Christian Schneider, of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, has a long, juicy article about Ron Johnson:
In early April of 2010, Michelle Litjens, the chairwoman of the Winnebago Republican Party, found some local guy that was thinking of running for the U.S. Senate. She brought him down to a meeting of a handful of conservative operatives in Madison. He didn’t even know he was supposed to speak at this meeting, and patched together a few talking points in the car on the way down.
When Litjens introduced businessman Ron Johnson to the group, people rolled their eyes and checked their watches as he ambled through his reasons for running. There were already a few people thinking about running for senate, and even Wisconsin political legend Tommy Thompson was considering getting in the race. The last thing Wisconsin needed was another rich guy to serve as fodder for the Feingold political machine. Just who did this thin-faced, white-haired guy think he was?
Six months later, everyone found out who he was. He was Ron Johnson, Republican Senator from Wisconsin.
That's the very end of the article. The "thin-faced" business refers back to this:
In his remote cubicle, [36-year old deputy campaign manager Jack] Jablonski is holding court with the other staffers, detailing a study he read that could bode well for RonJon. Apparently, some political scientists have determined that voters are more likely to support the candidate with the narrower face. It makes them look more trustworthy, or something. These researchers actually used Feingold’s 2004 race against construction company owner Tim Michels to prove their point – Feingold’s face was narrower that Michels’ giant meaty head, so study respondents correctly picked Feingold as the winner by overwhelming margins.
“Ron’s face is even narrower than Feingold’s” Jablonski points out. “Let’s all just go home – it’s a done deal,” he jokes.
I'd forgotten about the hopes that were pinned on Thompson. You may remember that
I attended the Tea Party rally at the Capitol where
Thompson announced that he wouldn't run. Leaking the news the day before,
Firedoglake wrote:
[T]here was really only one Republican lurking out there who would have given Russ Feingold a tough race. In this case it was Tommy Thompson... [His decision not to run] all but assures that Feingold will be able to win re-election; the two candidates currently in the race against him are running well behind....
Ha.
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30 comments:
Do I see a Johnson crush? Perhaps Meade would be wise to spend on a nice dinner, and candles....
"Perhaps Meade would be wise to spend on a nice dinner, and candles...."
I don't know about that. Althouse was creaming her jeans for Russ Feingold a few posts back before her more astute readers reminded her what a fucking scumbag the guy is.
Christ, Russ Feingold tried to repeal the fucking First Amendment. He's an enemy to everything Americans have suffered for and died for for the last 250 years.
I fire hydrant would be a better Senator than Russ Feingold, and about as much fun to watch dogs piss on.
Ron Johnson won by being authentic about who he is and what he thinks. Who'd of thunk that would matter to the Pixie dust and unicorn believing voters? No Democrat has ever seen that happen before, at least since 1928. The dreams of poor men to given a Social Safety Net higher than the kings enjoyed 100 years ago have met reality. China has the whip hand and has had it since 1996 as all productive work went there as we lived off Bubble one from internet investment, followed by bubble two from Y2K monster spending, and then the slowly building since 1999 monster real estate bubble that burst 4 years ago leaving most investors ruined. Meanwhile Ron Johnson said we can produce here if government quits destroying things...hide and watch. That simple authenticity won his 2010 race.
Ron Johnson won by being authentic about who he is and what he thinks.
Imagine if Obama had done this.
He would have gotten about 23% of the vote.
Welcome to Wississippi. The real winners are in state legislature. The "to-do" list, according to them include:
Requiring photo ID at the polls
Defunding embryonic stem cell research
An Arizona like immigration bill
Legalizing concealed carry
End any state funding of National Public Radio
Repeal the statewide smoking ban
Kick as many people off Badgercare as humanly possible
YEEEEEEEEEE----HAWWWWWW!!
Wisconsin: Backwards and Beyond!
End any state funding of National Public Radio.
Goddamn barbarians!
Requiring photo ID at the polls
Who could possibly be against this?
Defunding embryonic stem cell research
Embryonic stem cell research has led to zero clinical trials and no progress in curing diseases.
Liberals are only for it because it is a fake benefit of aborting human life.
Legalizing concealed carry
Who could be against this?
Repeal the statewide smoking ban
I love watching you libertarians in action.
End any state funding of National Public Radio
There should be no "public radio"
An Arizona like immigration bill
Who could be against this?
MEXICO CITY – A new study suggests there may be 100,000 fewer Hispanics in Arizona than there were before the debate over the state's tough new immigration law earlier this year.
BBVA Bancomer Research, which did the study, worked with figures from the U.S. Current Population Survey. The study says the decline could be due to the law known as SB1070, which partly entered into effect in July, or to Arizona's difficult economic situation.
The study released Wednesday also cites Mexican government figures as saying that 23,380 Mexicans returned from Arizona to Mexico between June and September.
Unless you favor illegal immigrants living in your state...
When has firedoglake been right about anything?
"Requiring photo ID at the polls Defunding embryonic stem cell research. An Arizona like immigration bill. Legalizing concealed carry. End any state funding of National Public Radio. Repeal the statewide smoking ban. Kick as many people off Badgercare as humanly possible ..."
Garage, what's wrong with eliminating voting fraud? We require people who purchase alcohol to show ID and if you want a job in America you must provide 2 forms of ID. Why not at the polls? Why would ONLY Democrats oppose such a sensible measure?
Last time I checked, Republicans are not against embryonic stem cell research ... they're against religious Americans being forced to pay for it with their federal tax dollars. Research can (and does) continue with private dollars.
Why should the state have a propaganda arm in National Public Radio? It's anathema to America that our government funds propaganda directed at American citizens. It's just wrong and goes against most American's grain.
Should Americans be free? Or not? Tobacco is a legal product. Why should Americans not be free to purchase and consume it ... same as alcohol? Is this a free country? Or is it a country where Democrats get to decide what you can and cannot do?
You've listed off a bunch of very sensible proposals. That they have you clearly so far off your rocker is a testament to how out of the mainstream most Democrat Party hacks are. And it's why you're losing elections.
Americans are sick and tired of having Democrats tell us what to do. We're through with that.
So we're firing you.
"Requiring photo ID at the polls
Defunding embryonic stem cell research
An Arizona like immigration bill
Legalizing concealed carry
End any state funding of National Public Radio
Repeal the statewide smoking ban
Kick as many people off Badgercare as humanly possible"
And your problem is?
Looks like you've got the plan, Garage. Welcome aboard.
I love the way the moonbats describe Johnson as "lurking" when he was mulling a run.
They are weird.
PS Supposedly, Hispanics are cooling in their ardor for amnesty (maybe something about all that business South of the Border). What if the Demos ram it through and it ends up costing them voters?
It occurs to me that, sometimes...just sometimes...it may be better to just vote the incumbent out of office, and then declare yourself someone who keeps your vote as private as it was meant to be.
This "rationalizing" process oft times makes fools of us all.
I bet he is against raising taxes and forcing you to submit to government run death care?
The bastard.
It's death care run by death panels because they don't care if you die as long as they can control everything.
You know "Obama Care."
It's anathema to America that our government funds propaganda directed at American citizens.
It also shows these people haven't had a new idea in over 60 years.
In an era of 400+ cable channels, the Ipad, Kindle, 4G, etc. These people want you to pay for a government run radio channel.
It's almost as if they're not exactly progressive, isn't it?
Real Death Panels.
In Arizona, 98 low-income patients approved for organ transplants have been told they are no longer getting them because of state budget cuts.
Just fiscal reality.
Just fiscal reality.
Good thing they're funding public radio, huh?
I love the way the moonbats describe Johnson as "lurking" when he was mulling a run.
Actually Howard Johnson was watching Foxnews [surprise!] when on his TV came Dick Morris:
“I was sitting home, watching FOXNews, and Dick Morris came on and said… ‘If you’re a rich guy from Wisconsin, step up to the plate.’ And I kinda looked at [my wife] Jane and go ‘Is he like talking to me?’ [WLUK, 5/17/10]
"JAY said...
Just fiscal reality.
Good thing they're funding public radio, huh?"
Yeah what's a few dead old white people when you can have "Car Talk" and Bill Moyers Journal. Just keep paying taxes while you are productive and then die you bitter clingers you.
Wait, is Bill Moyers on Radio? I thought he was because whenever I hear his voice I fall right asleep so I never know if he is on Radio or TV.
garage - You forgot "No choo-choos".
Good thing they're funding public radio, huh?
NPR isn't part of Arizona's annual budget. At least as far as I know. Anyways could we un-cut the budget, then, to save these 98 people granted something else could be cut too? They were promised!
I know I'm being melodramatic, but just pointing out that elections and budget cuts have real consequences, unlike fairy tales about the cost of presidential trips and the size of Nancy Pelosi's jet.
that elections and budget cuts have real consequences,
Um, the "budget cuts" are due to a decline in state revenue due to a recession caused by liberal democratic economic policies.
Just who did this thin-faced, white-haired guy think he was?
I woke up thinking that same kinda thing this morning.
garage mahal said...
Real Death Panels.
In Arizona, 98 low-income patients approved for organ transplants have been told they are no longer getting them because of state budget cuts.
Just fiscal reality.
Under ZeroCare, only the Republicans would have gotten that note.
With the election of Republicans we will surely miss those dreamy days when the only concern of state government was to demonize private business, cater to the teacher's union and outlaw high school Indian mascots. What will we do without our enlightened progressive agenda?
Do tastes move in cycles? In 25 years will political scientists come out with a study that voters prefer rounded chunky-faced governing officials?
Pics of US Presidents show plenty were chunky, ruddy and jowly-faced.
The last is lean and pinched-faced.
With some exceptions, in the end character, life-experience and common-sense policies win out over narrow vs chunky.
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