News and views about philosophy, the academic profession, academic freedom, intellectual culture, and other topics. The world’s most popular philosophy blog, since 2003.
My former colleagues at another university in Middle East have also been moved to online teaching indefinitely, with the students…
If much of the interest of high-quality papers lies between the lines—in the metaphorical fire that a paper lights in…
I would also recommend that potential grad students make inquiries into how far the compensation package actually goes towards cost…
It’s a mix. I’m still in the UAE with my family, and we feel safe. But some students and faculty…
In the above comment, Michel wrote: “As an aside, every once in a while I check out how the chatbots…
I could imagine LLMs having saved me a *ton* of time in graduate school–e.g., by having supplied reasonable answers to…
The McMaster Department of Philosophy has now put together the following notice commemorating Barry: Barry Allen: A Philosophical Life Barry…
I mean, seriously? How did this happen? This "man" is not fit to be dog catcher (well, he might be up to that job). What happened in Wisconsin?
There are lots of factors but none more important than the non-presidential, off-year election of 2010. The rise of the Tea Party, fueled in part by deep-pocket reactionaries staggered by the election of an African-American President in 2008, sent right-leaners to the polls in droves, turning lots of independents rightish as well, while many moderates/leftists stayed home. Not only did this well-funded vortex, allied with the orchestrated politics of resentment against public workers, give us Walker: Taxes Ranger, but also Ron Johnson replacing one of the most distinguished Senators this state has ever had (Feingold), and delivering the Republican majority in the Assembly and Senate that made Walker's agenda untouchable by minority Dems. So came Act 10 and the destruction of unions (and, btw stripping UW faculty of the opportunity to unionize granted by the former governor late in his term–my signed card had already been filed when it became just another useless bit of political protest), but as (or more?) important redistricting that effectively gives the Legislature over to the Republicans for the next many years.
However, in 2012, the Presidential election returned enough left-leaners to give Obama the state and Tammy Baldwin a stark foil to Johnson in the US Senate.
2014, with a non-stellar Dem candidate who still only lost to Walker by less than 7%, was a return to much of the same story as 2010.
Next year Feingold is back at it against Johnson, but in a Presidential election year. There's a lot of grumbling here now even in the legislature about Walker's detachment in his not-quite-yet announced Presidential run. There's a lot of unofficial talk among high-level politicos in the Dem party that Walker is not only dead in his aspirations for high office, but he has no real future in this state either.
How did this happen? Very simple: Scott Walker won the majority of the votes in the election. In the end, people get the government they deserve. Until folks wake up and pay attention to the real issues, we can expect a continued parade of Scott Walkers in all aspects of our government for the "foreseeable sh*t-brained future," to borrow a phrase from David Eggers . . .
Professor White says true things.
This seems to me a good analysis: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118145/scott-walkers-toxic-racial-politics
Surprising takeaway: it has quite a lot to do with racism.
Everyone else touches on important truths. I'll add one more that should resonate with the resident Nietzscheans: ressentiment. If Walker has a political skill, it is his ability to tap into ressentiment. He tapped into the underlying egalitarian culture in Wisconsin in the most cynical way. "Do you want these public employee fat cats to live high on the hog on your dime while you suffer on their behalf???" That was pretty effective rhetoric in 2010 when the economy was still very uncertain and people had legitimate fears about their financial futures. It still works today when he points to the "unfair" advantages professors have in job security. "Why do they deserve more than you hardworking people? You don't have job security like that — why should they?" It is a kind of slave revolt.
I wonder what drives that particular landscape. I mean, it's quite a contrast to what's been happening in Minnesota (based on an admittedly superficial awareness on my part). During a short residence in that area 20 years ago, I thought of the two states as very similar in terms of demographics and industry. Maybe I was mistaken?
I hate to say this, since I find the concept too Christian or "religious," but of all the 1,776 Republican candidates currently running, Walker is the only one who strikes me as "evil." As taking a sort of glee in ruining peoples' lives. He's very Roman – he's dumber than a stone, yet joyfully passes legislation that has or will have demonstrably negative effects for his own state. It's strange. And it's frightening. I'm from a neighboring state. With an also terrible governor (surprise).
Thanks Anon UW-System Prof; much appreciated. Your link is really informative and readers should click-on. David (if I may)–my same point in my claim of the "politics of resentment"–and thanks.
As historical perspective, recall first that Wisconsin also gave us "Tail Gunner" Joe McCarthy right after WW2–not merely conservative but now the proper-noun adjective for any form of irrational persecution for greater political purpose. Then recall that Bob Kasten–right-wing Republican who won the US Senate against Gaylord Nelson in 1980–then incumbent Senator and the former Governor and heralded founder of Earth Day–and re-elected in 1986 even after being arrested for DUI in DC the year before (claiming to the arresting officer to be a shoe-salesman as I recall–I was TT then in my UW campus), was finally ousted in 1992. The margins of victory in both of Kasten's elections in the 80s were less than 4%, even given riding Reagan's coat-tails in 80. Feingold beat him by over 6% in Clinton's victory year in 1992–though I would note that none of these elections are "landslides", and that trend of the electorate to stay within single-digit margins seems the norm and indicative of Cheeseheadland to be sway to money and vicissitudes of media and social drifts than anything else.
Clearly recently the trend has been that Presidential elections in Wisconsin has been one significant factor in how our state fares in being perceived as blue or purple or red.
One thing I'd point out: if Brian's Illinois can elect a right-wing Governor in an off-Presidential year (2014), then I'd be very wary of the Republican strategies to focus on those non-Presidential elections–they have gotten the message that politics is very local, and they have put their money and their mouths right there. 2018 is as or more important to this country than 2016 is, I'd say.
Leave a Reply