Posted on 12/28/2014 5:54:16 AM PST by rellimpank
At first glance, Gov. Scott Walker’s re-election last month looks like a carbon copy of his victory four years earlier.
He won the same kinds of voters. He won the same parts of the state. And he won with virtually the same share of the vote: 52.25% in 2010 and 52.26% in 2014.
But on closer inspection, there is an important difference: Wisconsin is even more polarized today than it was four years ago.
Based on almost everything we know about the Nov. 4 election, the state’s fault lines are deeper and more sharply defined, its voters are more divided along party lines and its communities are more politically one-sided.
The Journal Sentinel explored these trends eight months ago in "Dividing Lines," a series of reports exploring the bitter political polarization across Wisconsin and its most divided place, metropolitan Milwaukee. Democrats and Republicans don’t just have different views; they live in separate worlds.
In the aftermath of the 2014 race for governor between Walker, the Republican incumbent, and Mary Burke, his Democratic challenger, at least two developments have become clear. One, Wisconsin grew noticeably more polarized between Scott Walker’s first and last race for governor, even though the governor’s margin of victory was the same; two, this trend follows a long-term pattern in Wisconsin elections for major office – governor, U.S. Senate, president.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
It is good the “fault lines” are being defined. It is good to know your friends...and your enemies.
Those on the 48% side of that dividing line can find everything they’re looking for (and more!) just by moving across their state’s southern border.
Yeah! Bleeding heart, white guilt liberals and “GIMMEDATS” on one side, and responsible citizens on the other.
With the unions going all out against Walker, suing him, trying to recall him, and Democrat office holders manufacturing an ethics “scandal” out of thin air and abusing their power just to smear him, and the “newspapers” of Wisconsin propagandizing against Walker, gee, I wonder why Wisconsin is divided now!?! I’m sure they’re blaming Walker for it too!
.... a series of reports exploring the bitter political polarization across Wisconsin...
Translation : Progressives are whinny sore losers
—ping—
The “fault lines” are drawn around Milwaukee, Racine, Madison and Kenosha. The rest of the state, not so much.
Representative Chris Kapenga may as well introduce Right to Work legislation next month as planned. How could it be more divisive than things are already? Any idea that not introducing it will win favors (and votes) from Democrats is laughable. The lines have been drawn...
Funny how democrats never “polarize”or if they do it’s a good thing.
Here we go with the spin. Watch for the clarion call to out for Walker to "work with" Democrats and "heal" the state. Typical tactic of the Left when they get their asses handed to them.
Should Capt. Obvious be cued?
The Moochers and the Looters outnumber the Producers. Time for a divorce.
True, but locust prefer more productive pastures to consume. And Walker, undeniably, has made Wisconsin more productive.
With all of his “success”, Walker was only able to garner only 2.26% over a majority?
That is pretty weak. The same Walker voters that gave Obama a 2012 victory in Wisconsin will surely vote for Hillary (or Warren) over Walker in 2016.
Why such a blue-state, moderate, amnesty-supporting, pal of the GOPe (Priebus, Ryan, Rove) gets so much positive traction in conservative circles is beyond me. Especially when he is nowhere to be found when Ted Cruz is fighting Obamacare and Amnesty.
>> Watch for the clarion call to out for Walker to “work with” Democrats and “heal” the state.
There are quite a few FReepers who are content for Walker to do just that.
> its voters are more divided along party lines and its communities are more politically one-sided.
IOW, no they aren’t. If they were, the outside money would be pushing their astroturf recall petitions again, right now. This horsecrap op-ed is just some more party-line meme-building to set up the 2016 election. The other horsecrap about Scott Walker is from Demwit trolls:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/scottwalker/index
It is like totally obvious that the Liberals are using the "Gibsmedats" as their shock troops whenever it looks like "Republicans" with any whiff of non-RINO about them are about to achieve results somewhere.
Riots? Fault of the non-Democrats of course. Anti-diversity, those awful people. Send in Sharpton. Oh wait, send in Jackson.
Then, wonder why many Cheeseheads oppose the gov’s policies that benefit everyone except the Gimme Crowd.
That’s because most Republicans are “firebrands”’ and “arch-conservative”, while nearly all Democrats are “moderates” and “bi-partisan”, don’tcha know?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.