May 5, 2012

Oh! I forgot to watch the recall candidates debate!

Forgot even to tape it. I did notice at one point that there was a debate and made a mental note to tape it. I had the motivation of wanting to tell you all about it, but I forgot. It was a Friday night. Did anyone watch?

Well, I'm sure it's on line. Yeah, here. And we can always check out the Wisconsin State Journal report:
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, and Secretary of State Doug La Follette appeared at Wisconsin Public Television's Madison studios for their last debate before Tuesday's primary. The winner earns a shot at unseating Walker in a general recall election June 5....

The Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls were careful not to jab each other too hard Friday and risk alienating each other's supporters; the nominee will need a united front going into June. Instead they spent most of the evening trotting out well-rehearsed talking points against Walker.
Trotting out well-rehearsed talking points and not attacking each other? Then there was no test of who would do better actually wrangling with Walker.
But Barrett accused the governor of caring more about traveling around the country and parlaying his reputation as conservative superstar into loads of out-of-state campaign contributions.

"I'll stay here in Wisconsin to work and retain jobs," he said. "I won't be a rock star to the far-right movement."
That's a relief! I'm sure Barrett will be quite the non-rock-star — of the left or the right.  That's his pitch: I'm very bland. How that retains jobs, I have no idea. He's not even offering to grow jobs (as Walker did). Just retain them, okay?

Meanwhile, Falk said:
"No one will work harder than I to get people back working."
So she'll work hard. No Walkeresque claim of creating job, nor even a Barretty assurance of retaining jobs. Just working really really hard.  It's the diligence, the very earnest diligence that matters so much. Diligence and good grammar. No one will work harder than I [will].

They also talked about restoring civility, because you know how Scott Walker caused that terrible outbreak of uncouthness:
"That's what's missing in Madison right now," he said. "The basic human respect is gone."

Falk likened the state to a broken family. Sometimes, she said, it takes a mother with a firm, strong hand to bring it together again.
Oh, no! Falk is playing the gender card.
"We need a mom and I'm anxious to be that mom and bring us back together," Falk said.
Oh, no! Ha ha. That's laying it on really thick. I'm live-blogging my reading of the article, so I hadn't seen that when I was making fun of her "No one will work harder than I" idea for building economy. I was going to say it sounded like a school girl running for class president. I was even going to break out the Tracy Flick comparison...



I decided not to. My feminist scruples won out and I decided not to lay a gender template on that striving overachievement attitude. But then she outright played the gender game. So Tracy Flick must be noted. It's simple pop culture literacy to cite Tracy Flick. I'd just plain not be doing my job as a blogger if I didn't embed that.

Now, I'd like to embed something comparable for Barrett, because I'm not endorsing anyone. But what pop culture reference could I make? He said himself that he's not going to be a "rock star," and that's actually pretty comical in itself. You know, you have somebody who has zero capacity to be something, and he assures you that he'll refrain from being that.  What's the pop culture reference for that?

ME: "Can you think of someone who was in a famous rock band, but was totally in the background, like somebody completely boring and schlubby, where you'd be all look at the bassist, why is that guy in the band?"

MEADE: Maybe Phil Lesh.

ME: No, he's too cool.

MEADE: Phil Lesh is cool?



So... the candidates were asked how they'd restore the public workers' collective bargaining rights:
Barrett promised to use "any vehicle I can to get to the destination," but said he'd start with a special legislative session shortly after taking office.
That reminds me. Speaking of "any vehicle"... I note that they didn't even mention one thing that Doug La Follette said at the debate. Here at Meadhouse, we've been laughing for days about this:
... La Follette says he would "fly to Washington, D.C." to try to reclaim funding for high-speed rail that Walker nixed....
Meade said: "Fly to Washington! Why doesn't he take the train? There's a train to Washington."

I said: "Well, let's be fair. Maybe he has little wings and he can fly. Make Way for Douglings...."

23 comments:

Once written, twice... said...

Ann, I see you are back to abusing the red wine box. Well, at least it is entertaining in a car wreck sort of way.

ndspinelli said...

Decaf.

edutcher said...

It's OK. You are allowed campaign fatigue.

You've been following this from the beginning.

Steve Austin said...

I listened to ten minutes of this nonsense on the radio. And in that small amount of time, all four of them probably spent another three billion of additional taxpayer money we don't have to you know, do the right thing and help the people.

Meade said...

I'll vote for the one who promises to make Douglings a protected species.

James said...

I'm voting for Kathleen Falk and Mahlon Mitchell on Tuesday.

Steve Austin said...

Oh and please, please keep talking about bringing back the multi billion dollar slow train from Milwaukee to Madison.

Here in Tom Barrett's Milwaukee the jobs keep running away as the city implodes on his watch the past decade.

And his only solutions to the problem are two lame government subsidized Spanish owned factories, Ingeteam and Talgo, that make wind turbine blades and assemble choo choo trains with pre fab parts made in Spain.

Rick67 said...

Bassists are cool.

6 string basses are like 11 out of 10 cool.

ark said...

Yes, Phil Lesh is cool. His playing affected the Greatful Dead's sound as much as Gerry Garcia's, even though most people didn't realize it because they don't notice bass players.

Here's an example where the main groove is really a duet between Phil and Jerry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R3WBhod0sE

Meade said...

Falksy Lady

Ann Althouse said...

"Ann, I see you are back to abusing the red wine box. Well, at least it is entertaining in a car wreck sort of way."

I've always thought it was sad the way some people think flights of fancy can only be had through intoxicating substances.

It's just like the way people assume that if Doug La Follette is flying to Washington, he's going to need an airplane. Oh, but you have not considered the possibility that little Dougie can fly!

Wince said...

"I've always thought it was sad the way some people think flights of fancy can only be had through intoxicating substances."

Falk likened the state to a broken family. Sometimes, she said, it takes a mother with a firm, strong hand to bring it together again. Oh, no! Falk is playing the gender card.

"We need a mom and I'm anxious to be that mom and bring us back together."


"I want you to be my mom. Are you my mom?"

Can you think of someone who was in a famous rock band, but was totally in the background, like somebody completely boring and schlubby, where you'd be all look at the bassist, why is that guy in the band?"

Wolfgang Van Halen? Although we all know why he's in the band. (So mean, he actually seems like a nice kid.)

yashu said...

The "restoring civility" bit is hilarious. That's like a mom who "instills maturity" in her kids by rewarding every tantrum with candy.

Falk promises to be that mom.

George M. Spencer said...

For 10+ years, Lesh has ended every concert by briefly telling audiences about his experience as a liver transplant survivor.

He asks everyone to consider becoming an organ transplant donor.

Unbroken Chain Foundation

That's cool. More than cool, actually. He's a heroic figure.

Plus, he's 71, tours constantly. I saw him last summer play in 100 degree weather. Tough guy.

bagoh20 said...

Charlie Watts

bagoh20 said...

Governor Octomom

Once written, twice... said...

Ann, "flights of fancy" is what you call the above?

I would call it "flights of stupidity." But hey, it's your train wreck.

rhhardin said...

Baby bird promising not to eat clover, needs mom now, but will fly to Washington.

Robin Peter to pay Paul.

Anonymous said...

Seems like those liver transplant guys are a pretty tough bunch, despite their political leanings:)

CWJ said...

Bagoh2o,

YES, Charlie Watts!

Last time I heard of him, he was a restranteur in London.

As for Walker running around the country raising money. Perhaps if the the dems hadn't saddled him with an ADDITIONAL campaign to run, he wouldn't have to spend EXTRA time raising money.

Mark said...

Along with Lesh, Jack Bruce is a famous bassist and liver transplant survivor - and definitely not boring!

LarryK said...

Now, I'd like to embed something comparable for Barrett, because I'm not endorsing anyone. But what pop culture reference could I make?

Tom Barrett puts a Barry Manilow-kind of vibe - softer than soft rock, although happy to open for big, brassy flamboyant stars (i.e. Bette) playing to adoring fans in gay bathhouses.

Barry M. is apparently a Ron Paul man now and probably wouldn't support Barrett, but Barrett's crack staff could still tap into the mellow magic by adapting Manilow's classic "I Write the Songs" to the recall campaign. I'll help them out by giving them the chorus:

I Right the Wrongs that Governor Scotty brings
I Right the Wrongs for WEAC underlings
I Right the Wrongs that make the young girls cry
I Right the Wrongs, I Right the Wrongs

ChrisA said...

Late to this party. Oh yeah, Phil Lesh is cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygNdZgEdTx0&feature=related

1:50 to 2:00 among others.

Watch him play and tell me he's 71.