Election Matters: John Kerry returns to Madison, this time for Obama

John Nichols  —  10/13/2008 7:44 am

CALENDAR: The Nov. 4 election is 23 days from today.

POLL POSITIONING: No new polls from Wisconsin. The Real Clear Politics poll-of-polls for the country has Democrat Barack Obama at 49.9 percent to Republican John McCain at 42.3 percent. That's a 7.6 percent lead. The latest Gallup Tracking Poll has Obama ahead 51-42.

NEXT BIG CAMPAIGN EVENT: Four years after he drew 80,000 people (with a little help from Bruce Springsteen) to a Madison rally where he urged Wisconsinites to vote early for him, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry will return to town to urge Wisconsinites to vote early for someone else: Obama.

An early and enthusiastic Obama backer this year, Kerry will appear Tuesday at a "Vote EARLY for Change Rally" with Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

The rally will be followed by what the Obama camp describes as "a march to the Madison City Clerk's office to vote early for Senator Barack Obama!"

Here are rally details:

Tuesday, Oct. 14th 3:30pm

Madison Capitol Square

(State Street Entrance)

2 E. Main St.

To attend, RSVP to:

via e-mail: madison@obamacampaign4change.org

by phone: 608-255-0411

on the Web: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs5yqt

UPCOMING CAMPAIGN EVENT: Fight For Your Right to Party

Springsteen has yet to schedule a return visit to Madison. But Milwaukee will be visited two days before the 2008 election by a "voter awareness" tour featuring the adventurous mix of Crosby and Nash, the Beastie Boys, Ben Harper and Tenacious D.

The folk-rock-rap gumbo will be served Nov. 2 at the U.S. Cellular Arena, with reserved and floor general admission tickets on sale now via www.livenation.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

The Beastie Boys -- who famously promised to fight for their right to party -- have long been active in human rights issues, especially those related to Tibet. They are key organizers of rock star tours of swing states leading up to the election.

SURE-TO-HAPPEN CAMPAIGN EVENT: Bill and Hillary in Wisconsin

Bill and Hillary Clinton are hitting the campaign trail for Barack Obama today at a Scranton, Penn., rally with Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden. The Clintons will be busy in coming days, visiting Virginia, Ohio, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Wisconsin can count on a visit by one or both.

Is former Democratic presidential nomination bidder Hillary sincere in her support for Obama? You bet. In fact, she seems to be more than willing to let her former rival take on the challenges that are in the offering.

"I think it is safe to say we have not seen more troubles at one time since World War Two," Clinton told a Friday rally in Little Rock, Ark. "Probably no president will inherit more challenges than President Obama will, since Harry Truman had to take over from Franklin Roosevelt."

THE BIG QUESTION: Maybe it should be McCain-Palin-Weisflog

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain debated in Nashville last week. But no one remembers anything that was said by them. All anyone remembers from last week was the earful that McCain and running mate Sarah Palin got from that grouchy guy in Waukesha.

With his reference to Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as "hooligans," his ranting about creeping "socialism" and his demand that McCain and Palin "Go get 'em!" the fellow who American instantly began referring to as "Angry Waukesha Man" caught the zeitgeist of raging Republicanism.

The crowd loved him. Bloggers loved him. Talk radio loved him.

"Angry Waukesha Man" got it!

But who was this champion of the "Hey, you kids, get off of my lawn" ethic?

Meet Ron Weisflog, a longtime resident of Waukesha County who spends most of his time in Naples, Fla., these days. He is 64. He's the retired owner of Waukesha County's Weisflog Home Design & Remodeling Show Room. He goes around wearing a dark blue McCain-Palin T-shirt with big "McCain-Palin" badges pinned all over it. And, yes, he is "really mad" about Obama, Democrats, socialism and McCain's less-than-stellar poll numbers.

He's had a a less-than-satisfying experience with Wisconsin's judicial system, which might explain the anger. But a good court fight is essential to anyone who wants populist street cred.

And Ron Weisflog's got it. By Saturday, a Google of the words "Angry Waukesha Man" brought up more than 66,000 results -- most of them enthusiastic blog references like the one at www.prolifeblogs.com under the worried headline: "Is McCain Committing Political Suicide With His Nice Guy Attitude?"

Weisflog's smiling now.

And it is good the retiree has some time on his hands. The Republicans might want to put him on the campaign trail. The man who got the Waukesha crowd chanting "USA! USA!" might draw bigger crowds than McCain, although he probably couldn't compete with Palin, who has taken to arriving at events with music blaring and fog machines pumping in order to achieve the full rock star image.

FIRST QUOTE OF THE DAY: From Georgia Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights movement hero whom John McCain has described at Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church forum earlier this year as a man whose advice he would always seek:

"As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.

"During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.

"As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."

SECOND QUOTE OF THE DAY: From McCain:

"Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Gov. Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Sen. Obama's record and positions could be compared to Gov. George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign.

"I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.

"I call on Senator Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election. Our country must return to the important debate about the path forward for America."

THIRD QUOTE OF THE DAY: From the Obama campaign:

"Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies. But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States 'pals around with terrorists.'"

"As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead."

FOURTH QUOTE OF THE DAY: And a Final Word From Lewis:

"My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior," he said. "I am glad that Sen. McCain has taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies. I believe we need to return to civil discourse in this election about the pressing economic issues that are affecting our nation."

John Nichols  —  10/13/2008 7:44 am