Sunday, August 10, 2014

Official August primary endorsements

Apparently, many of the other left-wing blogs from the Cheddarsphere are doing their endorsements before Tuesday's primary, so I may as well do the same. So what the hell, I may as well do it for the five regulars that read this spot. So here we go. This is all Dem primary votes, and if you are asking me why I'm leaving out GOPs, please take a look at most of my blogs on economics and politics in the last 4-5 years.

Governor - Mary Burke. Not just because she'll win by an absurdly huge margin. Brett Hulsey is simply not fit for the job (or pretty much any elected job), and Burke has become a stronger candidate than I thought she was 6 months ago. Plus, a large turnout and win for Burke sends a strong message of support to springboard into the General Election to take out Walker. Just because you have a problem with how Burke was selected by Mike Tate and Co. (and I'm not keen on some of this myself), doesn't mean you should cast a high-visibility protest vote against the better candidate that has a great shot at becoming governor in November.

Lt. Governor - You're on your own with this one. I like John Lehman and think he's a great voice on education and related "bread and butter" issues. But unlike Hulsey, Mary Jo Walters hasn't directly criticized and tried to undercut Lehman or Dem officials, even though she was given the brush-off by DPW head-honchos. My only concern with Walters would be a Madison-Madison combination at the top of the ticket, but I also think she could give more fire than the more academic Lehman, and that fire is needed at times. A protest vote here isn't as big of a deal as doing one for Gov.

Attorney General - I strongly support Jon Richards. He was my Assemblyman when I lived in Milwaukee, and I've watched his work in the Assembly and on Joint Finance in recent years. Here's a guy who won't back down to the oligarchs that are trying to mess up the state, and he favored marriage equality well before it was cool for Dems to do so. Richards also gives greeat balance to Burke at the top of the ticket. Susan Happ is a good candidate, and has run a strong, positive campaign, but her belief in not criminalizing 1st-time OWI is a concern. Both Happ and Richards can go after corrupt GOP Brad Schimel, as both know just how crooked the Waukesha County GOP machine is. Ismael Ozanne is a good Dane County D-A, and believes in the right things, but he's a clear third here. And again, you'd have a Madison-Madison thing on top of the Dem ticket with Ozanne.

Sec of State - Doug La Follette . Remember the Act 10 fight if you need a reason why.

Dane County Sheriff - Dave Mahoney. Not only for his great work during the Uprising (and remembering who he worked for- i.e. not Scott Walker), but also because this is a great leader that truly gives a shit about results and good policy. Unlike the clown in the cowboy hat in Milwaukee County. Related to that.

Milwaukee County Sheriff - Chris Moews. Just for the love of God and Milwaukee, get someone in charge who actually cares about that community and what he might leave behind. We know Moews wouldn't be taking the gig as a stepping stone for a lifetime paychek on the wingnut welfare circuit, like Davey is doing. Besides, what "Dem" has supporters waving "Impeach Obama" signs on an I-94 overpass, like Clarke's were yesterday (I saluted accordingly).

Treasurer - I'm picking Sartori. I think. Not a real priority here.

State Assembly, 78th District - Lisa Subeck. I pick her over Mark Clear because I trust Lisa to give more visibility to issues, fight for what's right, and help Burke and other Dems during the Fall campaign. Clear has made noises about "working with a GOP majority", which indicates to me that he doesn't understand the state of play these days. Both Subeck and Clear believe in the right things, but Subeck is much more likely to not let WisGOP get away with their BS, and would add yet another strong, younger female voice to a great Dane County Assembly contingent that includes Chris Taylor, Melissa Sargent, and Dianne Hesselbein. This could be especially key in an election that follows the overwhelmingly male WisGOP caucus passing numerous pieces of anti-woman legislation, including repeal of the state's Equal Pay Law, and imposing transvaginal ultrasounds and other absurd anti-freedom laws on reproduction.

Bonus: 19th Assembly District As a former resident of the area, I've paid some attention to this race. I think Jonathan Brostoff and Marina Dimitrejevic would be great Assembly members, but I'd lean Brostoff here. I think he'd be a great addition to the young crop of Milwaukee progressives that got elected in 2012 (Reimer, Barnes, Goyke). Plus, Dimitrejevic has given off a vibe that she feels owed the position (for what it's worth, I didn't see one yard sign for her as I drove around the Eastside on a gorgeous Saturday), while Brostoff will be more like his mentor Chris Larson and constantly be out earning the respect of constituents and fighting for the Dems statewide. I don't think you go wrong with either Marina or Jonathan, and would encourage everyone that lives east of the Milwaukee River and in Bay View to cast their ballot for one of these two. The last thing we need to see is for a guy like Dan Adams win this seat with 35% of the vote after using Scott Walker-like anti-union language and kissing up to Milwaukee oligarchs and old-money Republicans. It's bad enough to fight their puppets in WisGOP in the Assembly, we don't need Adams slipping in with something like 35% of the vote and having to battle these guys within the Dem caucus as well.

These endorsements are worth what you paid for it. But please get out and VOTE on Tuesday. The Wisconsin GAB estimates less than 1 in 6 eligible voters will, so it truly makes a difference if you step up and get to the polls. Besides, it neutralizes that racists, saboteurs, propaganda-blinded losers and other fuckheads that go a long way toward preventing our political system from representing the true will of the people.

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