Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Come on, man.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Let me file that under fuck it.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

Republicans do not trust women.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

Petty moves from a petty man.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

White supremacy is terrorism.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Wisconsin Elections on April 1 – We Have 29 Days to Make a Difference!

Wisconsin Elections on April 1 – We Have 29 Days to Make a Difference!

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New Angel Match from Mousebumples!   Angel match has been met!

Wisconsin elections are on April 1, so we have 29days to make a difference.

If we can get to $15,000 in the next few days, we can get started on the special elections for House seats.

What’s at stake?

  • Balance of power on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and more.
  • Musk is pouring millions of dollars into this race.
  • Let’s send a message – his money can’t buy everything, not if we’re united.
  • Momentum!

“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” – Hosea 8:7

Trump, Musk, and the entire GOP keep sowing the wind.

The whirlwind is here. 🧵

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler.bsky.social) February 28, 2025 at 5:42 PM

The fight starts here.

Howls of protest are rising from every corner of Wisconsin, and of the country. And we’ve got the first statewide test coming up in 32 days: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race. Help us beat Brad Schimel and Elon Musk—by chipping in to elect Susan Crawford:
secure.actblue.com/donate/wisde…

[image or embed]

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler.bsky.social) February 28, 2025 at 5:42 PM

Make Calls from anywhere, Knock Doors if you live within driving distance.

Help us reach out to voters across Wisconsin by knocking on doors and making calls. Volunteer here: wisdems.org/volunteer

[image or embed]

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler.bsky.social) February 28, 2025 at 5:42 PM

Donate

.

Mousebumples is our new Balloon Juice Angel to match donations up to $50 per person, up to a total of $1,000.

If you want to be matched, tell us about your donation in the comments, or send email to WaterGirl!

Write Postcards!

There is a postcard campaign for this race! Postcards To Voters has a short, sweet 3-sentence GOTV message. Sign up here: [email protected].

According to Mousebumples, Activate America (who I think I had on the 2024 Postcard Activism list) is also doing postcards for the SCOWIS race.

There are also virtual postcarding events on Mobilize.us, if that interests anyone

How do you want to feel on April 1?

A victory will be huge for Wisconsin in every way, not to mention a huge boost to momentum on our side.

Let’s do this!!

Reader Interactions

88Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    We finished up the original Angel match overnight.  Thank you to everyone who contributed!

  3. 3.

    WaterGirl

    @West of the Cascades: Thank you so much!

    We realistically only have a couple of weeks to make a difference, because it’s unlikely that anything contributed after that could be put to use in time.

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    $2,500 + our Angel match will get us to our goal of $15,000!

    Is anybody knocking doors or making phone calls for Wisconsin?  Links up top if you’re interested.

  10. 10.

    Mousebumples

    Thanks, everyone! WaterGirl mentioned Activate America – I found out about that through http://Mobilize.us (specific link here – https://mobilize.us/s/iS8p6D). There are postcarding events across Wisconsin and some virtual events, too. I might be going to one in NE Wisconsin next weekend, kiddos permitting.

    Idk if anyone wants to start up regular postcard threads (/music threads) again, or do a postcard Zoom (I can’t effectively Zoom and postcard, but everyone is different), or something.

    But I’ll be around (ish) for the next hour or so if there’s any questions I can help answer.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    One of our BJ peeps has order postcard stamps that are being sent to the two people who wrote to me.

  13. 13.

    Professor Bigfoot

    I’m on a mailing list somewhere and I keep getting requests to “chip in” by organizations I’ve never heard of.

    Anyone know a list of ostensibly “left” orgs to AVOID because they’re really just grifters?

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    @Professor Bigfoot: I immediately unsubscribe to any group that sends unsolicited fundraising requests.

    So if I were you I would unsubscribe to all of them.

    Any groups we support here through our ActBlue thermometers do not get your contact information unless you click the box that says you want them to contact you.

  17. 17.

    Glory b

    Next up!

    Looking forward, there are THREE Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices up for retention votes in November 2025, ALL DEMOCRATS!

    Losing these seats would give the Republicans a majority.

    The Republicans are cautiously excited, they ran the table with statewide votes in November, the first time in DECADES. They will revisit every decision our Supreme Court has made recently, including un gerrymandering the state, knocking down voter ID and public funding of vouchers for private and religious schools.

    They did so well in November that they really think this is a good possibility. They are appealing to Elon for funds.

    https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania_Supreme_Court_elections,_2025

  19. 19.

    H.E.Wolf

    Hooray for the angels! And the postcard writers. I’m talking my neighbors into writing… a small, local whirlwind of activism.

  21. 21.

    Professor Bigfoot

    Open thread, so— the MM post upstairs is interesting and I’d love to discuss it; but his comments are always closed.

    I’m not mad at the boy; but this arrangement seems somewhat less than courageous. 

    It’s an excellent post and deserving of discussion; and I mean that sincerely and literally.

  22. 22.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @WaterGirl: THANK YOU, that’s precisely what I’ve been doing.

    All my political donations for the forseeable will be going through here; and again, THANK YOU for all the work you do, ESPECIALLY THIS STUFF.

  25. 25.

    WaterGirl

    @Professor Bigfoot: I don’t think it has anything to do with lack of courage, but it does feel awkward, because commenting is what we are all about here.

    So it’s like reading a story on the internet, which is fine, but I am left with that “is that all there is?” feeling, like but where do we talk about it?

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @schrodingers_cat: April 1 is the date for the two special elections in Florida.  That’s why I’m hoping we can finish this up in a day or two so we can start looking at Florida.

    There is no date yet for the special election in New York.

    I would say the no one can predict their chances because predictions are based on similar, prior situations, and there are no similar prior situations.

    So anyone predicting must be basing it on gut feeling, and I don’t personally give a shit about anyone’s gut feeling when it comes to predictions.

  35. 35.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @dc: I did not know this! (off to his page)

    eta: I hope there’s further chat about it there

  36. 36.

    JoyceH

    Open thread – apparently the Vances are leaving their ski trip early. Poor Boo, did him not have a good time?

  38. 38.

    WaterGirl

    @schrodingers_cat: Ah.  The composition is not great for us at all.  One seems more possible in normal times than the other.

    But I think anything goes this time, so we have to go for it.

  40. 40.

    Another Scott

    +$50 + a little.

    Thanks Mousebumples and Watergirl and everyone.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  47. 47.

    BlueGuitarist

    @schrodingers_cat:
    @WaterGirl:

    Based on Presidential vote D%-R%, 2020, 2024 rough estimate:
    The Iowa state senate district that flipped by 4 points in January: -13, -21
    The electorate might be more anti-Trump now than at the end of January.
    NY-21 NY North Country (Stefanik) -16, -20
    FL-06 Daytona Beach (Waltz) -24, -28
    FL-01 Pensacola (Gaetz)  -32, -37

    FL-01 is a very long shot. The special election candidate there Gay Valimont lost to Gaetz in 2024 by 32 points. She reported raising $3.4 Million in February
    twice what she raised for the 2024 general election
    That’s a lot for such a long shot district!

    Some additional factors might help us in FL-06
    On the ballot in FL-06 in addition to Democrat Josh Weil
    R Randy Fine:
    a libertarian,
    anti-abortion extremist Randall Terry, and
    another Republican running as an independent.
    The latter 3 could draw quite a few votes away from the Republican from folks who will never vote for a Democrat, thereby bringing the contest closer for Weil.
    Some things that could cost Fine votes:
    He’s a carpetbagger – lives in a different district, different county; 75 miles south
    He’s a multimillionaire ($28 M self-reported net worth; Casinos); Harvard BA, MBA.
    In the FL Senate he has sponsored bills to ban flying flags expressing views he doesn’t like in public buildings and to lower the FL age to purchase weapons to 18.
    So too rich to care about trying to lower grocery prices or deal with the Florida home insurance crisis.
    Folks in Daytona Beach, the most famous spring break destination, might be less enthusiastic than an outsider like Fine about making it easier for drunk kids to bring guns to their parties, contests, and arguments.
    The few other blue areas in the district besides Daytona Beach where Weil needs to really boost turnout are small cities: DeLand and Palatka

    The D special election candidates on bluesky
    NY-21 Blake Gendebien: blakegendebien.bsky.social
    FL-06 Josh Weil: joshweil.bsky.social
    FL-01 Gay Valimont: Gayforcongress.bsky.social

  48. 48.

    scribbler

    Donated $25, and thank you WaterGirl!  I don’t know how you keep doing what you do, but there you are, still fighting.   I can barely put one foot in front of the other these days but you are an inspiration to me.

  53. 53.

    Mousebumples

    @WaterGirl: We are just past the halfway point on the Mousebumples Angel match.

    Quiet times are almost over in my house. I’ll check back later tonight – but (presuming the thermometer is ready for my match) I might not be back until after Medium Cool is going.

  55. 55.

    sentient ai from the future

    while we’re talking about money, if anyone could talk me down from the ledge about this “cryptocurrency reserve” just announced i’m all ears.

    i suspect he doesnt have the statutory authority to do anything like this, unless he destroys the independence of the Federal Reserve entirely. but i wonder what it’s possible for him to actually DO.

  57. 57.

    BlueGuitarist

    Contributed $25
    and wrote some more postcards for Susan Crawford for Supreme Court

  58. 58.

    Another Scott

    @sentient ai from the future: Haven’t seen that.  Is it like the Immediate expansion of American lumber production EO?

    It reads to me like it was written by some poorly designed AI bot.

    (b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Secretary of Commerce, through the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, shall complete a strategy on USFS and BLM forest management projects under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1536) to improve the speed of approving forestry projects. The Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the FWS, shall also examine any applicable existing authorities that would permit executive departments and agencies (agencies) to delegate consultation requirements under section 7 of the ESA to other agencies and, if necessary, provide a legislative proposal to ensure consultation is streamlined.

    (Emphasis added.)

    “complete a strategy”??
    “Improve speed”??
    “agencies (agencies)”??
    “ensure that consultation is streamlined”??

    What is Section 7 of the ESA, anyway?

    ESA Section 7 Consultation

    Section 7 of the ESA is titled Interagency Cooperation. It identifies the responsibilities of the Services (FWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service; NMFS) and federal agencies to utilize their authorities in furtherance of the purposes of the ESA. Section 7(a)(1) requires all federal agencies to carry out programs for the conservation of listed species, and section 7(a)(2) requires the agencies to ensure their activities are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of federally listed species or destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat. Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act applies to all actions federal agencies Fund, Authorize, Permit; or Carry out in which there is discretionary Federal involvement or control.

    Sounds pretty important to make sure that we don’t kill off all the wildlife just to have a glut of lumber for cheap housing construction (and punish Canada’s exporters), maybe! Maybe the Executive should make sure that the “laws are faithfully executed” rather than trying to find ways to go around them??!

    Grr…

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  60. 60.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Glory b:

    Interesting that PA Rs they are trying to get Elon$!

    A PA State Senate special election coming up, March 25:
    Democrat James Malone, Mayor of East Petersburg, is running for PA-S-36, northern Lancaster County.

    A tough district, but more favorable than the other specials, including the Iowa State Senate seat flipped a few weeks ago:
    Harris -15; 2022: Josh Shapiro +0.2, Fetterman -13.3.
    Unlike the other districts with special elections, which have shifted right since 2012, Democrats have improved in PAS-36 since Obama lost the district by 25 points in 2012.
    A Libertarian Party candidate on the ballot will help draw votes away from the R line.

    Website: https://www.friendsofjamesmalone.org/
    has ways to help page that includes postcards.
    bluesky maloneforsenate.bsky.social

    Current PA Senate D 23, R 27.

  66. 66.

    H.E.Wolf

    @sentient ai from the future: My motto at present, for every outrage du jour, is “Wait 3 days.”

    It takes 3 days, at minimum, for the lawsuits and injunctions to start arriving.

    Speaking for myself: when I get into reactive mode, it uses energy I’d rather employ for activities like donating money, writing postcards, persuading my friends to write postcards, and doing chores. (It can’t all be political activism. Folks gotta eat and do laundry.)

    The smaller the task, the better. The easier it is to complete, the quicker I get the joy of accomplishment!

  67. 67.

    prostratedragon

    @sentient ai from the future:

    Everybody’s fave newspaper has an article today with a rundown of key DOGE, i.e. Musk, employees. There is a gift link here that might still work.

    This may or may not talk you down some.

    Edit: and H.E. Wolf just above has good advice, starting with the the first suggestion.

  68. 68.

    lowtechcyclist

    @JoyceH:

    Open thread – apparently the Vances are leaving their ski trip early. Poor Boo, did him not have a good time?

    Awww, poor baby!  Too bad, so sad.

    Maybe he should go skiing in Alabama next time.

    What, no ski resorts in Alabama? What a shame.

    ETA: Just tossed in $100.

  75. 75.

    WaterGirl

    @N M: I’m pretty sure I got you yesterday, but I will go check.

    I record the comment numbers with the donations so it will be easy to check.

    edit: it’s there in last night’s thread at comment #46.  So I got you!

  83. 83.

    Mousebumples

    Just put the match $ in, if anyone is watching to see the thermometer jump…

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