Lessons from the heartland

Though I come from a coast and I live on another coast now, I did spend more than a decade in Wisconsin. I learned a lot about "third party" politics when I lived there. Wisconsin has a long history of Progressive (capital-P) politics (think of Proxmire, for example) and while the state may be marred by the long shadow of McCarthy, that's only part of the story. Parts of Wisconsin provide a fine example of how the Democrats can increase their base by appealing to populations that, while they may vote Republican, are not wholly sympathetic to the neocon agenda. Perhaps the majority of people in Wisconsin vote Republican because they want a plain spoken, common sense Executive; they don't like taxes and they are keen on "fiscal conservatism"; and of course, they are staunch Second Amendment supporters. But. . . and here's the part I think the Dems can lose track of, they are also strong First Amendment supporters along with Fourth Amendment etc. They don't want the government in their private lives, they want the freedom to be able to speak their minds, they are fans of family farms and small businesses and are as skeptical of large corporations as they are big government. What I'm trying to say is that there is a vast population that doesn't feel fully represented by either party.

What brought all of this on you may wonder. Well, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is having Ward Churchill come speak. Bravo to the UW. I always rolled my eyes at the quote inscribed in front of Bascom Hall:

Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe that the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.

But in these times, this seems a quite noble mission. Bravo to the UW.