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[Aqizzar]

Lemme get this dust off of here.  One moment...

I haven't seen Vactor around in a while, and obviously this thread was pretty well buried.  For anyone still curious, the Wisconsin Senate recall election are being held today.  Originally, six Republicans and nine Democrats were up for recall votes, but the three Democrats won some check vote or primary or something with a large enough margin of victory that they are not on the recall notice today.  I'll admit, I haven't stayed on top of this.

Anyway, the polls close in about an hour.  Exit polling shows voter turnout nearing Presidential election levels, and the state has been absolutely flooded by money and staff from national organizations.  There were some rumors that state Democrats had actually taken in more campaign money than Republicans, but it's not actually true; people were just surprised that the state Democratic party raised anywhere near as much money.  Among that outside help was "Americans for Prosperity" (the public relations arm of the Koch Foundation, famous fake phonebuddies of Governor Scott Walker) sending out absentee ballot instructions to Democratic voters with false dates and mailing locations.

Stay tuned for results.

[mainiac]

Remind me again how many seats the democrats need to swing to gain control?

[Aqizzar]

Remind me again how many seats the democrats need to swing to gain control?

Three, which is exactly as many as polling suggests the sitting Republicans are "guaranteed" to lose to newly nominated Democratic challengers, although all six seats are close.  Since this is basically unprecedented in Wisconsin, or even national, election history the big polling firms caution everyone that they honestly have no idea what's going to happen, they're just working on first principles.  They'll find out by the end of the night though.

[Sowelu]

Among that outside help was "Americans for Prosperity" (the public relations arm of the Koch Foundation, famous fake phonebuddies of Governor Scott Walker) sending out absentee ballot instructions to Democratic voters with false dates and mailing locations.

I'm a firm believer that treason should be expanded to include actual election fraud, and these shenanigans should be close.  It is absolutely felonious.

[Aqizzar]

Originally, six Republicans and nine Democrats were up for recall votes, but the three Democrats won some check vote or primary or something with a large enough margin of victory that they are not on the recall notice today.  I'll admit, I haven't stayed on top of this.

Okay, I knew I was wrong about something.  For clarity, because recall elections take place after whatever time they were filed, they don't have to fall on the same date.  One Democratic senator already... uh "won" their recall vote, and was therefor kept in office.  All six Republicans happened to fall on this date.  The two remaining Democrats' elections is a couple weeks from now.

Just wanted to fix that.

[darkrider2]

yeah I'm crossing my fingers that all the democrats win, or at least most of them.

[mainiac]

I did a quick google search for news and the first result was the christian science monitor saying "In Wisconsin recall, voters vent anger at Washington-style politics".  Yeah... that's what they're angry about.

[Flaede]

THanks for updating this, Aqizzar. I've been rather curious what has happened with this, and was hoping for an update.

[Stargrasper]

As a Wisconsinite, this whole thing pisses me off.  It's such a waste to hold a recall election months after the actual election regardless of how you feel.  And the fact that so many national entities are involved in a state matter is appalling.

Personally, I've got a REALLY nasty taste in my mouth toward both major parties right now.

[RedKing]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2011/by_county/WI_Page_0809.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS for the latest results. Just a few percent of precincts reporting in yet.


EDIT: Dammit, dammit, dammit! Looks like 5 of the 6 Republicans are probably going to keep their seats. Still early, but the statistical lead in most races is fairly safe. Unless Milwaukee itself goes heavily Dem, I don't see much changing.

[Aqizzar]

EDIT: Dammit, dammit, dammit! Looks like 5 of the 6 Republicans are probably going to keep their seats. Still early, but the statistical lead in most races is fairly safe. Unless Milwaukee itself goes heavily Dem, I don't see much changing.

As in every election, the rural districts turn in their votes first, and rural districts are largely Republican.  In the urban areas, especially around Madison, there were still hour-long lines to vote when polls officially closed (meaning they have to keep the polls open until everyone in line has voted).  The point is, never pay attention to elections when they say things like "with 2% of the vote in, we're reporting..."

[RedKing]

Yeah, I ignore those. There are a couple of races though where roughly half the districts are in (10th and 14th), and the GOP has a 10-point lead in one race and a 16-point lead in the other 


AP has called the race in the 10th and 2nd districts, both go to the GOP with a 58-42 lead right now with about 75% reporting. 

EDIT: Looking moderately better now, with three races currently leaning (D), two called for (R) and one almost fully reported but leaning (R). AP hasn't called that one yet, but I don't see it shifting enough with the remaining precincts to flip.

[Aqizzar]

AP is calling three races for Republicans, one for the Democrat with 40% of the vote in, one race a Democrat was expected to win sitting within 500 votes with 80% reporting, and one with the Democrat running away with 80% counted.

I'm out for the night, so somebody else can stay up on this.

[Vactor]

I have a feeling if only 3 seats flip, the republicans will rally a revenge vote next week, as Dems relax and likely knock out Jim Holperin in the 12th.

Recalls are a legitimate part of a democracy, if the public feels they are not being represented in their government they should always have an unquestionable right to reconsider their selection.  I think running fake candidates in the other party's primary is rather filthy, and not in keeping with the democratic spirit.

The recalls on the republican senators were not orchestrated by the democratic party, it was started by people in the districts, gathering using social networking.  The recalls on the democratic senators were started by groups outside the state, but if enough people in the district were convinced by the arguments for recalling them, then they too have the right to reconsider their vote.

As far as I'm concerned, I left the Senate.  On my last day two protesters locked their heads to the guard rail of the Senate Gallery.  I'm now in the private sector making twice what I was in my cushy, exempt from overtime, overpaid guv'ment job.

I think its really sad that our society is moving more and more towards disdain for quality people serving in government.  I took a great sense of duty with my job, and understood a low pay as part of my own sacrifice for the betterment of my state.  I'm the type of person who dosen't take my full tax refund, because I'd rather chip in what I don't need than give up the amazing country that we have built.

[Stargrasper]

Just out of curiosity, was that meant as a response to my earlier post?  Sure seems like it.

But you're right, I'm so disillusioned by the parties that I'm not paying the attention I should to the people.