October 15, 2018

What do you think of this "Your coffee deserves better" anti-Scott-Walker issue ad?



My reaction was — and this is an exact transcription of my thoughts — Hey, put the lid on your coffee the right way. What a careless driver! What kind of idiot lets his coffee slop all over the place without noticing that the lid's not on securely? Oh?! Blame the road. Mm-hmm. Blame Walker? Great metaphor. People are not looking out for themselves, they're screwing up, being careless, not taking normal precautions, and they want a governor who'll foolproof the world for us all. Sorry. No. Take personal responsibility. This commercial is making me a right-winger....

141 comments:

Big Mike said...

This commercial is making me a right-winger....

Ha! That’ll be the day.

It’s making you more of a centerist, which only looks right wing after all those years living in Madison.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

I get here in time to make the second comment, and what I wanted to write has already been said.

Darrell said...

Why aren't the roads perfect after eight years of Obama's shovel-ready infrastructure improvements?

Ann Althouse said...

It's a critique of the commercial, not an account of my actual political position. Big Mike and Ignorance: You're reading the post wrong.

Michael The Magnificent said...

Just a FYI: Facebook videos are not visible to those of us who have chosen not to join Facebook.

David Begley said...

After the threats the Left directed at you and Meade during the occupation of the Wisconsin State Capital, I’d be shocked if either you ever voted Dem again.

John said...

Whoa, there you go, expecting personal responsibility as an approved social standard.

Darrell said...

Shut the heater off so you can have spill-proof ice coffee.

The Crack Emcee said...

It does say more about the makers of the ad than about Walker - but who sees things the way I do?

I'd get to work on those potholes, if I was Scotty.

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, I read it correctly. But your last sentence tickled my funny bone. And I am clearly not alone!

Heartless Aztec said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Heartless Aztec said...

I'm thinking call Dominos order a pizza and their road repair crew. I'm thinking a double pepperoni and asphalt.

Henry said...

Scott Walker hates disposable cups?

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Potholes? Seriously. Potholes? That's what they have to go after Walker? They could just call Dominoes and say their pizzas are a mess.

It's the same way I feel about feminism and their micro-aggressions. If that's all you're complaining about, it must mean you have a job, friends and family, and a pretty happy life.

Yeah, potholes affect quality of life, but not nearly as much as being broke and alone.

Potholes are a micro-aggression. Elect Democrats!!

AllenS said...

I've lived in Wisconsin since 1973. There has always been potholes and there always will be potholes. The extreme swing of temperatures from summer to winter combined with water/snow will cause potholes to appear.

Jaq said...

I once had a long conversation at a bar with a guy who was representing the Canadian government in an issue with the Richelieu River because the good citizens of Quebec had sued the government because their camps were flooded by a rise in the river. He was in the US to get the US to build dams on the rivers flowing into Lake Champlain. I told him good luck, but I would say that Americans find the Canadian position incomprehensible and that he would be lucky to find any American who sympathized with them. Nine out of ten would say "move your camps if you don't like it!" He should have looked in Madison.

Darrell said...

Senator Elizabeth Warren has released a DNA test that provides “strong evidence’’ she had a Native American in her family tree dating back 6 to 10 generations, an unprecedented move by one of the top possible contenders for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2018/10/15/warren-addresses-native-american-issue/YEUaGzsefB0gPBe2AbmSVO/story.html

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

As someone who drives a lot, it matters to me the condition of the roads. That tells me if the government is functioning at a high or low level. If they are neglecting the roads that tells me they are neglecting their basic duties.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Road conditions are usually under the county or in some cases, city direction. Have you ever noticed the change in road condition as you cross a county line?

MadisonMan said...

Why not just make it a felony to have poor lid attachment skills? Or ban Coffee Cup holders in cars. That'll also solve the problem.

roesch/voltaire said...

People have grown tired of our potholed roads and tired of this career politician who fills the pockets of the rich and not the roads. This is a poor ad over a hot issue.

rehajm said...

At the capillary levels of politics filling potholes is neck and neck with shaking hands and kissing babies. If you’re falling back on that in a governors race it reeks of taking a spoon and scraping out the peanut butter jar.

Darrell said...

MadisonMan said...
Why not just make it a felony to have poor lid attachment skills?

Excellent idea!
The cops should be allowed to stop you to check your coffee lids.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Six to 10 generations ago:

Great great great great great grandparent.

Great great great great great great great great great grandparent.

Maybe.

She absolutely deserved that set minority set-aside.

Andrew said...

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it seems like the Democrats are panicking across the board. They don't know how to handle Trump and a revitalized Republican party, so they are reaching desperately for issues that will work in their favor.

The coffee metaphor reminds me of the "Jeb Bush, Unfiltered" ad, where Jeb was asked questions about what he preferred between two choices. It was bizarre. I remember watching it with mild bemusement (I actually liked Jeb), thinking, "This man and his campaign are completely detached from reality. This kind of ad doesn't work anymore." By that time I had started moving from a reluctant Trump supporter to an enthusiastic one.

Anyway, this anti-Walker coffee ad reminds me of that Jeb "unfiltered" ad. Not just because of the coffee, but because of the misreading of what Americans actually care about. The Dems are stuck with what may have worked a couple of decades ago. Sure, potholes are important, but there are bigger fish to fry. The government is not responsible for micromanaging your life. Cover your own damn coffee cup. (Jeb can fix it. Not.)

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Now Trump will release his family history to show he has royal blood 6-10 generations ago.

"Bow down, bitches!" Will be his tweet.

Bay Area Guy said...

Hard hitting political ad!

(Just kidding). It’s kinda sweet and quaint. Please tell the Governor to fix the potholes. Pretty please.

MadisonMan said...

Re: Warren. My great-great-great-great grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War (against the British, to be clear). So Warren is talking about someone born in the 1700s, or 1600s. That should totally influence how you live your life today. (eyeroll)

AllenS said...

The road that I live on is new (Polk county), but when I drive south a little over a mile, I enter St Croix county and the city of Star Prairie, that road is in bad shape. Roads are in better shape than they were in the 1970s. Far better.

Henry said...

This looks like a public service ad.

Seal your lid.

Clean the crap out of your cupholders.

Don't drink and drive.

AllenS said...

Warren went to a private individual to check her DNA. She skipped Ancestry and 23andMe. Noticed in the story that there were no percentages given. Why is that, I wonder.

Jaq said...

Why not just make it a felony to have poor lid attachment skills?

These people should live in Quebec. It's illegal there to drive without snow tires in the winter too.

Darrell said...

The DNA analyst tortured the data to arrive at his findings by using Mexican and South American proxies for Native American, because the data base is so small. So conceivably, she could have Mexican and SA ancestry that is not Native American, because of faulty, unproven proxies.

Jaq said...

Now it's OK that Elizabeth Warren scammed Affirmative Action for her own benefit!

Merny11 said...

Well I’m with Allen - potholes in Wi are impossible to keep up with. And yes, they are a county and city responsibility. I’ve never encountered any on the interstate, just in towns and on rural county roads

Henry said...

Coffee is the most dangerous food (Public Service Announcement).

From the Government of New South Wales -- a list of the most dangerous foods to eat while driving. Fried chicken is also dangerous.

Ever notice that Reviewbrah is always parked when eating? Of course he is.

Jaq said...

People have grown tired of our potholed roads

My suggestion would be to move to a clime where the weather extremes are not so severe, but according to you guys, Republicans are already working on solving that problem by heating the whole fucking globe, what do you guys want?

Jaq said...
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bgates said...

It's remarkable Warren has overcome the racism she must have encountered as someone who has scientific evidence of possibly being between 98.4% and 99.8% Caucasian.

Darrell said...

Most supermodels have high cheekbones.
How these poor women must have suffered!

Henry said...

It is an interesting point of attack. I give the party credit for keeping their solution focused on road improvement and not high-speed rail or something crazy like that.

It recalls Senator D'Amato of New York, my Senator many years ago. He had the charm of Ted Cruz and the probity of Boss Tweed, but he was good at pork-barrelling money to New York State. The called him Senator Pothole and he worked the gig hard.

AllenS said...

(_) indicates a generation

If you have one full blooded Indian that is your parent, you are 50% Indian (1); grand parent, you are 25% (2); great grand parent 12.5% (3); gg grand parent 6.25% (4); ggg grand parent 3.125% (5); gggg grand parent 1.5625% (6); ggggg grand parent 0.78125 (7); gggggg grand parent 0.390625 (8); ggggggg grand parent 0.1953125 (9); gggggggg grand parent 0.09765625 (10).

stlcdr said...

“My suggestion would be to move to a clime where the weather extremes are not so severe, ...”

You’d think that, wouldn’t you? Michigan roads are appalling, and are neglected to the point that it’d be tough to even keep up. The climate is a big contributor. However, cross the he state line to Ohio, and the rounds are significantly better. Across the border to Canada and same story: better roads (of course you can argue traffic volume).

But your point stands: if road quality is that big of a deal, move to where they are better.

Michael McNeil said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ralph L said...

I found this here from someone, but it bears repeating:

Best political ad ever: Badass

The funniest part is the guy looks like a major nerd.
I can say that because I am one.

iowan2 said...

Adds work the best on the least informed and those that make decisions on emotion, rather than reason. Blame the roads on the Governor? I know one of the bloodiest political battles in Iowa politics is the DOT spending bill. Rural v. Urban interests, but the point is, the governor has an interest and lobbies those interests, but the spending, and priorities are hugely political, and controlled legislatively, not by the Executive.

Michael McNeil said...

People have grown tired of our potholed roads and tired of this career politician who fills the pockets of the rich and not the roads. This is a poor ad over a hot issue.

One might note that in California — that liberal utopia — infrastructure such as roads has long been allowed to crumble into rubble (read some of Victor Davis Hanson's writings on the subject). This last year the legislature passed a 12 cent a gallon gas tax increase — an extremely regressive tax which proportionately places the largest burden on poor people (who often need to use their car either for work or to get to work or to look for work).

Now there's an initiative in the November election in California which would overturn the newly implimented gas tax — beyond that, put constraints on the legislature's ability to indulge in further legislative adventuring along these lines — and liberals are in a panic. Liberal friends on Facebook from California, for instance, are busy posting panicky missives vowing to vote against the referendum while charging that foreign (Russian?) and out of state “dark money” along with Republican “cynical ploys” are promulgating in this plot to prevent California's vital infrastructure from receiving this critical infusion of cash.

To me the ballot proposition sounds like a very effective “cynical ploy” that the Democrats in the legislature simply played into the hands of — as it's a highly regressive tax that the California legislature did not have to go in the direction of. They simply figured that a gax tax (versus, say, a general fund tax) hike was least likely to disturb their donor network. Now that that supposition may be in the process of blowing up in their (the legislators') faces, it's a “cynical ploy“ when folks point that out? Sure. Not.

stlcdr said...

“...the condition of the roads. That tells me if the government is functioning at a high or low level. If they are neglecting the roads that tells me they are neglecting their basic duties.“

Exactly. It’s a core competency. What’s frustrating is when they ask for more money to fix the roads: what about all the other money being given to the government to fix the roads?!

Bob Boyd said...

I hope the coffee used in that commercial was organically and sustainably produced and fairly traded.

Gordon Scott said...

Huh. She's got pretty much the same percentage as me. I can walk onto any reservation and be accepted as Native American from my looks.

JAORE said...

There is a strange phenomenon in ads of all kinds lately. The opening scene shows someone demonstrating their stupidity, cue the product, idiot says,"I use that".

I will never understand why I'm supposed to be influenced by thee idiot, but there it is. I guess that's why celebrity endorsements fail with me.

Timeforchange said...

I don't know where all these potholes are. We need to call Evers not Walker to find out where they are. Then get in touch with Domino's Pizza to repair them.

stlcdr said...

Back to the ad, though, and AAs comment re. Personal responsibility: it would assume that personal responsibility is in ones vocabulary. Or just common sense. Hey the roads are bumpy: is better put a lid on my coffee, or use (shock horror) a reusable insulated mug with a proper lid.

Bob Boyd said...

Most pot holes are in city streets. You don't see them much on highways. City pot holes aren't Scott Walker's to fix.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Sure weather plays a role in road conditions but not the most important role.

You think the roads in New York, New Jersey or even Florida are in good shape?

Compare to roads in the German Alps or even the freaking Spanish mountains. Europeans get a heavy tax load but the get good bang for the bucks.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

In New Hampshire we have great highways. I always suspect this is due to federal government funding. No politician who has any thoughts of ever attempting a run for President ( and they all have those thoughts ) will ever vote against highway funding for New Hampshire.

We also have few potholes on state and county roads. We did have really bad potholes on the road I live on, but that was only because my neighbor was on the town highway committee. He's retired, so is in no hurry to get anywhere, and liked the potholes because they slowed down the other drivers. So he blocked any efforts by the rest of us to get the road repaved. The town only gave in when the potholes got so bad that they were damaging school buses and snow plows.

iowan2 said...

I like our hostesses shout out to personal responsibility. 50 years ago a very common refrain was "you don't have to make a federal case out of it!" But 5 decades ago the federal govt, while many fold bigger since the New Deal, was still understood to have limited jurisdiction.
Like the Kavanaugh assasination re;#metoo, I never got the connection between the Senators vote and support of the #metoo interests. What can a federal office holder do in reference to sexual assault? #Don't make a federal case out of it (put a lid on your coffee stupid)

Gordon Scott said...

Bill, in Europe they have a lower weight per axle on trucks than the US allows. Most of the damage we see on highways comes from heavy trucks. The engineers know this, and even know how to build to accommodate the weight, but there are federal regulations that prohibit them from doing so. Both road building companies and unions representing road building workers agree: Better, stronger roads are bad, because shutupwepaidourmoneynowgiveusthatcontract.

FIDO said...

This is a poor ad over a hot issue.


Like homelessness and poverty, it is only a hot issue for Dems when it can be shot at Republicans.


If Trump has 'Obama's Economy', doesn't Wisconsin have Obama's roads? He gypped out almost a trillion dollars to fix the roads.


Where did the money go besides greens fees, Michelle's junkets, Hillary's Hatian Aid Cronies and Iranian assassins?

Jaq said...

Elect Road to Hell Paving Company and we promise to solve every little problem in your life.

The Vault Dweller said...

As someone who is Wisconsin adjacent and has numerous relatives in the Cheddar state, Wisconsin roads are noticeably worse than Illinois roads. Wisconsin also isn't in a fiscal crisis that could literally end the state.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The discovery that the left are a mixture of nanny-state do-gooders, and weirdo fascists.

MD Greene said...

That car -- and possibly the campaign that bought it -- is running on empty.

The Vault Dweller said...

As far as effectiveness of the ad, I would say it succeeds in at least one aspect. It dosen't oversell or overdramatize the problem it seeks to address. Going overboard on road quality would have a negative effect on any anti-walker campaign or candidate. Because it comes off as disingenuous and people would be left thining, "Really? Roads are on the top of your list of complaints? Guess there aren't any real problems."

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...


“Senator Elizabeth Warren has released a DNA test that provides “strong evidence’’ she had a Native American in her family tree dating back 6 to 10 generations, an unprecedented move by one of the top possible contenders for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.”

That she was suckered into making this absurd defense (which is far worse than the vague, but understandable, “family legend has it...”), tells me that she has minimal political skills. Any guy who isn’t Jeb Bush would make cole slaw out of her. Trump would nuke her from the stratosphere. I don’t think we’re going to see Liz make a 2020 Presidential run.

JAORE said...

Most of the damage we see on highways comes from heavy trucks. The engineers know this, and even know how to build to accommodate the weight, but there are federal regulations that prohibit them from doing so. Both road building companies and unions representing road building workers agree: Better, stronger roads are bad, because shutupwepaidourmoneynowgiveusthatcontract.

Sort of true. The grossly over weight trucks cause much of the damage. But States are loath to firmly regulate industry. And the Feds in the various States are, largely, invertebrates. Finally many States take the bandaide-over-lots-of-miles approach to maintenance rather than the rebuild it right method.

rhhardin said...

Cups need perforated honeycomb baffles to prevent sloshing.

Quaestor said...

Fixing potholes requires asphalt. Heating asphalt releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the worst chemical compound in the observable universe, worse than Zyclon B and Alar! It's even worse than a jigger of Zylclon B with an Alar chaser. Ask Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. Go ahead, ask him... I'll wait... See? Evil. Pure evil. Scott deserves three cheers and a golden Manbearpig for ignoring some holes rather than turning Mother Earth into Venus, Part Deux over some spilt covfefe.

Rick.T. said...

The Democrats think you're as stupid as the Tennessee voters are ignorant. Have you absorbed the lesson yet?

Original Mike said...

Ads on televison on the same theme are produced by the road construction industry. They want more road money.

The TV ads also claim WI road conditions are 49th in the nation. I don’t believe it.

Curious George said...

"Annie C said...
Potholes? Seriously. Potholes? That's what they have to go after Walker"


My thoughts exactly. The ad of course is terrible. I'll bet not one person's coffee (or other drink) top has come off because of a pothole that the State of WI is responsible for.

roesch/voltaire said...
People have grown tired of our potholed roads and tired of this career politician who fills the pockets of the rich and not the roads. This is a poor ad over a hot issue.


R/V once again trying to tell us that he has the pulse of the state. What a steaming pile.
I will say that there cannot be a worse pothole problem that what we have in Milwaukee, whose roads are the responsibility of city government. It's like driving in Iraq. Terrible.

AP said...

"These people should live in Quebec. It's illegal there to drive without snow tires in the winter too."

Now that I understand. In severe winter conditions, driving without winter tires makes your vehicle a hazard to every other vehicle and pedestrian on the road. I've been hit numerous times by vehicles that couldn't stop because their "all-season" tires were completely unsuitable for the weather conditions.

I put this in the category of "your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose". If you're going to drive in the winter, I'm not happy if you put my life at risk by driving on bald summer tires.

So, either there should be a law against it, or, if you hit my car while driving on such tires, I should be compensated accordingly. In Canada, the latter will never happen, so I'm ok with the former.

stevew said...

So many people's behavior these days is best responded to by the admonition 'grow up'.

-sw

Original Mike said...

”I've been hit numerous times by vehicles that couldn't stop because their "all-season" tires were completely unsuitable for the weather conditions.”

I don’t change to snow tires and in almost 50 years of winter Wisconsin driving I’ve never hit anyone. I don’t think it’s the tires.

Bob Boyd said...

Money spent on pot holes goes to white males who spend it to get drunk and assault women. Is that really what you want your tax dollars used for? Every pot hole you hit is one less sexual assault on a Wisconsin woman. Think of it that way.

Wince said...

Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test was performed by the same guy who did Christine Blasey Ford’s polygraph.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Thanks Gordon for that info. It makes sense to make a better foundation and then not allow overweight vehicles to tear it up.

Bay Area Guy said...

In response to Sen. Warren’s genetic test results, and in the spirit of bipartisanship, President Trump should seek to bury the hatchet with Ms. Warren and offer to smoke a peace pipe.

tcrosse said...

In Quebec they have heavy feet.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Every state uses the "49th in the nation" BS to sell and scare a fill in the blank catastrophe _________.

It was poll tested years ago. It's really a joke.

Big Mike said...

Curious George has a significant point. Without knowing where those potholes are and who is responsible for fixing them, we cannot know whether Walker's administration is to blame or not.

And California roads like the 101 are the disgrace of the nation.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Did you know that every state in the union is "49th in school spending"?

It's horrible. Think of the children.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

If Warren's indian ancestry does go back to some ancestor 6 to 10 generations ago, that still disproves her original story. Whites weren't in Oklahoma 6 to 10 generations ago,

This is why she never released the results before. You know she took a DNA test as soon as this became an issue. If she had Indian blood she would have been waiving the report and screaming "Haters!"

She releases is now and just to say, "old news" when this issue is raised next year.

rhhardin said...

"There are long lines for food and bottled water." - hurricane victim news

That means there are price-gouging laws, but it's good for the news biz. They suffer still more!

Keep the free market out of it.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Quaestor at 8:44 got it right!

MadisonMan said...

I've been hit numerous times by vehicles that couldn't stop because their "all-season" tires were completely unsuitable for the weather conditions.

AP, I don't know what state you live in, so YMMV and all that, but I've been hit by someone else in winter only with glare ice on the road, and I really should've known better to be out driving in stuff like that. (I've also slid into a car while I was driving -- again, on glare ice).

It's not hard to drive on normal tires in snow. You have to know your limits. It is something I actively seek to avoid, however. They don't call it white knuckle for nothing.

Will Cate said...

This just so incredibly plays into the hands of conservatives' mantra of liberals' not wanting to be responsible for anything.

AllenS said...

MadisonMan said...
They don't call it white knuckle for nothing.

Amen.

sinz52 said...

Drinking hot coffee while driving is a form of distracted driving. What if you have to brake hard in an emergency and the hot coffee splashes all over your face and lap?

In Washington State, their new distracted driving law makes it illegal for a driver to do *anything* that isn't directly related to driving. Even drinking coffee while driving may qualify as distracted driving.

glenn said...

If you are so ducking fumb you drive around drinking hot coffee from an open cup you must be a Democrat.

narayanan said...

*** Senator Elizabeth Warren has released a DNA test ***

I hold "Primary Colors" was a how-to-book for politicians.

What is the chain of custody on the DNA sample?

CWJ said...

It does give you some insight into the governemental expectations of those who made the ad.

Original Mike said...

The thing I don’t get about snow tires is where am I supposed to find the space to store the eight tires (I have two vehicles) not in use?

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

What is the chain of custody on the DNA sample?

It leads straight to the staffer who had the most Indian in their dna sample

Big Mike said...

And you are expected to drive around potholes instead of deliberately stealing towards them.

alan markus said...

Recently saw where a local township is proposing a referendum to enact a tax designated for rebuilding & maintaining their roads - would result in a $200 annual increase on the average home. As noted before, roads in WI take a beating because of the winter freeze/thaw cycles. Also, 40 years ago the township was mostly farms and the occasional house on a few acres. Since then subdivisions have displaced most of the agriculture. The developers were responsible for installing the roads - now most of them are due for a rebuild, which becomes a town expense.

Will be interesting to see how the vote goes. A nearby city did an advisory referendum seeking input on various ways to obtain funds to speed up their schedule of street replacements. Ironically, the "continue as is" was the top choice, and the bitching seems to have subsided.

Maybe if that ad mentioned a $1.00 a gallon gas tax increase, would get a different perspective on how bad the roads really are.

Martin said...

I agree with Althouse's take, but also wonder if the sponsor is a 501(c)(3) PAC or a 501(c)(4) policy advocacy group, b/c they mention Walker by name.

JohnAnnArbor said...

Maybe my coffee DOESN'T deserve better.

stevew said...

"The thing I don’t get about snow tires is where am I supposed to find the space to store the eight tires (I have two vehicles) not in use?"

I keep mine in my basement, but I've got lots of space so it is pretty convenient. Lugging them to and from the place where I have them swapped on and off is a hassle though.

I would think there is a business opportunity in this...

-sw

Big Mike said...

And you are expected to drive around potholes instead of deliberately stealing towards them.

Not Sure said...

If potholes are the big focus-grouped issue, I guess there's been no downturn in test scores in the public schools since Walker "eviscerated" them.

Or is it that the teachers' unions no longer can afford to buy air time?

Original Mike said...

”I agree with Althouse's take, but also wonder if the sponsor is a 501(c)(3) PAC or a 501(c)(4) policy advocacy group, b/c they mention Walker by name.”

It’s the road builders association, and they must have a lot of money because they run a lot of these ads.

Seeing Red said...

If only McDonald’s thought of that defense.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Massholes throw a beer in a black players face. KC.

Massholes -they are the worst.

Teddy Kennedy supporting - Elizabeth Warren supporting jerks. racists.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

I don’t get about snow tires is where am I supposed to find the space to store

In my younger days I stored them in the living room of my one bedroom apartment in Chicago.

Seeing Red said...


I've lived in Wisconsin since 1973. There has always been potholes and there always will be potholes. The extreme swing of temperatures from summer to winter combined with water/snow will cause potholes to appear.

And all the semis.

2 seasons winter and construction season.

policraticus said...

Oh?! Blame the road. Mm-hmm. Blame Walker? Great metaphor. People are not looking out for themselves, they're screwing up, being careless, not taking normal precautions, and they want a governor who'll foolproof the world for us all. Sorry. No. Take personal responsibility.

Prof A, channeling her inner Jordan Peterson.

Birkel said...

Pennsylvania threw its head back and guffawed about any other state having bad roads. Then Pennsylvania sharted in the general direction of Wisconsin.

Seeing Red said...

SW- “I’d be happy to. We’ll fund this out of the Wisconsin State Pension Fund since it’s almost fully funded.

Quaestor said...

People have grown tired of our potholed roads and tired of this career politician...

What utter bilge. Potholes, eh? Why should a Democrat have any credibility? The bluest of the blue states has secondary roads maintained like any Third World shithole thanks to the ultimate career pol, Gubbiner Moonbeam, hisself.

Original Mike said...

”In my younger days I stored them in the living room of my one bedroom apartment in Chicago.”

My wife would love that. Maybe I could put a piece of glass on top and turn them into coffee tables.

Levi Starks said...

Expect your Democratic cohorts to be calling for governorship term limits any day now.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Maybe I could put a piece of glass on top and turn them into coffee tables.

The key is to remember to changes tires before the first snow. If not, next spring you'll find a really nasty surprise of black dirt and mold under your tires.

Michael K said...

They simply figured that a gax tax (versus, say, a general fund tax) hike was least likely to disturb their donor network.

When I moved to California to go to college 60 years ago it had the best roads in the nation.

About 20 years ago, Orange County passed a 10 cent sales tax to widen and repair Interstate 5. It expired in ten years. I 5 was done and the tax expired. However, I 5 at the LA County line became a shithole. The highway finally began to e redone about the time I decided to leave the state.

California is now a typical Democrat shithole. Joel Kotkin explains why.

Today California is creating a feudalized society characterized by the ultra-rich, a diminishing middle class and a large, rising segment of the population that is in or near poverty.Overall our state state now suffers one of the highest GINI rates — the ratio between the wealthiest and the poorest—among the states, and the inequality is growing faster than in almost any state outside the Northeast, notes liberal economist James Galbraith. The state’s level of inequality now is higher than that of Mexico, and closer to that of Central American banana republics like Guatemala and Honduras than it is to developed states like Canada and Norway.

Maybe that's because most of Guatemala and Honduras now live there.

cubanbob said...

If roads were ever to be built to a standard high enough to require far less constant maintenance what would politicians do for graft?

rehajm said...

She’s already released 10 years worth of her tax returns and made her personnel files available to The Boston Globe, showing that ethnicity was not a factor in her rise in law.

Yeah, right on all counts except that they didn't actually show that.

Jersey Fled said...

In NJ we had to pass a constitutional amendment tp prevent the government from spending our new gas tax hike on everything but infrastructure. Like they always did in the past.

BTW there is a huge improvement in the roads when you pass from PA to West Virginia. Thanks to Robert Byrd. Renowned klansman.

PM said...

High Ground Action specializes in coffee and peppercorn advertising.

MadisonMan said...

We’ll fund this out of the Wisconsin State Pension Fund since it’s almost fully funded

Which Governor tried this? McCallum? Doyle? TT?

Anyway, failed on the Court Challenge.

MadTownGuy said...


Blogger Ann Althouse said...
"It's a critique of the commercial, not an account of my actual political position. Big Mike and Ignorance: You're reading the post wrong."

While you're critiquing the commercial, you might ask where the facts are to blame Walker for the lack of road construction. I haven't noticed a paucity of Orange barrels this past summer.

Original Mike said...

”We’ll fund this out of the Wisconsin State Pension Fund since it’s almost fully funded.”

That’s how you get Illinois. Never go full Illinois.

Ken B said...

“This commercial is making me a right-winger“

Watch it again.

Original Mike said...

Blogger Ann Althouse said...”It's a critique of the commercial, not an account of my actual political position.”

Maybe you should read your own comment and contemplate your political position.

Ken B said...

I would support Walker if I lived in Bananaland, but the ad strikes me as a mildly amusing way to make a fair criticism. Good roads matter, they can be had, and you should hold government responsible. It is not just Walker, the legislature is involved in setting standards, but it’s a fair cop IMO.
But, vote for Walker.

Sam L. said...

Commercial, NOT INCLUDED IN THE EMPTY SPACE PROVIDED FOR IT, cannot be commented upon further by me. (It isn't visible on my screen.)

Yancey Ward said...

You can't top the first comment in this thread- centrism looks right wing from a Madison, Wisconsin address.

Yancey Ward said...

LOL! And I couldn't even top the second comment!!

kjbe said...

This commercial is making you a right-winger? Oh, heavens...

TosaGuy said...

I used to work in the Wisconsin road build Industry—DOT fixes state and federal roads. Cities fix their roads. If the pothole is on your city street it is your city’s responsibility.

What DOT has done recently is scale back the number of expansion projects and focusing on repairs or rebuild in kind—both types of projects do not line the pockets of the road building industry like expansion projects.

I guarantee the road builders are behind this ad.

JAORE said...

"Pennsylvania threw its head back and guffawed about any other state having bad roads."

Years ago Dr. Tom Larson (he insisted on the "Dr.") came from Penn Dot to become head of the Federal Highway Administration. He was really big on management systems. Word came down from guys in Penn DOT to say, "Thank you for taking him". Pennsylvania could manage everything except building or maintaining roads.

I always thought Pennsylvania got funding from shock absorber companies for providing them the world's largest test track.

Yancey Ward said...

My 2nd cousins, brother and sister, are 50% Cherokee- their father grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma. I don't think either one ever once claimed to be such that I remember hearing growing up with both of them- I only learned it from their mother when I was already an adult. I don't think either one has ever tried to claim casino profits either, but I think I will mention the idea to both of them the next time I see them since both have children that are 25% and multiple grandchildren now.

If this is Warren's evidence, she has been caught out exactly as her critics claimed.

Original Mike said...

”What DOT has done recently is scale back the number of expansion projects and focusing on repairs or rebuild in kind—both types of projects do not line the pockets of the road building industry like expansion projects.

I guarantee the road builders are behind this ad.”


Yes they are. The ones on radio/TV say so explicitly. The road builders association has been fighting with Walker for quite some time now.

Howard said...

The deplorables posting here won't be satisfied until Althouse offers to have sex with Dronald Trump on 5th Avenue in broad daylight.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

We’ll fund this out of the Wisconsin State Pension Fund since it’s almost fully funded.

Or just switch state workers over to a 401K and do away with retirement health benefits. That should plug a bunch of holes.

stlcdr said...


I don’t get about snow tires is where am I supposed to find the space to store...”

(Some) Tire stores offer the service to store your tires for you.

stlcdr said...

“The developers were responsible for installing the roads - now most of them are due for a rebuild, which becomes a town expense.”

More homes means more taxes to the state/county/township: taxes that are supposed to go directly towards supporting infrastructure for those houses. Why would they need An increase in tax rate? They’ve been getting money designed specifically for this sort of thing.

Dave in Tucson said...

If the worst thing you can say about your governor is that he doesn't focus enough time and attention on road maintenance, is he really that bad?

alan markus said...

More homes means more taxes to the state/county/township

In this case, the lion's share of the revenue goes to taxing bodies other than the township. About 18% to the township, 56% to the school district. Rest goes to county & technical college. So, when people are paying $4000 a year in property taxes, they are looking at the total. The township takes care of the basic services & maintenance with that 18% - issue is the extraordinary costs.

Seeing Red said...

About 75% of my taxes goes to k-college.

Tom Grey said...

I hope Walker and more Reps start making it into a Joke:

Look at Dems, careless making mistakes, can't even avoid spilling coffee -- and they want taxpayers to pay for it!

Careless about road building, careless about teaching kids, careless about the polluted river the EPA ruined; even careless about spilling coffee.

Next time you see someone spill coffee, ask them "are you a Democrat? Want the gov't to clean that up for you?" ...

Always with a smile. :) (Those Dems, they're so funny. Sometimes even cute, when they stamp their feet, put on pussy hats, scream about drinking chicks who can't remember what party they're at. And so angry angry angry. Isn't that special?)

Lost My Cookies said...

when I was a kid we used to buy six packs of beer from corner bars, so the city started putting plain clothes cops in some of them to catch us rotten kids in the act. But the police would always park as close as possible, and leave coffee cup lids on the dash. So if you were walking up and saw an old man car with dog dish hubcaps and the dash plastered with little plastic lids parked on the yellow curb, you just went right on walking.

Don't know why this made me think of that, and don't know why they did that.