August 9, 2011

Heavy turnout for the Wisconsin recall elections.

That's what I'm seeing on line and what Meade and I heard as we checked out the voting scene in Baraboo, in the heart of the 14th district, where Democrat Fred Clark is trying to unseat Republican Luther Olsen.

We saw signs of support for both candidates, including this friendly man by the side of Route 12:



And here are some of the citizen exit poll people you've read about:



Anyway, the polls close at 8, so, if you're in one of the districts with elections, get out there.

UPDATE: Check results here.

55 comments:

A. Shmendrik said...

The guy looks happy. What does he know?

Sprezzatura said...

The Meadia has gone lamestream.

Only showing the lib sign!

Drew said...

I am not in one of the contested districts, but the place I work is a polling place when we do have elections here.

We had a few people stop by to cast votes today, apparently unaware that there was no recall in our district.

Okay: question for the assembled: were these uninformed voters more likely to be Democrats or Republicans?

Unknown said...

Men in shorts support Fred Clark!

Irene said...

Fred "I feel like calling her back and smackin' her around" Clark.

Jason said...

I posted this in another thread just in time to miss this one. So I will cut and paste here.

Its amazing how the left has thrown EVERYTHING into these recall elections.

I mean, think about it: in just a few short years, Dems in this state have lost the governorship, two US House seats, a US Senate seat, the state assembly, the state senate, and a state supreme court election. Not regaining the state senate tonight would be a crushing blow to the left in this state, and to the left nationally...Ive read that outside interests have poured about $10 million into these races.

Ive predicted that Kapanke is the only recalled senator that loses on the GOP side tonight. And if that happens, the amount of money pissed away to win one state senate seat...amazing.

And even if the Dems win the senate back tonight, what is going to change? Walker still has gotten everything he wanted, passed his budget...its utter foolishness.

Its entertaining political theater that probably comes to a crashing halt tonight. Other than Kapanke's district, all of the other districts in play are either leaning GOP or strong GOP, based on past elections. That being said, I think the close races will come down to just a few hundred votes.

If/when Darling and Hopper are declared winners, I would like to see the reaction at the big party the Dems and union bosses are having in Madison tonight.

The sad part of this is if the Dems lose tonight, this wont be the end. You can guarantee someone will sue. Somewhere. For something.

Chip S. said...

Now that's about as unscientific an approach to exit polling as I've ever seen. He's sitting on his ass waiting for responses that are self-selected?

It's increasingly difficult to figure out whether the left is this devious or that stupid.

Not that it really matters.

ALH said...

Hope you were careful not to get too close to the actual Fred Clark. He might have attempted to "smack Meadhouse around".

I went to my polling place early but was still #101 (given the size of the district and how early it was, it actually is a bigger number than it sounds). My main man, Dan Kapanke, is swimming upstream. I'm hoping for a monumental upset. If I can't have that pony, than i'd settle for a dem pickup <3 statewide.

If the Democrats do take back the Senate, will Feingold consider that the game is over and they've won. Or maybe the game isn't really over until they get back the Governorship and the House, too. Oh, and we have to generate a big ass debt for my kids to payoff. Then and only then, will we have won.

chickelit said...

The Meadia has gone lamestream.
Only showing the lib sign!


They've been expelled from the Garden of Meaden.

They've tasted the forbidden fruit.

The Gadsden Flag serpent led them astray!

Sprezzatura said...

I made this comment in another thread, but it's soooo important that I must do you all a favor by restating it here:

"Rs are good, Ds are bad."

You're welcome.

Sprezzatura said...

I think it'd be nice to have a Clark v Prosser charity boxing match (where non-lethal choke holds will be allowed).

Maybe they could raise money for orphans.

Do it for the children.

Fred4Pres said...

I am Fred4Pres, not 4FredClark.

Anonymous said...

Rs are good, Ds are bad.

This tends to be my voting strategy, particularly well down ballot.

James said...

@Jason; your analysis is spot on and I think they'll try again as soon as January. Its possible that we'll have six primaries and elections next year.

Chip S. said...

Here' s an aperitif while everyone's waiting for the election returns. Today's Gallup poll results for Obama's approval rating:

Approve: 40% (down from 43)

Disapprove: 50% (up from 48)

bflat879 said...

I doubt many realize it, but the whole country has a stake in these recall elections. If the Democrats are successful in Wisconsin, they'll take this same game plan to Ohio and Indiana, for a start.

I pray they fail.

m stone said...

I live in the Hopper recall district and have been barraged with calls from the Dem challenger. The Dems have picked up the teachers roster (my wife just retired)and called eight times today and dozens in the past three weeks with probably 10 knockers. It is a literal Blitzkrieg.

What the liberals did in Madison, they are doing in contested districts with enormous outside money.

James said...

I'll miss seeing the anti-Alberta Darling ads that have been saturating the airwaves here. My favorite is the "frumpy mom" making the dry peanut butter sandwich. And my runner-up is the Darling impersonator in the red suit who is so busy texting the "super-rich" to pay attention to the little kids around her.

I'm just wishing for a huge win tonight to shut up the likes of Mary Bell.

chickelit said...

If the Democrats are successful in Wisconsin, they'll take this same game plan to Ohio and Indiana, for a start.

Agree. And if they lose, they'll take to the streets like in London. It's a lose-lose scenario.

Big Mike said...

The polls have been closed 15 whole minutes and no results yet???

chickelit said...

Big Mike said...
The polls have been closed 15 whole minutes and no results yet???

Didn't it take weeks for you guys to decisively elect in a single judicial election last time?

This may take days!

Anonymous said...

I think you're all a bunch of nut cases up there.

I'm down here being bathed in 100 degree weather, safe and secure in a Republican district, surrounded by gun owning neighbors in a state with a strong castle doctrine.

Recall elections, red balloons, arsonist looters, flash mob violence, street theater - what me worry?

I'd like to see a group try to take over the dome in Austin.

Now that would be street theater.

Unknown said...

Is PbAndj actually Titus? Their posts have the same feel.

m stone said...

If Hopper wins in Fond du Lac, some blame should be given to some of the thug-like behavior (street corners and in shops) of the We Are Wisconsin militants who were brought in. A real turn-off.

Other partisans are clean-cut youths clearly reveling in the democratic process, but without a clue. I've talked to them.

Rose said...

coweles R 60% to 40%
Darling R 62% / 38%
Olsen R trailing 52/48%

What I'm hearing.

Steven said...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/127331193.html if you want to watch the returns.

Rose said...

Hartsdorf R 58/42%
Olsen now leading 52/46%
Shilling D leading 52/48%

Probably too preliminary to get happy.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/127331193.html

James said...

After what happened in Waukesha County I wonder if Milwaukee will report last in the Darling/Pasch election?

For precinct level breakdown see: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2011/by_county/WI_Page_0809.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS

Sprezzatura said...

"Is PbAndj actually Titus? Their posts have the same feel."

Huh?

That's crazy talk.

Anyway, I'm off to walk the rare spaniels, and I'll be paying close attention to their BMs.

Anonymous said...

I have an idea that might help minimize voter fraud...

Basically, every person who votes via an "electronic ballot" could choose to have a "receipt" printed out that lists their choices...

First, this would confirm that the machine counted their votes correctly.

Secondly, each receipt would have a unique id printed on it that would be mapped to the "vote" recorded by the machine.

Then, if there were later claims of voter fraud, each voter could anonymously go online, enter the id from their receipt and compare it to the way their vote was counted.

It wouldn't necessarily prevent extra ballots from being entered, but it could ensure that validly cast ballots were counted fairly / accurately...

What does everyone think?

Carol_Herman said...

I dunno. I think there were people on both sides who went to vote with heavy hearts.

It's sort'a like seeing something that happens after a calamity. And, people just show up to help.

Politics ain't a religious experience in no case. And, yet? There is where you see money going in ... like they're building the Hoover Dam. Or something. Where if you got to really see it ... you'd just stand in awe of its size.

Robert said...

Well written, Jason.

$20,000,000 spent by Dems might buy them one state senate seat.

And to think Dems wonder why the electorate will no longer trust them with our money.


wv: ferpres

Anonymous said...

What does everyone think?

I think you are a racist.

Meade said...

Only D ahead is Shilling over Kapanke by 14 votes.

Anonymous said...

pb&jfellowrepublican:
"Anyway, I'm off to walk the rare spaniels, and I'll be paying close attention to their BMs."

OK, best laugh i've had all day.
thanks.

Sal said...

These are probably results from early voting. Dems don't usually get out of bed until noon, so expect a late surge from them.

chickelit said...

What does everyone think?

I think that anyone who wanted to cheat would simply not request a receipt. No record.

You'd have to mandate receipts. Then what's the difference from paper ballots?

Robert said...

Kapanke was supposed to be a goner.

He's at 50% with 21% of his district reporting.

If that's the best the Left can do, this whole exercise will be more satisfying than the Prosser/Kloppenburg teachable moment.

Although not nearly as fucking funny.

chickelit said...

When do the out-of-state student votes get counted?

Steven said...

District 14 just narrowed to 51-49.

Jason said...

The early results are good for the GOP, as its showing the GOP turnout is good...especially for Darling, Hopper and Olsen. The GOP is cleaning up where they should in their precincts.

Once the results from LaCrosse start coming in, Schilling will pull ahead of Kapanke I fear. Kapanke needed to be better in Crawford County to have a realistic shot, and so far that doesnt look to be the case.

So far, its promising.

Carol_Herman said...

Way back when I was a kid. And, voting machines were set up at PS 99 in Brooklyn. Kids got the day off on election day, too.

And, when you went into the booth, and pulled the cord to close off the view. I'd stand there, holding either my mom's or my dad's hand.

There was a HUGE LEVER! And, you had about ten columns. One for each party in existence. And, you had a choice. You could pick people from each and every row (as long as you didn't pull more than one for each grouping on the menu.) And, when you were through. You grabbed the level. You heard the noise. And, votes of your choice were cast.

There was no paper.

SEPs said...

I think you could do a receipt with a secure I'd, but not one that shows who you picked. If that was done, people would take their receipt to the local union hall, turn it in for a beer and a twenty if it was voted the right way.

Jason said...

District 14 just narrowed to 51-49.

Those votes are from Columbia County, which should be a Clark stronghold.

Still nothing in that district from Sauk County, which should vote Clark, but only half the vote from Green Lake and Marquette County which are GOP favoring.

Olsen/Clark is gonna be a squeaker, the way it looks.

Robert said...

Jason, where are you getting the breakdown?

Jason said...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2011/by_county/WI_State_Senate_0809.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS

Link to AP website. It has a county breakdown. I just know the Olsen/Clark race a bit better because I live close to the area.

Jason said...

well, I guess it wasnt a link, but copy and paste that address into your browser.

Palladian said...

TOTAL RECALL!!!

?

James said...

I wonder if Alpha Liberal will show up after all his crowing earlier today?

marylynn said...

anyone here with the ability to compare tonights trends to trends the night of the Prosser election? Just wondering if that would be significant.

James said...

Senate District #2 to the Republicans.

marylynn said...

I had employees complaining today about the Dem "volunteers" that were canvassing their neighborhoods. They said they were very aggressive, rude, pushy. Totally turned them off. I think its possible the Dem's negativity and over the top behavior has swayed people the opposite way they intend it to.
Keeping my fingers crossed here

Joanna said...

picture of the Capitol. (Note the images of MLK & Walker projected on the sides.)
20 second video of the crowd at the Capitol

I hope those links work.

Mumpsimus said...

@jbarker4682:

If you can prove to a third party which way you voted, then you can sell your vote.

Kirk Parker said...

Regarding the "citizen exit poll people", I ask: What Would Jesus Do?