Althouse: What I think of the threat against me, blogging the protests, and how the recall elections can benefit the GOP.

March 20, 2011

What I think of the threat against me, blogging the protests, and how the recall elections can benefit the GOP.

My side of the conversation that I had on Ed Morissey's radio show yesterday — video-recorded and edited:

21 comments:

vbspurs said...: This video truly gives a different feel to the interview -- whereas before you sounded tinny, and often overspoke over Ed (which another commenter who complimented you otherwise, noted), now pick up on details you are unconscious of giving off. Your eyes reveal a lot.; 3/20/11, 7:48 PM
Brian Hancock said...: Amen, Ann!; 3/20/11, 7:50 PM
Anonymous said...: The last part is so golden. Public sector unions are squeezing money from broke governments that cannot go out of business. Private sector unions have a lot more ethical space to work, and their management counterparts have a lot more options.

Of course, it's not 1830 anymore, and the whole worker/management divide is utterly antiquated and stupid at this point for at least 847 reasons. But we must pick our battles.; 3/20/11, 7:50 PM
Michael K said...: There are so many trends that seem to be focusing in on 2012.

The recall elections, if they get the signatures, will be a sign. After that, we have the national election, the bond market, Afghanistan, now Libya, state deficits.

I wonder of the public will awaken and focus long enough to see what is happening and do something.

One more step will happen this year and that is the Republican leadership and whether they are listening to the tea parties and independents or if they are so caught up by the ruling class, that they cannot see the anger. Personally, I think it is 1856 again but things move faster now with modern communication so it will not take four years to get to Lincoln.

Who will Lincoln be ?

If at all.; 3/20/11, 8:04 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "and often overspoke over Ed"

I didn't stop on interruption when I was in the middle of making a point. I doubt if Ed had a problem with that.; 3/20/11, 8:09 PM
Unknown said...: True Grit.

You two have all the guts in the world. I am in absolute awe of your courage and devotion to your principles.

Not sure, but I get the impression from the videos Meade is not a big man in terms of height or bulk. For him to keep his nerve in the face of the mob scenes Ann describes is incredible. I can easily see why she looks up to him the way she does.; 3/20/11, 8:16 PM
Quaestor said...: "This is what democracy looks like" is the chant. And they're right. A lot of authentic evil has been committed through authentically democratic means. The Founders knew this, they read their Thucydides, it's why we have the constitution that we have.

De Tocqueville warned that American democracy would survive until the people came to believe they could "liberally vote themselves gifts and handouts from public coffers." Gov. Walker is simply trying to avert the collapse of his state as a sovereign democracy; that he has met such resistance saddens me.; 3/20/11, 8:20 PM
vbspurs said...: Ann wrote:

I didn't stop on interruption when I was in the middle of making a point. I doubt if Ed had a problem with that.

Few people have a real problem with that in casual conversation. But in interviews, especially radio ones, it comes off differently. The other poster phrased it better than I am, so I'll stop.; 3/20/11, 8:24 PM
Carol_Herman said...: This is such a fantastic blog! Most of us have learned to ignore the faces in the crowds. You've both dug deep!

First, Meade climbed the Heg statue to remove the "solidarity shirt" ... Then followed the video of Meade climbing the giant white oak in your backyard. Then, I knew Meade had courage! And, you've used that courage to keep going back!

Has it rattled the opposition? Do bears crap in the woods?

Will there really be a recall? (You know, it costs money. Something tells me you hear the threats. And, then things just evaporate.)

While, yes. Those 14-"badgers" who went to Illinois. When they're due to run again for office ... how many of them can deal with their disappearing act? (When they came back, they didn't even say "boo!")

So, thank you both so much for doing this. And, for capturing your interview with Ed Morrissey. Once, the only names people knew for who was delivering the news ... came from the TV set.

We've evolved.; 3/20/11, 8:26 PM
Anonymous said...: Having just watched the clip, I'd say Ann states the case in a way any logical, sensible person would.

Feeling the need to state that case is what I find..disturbing.

I understand that statement can be taken different ways, which makes the case-

parallel universes.; 3/20/11, 8:34 PM
madAsHell said...: Sorry....I was distracted by the art over your right shoulder. It appears to be mocking you.

I know your big into this citizen-journalist thing, but maybe you should start reviewing your staging. Not too much, but just enough to catch the distractions.; 3/20/11, 8:39 PM
roesch-voltaire said...: Well yes a light bulb went off for folks like the Wisconsin farmers who realized how the bill will effect their Badger care, and small communities that find themselves having to cut 30% of their school staff, and the handicapped, and the musicians union etc-- so the issue is not simply about public sector bargaining rights. And I think the Republicans who will be up for recall will have to answer to a broader based objection then just this one issue. Further, the "mob" that surrounded Meade didn't look to be larger than 10 folks and only one person grabbed the camera, mean while other pro-Walker folks stood in the center of the Capitol Rotunda and debated all without fear. There were up to a 100,000 folks last Saturday who protested without incident, so while I deplore the threat of violence, and think that Althouse/Meade was right to expose these few examples, it is a small example and not representative of the other 99,990 of the folks who protested.; 3/20/11, 8:40 PM
Almost Ali said...: I'm wondering, Ann & Meade, is this what you envisioned [your] marriage to be? I mean, it started out peacefully enough, sort of golden/middle agers sipping coffee and sharing crossword puzzles.

Then...this!

Pretty exciting if you ask me, but also a little risky, and a question you may take rhetorically.; 3/20/11, 8:42 PM
Third Coast said...: Good on ya AA. You've answered a lot of questions that your readers have had concerning your thoughts about the past few weeks. Class will tell in the end. The thing that has struck me throughout is the demonstrators' lack of self-awareness. Tea Party folks seem to comprehend how they'll be portrayed if they step over a certain line; the unionistas, not so much.; 3/20/11, 8:43 PM
Quaestor said...: It's the last hurrah of the Woodstock generation, who like the Bourbons have learned nothing nor forgotten nothing. "They came on in the same old style, and we saw them off in the same old style."

wv: phast - "You say your ride is really phat, but I ask you, is it really phast?"; 3/20/11, 9:08 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "I'm wondering, Ann & Meade, is this what you envisioned [your] marriage to be? I mean, it started out peacefully enough, sort of golden/middle agers sipping coffee and sharing crossword puzzles."

There's something about being older. Everything is always serene for us. The blog feels normal, whatever is going on. We could be seeing what shoots are coming up in the garden or checking out who's in the rotunda. It's all just life at Meadhouse. I'm not trying to leverage the blog into some new business or career. It is what it always is, the ongoing, intrinsically rewarding living freely in writing.; 3/20/11, 9:23 PM
Almost Ali said...: There's something about being older. Everything is always serene for us. The blog feels normal, whatever is going on.

More like super-normal, I'd say. Age may be a contributor, but you still need the foundation, like genes, and Wisconsin.

But whatever it is, it's nice to witness.; 3/20/11, 10:33 PM
Phil 314 said...: Well Professor, now I wonder "What are you like in the lecture hall?; 3/20/11, 10:54 PM
Phil 314 said...: RV;
As an outsider looking in I've had this impression of this whole affair:

1) Wisconsin voters, for whatever reason, take a decided turn to the right
2) Newly elected governor follows his previous modus and draws a clear line in the sand
3)The teachers, their union and their unions' allies respond in kind to the line in the sand.
4) Being Madison, they get much sympathy from college faculty, students etc. They also get support from the "troops" that organized labor can muster.
5) The Governor and Republican legislature win their battle (for now) as expected.
6) The court phase begins
7) Each side claims it will be rewarded in the next election.

Though all of this, again as an outsider looking in, I'm thinking OK, we can see and hear Madison loud and clear. The deafening silence is from the voters who "started this whole thing"

Elections will tell the real ending but I'd be surprised if they "turn back" that quickly.; 3/20/11, 11:03 PM
William said...: There is a conundrum when it comes to dealing with threats from the Shankencrank monster. If you feel threatened by them or in any way draw attention to them, you have validated the existence of the little twit. If, on the other hand, you ignore them, your refusal to acknowledge his existence will cause still further inflamnation in the fever whorls of his brain.....I suppose Althouse chose the right door, but it's two bad choices.; 3/21/11, 12:36 AM
Dark Avenger said...: Getting rid of Altmouse was removing your greatest threat to you.; 3/21/11, 9:54 AM