I have waxed poetic about living in Madison Wisconsin many a time. Undoubtedly, you are tired of hearing about it by now. To be balanced, however, Madison is an island of sanity surrounded by a lot of backwardness and Republican venom, a party that seems more intent on sticking it to the libs than on good government.
The old joke used to be that Madtown was 80 square miles or so of fantasy surrounded by reality. Today, it might be described as 1,200 square miles (the size of Dane County where Madison is located) surrounded by an aspiring Banana Republic. This Democratic bastion booms as a beacon of growth while the remainder of the state mostly stagnates and struggles.
Recently, this obvious gap between a booming and progressive seat of education and hi-tech development and (much) of the remainder of the state has become ever more apparent. I hope some of you can scan and read the article included in the insert. It is by Dave Zweifel, emeritus editor of the local paper.
He eloquently talks about this tale a tale of two states. One is being led by a Republican agenda (Wisconsin) though somewhat tempered recently by a Democratic Governor through his veto power. The other (Minnesota) is a trifects state (Dems hold the major offices) and thus has been followed a more progressive, Democratic agenda. Not surprisingly, the Gophers are leaping ahead of the Badgers in both economic and social terms.
Do you know what this means? I may have to admit to the family of my late spouse that they live in the superior state. Oh, the agony of it all. What makes this all the more painful is that Wisconsin used to be the beacon of good government toward which the nation often looked for the new ideas and innovations.
All so bitter and sad.
Let me know if you can access the full article. If not, I’ll write something more detailed in the future (but Dave says it better than I).
Tom's Musings 
5 responses to “I Weep!”
Eh? Republican venom and Democratic lunacy? Ever consider, my good fellow, with the many excellent points you raise [are you sure you’re a Democrat?] that you might sway minds [otherwise tentatively uncommitted and firmly entrenched] with less inflamed rhetoric? A for ensample? Sure. Right away, “Republican venom.” Which is to plant the idea in minds that only Repullicans are nasty-mouthed, vicious animals? Never [one must wonder] was there a vicious Democrat? In a generous mood this morning [contemplating crawling out of a state of behindedness within the week] here’s another: “…backwardness and Republican venom, a party that seems more intent on sticking it to the libs than on good government.” You offer no concrete support for your [rather] subjective [nakedly biased] supposition. You’re an intelligent sort with loads of good ideas that many would do well to consider and adapt to their own purposes [and the general benefit of ‘Murican society]. In the words of [pardon my conservatively skewed adjectival poke at your hero] Sleepy Joe, “C’mon man, it’s that, that, thing, you know, the sense of whatever it is, you know?” [I had in mind “that thing” fair play and solid debate skills.]
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I am so glad you are back. I did miss you. We will not agree but I appreciate your directness and style.
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And I need an alternate way of viewing “things.” Repullicans and Libbies both need to do more listening and less running off at the mouth a la undocumented diatribe. [Mea culpa, sadly, quite often. But I am trying.]
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Don’t beat yourself up. I know I have become much more of a crotchety old man in my dotage. I had prided myself on being an ‘independent’ thinker through most of my life. But those damn Republicans kept drifting further and further to the right. It is nigh impossible to find a middle ground in today’s environment. I could argue that the polarization is real and not perception but that is a longer argument than I have tme for at the moment. One last thing. I really don’t worry about changing anyones mind for two reasons. No one is reading my blogs and most have their minds made up already. Sigh!
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[Snicker!] There is, fortunately no drift on the left, right? Libbies are not adrift, but full steam ahead toward socialistic, overgovernmented, entitled icebergs. [Which, is of course, my crotchety old gaffer opinion, right?] Agreed [surely that is a mistaken assumption on my part] that this divisive political [and in many respects, social] environment is worsening and as apparently unstoppable as Wuhan19 or Glomal Warning. Say, youngster, have a grand day. I’m heading out to bale hay.
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