Whitewater’s Tuesday brings a slight chance of rain or snow – no accumulation expected – and a high of thirty-nine.
This afternoon, Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission meets at 4:15 PM.
There’s an entry today from the Wisconsin about Victor Louis Berger, born on 2.28.1860:
On this date Victor Louis Berger was born in Nieder-Rehbach, Austria-Hungary. He arrived in the U.S. in 1878 where he became a Socialist, newspaperman, and Congressman. He migrated to Milwaukee in 1881 where he taught German. In the 1880s he became interested in social reform.
In 1889, along with like-minded German socialists, he abandoned the Socialist Labor party in favor of a more flexible approach to reform. In 1893 he became editor of the Wisconsin Vorwaerts, a Milwaukee-based German-language daily. He was also editor of the Social Democratic Herald from 1901-1902. Berger was instrumental in influencing Eugene V. Debs to declare in favor of socialism. He assisted Debs in forming the Social Democracy of America in 1897. Berger was the first Socialist representative to be elected to Congress, serving 1911-1913. He was known as the spiritual leader of Milwaukee socialism.
In January 1919 he was convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Society has published several books by or about Berger that you can learn about on our publications page. [Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography, SHSW 1960, pg. 33]
The Wisconsin Historical Society entry is unintentionally misleading for want of a full explanation – Berger wasn’t convicted for spying for a foreign power under the Espionage Act, but for his anti-war views. The Espionage Act made criminal anti-war speech that would be protected – and should be protected – today. In any event, his conviction was overturned, and he served in Congress in the 1920s. Wikipedia has an entry for Berger that offers more biographical information.
I’ve no support for Berger’s socialism, but he was hardly a friend of Kaiser Wilhelm.
Google’s daily puzzle is one of American constitutional history: “Had the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution been passed prior to the 1801 electoral tie, which candidate would’ve been out of a job?”
It’s almost tongue-in-cheek to talk about Gov. Scott Walker’s speaking style; virtually all Wisconsin has an opinion of him that rests on more than a manner of delivery.
And yet, and yet — Team Walker has, and has always had, national ambitions for their man. Walker may be traveling across the country to collect donations against a recall, but he means to represent a national movement, not simply to collect campaign contributions. There are critics within the state, and Republicans beyond it, who cannot imagine a national role for a governor who has elicited such controversy. They may be surprised.
If Walker should be recalled, he’ll have no national future. He’ll be no one’s martyr – it’s other Republicans who will criticize him then (to draw contrast to their own, professedly more adroit handling of budgets, unions, etc.)
If he’s retained, he’ll have a national presence (or at least the chance for one).
In late January, Gov. Walker delivered his second State of the State address at the Wisconsin Capitol. From that address one may assess Gov. Walker’s speaking style: he’s been in office for over a year, the speech is one for which he had time to prepare, and during it he experiences some of the ever-present heckling that has dogged him since his push against public-employee collective bargaining.
(Better than a friendly reception, an occasionally hostile one reveals a speaker’s natural ability to parry effectively. It’s an admirable talent, if uncommon among American politicians who mostly speak without interruption.)
Below I offer an assessment of Gov. Walker’s delivery. (As Walker debated Milwaukee Mayor Barrett during the 2010 election, I’ll consider his skill as a debater separately. For this post: How’s he as a speaker?)
Attire. Dark suit, blue shirt, red tie: conventional, and subdued without a white shirt. (Those seated behind him wear white shirts; Walker’s in the more muted look.) This was an effective choice; the fewer the contrasts in Walker’s attire, the better.
Manner. He’s confident in his manner. In this speech, he seems sure of himself.
Walker sometimes gently bobs his head, a few quick times in succession, after making what he believes is a sound point. It’s an odd and unnecessary habit, as though he’s agreeing with himself.
He also holds his thumb to his fingers the way Kennedy did, the way Clinton did in imitation of Kennedy, and how just about everyone nowadays is taught to use his hands. It’s the only kind of hand gesture that many speech coaches will allow. There could be no drinking game around the frequency of politicians’ overuse of the thumb-on cupped-fingers gesture; one would be blind-drunk after only a portion of a speech.
Throughout, Walker ignores hecklers from the gallery. He just keeps talking, or waits briefly. There’s no surprise that he’d be heckled, and so he had time to adopt a responsive tactic.
The common response to heckling is to speak more loudly, and to repeat what one has already said, in the belief heckling rendered some words unintelligible. That’s a mistake – the speaker (someone in authority, after all) only looks weak if he repeats himself or needs to shout.
Walker doesn’t make this mistake.
There are three effective responses to heckling: keep speaking in an even tone, spar with the heckler, or wait quietly. Even waiting quietly truly conveys strength – one waits until the heckler goes silent, and then begins – in the end, for all the heckler’s invective, the speaker’s words issue forth when the heckling torrent subsides. Deciding beforehand which one to use is important; one should know one’s plan, implement that plan with confidence, and substitute another tactic only if necessary.
Delivery. Steady, with almost no hesitation. It’s one tempo, one rhythm, all the way through. Gov. Walker uses a teleprompter, and delivers his remarks in the same way that anyone familiar in the use of those machines would. A variable cadence would be better – far more moving – but there are few politicians who speak that way, anymore. Most move at the same speed as Walker does in this State of the State address.
There’s room for a more natural approach, to be sure. Most of Gov. Walker’s opponents, however, would have delivered their speeches in the same way he has. He doesn’t get the benefit he would if he spoke with the changes in rhythm and tone of a more extemporaneous style, but he loses little with this delivery.
Rhetoric. There’s nothing stirring here, from a state that hasn’t had fine oratory in a long time. It’s more than sad that walker calls for the next generation to enjoy a state ‘at least as great’ as the present one. It’s like a Van Halen lyric in which David Lee Roth tries to assure a woman that he “ain’t the worst that she’s seen.” (If she’s someone likely to associate with David Lee, then he probably isn’t the worst that she’s seen.)
How many Democrats, though, are better rhetoricians? Walker’s at no disadvantage if no one’s better.
This is a workman-like performance, from a man who speaks as he governs: one speed, ahead.
Democrats may despise Walker, but they’ll not win on his terms, at his tempo. To win, a Democratic opponent will need to knock him off that pace. They’ll need a candidate who can get under his skin, force him to debate, and who can charm Wisconsin while setting him on edge. It can be done, but it cannot be done unless an opponent is alternately biting and funny.
Otherwise, Gov. Walker’s State-of-the-State approach well may be enough to win his retention.
A day of gradual clearing awaits Whitewater, with a high temperature of thirty-six.
At 4:30 PM today, Whitewater’s Community Development Authority will meet. Their principal topics: “Presentation on Analysis of Housing Supply in Whitewater and Employee Housing Survey by the UW-Whitewater Fiscal and Economic Research Center (Dr. Russ Kashian)” and “Review and Approval of Consulting Services Agreement with Redevelopment Resources for CDA Director Recruitment/Selection Process.”
On this day in 1991, President George H.W. Bush declared an end to the Gulf War. The New York Times headline was simple enough: “Bush Halts Offensive Combat; Kuwait Freed, Iraqis Crushed.”
In Wisconsin, February 27th, 1904 was a day of great loss:
1904 – Second State Capitol Burns
On this date fire destroyed the second State Capitol building in Madison. On the evening of the 26th, the generator was turned off for the night. The only lights visible were two gas jets serving the night watchman. At approximately 2 a.m., night watchman Nat Crampton smelled smoke and followed the odor to a recently varnished ceiling, already in flames. A second watchman arrived to assist, but there was no water pressure with which to operate a hose. The fire department encountered a similar situation upon arrival. Governor Robert M. La Follette telegraphed fire departments in Janesville and Milwaukee for assistance. La Follette was at the capitol, directing efforts to douse the fire and entering the burning building to retrieve valuable papers. The fire was completly extinguished by 10 p.m. the next day. Losses were estimated to be close to $1 million.
Source: Wisconsin Historical Society.
The Academy Awards are over, but Google basks in the afterglow with a film-related daily puzzle: “The highway that runs through Rachel, Nevada draws enthusiasts who probably enjoy what movie genre?”
We’re a place of natural beauty, but a beauty yet augmented through our own, often agricultural, efforts. Our farming – big and small — is the envy of all America.
One need look no father than a new website, Wisconsin Happy Farm, to see the wonders awaiting at hobby farm. I’ve a screen shot of the website, and a description of it thereafter. It was my pleasure to learn of this web-based experience of hobby farming, as it will be to visit frequently. Take a look around the site – I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy what you find.
Hi everyone! Welcome to our new blog: The Wisconsin Happy Farm. We hope to fill it with stories and photos of farm animals, gardening, art and small-acre farming activities. We’ll have a few products to sell and we’ll even take a few off-site trips to learn from our Wisconsin neighbors and other farming friends.
Taking a trip and need something to entertain the kids? This blog is for you! Sick of winter and want to see something green? Here we are! Just love animals of all variety and want to see them frolic in the sun? We do too. This spring, we will grow: veggies, flowers and the content of this blog.
Ours is a virtual experience, so it can be enjoyed at anytime from anywhere, but we can also serve as a porthole, a window into the magic of Wisconsin and all it has to offer. Come with us on this journey.
Last weekend, Whitewater held its 2012 Freeze Fest polar plunge for the Special Olympics. It’s become a tradition in Whitewater, and this year’s plunge had more participants & more spectators than ever, successfully raising thousands for a worthy cause, while showing all involved a great time.
As I write, there are three declared challengers to Gov. Walker, should there be (as there will be, really) a gubernatorial recall race. More will enter, but for now it’s Kathleen Falk, Hari Trevedi, and Kathleen Vinehout. I’ll consider their presentations at the challenger-friendly Fourth Annual Grassroots Fest Candidate Forum held February 18, 2012 in Mazomanie, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has a long progressive tradition – there’s more than one left-leaning forum like this during a year.
(Although he’s not a declared candidate, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca also spoke, and I’ll assess his presentation, too.)
Below I offer an assessment of each candidate’s presentation, how one should debate against that candidate, and how the candidate should adjust to that debating style.
I well-know that there may never be debates between Gov. Walker and a recall opponent. I’m not sure I would advise him to debate a challenger; depending on the opponent it may be unnecessary. Walker should only do those things that produce a net gain, or prevent an unacceptable net loss. If the Left decries Walker’s unwillingness to debate, but debating offers no net gain and declining offers no unacceptable net loss, then Walker’s better off not debating.
Because Wisconsin’s electorate is so divided, with each side having a solid and approximately equal base of diehard supporters, there simply aren’t a lot of voters to win over. Neither side need worry about the other side’s fury, absent the influence that fury might have on a much smaller number of persuadable voters.
In any event, I’m a libertarian (and member of the Libertarian Party) – an assessment of these candidates comes without partisan support for either the Republican or Democratic parties. This critique is straightforward, and free of a party-line agenda.
Peter Barca, from 1:16 to 11:20 on the video.
Presentation. Smart, educated, professorial. It’s telling that Barca speaks to the audience on a computer monitor via Skype. (He speaks from a script, either memorized or written and hidden off-screen.) It’s not a conversational style; it’s a fast-paced speech delivered via a live video feed.
The medium says much about Barca. He’s savvy enough to use Skype, but speaking to activists this way, however unavoidable, only accentuates his lack of intimacy with an audience. He surely knows what to say, and has been ever-present with protesters over the last year, but he’s just not stirring. Barca would do better sitting across a table from an opponent than standing behind a lectern, where he would seem stiffer. (For a previous assessment of Barca, in-person, see On Occupy Whitewater, 11.17.11.)
How to Debate Barca. Speak a bit more slowly than he does, add a bit more informality than his own scripted or rehearsed style, and respond to him directly, point-by-point. Throw out a pithy and caustic remark now and again, to see if he might be baited into indignation. A bit of condescension toward Barca wouldn’t hurt – emphasizing how his worry about dividing Wisconsin is flowery rhetoric that ignores the state’s dire plight.
How Barca Should Adjust His Presentation. Slow down, speak with the semblance of the extemporaneous, even if his remarks are prepared. Emphasize concrete statistics that show Wisconsin’s going in the wrong direction – talk about divisiveness alone is too vague for uncertain but persuadable voters.
Kathleen Falk, from 11:35 to 20:42 on the video.
Presentation. Falk’s a well-educated, competent, attractive professional. She’s almost superfluously educated — the moderator of the candidate forum flubs a recitation of Falk’s blue-chip education, as neither Stanford nor Harvard are common destinations for Wisconsinites. The UW system is the envy of many, and schooling outside Wisconsin is uncommon.
She’s attractive and positive, and moderate in her tone. Although Team Walker has and would depict her as an extreme liberal, she seems nothing of the kind. She’s not a strong speaker – even in this audience of progressives, she hits some high notes, but mostly receives polite applause. Her cadence is off, and she doesn’t emphasize critical words or phrases when speaking.
That’s a real problem – I’d guess she’s better in negotiations and across-the-table settings than on the stump.
There’s a discernible impediment in her speech that makes her seem older than she is. It’s harsh to say, but the third-party advertising she’d face in a head-to-head campaign against Gov. Walker will make harsh seem mild.
What awaits a Democrat? An opposing campaign committed to sucking the very air out of his or her lungs. There’s no mild, well-meaning way to respond to that no-holds-barred approach.
Her intellect is not in question – her ability to deliver a passionate speech is. (It’s not that Walker’s a good speaker — he’s not — it’s that many on the left will expect their champion to be energetic and charismatic.)
How to Debate Falk. Engage the audience with epigrams and pithy remarks. Display vigor in contrast to her reserved style. She’s a woman of around sixty, and she seems her age. Pretty, but visibly older. Grapple with her remarks, disputing them directly, and thereafter cast her as someone of the past, of an old-line approach.
How Falk Should Adjust Her Presentation. She needs, but will not be able to acquire in time, a better speaking style. Her campaign should write punchier copy for her, have her deliver those remarks in controlled settings, make her campaign commercials sharp and pointed, and see that she dresses elegantly.
She’s not of a common background (she has to reach backward two generations to claim one). Traditionally, two generations’ time is nothing, but it seems like forever to many people of this generation, who are struggling right now, as their parents are, too.
Her campaign team stumbled on the defensive over her union endorsements, and they’re not presenting her in the best light now. She’s the endorsed and established candidate of the left, and she should assume that role.
Despite so much organizational support, she’s a tepid candidate.
Hari Trevedi, from 21:20 to 26:50 on the video.
Presentation. He’s an unknown, independent candidate, well-meaning but lacking any rapport with the audience. Neither they nor many others have ever heard of him. He’s a physician, in a world where few physicians succeed in politics (Ron Paul being a notable exception). They don’t succeed because bedside manner isn’t a campaign style; reassuring a sick person is nothing like reassuring sick-and-tired voters.
How to Debate Trevedi. Be polite. Emphasize his lack of experience, and the oddly disconnected, somewhat airy theories he espouses. If Falk doesn’t seem grass-roots enough, Trevedi seems worse: like someone whose ideas for helping Wisconsin came straight from The Economist, or a wealthy, liberal columnist at the pages of Fortune.
How Trevedi Should Adjust His Presentation. Spend time speaking with ordinary people, run for a more modest office. His problem is apparent unfamiliarity; he’ll not be able to change for this race.
Kathleen Vinehout, from 27:00 to end of the video.
Presentation. Vinehout is as educated as the others at the forum (she’s a PhD.), but she’s easily the most relaxed, formidable of these candidates. The audience connects with her immediately, and she presents anecdotes smoothly and engagingly.
She has a solid, energetic demeanor – so much more than Falk that Falk’s campaign should never put the two on the same stage together. I would defy anyone to watch Falk and Vinehout’s presentations and not conclude that Vinehout is by far the more magnetic candidate.
She wows this crowd; I have no doubt that a more moderate version of her delivery would be effective with independents.
How to Debate Vinehout. Sometimes the most formidable opponent is the best one to face – a challenging debate makes for a fun time. Vinehout is formidable in her manner: confident, articulate, inspiring, light-hearted. She’d easily be the toughest of these four to face.
Gov. Walker would do poorly in a debate with Vinehout. He’s dour and she’s jovial. But the way to debate Vinehout is to match her style, and respond with a similar gusto and enthusiasm. If I were to pick one person to debate from among these four, she’d be the hardest – and yet most fun – to face.
How Vinehout Should Adjust Her Presentation. No need for major adjustments – she’s comfortably familiar in appearance, and exceptional in delivery. There’s a slight hoarseness in her voice that suggests she would benefit from a lozenge to keep her throat from getting dry. Slight hoarseness, though, is not an impediment – on the contrary, it suggests hard work and long hours.
I doubt the Democrats will pick Vinehout. But if they’re looking for an engaging speaker, Vinehout should at the top of their list.
