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Elections

Garry Kasparov on Vladimir Putin’s Election Interference and America’s Response

Garry Kasparov‘s a great hero of mine (and of many millions across the world), not simply for his unquestioned understanding of chess, but even more for his commitment to human freedom and democratic institutions. In the audio interview below, Kasparov speaks about Putin’s manipulation of our recent election. (By the way, Kasparov’s excellent book, Winter…

Getting Protest Hashtags (#NotMyPresident) Half Right

Columnist Paula Dvorak, writing at the Washington Post, contends that saying “saying #notmypresident is the same as saying #notmyconstitution or #notmycountry or #notmyAmerica.” See, Stop protesting democracy. Saying #notmypresident is the same as saying #notmyconstitution. Dvorak is only right about the first two hashtag phrases – she overreaches on the others. It’s true that #notmypresident is…

Unexpected and Expected

Last night’s election results are both unexpected (nationally) and expected (locally), I’d say.  Few thought that Trump would win the presidency, but many of the other results for Wisconsin or Whitewater were easier to predict. Trump’s victory nationally will be the big topic for years, first about its cause and then about its effects. Because I believe…

Save the Day: Vote

No other remarks for today – there’s all the time in the world for that tomorrow. For today, it’s off to the polls. Published previously at FW on 10.26.16.

Marquette Law Poll Results (Final 2016 Election Edition)

The final 2016 Marquette Law School poll results are out, and here key findings from the 10.26.16 to 10.31.16 poll (the full results are available online). Clinton-Trump, Among LV: New Marquette Law School Poll finds Clinton leading Trump among likely voters in WI 46% to 40%. #mulawpoll — MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) November 2, 2016 Johnson-Stein, Among…

Needless Election Anxiety

There’s a story over at Vox, from Brian Resnick, reporting that ‘Election anxiety is real. A majority of Americans report “significant stress” due to 2016.’ Resnick writes that [t]he American Psychological Association has released some preliminary data from its upcoming annual “Stress in America” report, on the nation’s level of anxiety specifically around this election.…

Absentee Voting in the Whitewater Area

One often hears that a given election is important, and that each person’s vote matters.  That’s been true so many times in our history, and it seems particularly so this year. Absentee voting – by mail or in person – is a part of our law, and the window for in-person voting will open soon. Immediately below readers…

Implications from the August 9th Wisconsin Primary

There were no surprises in any of the races in or near Whitewater last night. They all went as one might reasonably have predicted. One area race (and only one), however, might have national implications. Paul Ryan easily won his first congressional district primary over Paul Nehlen. See, Despite late drama, Ryan easily beats Nehlen…

About a Survey 

I promised last week that I would write about a recent survey that seemed to rely on a skewed, unrepresentative sample. The survey and some printed accounts of it have been available, but the recording of the 6.6.16 meeting at which the results were initially presented does not seem to be available online for readers. …

Local Election Recap

Local elections affecting Whitewater went about as one might have expected.  I’d guess there were, in the end, no surprises. There were three uncontested races for Common Council (Allen, Binnie, Langness), and two for the Whitewater Unified School District (Brunner, Stewart). That leaves two contested races in the immediate area: a Common Council race between…