Commentary
Game, Set and …
Now hold on. You are not going to hear me say that this election is over. Sure every national poll has Barack Obama ahead and Real Clear Politics has Obama leading McCain in the all important Electoral College competition 313-158 (with 67 up for grabs). The latest poll here in Wisconsin has Obama ahead by 17 points and he’s leading in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nevada, and even Virginia. But three weeks can be a lifetime in politics. Polls have proven to be wrong before, the race issue simmers under the radar screen and angry partisans are calling on John McCain and Sarah Palin to go after Barack Obama with everything they got. The overwhelming evidence does, of course, suggest that Obama is going to win on November 4th. Obama has run an exemplary campaign that built an effective grassroots movement while maintaining a disciplined and focused national organization. The candidate has energized young people unlike anything we have seen since Eugene McCarthy while conveying competence and confidence that appealed to all demographics. Also, national and world events seem to be conspiring in Obama’s favor. Even McCain supporters acknowledge that the more the economy dominates the election, the better it is for Obama. And dominate it has. The catastrophic events that have decimated Wall Street have altered the political landscape overwhelming the Iraq War, health care, and everything else. And, of course, McCain has failed to respond effectively to this barrage of challenges. His selection of Palin as a running mate briefly rejuvenated his campaign by finally giving the Republican base something to cheer. But that bump was short-lived as the economic crisis exploded and Palin’s appeal did McCain little good with independents and undecided voters. Despite all this, I do not wish to engage in a premature post mortem of the election. There are still 21 days left and no one can predict with certainty how this thing will end up. But there are a handful of things that need to be said at this juncture. First, GOTV is all important. All of the fundraising and ads and lawn signs and bumper stickers and office openings and coffees don’t amount to a hill of beans unless folks get out and vote. Again, the Obama campaign appears well-positioned to run an effective GOTV operation with all those offices and volunteers but time will tell. Second, whoever wins will need to launch a Herculean effort to bring our nation together following the election. Remember George W. Bush’s pledge to return civility to Washington? Even he admitted, to Bob Woodward, that he failed at that goal. And it can’t just be lip service or window dressing. Sure, anyone can appoint some likable character from the other party to the new cabinet. The need is for a drastic reconfiguring of the way things are done in Washington, substantively and stylistically. Both Obama and McCain seem to recognize this. It doesn’t just appear in their talking points; it seems imbedded in their DNA. Can […]
Oct 14th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Sometime’s a Pie’s Just a Pie
It’s Sunday morning and I’ve got one eye on the public affairs programming while I’m getting caught up on the morning news online. Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace just failed miserably to maintain decorum between McCain spokesperson Rick Davis and Obama uber flack David Axelrod. Come on, guys, let each other finish. Davis was the aggressor, taking every opportunity to shout over Axelrod. But Axelrod did not employ the proven tactic of simply shouting back “May I finish?” when faced with this kind of interruption. And Wallace just sheepishly grinned as the two combatants yelled at each other leaving viewers unable to understand either. Great television, it wasn’t. Meanwhile, over on CBS Sunday Morning, I caught Steve Hartman’s report on the two Milwaukee-area 50-year-old guys who fulfilled their pledge to each other back in college to do something really wacky when they hit AARP-membership age. They had a pie fight. How silly and how sweet (though the pies were made of shaving not whipped cream). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Jim Stingl first reported this hilarity last month so let’s give credit where credit is due. My search on YouTube failed to turn up any other footage of the Milwaukee festivities but it did lead me to some other variations on the theme. Any discussion of pie fights must, of course, pay tribute to The Three Stooges. Their humor doesn’t do much for me but this routine is a classic. And I also was intrigued to find a remarkable bit of soft porn packaged as an underwear ad. I’m not sure if it’s witty or puerile. I guess, to paraphrase Wallace’s employer, I report, you decide. But wait there’s more. Apparently there was a remake of the old Gilligan’s Island show on TBS that employed the device in an ad entitled “Ginger vs. Mary Ann.” Now I know I’m skating on thin ice here since this kind of objectifying of the human form is highly controversial. Personally, I think it’s funny but I also know that commentary is easy. Being funny is difficult. Here’s a blogger who apparently was offended not only by the TBS ad, but by the decision by The Daily Kos to run it. I guess I find myself siding with Kos and not feeling very offended by this kind of stuff. Of course, it’s all in the eye of the beholder or, as Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart kind of said, obscenity is hard to define but we know it when we see it. Which brings me back to that disgraceful performance on FOX and my thoughts turn to that unlikely philosopher, Rodney King, who asked “Can we all get along?” It’s a long shot, Rodney, but maybe some day. Maybe someday.
Oct 12th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Happy Birthday, Number Four
It’s a beautiful fall day, great football weather, which is only fitting since today is Brett Favre’s birthday. It still seems weird, doesn’t it, that Favre suits up Sundays in a jersey that doesn’t belong to the Green Bay Packers. Look, full disclosure here, I grew up in Queens, New York and have always been a Jets fan and I am ecstatic that he’s wearing the Green and White. But I’ve also been rooting for the Packers since moving to Wisconsin in 1999 and I wish them well too. Aaron Rodgers seems like a promising young quarterback and I hope the team shakes off these early season mistakes and roars to the playoffs (much like the Giants did last year). I don’t want to revisit the painful divorce between Favre and Packers management. But I also feel that I have a special obligation to pay tribute to the man today since I happen to share the same birthday. Here’s to you Brett. I hope you get to enjoy some quality time with your family after you’re done prepping for Sunday’s game. And I also hope you dispatch with the Bengals with ease so that you can watch the Pack take on Holmgren’s Seahawks in the late game. As for the rest of you, take a look at this article on the club of Brett’s backups from today’s New York Times. The article mentions some of the great practical jokes that Brett is known for though the Great Times is apparently too classy to mention his legendary flatulence. All in all, a good read.
Oct 10th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Cool Trumps Hot
So did you watch the debate last night? If not, I understand. This election has been going on forever. Even I found myself getting distracted while John McCain and Barack Obama were having at it. The race seemed so close a mere four weeks ago. These debates were among the most anticipated in history. The pressure was on both candidates to define themselves for the dwindling number of voters who were still undecided and, perhaps more importantly, casting doubts in their minds about their opponent. But that was then. Since the conventions ended, the nation has witnessed an economic collapse unlike anything since the Great Depression of 1929. Wall Street is in a tailspin, capital markets have stopped functioning, and Congress has passed an $850 billion rescue package. People are nervous and angry. How much more of this can anyone take? Conventional wisdom says that the more concerned people are about the economy, the better off Obama is. But that only seems to scratch the surface. McCain has appeared so erratic since the economic crisis blew up that he almost seems intent on convincing voters to support Obama. You’ve heard the litany. First he said the fundamentals of the economy were fine, then he called for President Bush to fire Security and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox, then he suspended his campaign, then he was back on the trail. It’s been exhausting to watch. McCain has effectively ceded the argument about which candidate is more stable and calm under pressure. And, what do you know?, McCain threw out another seemingly half-baked idea last night suggesting that he would instruct the Treasury Secretary to buy out the mortgages of every home in the nation that had been foreclosed. Obama’s response that the rescue package already gave the Treasury Secretary that authority seemed to let the air out of McCain’s trial balloon. McCain appeared to spend much of the debate wandering around the stage. By itself, age should not be a factor but McCain’s choppy answers and his surliness emphasize the contrast between the two candidates. McCain is dangerously close to appearing cartoonish. Am I the only one who was reminded last night of Howard Beale, the hysterical aging news anchor from the movie, Network? Here was a man who seemed lost in time. He wants to inherit the mantle of Ronald Reagan but last night McCain reminded me more of Abraham Simpson. Barack Obama’s performance was also somewhat disappointing. He seemed insistent on tamping down his normally inspirational language. A couple of the questions appeared to give him ideal opportunities to wax philosophical on the challenges facing the nation. Yet he returned to the same themes and principles of the failed Bush years and McCain’s links to the current president. In contrast with McCain, Obama almost seemed too cool. He chose his words carefully and remained calm. While his supporters may have wished he be more aggressive, I have to believe this was intentional and that undecided viewers will react favorably […]
Oct 8th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
The Last Refuge
It was a less than great weekend for sports fans in Wisconsin. The Badgers and Packers both lost and the Brewers ended their season though not before winning a playoff game at home on Saturday. So it’s time to return to more mundane topics like the economy and health care, national security and foreign relations. Yes, boys and girls, there still is an election a month away and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The wind appears to be at the back of the Democrats but, like a well-conditioned athlete, Barack Obama is wisely not letting his guard down. John McCain finds himself on the wrong side of the electorate on the war, has proven to be clueless on the economy and has, perhaps fatally, allied himself with the policies of an incredibly unpopular president. McCain may still wish to carry the brand of a “Straight Talker” but his words and actions show him to be a typically calculating, if inept, politician. McCain was a supporter of President Bush until he wasn’t a supporter of President Bush and his response to the economic crisis changed from day to day, revealing a candidate who seemed to feel that voters would be comforted by a strategy of “winging it.” So it comes to this. The McCain-Palin campaign has let it be known that “the gloves are off” which means that we can expect attacks on Obama’s vague and flimsy association with former Weatherman William Ayers. The whole thing is ridiculous. Obama has soundly criticized Ayers revolutionary activities from the 60s and 70s (when Obama was in grade school) and only has a tangential relationship with the university professor who happens to be his neighbor. McCain personally has taken pains to avoid this kind of guilt by association and we’re about to see why. It would have been nice if principle was involved but more likely it was because McCain is aware of the old axiom about people in glass houses. Remember Charles Keating? If not chances are good you’ll be hearing all about him soon. Keating was the Savings and Loan mogul who McCain went to bat for by improperly meeting with regulators to get them off his back in the ‘80s. And this wasn’t simply a matter of helping a friend. McCain’s record of opposing regulations is diametrically opposed with the needs of the nation at this moment in time. So go ahead Sen. McCain, bring on the smears. To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, these kind of attacks are the last refuge of a scoundrel. Here in Wisconsin. we can vote early, beginning today. So go down to City Hall and take care of business. That way, you can avoid long lines and maybe even volunteer on election day. It’s the right thing to do.
Oct 6th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
One Question
In the run-up to this historic election cycle, VITAL asked a sampling of your elected officials one question. We deliberately chose politicians at the city, county, state and federal levels, both Republicans and Democrats, in the hope that the responses of five different people who serve their constituencies from different horizons of perspective would offer some collective insight into where we are, where we’re headed and how we’re going to get there in the next four years. Their repsonses virtually careen from fiery stump speech to party line recitation to four-point-plan. If you follow politics, not much here will surprise you, but it is a rather fascinating character study.–Jon Anne Willow Willie L. Hines Jr. Alderman, 15th District Milwaukee Common Council President Having grown up in public housing, I am well acquainted with severe struggles many residents of Milwaukee face. My nine siblings and I always knew that having food on the table was not something to take for granted. We witnessed decay and destruction up close. And we learned to be thankful for everything, in and out of season – regardless of circumstances. Those childhood lessons have equipped me with a unique perspective when it comes to government and serving the needs of citizens. I know that significant challenges present significant opportunities – it’s a belief that guides my everyday life as an alderman and as Common Council President. I’ve witnessed individuals and communities in my district overcome myriad obstacles, so I know that it can be done with the right mix of determination and sound public policy. In regard to unemployment, housing and transportation, Milwaukee can do much better. We can – and should – face down these challenges and transform them into opportunities for growth, prosperity and a better quality of life for everyone. Part of the solution rests in a word that is often talked about but seldom realized: regionalism.Just as Milwaukee has its share of challenges, so too do our suburban neighbors: New Berlin has the largest industrial park in the state, but they need employees; many Waukesha residents want to get in and out of downtown Milwaukee quickly, but our inter-transit system is anemic; Shorewood and Whitefish Bay rely on Milwaukee for their employment options, but they offer almost no affordable housing. By recognizing that we are all one community, we can leverage our mutual advantages to address our mutual shortcomings. If Milwaukee can have sister-city relationships with municipalities in China and Africa, surely we can collaborate with our suburban counterparts. Recently, the topic of regionalism was fiercely debated when New Berlin came to Milwaukee seeking a deal for Lake Michigan water. This was not a surprise; as soon as the Great Lakes Compact was signed, we new that New Berlin would be the first candidate on the docket to be vetted for full connection to Milwaukee’s world-class fresh water infrastructure. Some have said that the New Berlin/Milwaukee water agreement offered an example of regionalism. But I say regionalism has to be a twoway […]
Oct 1st, 2008 by Jon Anne Willow
Reconsidering the turkey
The other day my son and I were driving in the country when we saw a small rafter of wild turkeys hanging out by the side of the road. We stopped to watch, which eventually caused the big tom to lead the dozen or so females and adolescents back to the tall meadow stand at a leisurely pace, one eye on us and one on his charges. He perched in a low tree, puffed up and giving orders in what sounded like a calm but firm voice, not descending until it was time to form a rear guard of one. It was very cool. For a 10-year old, Harrison is a fount of history and science trivia. As we pulled away he asked me if I knew that Ben Franklin thought the turkey would make a better national bird than the bald eagle. “I did know that,” I replied. “Do you know why?” “Because he thought turkeys were smarter and more honest than eagles, and that was a better symbol for America.” I asked if he agreed. “I think,” he replied, “that the turkey would be a better symbol of how we should be, but the eagle is more accurate for how we are.” Indeed. Benjamin Franklin’s now-famous thoughts on the turkey were disclosed in a letter to his daughter in 1784: “For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. …[T]oo lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him. … [L]like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country…For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird …He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage…” Franklin never petitioned his idea formally. Maybe he already had a sense of the direction in which things were headed and didn’t see the value in ruffling any feathers (sorry). He was, after all, a pretty smart guy, and eerily prescient on a host of matters. Philosophically, as a publisher, I’m probably a lot like Ben Franklin, who worked as a civil servant late into his life, more interested in improving the postal service, the library system and municipal functions than holding great power on the world stage. So when you read VITAL Source online or in print, […]
Oct 1st, 2008 by Jon Anne Willow
Milwaukee celebrates
Holy cow, the Brewers are in the playoffs and their fans are ready to par-tey!!! Well, I’m glad. Truthfully, I would have liked the Mets and Brewers to have won yesterday to force a game between the two teams to decide which one moved on. You see, I’ve always been a Mets fan but that’s another story. But how can you not be happy for Brewers fans? The 26 year drought without an appearance in the playoffs is over!! Finally, the city can stop looking back nostalgically on a seventh game loss in the World Series. Big time thanks to Mark Attanasio, the kid from the Bronx who grew up rooting for the Yankees before making a fortune which allowed him to rescue this team from the cursed Seligs. This guy had the courage and commitment to open up his checkbook and bring CC Sabathia to town. Baseball fans can reasonably disagree about lots of things but there is no chance that the Brewers would have made the playoffs sans CC. How exciting it must have been to watch the Brewers win at Miller Park and then stay to cheer as the Mets fell to the Marlins. Me, I was home watching the Packers lose while on the phone with my brother who was providing me with a play-by-play of the Jets game. Clearly, this is not the day to talk football and relive the Brett soap opera but give me a break? Aaron Rodgers has played great and he may be the future of the team but if he misses a single game due to injury, boy will the Packer brain trust get an earful! So I will be totally and completely rooting for the Brewers against the Phillies and, hopefully, against the Cubs or the Dodgers, and, yes, against the Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Twins or White Sox in the World Series. Sure it’s a long shot but that’s why they play the games. Oh, and one last thing. Back in 2000 when I had just moved to Wisconsin I went nearly insane with excitement when the Mets and Yankees met in the first (and, so far, only) Subway Series of my life. Did anyone here care? Who cares about baseball, I was told. The Packers season has started! Well, folks, whaddya know? It’s October (almost) and baseball still matters in Milwaukee. Whoo Hoo!
Sep 29th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Tragedy or Farce?
It couldn’t be any wackier if Paddy Chayefsky and Joseph Heller had collaborated on the script and Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman had done the directing. Let’s review. Those wild and crazy folks who are in charge of our federal government in Washington, DC continue to squander what little respect they have by appearing to be totally incapable of serious, mature behavior. The American economy has been the envy of the rest of the world because of one thing; its stability. Now the bedrock of the world’s financial infrastructure is in a state of collapse and those fine peeps responsible for righting this ship appear to be auditioning for a Three Stooges short. Who’s to blame? Where to start? Certainly evildoer #1 has to be President George Bush. His administration started a misguided and unnecessary war by manipulating Congress, the public and the world community. Thousands upon thousands of Americans and countless others have died or been maimed as a result and no evaluation of the current lame duck can avoid pointing that out. But let’s focus on the financial crisis. It is obvious that the Bush policies promoting deregulation and lax enforcement gave a green light to the lending practices that got us in our current situation. Bush may admire the presidency of Ronald “Mr. Teflon” Reagan but during this economic crisis he has appeared to be more deserving of the title Mr. Flypaper. And John McCain seems to think he can earn votes by competing with the President for Least Reassuring Performance of the Week. Sen. McCain continues to make light of his “Country First” slogan with his grandstanding behavior that appears to have blown up an apparent agreement on legislation to rescue the failing financial institutions. A cynical observer might conclude that McCain is so desperate to alter the perception that he is clueless on economic issues that he believes he must appear to be personally responsible for the bailout. Talk about a Messiah Complex! This prosposed legislation is so complicated that any delay may be a good thing if it gives members of Congress the opportunity to actually read and think about what they are voting on. But the world’s financial experts feel that the longer this takes, the worse things will be. The image of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulsen getting on his knees to plead with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t helping with that confidence thing. Who knows how this will end? Who knows if the debate will go on tonight? My advice? Rent Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera by the Marx Brothers and have a few laughs. But stay away from The Three Stooges. They behave too much like our political leaders to be a diversion.
Sep 26th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
The Scorecard
John McCain is not having a very good couple of weeks. His campaign has been in free fall ever since last week when he called the fundamentals of our economy strong, He quickly tried to reposition himself on all this economic stuff by insisting he was talking about the American Worker and Small Business owner and we were, in fact, facing a crisis. Nearly every day since has been an adventure as McCain has unleashed a barrage of prescriptions as if he was engaged in a very public focus group test. “Establish a bipartisan commission,” “Fire SEC Commission Chairman Christopher Cox,” “Hire Andrew Cuomo,” “Suspend the campaign and postpone the debate.” I don’t know about you but these rants do not inspire confidence. Don’t take my word for it, look at what George Will has to say. His decision to cancel his appearance on David Letterman may have seemed a good idea at the time but it may prove to be his most egregious error yet. By insisting that his time would be better spent returning to Washington to focus on the nation’s economy, McCain has invited the wrath of a man who controls five hours of network television a week. Letterman was hilarious and ruthless in his attack of McCain last night. And, it turns out, McCain didn’t rush down to the Capitol but merely headed over to another CBS studio which enabled Dave to share with his viewers the shot of McCain having makeup applied to his face across from Katie Couric. Ouch! Grade: F Meanwhile, the President’s remarks last night fell short in a number of respects. The people who cared enough to watch were looking for an explanation of why this is happening and how the proposed plan will help. The tone and rhetoric needed to convey urgency while demonstrating that the government’s primary concern was with the average American and not simply bailing out the wealthy. And it wouldn’t have hurt for him to accept some of the blame for the crisis. The real purpose of the speech was to apply pressure on Congress to move swiftly. A leader with the nation’s welfare at heart would have been willing to share responsibility in order to spur action. What I saw and heard was a man who was on automatic pilot. He placed blame on everyone but himself. Foreign money flooded our markets. Consumers bought homes they couldn’t afford. Some on Wall Street got greedy. And the solution wasn’t of his choosing but it’s what the experts say is necessary. And, by the way, Congress needs to act quickly or average Americans are going to be even more screwed. Did he really say that the rescue was important so people can buy new homes and cars? This are the concerns of the well off. What about the people worried about keeping their jobs, staying in their current homes and putting food on the table? This guy is so out of touch it’s incredible. Is there a […]
Sep 25th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
The Elephant in the Room
Barack Obama responds to the question of whether race will be an issue on Nov. 4th with remarkable cool. On 60 Minutes last night, he said it would probably be a wash, with some people voting against him because of the color of his skin while others will vote for him for the same reason. He has nothing to gain from calling attention to the issue of race. He would appear defensive and maybe even angry and end up reinforcing some of the very same stereotypes that divide our nation. But the fact that, even in 2008, America is still populated by a significant number of people who aren’t comfortable voting for a black man and that race is still something that divides us is deeply disappointing. I know there is little to be gained by raising this. People are unlikely to be reflective about race. The days of overt racism are, mostly, over and few people would ever admit to questioning Obama’s merits based on his skin color. But the issue of race remains a factor whether we admit it or not. For example, comments from people who acknowledge apprehension or distrust of Obama raise a red flag with me and then there are the unmitigated swoons by some over Sarah Palin who, they say, is “Just like us.” How reassuring is that. Let’s elect someone who reminds us of our own dysfunctional lives. I know that people often vote for psychological reasons as much as, or more than, political reasons. A New York Times/CBS News poll released in July suggests that racial divides are still powerful in America. So what else is new? What I find particularly repugnant is when examples cross over from the implicit to the explicit. Was it just me who felt that the McCain ad that called Obama “disrespectful” for questioning Palin (by calling her “good looking”) was over-the-top? I found it gruesomely reminiscent of America’s unfortunate history of discrimination and miscegenation laws (eg story of Emmitt Till). Or how about when a Georgia congressman calls Obama “uppity?” Even here in Wisconsin, I was surprised to hear Republican state chairman Reince Priebus refer to Obama as “unelectable. “ What is it, Reince, that makes Sen. Obama, who is leading Sen. McCain in nearly every poll, so “unelectable?” Of course, we know that every vote counts, especially in battleground states like Wisconsin and it really doesn’t matter what reason, conscious or unconscious, causes a person to support one candidate or another. But if we don’t take this opportunity to at least admit that the issue of race remains pernicious, then it will be a shame.
Sep 22nd, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Wineke and Priebus are all winks and jabs
Mike Gousha moderated a good-natured smackdown yesterday at Marquette University between Wisconsin’s political party chairmen, Republican Reince Priebus and Democrat Joe Wineke. The two partisan opponents were all smiles and slaps on the back as they reached into their bags of bon mots to attack each other’s candidates. Gousha once again proved to be superb in this role. At first, it seemed odd that Gousha positioned himself at the end, rather than in the middle, of the two, but it proved effective. Wineke and Priebus seemed genuinely friendly but when either one scored a point or threw a low blow you could almost feel the other wince. Both resorted to the usual talking points while analyzing the polls and the challenges Barack Obama and John McCain face winning Wisconsin. Probably the most substantive discussion focused on Attorney General J. D. Van Hollen’s attempt to force the state Government Accountability Board to check all voter registrations going back to January, 2006. Priebus insisted that Van Hollen was simply fulfilling his duty by calling on the GAB to enforce the federal election law while Wineke charged that Van Hollen, who serves as McCain’s campaign chairman for Wisconsin, was just carrying water for his candidate. But the zingers really started to fly when Gousha brought up Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Priebus called her a “rock star” that has energized the Republican base. Wineke pointed out that the “rock star” reference sounded like Priebus was calling Palin a celebrity, a term the McCain campaign has used to denigrate Obama. When Wineke poked fun at Palin’s assertion that her ability to see Russia from Alaska amounted to foreign policy experience, Priebus insisted that questions about Palin amounted to sexism. Perhaps the most controversial remarks of the forum came when someone in the audience questioned how Wineke could suggest that the Fox Valley was up for grabs when it is so predominately Catholic. Wineke insisted that the Catholic vote has never been “monolithic” and that Democrats felt very comfortable contesting the region. Priebus questioned how Catholics would feel about Obama’s support for “partial birth abortions” and Wineke responded that neither party was consistent with Catholic Church teachings on abortion and the death penalty. Very little was said about the economy which perhaps was for the best since neither Wineke or Priebus are qualified as economists. But it was telling that while Wineke challenged McCain’s assertion that he would strengthen regulations since his record is as a deregulator, Priebus insisted that the threat of world terrorism was the real crisis that would lead voters to support McCain. There are still six weeks to go but Republicans may be in trouble if they need to run away from the issue of the economy.
Sep 19th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
