One out of one folkbums recommend

by folkbum

It's time to make the recommendations for next week's elections. I don't think any of it will surprise you, but it's kind of, you know, expected.

Wisconsin Supreme Court: Vote for justice Louis Butler--if for no other reason than Judge Michael Gableman has just looked dumb throughout the campaign. From his repetition of attacks on Butler that he can't back up to his deliberate misreadings of Butler's opinions, Gableman hasn't demonstrated the kind of intellectual deportment I would expect of someone serving on the high court. Additional reading: Emily Mills, Clyde Winter.

Veto Referendum: Vote yes. Sure, Jim Doyle pieced something together to save my job a couple years ago, but think about the abuses under Tommy Thompson ...

Milwaukee County Executive: Vote for Lena Taylor. Look, Taylor has run a crappy campaign, as everyone--including me--knew she would. But the alternative is four (maybe two, but jebus help us if it that happens) more years of Scott Walker. Walker has placed ideology and his own ambition ahead of the health (metaphorical, financial, and occasionally literal) of Milwaukee County. Walker is Wisconsin's answer to Grover Norquist--he believes in nothing so strongly as the notion that someday Milwaukee County will be too weak to fight back when he finally tries to drown it in the bathtub. From transit to parks to mental health to the courthouse, Walker has allowed--nay, demanded--Milwaukee County devolve, roll back, cut back, shrivel up and die. Taylor is a hard-nosed, speak-before-thinking, take-no-prisoners kind of politician, and she may not have the ideal temperament to lead (as opposed to legislate). But she believes in Milwaukee County, and she believes that with a change in leadership and attitude Milwaukee County can lead the state again. I say give her that chance--it's a damn sight better than Walker's let-it-die attitude.

Other races on my ballot: Vote Barrett over Shaw for Milwaukee mayor. Vote Larson over Kraeger in the 14th County Supervisory district. Vote Zielinski over Reid in the 14th Aldermanic district. Both Dallett and Norman seem like perfectly reasonable candidates in the contested judgeship race--take your pick.

... ADDED: The Real Charlie Sykes asks in comments, The real questions are Coggs or McGee, Flaherty or Kovac, Witkowski or DeBraska, Puente or Hamilton. Well, since he asked: Coggs, Flaherty, Witkowski*, and Puente (no sense voting for someone who doesn't live in the area he wants to represent).

* Last week Debraska's campaign sent me a mailer, even though I am not in that district. It should be a little concerning when a candidate doesn't know the boundaries of the district he's running in.