October 7, 2012

"How badly have things gone for Wisconsin's Republican Senate candidate Tommy Thompson in recent weeks?"

"So badly that the former Wisconsin governor—whose once sizable lead over Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin has turned into a four-point deficit in the latest Marquette University poll—is blaming his swoon on 'the presidential thing.'..."
What is even more confounding about this race is that Ms. Baldwin—who represents what some call the "sanity-free zone of Madison"—was rated the most liberal House of Representatives member by National Journal in 2010. Mr. Thompson likes to say that "Tammy's so liberal Nancy Pelosi has to turn to the left to talk to her." Both culturally (she's openly gay) and on pocketbook issues, she hugs the left-field line in a center-field state.
You can't imagine the length of the Meadhouse conversation about the phrasing "culturally (she's openly gay)... she hugs the left-field line."

40 comments:

Steve Austin said...

Tammy wisely took advantage of a five week commercial hiatus on Thompson's part and flooded the airwaves with anti-Tommy ads.

Tommy made up five of the questionable nine point MU polling deficit with about a week's worth of anti-Tammy advertising.

Give the angry Tammy ads another two weeks to work and the polls will be back to deadlocked.

Shouting Thomas said...

The "openly gay" thing is so tired, Althouse.

It's premised on the absurd notion that announcing one's gayness is a liability, when in fact it is a PR coup.

Do you think you can drop this one?

Shouting Thomas said...

And, Althouse, in your world of academia, being openly gay is a career move.

White men, the despised bottom feeder of the quota system, become darlings of the quota system once they make the incredible "courageous" decision to announce that they are "openly gay."

Can you give the bullshit about gay persecution a break?

edutcher said...

If Austin's right about the effect of the ads, this should end well for Thompson.

john said...

Perhaps hugging the left field line indicates her dislike of Ryan Braun's fielding. Has she written off Milwaukee?

Steve Austin said...

No one in this State outside of Madison has a clue who Tammy Baldwin is or Judge Sumi or Ismael Ozanne or now Judge Pina Colada who struck down Act 10.

These are all crazy Madison characters who exist in a bubble environment and have beliefs far outside the mainstream in much of the rest of the State.

As long as the Thompson campaign can effectively get out the voting record and political beliefs of Baldwin to the larger State, he'll be fine.

But make no mistake about it, Tommy has to work his butt off the next four weeks. Non Stop campaigning with no let-up.

MadisonMan said...

Makes you wonder how Eric Hovde would be doing.

Steve Austin said...

One area though where the Tommy campaign is completely exposed is internet advertising.

I was just visiting the www.unskewedpolls.com site which is a conservative site. Right across the top now is a banner add showing a fit and trim Tammy contrasted with a photo of Tommy where he looks like a mentally handicapped elderly homeless person.

The entire GOP operation does need to figure out how to best use web advertising. Obama and crew have had them beat on that badly the past four years. The only GOP candidate I saw to effectively use it was Scott Walker.

pm317 said...

Why should we believe those polls?

kjbe said...

Tommy's getting lots and lots of free air time over in MKE on 620 WTMJ radio, so you can throw that onto the mix, as well. I don't feel too bad for him.

Anonymous said...

No doubt about it - Tommy's been running a terrible campaign. He overestimated his popularity and the advantage name recognition gave him and thought he could cruise to victory without having to do much.

Like Steve Austin says, he still has a shot at winning - but he'll have to work his butt off during the next month in order to do so.

PaulV said...

Will the polls be off as much on 11/6 as they were for recall election? If only 9% answer the poller's telephone calls, very likely. Internal bias is the key.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Isn't that Marquette poll an improvement for Tommy T? I thought Tommy was down something like 9 points in their last poll.

Titus said...

I don't get it.

I said previously that I would do a girl if she won. I can't believe she is leading.

It's totally fucked up.

tits.

Titus said...

If I was on Tommy's staff I would bring out the video of Tammy on a float with Wonder Woman and hit the dyke thing hard.

Titus said...

Althouse, why don't you go to any UW sporting events?

Where is your Badger pride?

Anonymous said...

Tammy appeals to the state's populists, she seems to epitomize Wisconsin. Somehow Tommy seems removed, maybe too many cocktails.

Anonymous said...

Haha, Titus.

Carnifex said...

Hey now! Being a lesbian is okay in my book. I like tang...they like tang. I like boobs...they like boobs('specially Hillary). I'd be staring down the front of Christina's blouse at her sweater puppies too if I had the chance!(I wonder if the weather was nippley...I mean nippy...nippy...I meant to say nip...well..you know)

Regardless. There's nothing I like better than tearing up carpet, and if I can get a few burly dikes to help me, we can get the job done quicker, and that new carpet laid...lain?...laying?... whatever...just fine. Love construction work!

Todays word is legs. Help spread the word!

Carnifex said...

Speaking of laying carpet(yes one more) anybody else notice that new carpet just smells bad? It needs to be cleaned and shampooed before you can really enjoy it?

That was the last one.

I promise.

Unless I think of some more.

Carnifex said...

Okay. Okay. Okay. I got one more!

Naaaah. Never mind.

Titus said...

We have a fag tea party member running as a republican out here.

Only in Mass.

tits.

David said...

Will Wisconsin come to its senses about Tammy? Don't count on it.

raf said...

Voting for Tammy might assuage the guilt of not voting for Obama.

Carnifex said...

Here's a secret for the LGBABC'ers. Beyond the religious right, most conservatives don't really care what you do in the bedroom, between 2 consenting adults. We just don't care. You start screwing around with marriage(which is a religious thing), and the Army(using it to forward agendas, not kill people) then we got a problem.

That also goes at Disneyland. Fine, hold hands, just don't be groping each other in front of the animals or the kids.

Alex said...

The problem is Tommy is part of the GOP old-guard who think they can mail it in and win elections. Those days are over Tommy, get your bloated carcass outta there.

Anonymous said...

And you can't imagine the length of conversation in the Meadows cottage on Lake Michigan as we peer over at Wisconsin and wonder how brainless clods have come to rule the GOP in your state.

Alex said...

LM - how's the porn gig going?

garage mahal said...

Republicans own the media in this state which makes Baldwin's lead even more impressive.

Milwaukee said...

Has anybody asked Mark Neumann if he is proud of his contribution to the conservative cause in this regard?

Anonymous said...

Tommy Thompson says "Who better than me, who's already finished one of the entitllement programs, to come up with programs to do away with Medicaid and Medicare?"

Whoa, that was a serious mistake.

Calypso Facto said...

Isn't that Marquette poll an improvement for Tommy T? I thought Tommy was down something like 9 points in their last poll.

Yes. In the last poll that oversampled Dems by 11%, Tammy was up by 9%. The data for this poll hasn't been posted yet, but since Tammy is shown leading by 4%, I'm going to go ahead and guess that it oversamples Dems by 6%. I said it before, and I'll say it again: short of a scandal there is NO WAY that Tammy will beat Tommy. I haven't met a single person outside of Madison who supports her, and I talk with people from all walks of life daily.

Republicans own the media in this state

Bullshit. But you know that.

Lo Pay said...

I actually participated in a Tommy/Tammy poll yesterday. The questions were mostly taken verbatim from the ads both sides have been running in Madison.

I doubt the polls some what, since it is likely they concentrate on Dane and Milwaukee counties that left

garage mahal said...

The Packers/Brewers flagship radio station in the state gets Walker's talking points emailed directly to them for daily dissemination . Walker's people know when stories are coming out from the MJS before they are printed. its basically in kind campaign contributions to Republicans. they must laugh how easy it all is.

Carnifex said...

@Garage

And this is different than the WH, and for that matter, every other politician, acts? I mean, I don't like it, but both sides do it. Saying it's some sort of 1 way thing is just misguided. There's only 2 one way things in this world. Death, my ass, and my math skills.

Carnifex said...

Hi Alex! Time to take your medication!

Carnifex said...

Lyndsey! You sweet thang! I didn't know you did porn! Watchin', or workin'? Ahh hell, it don't matter! Good to see ya anyway!

Steve Austin said...

Things are starting to gear up. Ran errands this afternoon and in the process of driving around saw large numbers of the giant Tommy yard signs going up.

Scott Walker army coming back from taking the summer off after the recall.

ndspinelli said...

This race is why we need a "None of the above" box to check.

Emil Blatz said...

I live at least 1400 miles from Wisconsin - but I cannot believe that a state that just supported Walker is going to prefer Tammy to Tommy. No way. No freaking way.