Mary Burke, a former Trek Bicycle Corp. executive and state Commerce secretary, ended months of speculation Monday by announcing in a web video that she is running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Scott Walker.Here's the video, heavy on the Trek bicycle branding and soft piano music — which of course adds up to the theme of promoting business and ending discord.
As a millionaire, she brings substantial personal money to the race, giving her a leg up in fundraising that delights many Democrats but also provides a potential critique for Republicans.
October 7, 2013
Mary Burke will challenge Scott Walker in the 2014 election for Wisconsin governor.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
67 comments:
What will happen to the puppets?
Would the government even allow you to start a business in a barn like that now, what I'm sure would be described as a "windowless hell-hole" if Walker or his family had created Trek?
Wow, that was pretty impressive. So far I like her.
What discord? Is there still discord? I was unaware of any discord.
That video will be seen by TENS of people who have not already made up their mind on who they are voting for next year.
I really like my Trek bikes. I have purchased 3 and am contemplating a 4th.
I didn't always like Trek. But now that they closed all their Wisconsin manufacturing in favor of Taiwanese and Chinese craftsmanship (other than their high end frames), their price, components, and workmanship are very appealing.
If she doesn't win, maybe she can work for Harley and do for them what she did for Trek. Go Mary!
But now that they closed all their Wisconsin manufacturing in favor of Taiwanese and Chinese craftsmanship
How's that going to go over in a race for public office?
Thanks, john, for your informative post.
I am shopping for new road bike to replace my Schwinn that dates to the Reagan administration. I do value Taiwanese and Chinese bicycle craftsmanship immensely. I can definitely see myself buying a product from a Wisconsin company that cares so much about the quality their product that they would employ artisans on the other side of the globe to craft their bicycles.
Romney was a millionaire, started and ran successful businesses, but the democrats demonized him for being the 1%.
Now they're loving them some 1%.
I watched the video, but there's no solidarity singers, no shrill outrage, no bravely running away, and she seems interested in private sector job creation. Which party's nomination is she seeking again?
"Romney was a millionaire, started and ran successful businesses, but the democrats demonized him for being the 1%. "
I understand Mary Burke took a cross country trip with her dog in a cage on the back of her Trek. I am sure that when this becomes generally known to liberals will find that reason enough to consider her unfit for high office. I base this on my unshakable faith in their consistency, fair play, and above all their resistance to flocking.
I also understand that she has engaged in criminal acts involving a dwarf and some routers that she will be indicted any day now. Any day.
Which party's nomination is she seeking again?
When I heard Barack Obama's 2004 convention speech (the one that destroyed John Edwards' "Two Americas" cloyer) , I thought he was channeling Thomas Sowell and I wondered why he was in the Democratic Party.
A little research answered the question.
He was lying.
And even if she loses, the whole thing will have been excellent publicity for Trek Bicycles.
You really shouldn't just trust anybody in business, y'know.
Mary Burke's website is up and running! ;)
HA!!! Well, if she wasn't even bright enough to buy her own name on the internet...
At least she isn't a career politician.
Trek makes very good bikes - I have two.
Ms. Burke has a constipated look on her face- maybe she should take a bike ride- that always works for me. However she is obviously an earnest and librul Dem so there may be no remedy for her 24-7 concerned and constipated look.
Perfect candidate for us cognitive dissonance lovers.
1. Child of inherited wealth. Never did much on her own.
2. Came back to Wisconsin after stints in NY and other places east, got all disoriented and said "what am I doing here."
3. Worked in the family business but got "burned out" so took "sabbatical" to snowboard in Argentina.
4. Wealth comes from big time outsourcer.
5. Main spokesperson for years Lance Armstrong.
6. Best known for $10k plus bikes for the highly affluent. She herself has an income exceeding $1 million without working.
Trek (despite the outsourcing and the scumbag spokesperson) is a great American success story. She had little to do with that success however.
But Inga loves her because she can hire a good PR firm.
We will see how the Wisconsin electorate does.
Titus she isn't a career anything. She hasn't had a career.
Hey David, assume much? Do you know that a good majority of the conservatives that live in the bluest county, Waukesha County, are wealthy because they also have made their money outsourcing their production to China? They probably identify with her, more than they could with Scott Walker. Also Walker may fall out of favor with hard core rightists after his statement regarding the shutdown.
Scott Walker opposes government shutdown over Obamacare
Lots of manufacturers live in Waukesha County, and all but the Quadracci's, who happen to be Democrats, whom I know or know of, outsource. Conservatives here won't dislike her for her wealth or her outsourcing. They probably won't vote for her, but for other reasons than those David.
Inga, what assumptions?
I have no problem with outsourcing. Any rational business will prefer local labor to distant, but only if it can make a good profit with the locals. Better to outsource than have the entire business taken over by Non-mericans.
It's the lefties that have a big problem with outsourcing. But they are going to go all daffy over Lady Trek. That's the part that amuses me.
I think the "hard righties" as you call them will still vote for Walker over Lady Trek. It's not a big risk for Walker with his base to make the comment he did. Nor is it out of character. He likes to solve problems, not make them worse.
Tosa Guy. Get a Ridley. Nuff said.
How about a real entrepreneur, not a trust-fund baby?
Go found something on your own with no money, Mary, then we'll talk.
David, you assume I like her merely because she has a good PR firm. That is your assumption I'm speaking of. I happen to know a bit more about her than you do.
Here is a very good article describing her better than your list does, David
Ha! They should put a Stand With Gov. Walker sign on that Burke web site.
And link the wonderful music video.
But she's relatively normal and nice looking. Good for her that she's running.
Inga, I do not dislike the lady. I do not know her. She may be a peach of a person. I think it's great that she got involved in her local schools.
I just happen to love the fun when lefty candidates have the same privileged background that they love to denigrate in conservative candidates.
It's fun watching them scramble over the hot rocks.
"a good majority of the conservatives that live in the bluest county, Waukesha County, are wealthy because they also have made their money outsourcing their production to China?"
Boy, I'd like to see the data source for that statement.
Wait until she pulls out her binders full of women, the lefties will swoon with delight.
If one can charge $10K for a bike, some manufacturing can be brought back here.
If biking is your biz, it's a tax write-off, if it's your hobby, a few hundred dollars more won't break you.
We're not talking trinkets and less than a penny a piece.
Inga goes full "Inga" again:
"Do you know that a good majority of the conservatives that live in the bluest county, Waukesha County, are wealthy because they also have made their money outsourcing their production to China?"
LOL
Where to begin?
How about here:
There were 232,897 voters in Waukesha County in 2008.
Of those, 62.32% voted for McCain over obama.
That makes it 145,257 voters for McCain.
Out of those, lets simply assume that only 2/3'rds of those voters were "conservatives" (vs simply Republicans).
That would make it 95,870 conservatives.
Of those, what might represent a "good majority"?
Lets call it 2/3rds again.
2/3rds of 95,870 = 63,274.
So, according to brand new "magic Inga" thinking, there are (or were)approximately 63,274 conservatives in Waukesha County who "are wealthy because they also have made their money outsourcing their production to China".
LOL
What's funny is that, after following step by step her very own descent into logical never-never land, Inga will just double down.
You cannot "reason" someone out of a position (and assertion) that they didn't reason themselves into to begin with.
Via Media:
Young Chinese workers don’t want to work in factories anymore. Terry Gou, founder and Chief executive of Foxconn, China’s largest private employer and one of the manufacturers for the iPhone and iPad, claims that Chinese millennials aspire to more than the low-wage, mundane factory jobs which were held by so many in the previous generation and which spurred China’s decades-long economic boom. Gau is now worried that the company will soon be unable to fill the low-wage factory positions that have been the bread and butter of employment in China for years. The FT reports:....
I don't know Wisconsin voters, but if Wisconsin is anything like New York the voters will probably revert back to their old habits and vote Democrat now that the crisis is over.
New York was a crime ridden basket case before Giuliani. Now that those problems are distant memories the voters are set to elect a Marxist for mayor. England survived because of Winston Churchill but turned back to Socialists who seriously damaged the country after the war. Argentina was once among the top economies in the world but was brought low by Peron. The people of Argentina still haven't learned but act like a dog returning to its vomit. It seems Socialism is a moral disease from which a country or state never fully recovers.
Drago, the majority of folks I know who are quite wealthy and also live in Waukesha county are manufacturers. I'm sure there are other businesses and professionals that live here, in fact I know they live here too. You are just doing your "Drago" thing again. Knock yourself out.
It depends on what they manufacture, Inga, trinkets or high-end items?
Then we get into high-end oorporate machinery or little stuff?
For retail?
Which manufactueres, some make sense. Others might not.
Inga I read the article you linked and while I admire her generosity, I don't think it proves much. There are a lot of euphemisms. She "opened" seven European operations for Trek? What the hell does that mean? What did she do substantively in that. It's the kind of sentence that gets written to paper over a moderate and unproductive role in something. Not saying that this is the case. I have no basis to know. But the way it's expressed makes me suspicious.
The article makes it sound like she got a modest gift of stock and then her parents gave the rest away. That's clearly not what happened. She's giving away lots of money. The limited inheritance implied in the article does not support what she is doing.
And I call bullshit on the statement in the article that she moved to a smaller house to finance her gift to the Boys and Girls Club. Nice cause and a generous gift, but her disclosure statements as state Secretary of Commerce show average income during her tenure of well over $1 million per year. She did not sell a house to finance a $300,000 gift.
So maybe she's great. But my bullshit indicator is flashing when see how much she has bounced around, how few concrete accomplishments she lists other than giving away money and the apparent or obvious bullshitting in the article you linked.
Seems to me that if there were a real contest for the democratic nomination, her democratic opponents would be hinting and whispering just the same concerns that I have. That she's a lightweight with money and good PR.
A leg up? That's sexist.
Inga: "You are just doing your "Drago" thing again. Knock yourself out."
Yes, my "Drag" "thing" is what caused you to post such a hilariously and patently false assertion.
It's all my fault that you did this.
Or someone else who is at fault.
If you want people to stop noticing your ridiculous assertions, you might consider not making them to begin with.
It is not hypocritical for Democrats to love rich people if you understand that there are good ways to make money and evil ways.
The righteous money comes in the form of an inheritance, an acting career (especially if they specialize in movies which demonize conservatives or Christians), or from politics in which a Democrat politician makes thousands of dollars to deliver a single speech. Heads of crony corporations and crooked bankers are not quite as righteous but they will do if they give enough money to Democrats.
Bad money comes from small businesses in which the owner actually works and sacrifices to make the business succeed. Money from larger businesses r venture capitalists who succeed by competing on the open market and risking their own resources are also evil since Democrats see them as competition in their quest to gain and maintain power by their control of the money.
Once you understand that it is obvious that Romney was a very evil rich man since he earned his money through hard work. Bill Clinton and John Kennedy were righteous rich men since neither of them actually produced goods or service for their money. If Mary Burke inherited much of her money and gained the rest without preforming hard work then obviously her money is righteous money.
Of course only conservatives are among the really and truly "righteous" rich, hmmm? The fact that conservatives are already attacking her so ferociously tells me we have a good candidate.
Annie - yes, he was a 1%-er and also a Republican. The latter was the more critical descriptor.
Burke gives the dems some much needed fresh blood - a non-Madison, non-career pol with some business sense. If Vinehout enters, she's got some similar atypical chops - either would bring some much-needed new life to the race.
I always vote for women candidates (unless they are like Bachman and Palin). But, I cannot vote for Mary. Scott is the best gov. we have had. Imagine if he was in the WH. Would we have this mess? Not bloody likely.
I wouldn't begin to even understand how Wisconsin votes or what they respond to but I would wonder why they would switch from Walker, who has shown he can get things done with someone that has no political experience. I live in California and absolutely hated the fact Jerry Brown was re-elected, but he was running against a well meaning executive with 0 political experience. Its a big hurdle to jump I would think.
I thought this was old news.
interesting to see here. Are the democrats hoping that since teachers unions don't have as much money to throw around that a millionaire will make up the difference?
Inga: "Of course only conservatives are among the really and truly "righteous" rich, hmmm?"
Could you post a link to where any conservative said this?
Inga: " The fact that conservatives are already attacking her so ferociously tells me we have a good candidate."
Could you provide some examples of these "ferocious" attacks?
Don't worry, we already know you won't.
RecChief: "interesting to see here. Are the democrats hoping that since teachers unions don't have as much money to throw around that a millionaire will make up the difference?"
The R and D parties never frown on candidates who can afford to self-finance their own campaigns.
I want to know what Ann and other Wisconsinites think - she is quite polished, but amazingly boring.
She is the Romney of the Dems. Often polish comes at the cost of authenticity. Who else can tell all those stories about her Wisconsin roots, family business, accomplishments while provoking no emotion.
She is toast against Walker.
I want to know what Ann and other Wisconsinites think - she is quite polished, but amazingly boring.
She is the Romney of the Dems. Often polish comes at the cost of authenticity. Who else can tell all those stories about her Wisconsin roots, family business, accomplishments while provoking no emotion.
She is toast against Walker.
gk1 . Wisconsin is a strange place in that we vote crossing party lines, or a least we used to. Some Democrats voted for Walker in the recall election, out of disagreement with the recall and the Democratic candidate was lackluster. I know that past Governors were re elected by those on both sides based on performance in the first term and popularity. Most of Wisconsin outside one very liberal Dane county and the semi liberal Milwaukee County and on he over side, the very conservative counties of Washington and Waukesha Counties, have been known to be quite moderate and independant, and don't vote straight party line.
Inga said:
"Of course only conservatives are among the really and truly "righteous" rich, hmmm?"
In my experience, conservatives rarely judge people on the basis of their money. It is the left which demonizes people who made their money the "wrong" way. In my opinion, it is wrong for us conservatives to give a pass to an individual like Bill Clinton who went into politics a middle class person and emerged extremely wealthy just like politicians in many third world countries.
"The fact that conservatives are already attacking her so ferociously tells me we have a good candidate."
I'm not demonizing her, but I agree, she does sound like a strong candidate. She will undoubtedly campaign like a fiscal conservative and win many votes by moderate people and once she wins she will probably govern as a typical lefty and try to undo many of the reforms Walker has put in place.
Damon, Walker doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve either, haven't you noticed, he's a pretty calm low key speaker.
Was the money she donated really money she earned, or the proceeds of a charitable trust which could go either to her or the charity?
There are two basic types of US charitable trusts. The first is a "lead" trust, wherein the charity is paid first, and the remainder, after trust termination, goes to beneficiaries, such as heirs or back to the donor. The second is a "remainder" trust, wherein the charity is paid last after termination of the trust, after other beneficiaries have received payments. Payments may be fixed amount, annuity trust, or a percentage of principle, which is called unitrust.
So basically, she's good at spending money she hasn't earned?
Hide your wallets, it's for "the children."
It's easy to give money away when you know there will be more.
Don't you just love left-wing plutocrats?
With apologies to "Star Trek" writer Gene Roddenberry:
Space in the Governor's mansion - the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Trek bicycle enterprise founder. Her five-year mission: to explore strange new political worlds, to seek out a new life and new civic delegations, to boldly go where no woman has gone before.
I have some great Trek stories but I'll save them.
El Pollo,
Pictures or it didn't happen!
Titus said...
At least she isn't a career politician.
10/7/13, 4:29 PM
She will be if she wins.
I prefer Specialized Bicycles and Republican Governors. What's with her butch haircut?
The fact that conservatives are already attacking her so ferociously tells me we have a good candidate.
There was so much crap packed into that one sentence I had to call Roto Rooter to extract it.
1. I have seen gentle mocking so far but no "ferocious attacks" on the virgin Mary.
2. So calling the imaginary attacks a "fact" tends to undermine the credibility of the comment.
3. If ferocious attacks are what signal to you that your candidate is a good one, there might be something wrong with your process for choosing on whom to bestow your vote.
That being said, Mary seems like a spoiled weenie to me.
Post a Comment