUNT HOREB, Wis. – At first, Jeff Millard was undecided about who to vote for in November. Posted on 09/23/2012 3:41:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
MOUNT HOREB, Wis. – At first, Jeff Millard was undecided about who to vote for in November.
“I am not particularly happy with Obama,” the retired auto-parts storeowner said of the man he supported in 2008.
His wife, walking beside him on the Military Ridge state trail, overheard him voicing doubt. She let him know it was not an option.
“What about my reproductive rights?” she asked, clearly upset. “No, we are voting for Obama!”
Discussing his uncertainty, the retired couple walked off along the popular recreational trail in this small town, once known for the National Mustard Museum and an obsession with all things related to trolls.
By all rights, President Obama should easily win this state, with its “progressive” activism and elected liberals such as former U.S. senator Russ Feingold.
Obama won the state within an inch of 14 percentage points in 2008.
Today, he leads Republican Mitt Romney in state polling. But, based on his Chicago campaign headquarters’ reaction to any questioning that support, his lead may be as solid as quicksand.
The Badger State illustrates the political divide gripping segments of America, thanks largely to the reaction of organized labor and Democrat activists to Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s collective-bargaining reform bill.
Since 2011, Wisconsin has endured an unprecedented rash of statewide elections, including recalls of GOP state senators, a February primary for local offices, an April presidential primary, a May gubernatorial-recall candidate primary among Democrats, and then June’s gubernatorial recall election.
Despite millions of dollars spent by Washington Democrats and unions, Walker and Republicans shocked pundits by prevailing in most of those contests.
On Saturday, Obama made his first appearance in 220 plus days in a state that may be politically spent: Less than 19 percent of its eligible voters showed up for an August primary to choose both parties’ U.S. Senate candidates.
An hour’s drive southeast of here, Janesville was put on the national radar by Tobin Ryan’s brother, Paul, the Republican congressman picked as Romney’s running mate.
Like many Midwesterners, Tobin and his family live a block from his brother and his family, and all of them within a stone’s throw of where they grew up.
Tobin is incredibly proud of his younger brother, who he calls “P.D.” He points to their father’s sudden death as the moment that defined his brother’s character:
“P.D. was 16 at the time and the only one home. Mom was driving back from a family visit in Colorado, our sister Janet and older brother Stan were away, and I was at breakfast with a former high-school teacher.
“Dad’s secretary had called looking for him. P.D. went down the hall to wake him up … Dad probably died during the night but that didn’t stop my brother from trying to resuscitate him.
“To me, that moment defined who he is … before, he was this happy-go-lucky kid that worked at McDonalds. From that point on, he persevered, focused, and 12 years later he was in Congress.”
Kathy Kopp of Platteville senses enormous pride among fellow Wisconsinites to have Ryan on the Republican ticket. “Whatever your political affiliation is, Ryan is very well respected by voters in this state,” she said.
Sitting inside a charming log cabin that is Platteville’s tourism center, Kopp and colleagues Debi Sigwarth and Joe Wand admit to being overwhelmed by political ads in the past two years.
Yet Wand hasn’t seen that dim enthusiasm for a native son on a presidential ticket: “Go down the street to the university and you will see plenty of young people with T-shirts that say ‘Like Obama, Voting Ryan.”
Wisconsin is well within reach for Romney-Ryan. Ryan’s House district, blue-collar and Democrat-leaning, is one that Obama must carry to win statewide; if Republicans run better-than-average there, they could exceed Walker’s recall numbers.
In a crowded elevator in downtown Chicago, Obama's hometown, Jason Buckle, 29, a Madison accountant in town for a conference, said the country needs Romney.
“But not just on the economy,” he explained. “The way the Mideast was handled last week was anything but presidential. In fact, it was dreadful, embarrassing.”
Republicans haven't won Wisconsin since 1984. That it is a GOP target this time tells you a lot.
This from the wife of a RETIRED auto parts store owner. Reproductive rights? Telling hubby WE are gonna vote for so and so.......This biddy wouldn't be my wife for one minute. She is certifiably nuts.
Maybe she’s a 25 year old trophy.
No, the husband is nuts, for listening to her
ROFLMAO!
ROFL. It’s all about abortion for these people, which is how a nation ends up with a jug-eared Kenyan in the White House.
“This from the wife of a RETIRED auto parts store owner. Reproductive rights? Telling hubby WE are gonna vote for so and so.......This biddy wouldn’t be my wife for one minute. She is certifiably nuts. “
You know, I’ve always supported absolute equality of opportunity for women and men, and am not sexist in the least. You can take that to the bank. However, when I see that women have been largely responsible for electing people who are dismantling piece by piece the country that I love, and the country that we leave to our children, I can’t ignore or forgive it anymore.
Further, what exactly are ‘reproductive rights’? If I father a child, that child is my responsibility, and the rights of that child supersede mine. This is the way it should be. I have the right to not engage in sex, or to use contraception. I do not have the right to avoid responsibility if I father a child.
Women have the same rights to avoid pregnancy, either by abstinence or contraception. It appears that some, if not many, want the ‘right’ to avoid responsibility if they fail to exercise those rights of abstinence or contraception, and get pregnant. Their stance isn’t about ‘reproductive rights’. It’s about the right to avoid responsibility. So for that ‘right’, they vote for those who would dismantle our Republic. That, to me, is the height of selfish choice.
Perhaps the reporter made the entire encounter up. Most business owners, retired or not, are worried about staying in business and do not fret that they won’t be able to afford contraceptives post-menopause.
“What about my reproductive rights?” she asked, clearly upset. “No, we are voting for Obama!”
Nature and time took care of her "reproductive rights" years ago and since she is a nagging, snarling bitch, this guy ain't getting any sex, so he might as well vote for Romney, and tell her what ever she needs to hear.
Typical liberal nag.
In the main liberal men have no balls, none whatsoever and especially when it comes to their wives. The women know this and the result is they have and show no respect to them.
The murderous biddy belongs in a looney bin, NOT walking about and talking to anybody.
Only a few women out of 100 vote differently than 100 men. On the other hand, blacks vote extremely pro-Democrat.
Are you ready to go on a generalized anti-black rant too?
The real proof that Wisconsin is in play is shown by the fact that Baraq Obama now feels compelled to campaign there.
“What about my reproductive rights?” she asked, clearly upset. “No, we are voting for Obama!”
This from the wife of a RETIRED auto parts store owner. Reproductive rights? Telling hubby WE are gonna vote for so and so.......This biddy wouldn’t be my wife for one minute. She is certifiably nuts.”..........
Husband is retired, wife wants to protect her reproductive rights. My guess those “rights” have long since pasted.
ANother Demodummie on the prowl.
Does anybody, anybody at all, really think or talk that way?
If this is not a satirical invention of the writer, then our civilization (what's left of it, anyway) is doomed.
Hopefully the husband will just vote Romney and lie to wifey. At least he can cancel her vote and still get dinner.
That at least is specific to your issues with her, not another FR rant against women voting.
Well, the missus has put her hairy foot down, hasn`t she? Screw the country`s future.. she wants her "reproductive rights."
My God, liberals suck on SO many levels...
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