Wisconsin '08 Election Notes

Political writers who in February ridiculed the notion that Obama, flush with a 17-point primary victory here, could in November win substantial blocks of voters among the 'white working class' (WWC), appeal to white voters in Republican strongholds such as Waukesha County, and who crowed that their reading of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) federal election law was spot-on correct, are in a word: Wrong.

Typical among today's brand of Republican commentators, such admissions have not been forthcoming.

White Working Class

As Ruy Teixeira writes: While losing the "white working class" (WWC) vote nationally by 18 points, "(o)n the state level, Obama did stunningly well among WWC voters in four of the five highly competitive states they won in 2000 and 2004 (MI, MN, OR and (Wisconsin)). The average WWC deficit for Kerry in these states in 2004 was 8 points. In 2008, Obama had an average advantage in these states of 6 points, a pro-Democratic swing of 14 points."

Waukesha County

Looking at Waukesha County, Kerry lost by 81,000 votes; Obama lost by some 60,000 votes. That's an improvement in one county of about twice the Democratic nominees' statewide combined winning margins in 2000 and 2004.

Informed (let's be honest non-Republican) observers saw McCain as a long shot here, with prospects dimming with each passing negative ad run.

But the Republican political campaign itself never gave up though its top strategists recalled later that they could read the writing on the wall.

McCain-Palin co-chair Van Hollen, Amen-Corner Know-Nothings

But the campaign soldiered on, including the contemptible attempt by McCain-Palin co-chair and AG J.B. Van Hollen to use the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to force widespread provisional ballot voting, disqualify eligible voters, suppress the black turnout in Milwaukee [where the blacks were getting uppity], and basically sow confusion into the voting process.

They lost that battle too.

And now Republican commentators, facts aside, claim victory: Victory in their arguments—citing the Government Accountability Board's (GAB) recent decision to maintain the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), a voters list, by comparing it with State Department of Transportation data, per HAVA.

Some facts that continue to elude such writers as Waukesha's James Wigderson:

- The text in HAVA mandates that Wisconsin takes due care to see that eligible voters are not thrown off the voter rolls. The GAB has been and is exercising that care. Thus, as the GAB press release reads: "The six-member Board of former judges ruled that a mismatch of voter information contained in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) with Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) data, in and of itself, shall not result in disqualification of a voter."

- The GAB has said repeatedly that it will implement the cross-checking as Van Hollen, the GOP, and know-nothings like Wigderson screamed was demanded by the "law." But the disagreement was over the timetable, the GAB's versus the GOP's.

As the GAB press release reads: "The Board’s decision prevented potentially thousands of Wisconsin voters from being disenfranchised ... on November 4, solely because the spelling of the voter’s name was not exactly the same in the DOT database and the SVRS database. In its August 27 decision, the Board said that it would revisit its action after the fall election. ... 'Since being directed by the Board at its August 27 meeting, it has been our intention to work with our local election partners after the General Election to identify a protocol that ensures consistency and standards for cross-checking all voters in SVRS with DOT records,' (said) Kevin Kennedy, GAB’s Director and General Counsel, and Wisconsin’s Chief Election Officer. '"

The GAB is revisiting its action now, like it said it would.

So Wigderson says he was right all along, citing the decision of the GAB to do what it said it was going to do, and refusing to disenfranchise voters because bureaucrats' databases do not match.

Republican commentators like Wigderson live in a world undisturbed by facts, replete with an utter inability to comprehend this issue. And they are treated seriously by some--especially in journals that should know better.

Thankfully, the reality-based community will take over both the legislative and executive in America and Wisconsin in 2009 having swept away reality-challenged minds.

- via mal contends