Identity politics will be on the ballot next spring
Stopping at the corner of Whitney Way and Odana Road, the Squire had a flashback. (No, not from the orange sunshine back in the day.) Just a year ago, motorists at Madison’s busiest intersections were confronted by professional panhandlers masquerading as “homeless.” Today, Madison’s byways and highways are mercifully free of these pests.
No thanks to Mo Cheeks. Mayor Soglin tried to get the council to ban the practice. After months of hair-pulling and finger-twisting; WI State Journal editorials; “Help Wanted” signs like dandelions in spring; and solid evidence from the police, the streets department, and social service agencies that these beggars were scamming the public AND a traffic hazard, the council voted for the ban. Well, most of them, anyway.
Not Alderman Maurice Cheeks. He voted to keep the scammers scamming for dollars on our busy streets. Now the guy is running for mayor on the Identity Politics ticket. No surprise: We predicted this back in April — April 2017.
When a candidate hires professional Washington D.C. campaign operatives — including Hillary Clinton staffers — for a city aldermanic race you know the guy wants to swim with bigger fish. The incumbent alder spent twice as much for his re-election last year than normal. Isthmus took notice: “Hey, Big Spender,” the liberal weekly taunted, without catching on that the re-election bid was just a tune-up for The Main Chance.
Cheeks
This being the Emerald City, Isthmus got played the race card for even reporting the unusual spending. (Read the comments.)
The race card is Maurice Cheeks’ ace card. He’s counting on Madison’s guilty liberals to cast off the yoke of white privilege, to overcome their implicit bias in order to elect Madison’s first black mayor.
Said so in his announcement today. “I’m … focused on working to reduce racial and economic inequality in our city.”
So he’s a socialist, as well.
Cheeks voted to:
• Raid the city’s emergency fund for $400,000 to search for signs of white privilege and implicit bias in Madison’s nationally honored police Department.
• Keep the fake “homeless” scammers on the median strips of our busy streets even after the police, the streets department, and the mayor proved that the scammers were not really homeless.
• Spend $13 million of tax money for something called a “public market.”
• Erase history and remove the memorial monument to the Madison woman who cared for the graves of the Confederate soldiers who died as POWs at Camp Randall.
• “Bridge the digital divide,” spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a boondoggle that attracted a total of 19 subscribers (discussed here).
Cheeks joins Satya Rhodes Conway as announced candidates for mayor. Now we’re hearing that Brenda Konkel and Bridget Maniaci may join them. All former alders. As for the incumbent, Paul Soglin is sounding tired of fighting the council. Cheeks, in particular, is part of the anti-Soglin cabal on the Council. Perhaps as tit for his tat, Soglin blasted Cheeks for having “a history of poor budget priorities.” (The Capital Times, 9-20-16)
Blaska’s Bottom Line: That should be enough to get Mo Cheeks elected mayor. This IS Madison, after all.
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
Where can I get a yard sign?
LikeLike
From the Tooth Fairy!
LikeLike
I heard Mo on WIBA this morning with Mitch. He sounds like a really nice guy. Unfortunately, his announced “platform” was strong on his desired idealized ultimate goals, and short on facts or a logical plan to achieve them. His last comment about being at the vanguard of the “resist” movement said it all. Sotty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment copied/pasted from the Isthmus article DB mentioned.
Investigation of Cheeks warranted
As a constituent in Cheeks’ district, I do find this reporting very relevant and interesting. He seems very good at self-promotion and socializing, but is unable to respond to his constituents. He doesn’t maintain a newsletter or blog to communicate about important issues, and doesn’t respond to email or phone calls, though he does tweet (mostly for his own networking gain, I think.) So, I’d appreciate more investigation and reporting on what exactly Cheeks is doing. Raising money, sure. But what else? I certainly don’t feel well-represented, and I’m baffled that he enjoys such support in my neighborhood.
Laura 269 days ago | reply
Being nonresponsive to constituents is a sentiment that has been dogging Cheeks since he’s been Alder in my district. Won last election with 84% of vote. Apparently doesn’t matter.
Listened to the guy once at a community meeting and immediately realized he is one slippery politico>>>he should do well.
LikeLike
That was a comment complaint Steve heard when he ran – that Cheeks doesn’t respond to his constituents.
LikeLike
I heard him on WIBA; this morning too. When he brought up the “resist”movement I remember some of his campaign mail,during the aldermanic race, that knocked Steve Fitzsimmons for having voted for Trump! There was enough hatred for Trump to sink Steve, whether he did vote for Trump or not. How did Cheeks know Steve voted for Trump anyhow? Even Mitch was gently mocking the “resist”movement after his interview with Cheeks. Our town is in big trouble with some of the people thinking about running for Mayor. If one of them wins, they will ruin the city and then disappear to other cities to do the same damage. A moderate or conservative doesn’t stand a chance in the Emerald City.
LikeLike
Steve didn’t vote for Trump. Mo’s campaign found an old Tweet of Steve’s complimenting Sheriff Clarke (who happened to be pictured with Trump) and they ran with it. Steve’s very moderate / independent, and you’re correct – in Madison, this do well.
LikeLike
Of course he’ll win, given a record that sounds just dandy to every sanctimonious white upper middle-class liberal in Madison, where politics essentially means identity politics. And playing the race card is something they more or less expect from any minority candidate. That phrase you used–“Madison’s first black Mayor”–is enough to get every guilty white liberal to the polls. How shameful it is that it’s taken us this long! I’m waiting for David Ahrens to advise any other white person thinking of entering the race to refrain from doing anything so overtly racist as running against a minority candidate. If there was ever a city tailor-made for someone like this guy to run it, it’s Madison.
Regarding the “homeless” scammers who used to infest the city’s intersection, they’ve moved their operations to lower State Street & Library Mall. There are now at least three pods of them camped out at various spots and have been for some time, spreading their belongings, including blankets, pillows and mattresses, over several benches, spending their days napping, tripping, babbling incoherently and importuning passersby for money. Ah, the joys of being a “protected class” in Madison. I wonder how many will be able to find time in their busy schedules to vote for Maurice when he decides to run for mayor.
LikeLike
RE: the “homeless scammers”
Not quite two years ago I was on my way to Mermaid and at westbound Odana and Whitney stood a young blond woman holding one of those GIMMEE GIMMEE signs. After gettin’ my ride spiffed, and not 15 minutes later, I headed back through that same intersection. Lo-n-behold, a young man had assumed the site and was holding the exact same sign.
Couple of weeks before that at Sam’s Club, I saw a reasonably well-dressed adult male with two children holding GIMMEE GIMMEE signs on the median at the entrance/exit.
While stowing my purchases ~ 1/2 an hour later (~04:30 p.m.) I observed all three leaving their posts and heading over to a late model van parked in the shade. There, I assume mom was seated comfortably in a lawn chair; resting up after her shift?
They all piled in and as they drove away, I noticed “Land Of Lincoln” license plates.
The Gotch
LikeLike
Since we’re sharing personal anecdotes, here’s mine: It was a year ago (I think) while walking down State Street that I was approached by a fine, upstanding member of Madison’s homeless “community,” a scrawny black guy who looked to be in his 20s asking for a handout. I said to him what I say to any able-bodied young person asking me for money: “Get a job, you lazy f**k.” For some reason, he took offense and let fly a volley of obscenities, which i ignored. He then took a step toward me, at which point I said, ” If you take one more step, I’m calling the cops” and reached into my pocket. (This was a ruse on my part as I don’t own a cellphone.) He then backed away, still spouting obscenities in my direction. A couple weeks later I saw this same individual (well, his mug shot) on the local news; it seems he had been arrested for stabbing a man to death in his downtown apartment and stealing several of the victim’s belongings, which he later pawned. I guess I was lucky he wasn’t carrying a knife when we had our little encounter.
LikeLike
Make Madison Oakland!
LikeLike
If Cheeks had voted with Soglin his dinner party invites would have diminished by at least 75%. Cannot have that because he does some of his best politicking while smooshing with Madison elites. This ideologue has a disturbing record of ignoring those who do not share his vision for Madison.
Cheeks subscribes to the neighborhood website Nextdoor.com and is therefore aware of the multiple comments that are literally identical to what Gotch posted above. Nevertheless he voted against the prohibition of (professional) panhandlers on city medians. Another Lefty progressive is just what Madison needs, right. How well has that has worked out in Baltimore, New Orleans, Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Imbalance in nearly all things is rarely a good thing.
Listen to what Jason Riley of the Manhattan Institute has to say on the subject:
https://www.prageru.com/videos/blacks-power-dont-empower-blacks
LikeLike
@Batman;
“How well has that has worked out in (fill-in-the-blank)”
Take a look at what The Lefty Way has done to Seattle.
Seattle liberalism is a failure in progressivism and indulgence in ignorance
View at Medium.com
Cue @AnonyBob/@richard lesiak/@hankdog/old baldy to call this Progress!
The Gotch
LikeLike
Not long ago, I saw a great documentary on what’s happened to the Seattle Public Library in recent years–it’s essentially become a homeless shelter with books. Fights break out regularly; dopeheads pass out in the restrooms, library materials are mutilated and stolen; staff are cursed at and sometimes assaulted, police calls are a daily (sometime hourly) occurrence. A librarian who was interviewed was literally in tears when describing a typical day, which requires her to spend most of her time policing bad behavior (and putting life and limb at risk in the process). The library in my hometown was presided over by a librarian from central casting, a stately middle-aged spinster who enforced the rules of civility–including silence–unstintingly. We’ve sure come a long way–allowing entitled bums to take up residence on our sidewalks and commandeer our public facilities.
LikeLike
@Gary L. Kriewald;
“We’ve sure come a long way–allowing entitled bums to take up residence on our sidewalks and commandeer our public facilities.”
This is what the career Proglibocrat calls PROGRESS.
Why? Because the shittier people’s lives are, the more likely they are to buy the pipe dreams of the Proglibocracy. The results being…um…quantifiable, which is to say, they make things worse.
See: Chicago, Oakland, Detroit, Flint, Milwaukee, Benton Harbor, Cleveland, New Orleans, Memphis, Miami, Trenton, Newark, NYC, St. Louis, E. St. Louis, ad infnitum, ad nauseum.
The Gotch
LikeLike
Don’t drag me into your pissin’ contest. I don’t care who is mayor. I don’t live there and you, most likely don’t either.
LikeLike
Never thought I’d say this, but I hope Soglin decides to run, because this group of contenders is a sorry state of affairs. I think Mo is disingenuous, but as David said, he runs a good campaign. I’ll give him that – Mo is slick and a decent politician. I say decent, because I don’t see him as a political savant; but he knows how to play the game and use race to his advantage. And the limousine liberals will ingratiate themselves to him.
LikeLike
Well said Paula.
Cheeks fancies himself part of the “resist” vanguard; a debate between him and Soglin would be great theatre, especially if mano-a-mano.
LikeLike
Look up what mano a mano means so you can use it correctly.
LikeLike
Ruh roh, looks like @AnonyBob’s ox done got gored by a fact-based reality!
Heck, just skip to the chase and call @Batman and the rest of us that see the real Cheeks raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacists!
It’s all youse got!
The Gotch
LikeLike
I did use it correctly.
Now you look up the difference between a slur and racist/racism.
I’ll wait.
P.S. guess you couldn’t ignore me after all.
Bada bing bada boom!
LikeLike
You want to see them debate hand to hand?
LikeLike
@AnonyBob;
“Look up what mano a mano means so you can use it correctly.”
Physician, heal thyself!
“Mano a Mano. (MAH-noh ah MAH-noh) [noun] slang: a man-to-man, one- on-one confrontation or fight.” (bolds mine)
Here, we have a good example of how nuanced language euphemisms are generally beyond the comprehension of the intellectually feeble.
Put differently:
¡Eres un idiota muy grande!
The Gotch
LikeLike
Mano means hand, you dork.
LikeLike
@AnonyBob;
“Mano means hand, you dork.”
And DICK is short for richard, as in @richard lesiak; what’s yer point?
My point? It’s abundantly clear yer severely lacking a capacity for abstract thought and unable to grasp not-so-subtle euphemisms; a trait not uncommon in smaller brained organisms.
The Gotch
LikeLike
Mr. Cheeks could recycle Samantha Bee’s take on Hillary’s message last time she ran a campaign,
“Hey f%^k face! Vote for me or you’re racist.”
LikeLike
If that becomes his campaign slogan I want a yard sign.
LikeLike
“Maurice Cheeks will not be our next mayor. Personal ambition and indecision are not leadership qualities. Madison can be better,” Soglin said in a statement.
LikeLike
weaselbob says: “You want to see them debate hand to hand?”
Not really into that but be my guest.
Yours is not the only definition bright guy.
Still waiting on you to explain the difference between slur and racism, or are you going to leave that egg on your face forever.
LikeLike
where are the babies?
LikeLike
Mo Cheeks dindunuffin. All y’all need to chill.
LikeLike
Not cool.
You not welcome here.
LikeLike
I didn’t realize Dave turned his blog over to you.
LikeLike
Citizen Dave, Agree with Batman. While you are certainly entitled to your free thought and expression, I don’t think that’s cool. I’m no fan of Mo Cheeks, but it has nothing to do with his race; I find him to be phony & incompetent. I look forward to the day when we can see each other because of who we are, not through the lens of race. That statement serves about as much purpose as those uttered by the race baiters,
LikeLike
weaselbob:
“Mano means hand, you dork.”
Fair waring Gotch; you beginning down the weasel rabbit hole…
LikeLike
To borrow a phrase from Dr. Strangelove, “Please, gentlemen, control yourselves. This is the war room!” Saying mano a mano is like saying head to head. It’s called a metaphor. Saying “I’d like to see the candidates debate mano a mano” doesn’t mean you want to see them arm wrestle any more than saying “I’d like to see the candidates debate head to head” means you want to see them butt heads. Both expressions mean you’d like to see the candidates debate with the gloves off. See how hard it is to avoid metaphors?
LikeLike
It’s a pet peeve/literal thing with me. After studying Romance languages and realizing the the phrase literally means hand-to-hand, it jumps out when people think it means face-to-face or man-to-man, incorrectly assuming mano means man.
LikeLike
@AnonyBob;
“After studying Romance languages”
Awww, isn’t that cute!
“it jumps out when people think it means face-to-face or man-to-man, incorrectly assuming mano means man.”
It has evolved to mean EXACTLY that, and no one here thinks mano means man. ‘Course, yer Romance Language Appreciation/Metro-Sexual Encounter Group probably does, and I think I know why.
How freakin’ densely obtuse are youse, did the Romance languages just soften yer cranial contents, or eject them entirely?
The Gotch
LikeLike
As someone who has studied English literature, I know all about pet peeves. To my mind, if you love language, you’re bound to develop a set of pet peeves when you see–or believe you see–language being misused/abused in any way (my own list of pet peeves is approaching volume 23). I guess I’d just add that any metaphor has a literal meaning–it’s only when it’s applied to a particular circumstance that it becomes metaphorical, as the “mano a mano” example shows.
LikeLike
On the one mano you have GLK’s comment. On the other mano you have Gootch’s. Sigh.
LikeLike
@AnonyBob;
“On the one mano you have GLK’s comment. On the other mano you have Gootch’s.”
I KNOW! Is THIS a great Country or what?
Wait a minute.
Lefties hate the good ol’ U. S. Of A.
Never mind.
The Gotch
LikeLike
Pingback: Mo Cheeks forced Soglin’s hand | Stately Blaska Manor