It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s politics!
Someone at the Dane County Republican caucus last month said he listens to Blaska on Vicki McKennaās radio show. āNo you donāt,ā this blogger responded. Keeps happening.Ā
Chalk it up to persistence of memory. Blaska last shared a WIBA AM 1310 microphone with Ms. Vicki sometime in December 2020. On that fateful day, Blaska made the mistake of opining that Donald Trump had duly lost the recent presidential election. Worse, I related that Ms. Vicki herself had once fought the man. So hostile was her live, on-air interview of the candidate during the 2016 primary campaign that Trump hung up on her. Down to two viable candidates, Wisconsin Republicans chose Ted Cruz.
Itās her program and she can choose her guests. One of the latter is an attorney whom I respect for his legal acumen and his informed repartee. Jim Troupis ably represented his presidential client in exercising his right to contest Wisconsinās electoral votes. But this blogge concurred that there were no grounds to overturn the election.
Jim quit the biweekly breakfast of local luminaries we had started. We miss Jim and Vicki and the wee drams we shared but thatās politics, these days: ones and zeroes and forget any decimal points!
Anyone detecting a trend here?
Lost my blogge at Isthmus (and a small paycheck) because championing Scott Walkerās Act 10, school choice, and race-neutral policing didnāt sit well with its progressive audience. Jason Joyce made up some story about ānot telling people what to think.ā (The WI State Journal noted “Madison’s inability to countenance alternative viewpoints.”) Isthmus replaced Blaska with former mayor Dave Cieslewicz, who tells people what to think, only more liberally.Ā
InBusiness picked up this blogge until Blaska insisted on pillorying Edgewood College for calling the cops over a a tiny post-it note discovered at the Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion. Accompanied by a winking smiley face, the note advised students to āSuck it up, Pussies,ā after Trumpās 2016 victory.Ā Were able to post that blogge only by setting up our own shop here at the Policy Werkes. (Tell your friends!)
Even youngest brother Rich keeps his distance ā oddly enough, because this blogge reluctantly endorsed Trump for re-election in 2020! Had to admit his four years did make America great(er) again.
Back in our days as an ink-stained wretch at The Capital Times, wrote articles deleterious to congressman Bob Kastenmeier, and favorable to his Republican challenger, Ann Haney. Wanted to commit a little journalism to balance the newspaperās history of shameless Bob flacking. After the Kās umpteenth victory, Blaska found himself covering barn fires again, until Tommy Thompson called.
We swim upstream rather than go with the flow. Sometimes we sink.
Bill Buckley used to say, āYou are entitled to my opinion.ā Blaska subscribes to the same sentiment, requested or not.Ā While the Act 10 protesters were marching clockwise around Capitol Square, we marched counter-clockwise ā with a sign! Not offended if you disagree. Been wrong before (once or twice). Go ahead, dissent! We wonāt blacklist you! We enjoy the debate. Wish more did.
Blaskaās Bottom Line: Vicki used to call me āthe irascible kitten.ā I joke sometimes that I have too many friends and must cull the herd. Seems I have a talent for pissing people off. Is THAT my super power?!
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
Pingback: How can I piš¹š¹ you off today? – Wisconsin Family News
Blaska wrote, “Seems I have a talent for pissing people off.”
I resemble that remark too!
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David Blaska has earned himself one of these too.
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“Blaska wrote, ‘Seems I have a talent for pissing people off.ā
Masterfully (heh!) understated…
Despite his steadfast refusal to join any group which would accept him as a member, The Gotch would be honored to serve with you’s two, here!
His…um…ability to p!$$ folks off (the stuff of gosh darn legend!) should make him a shoo-in, am I right?
The Gotch
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I too have earned Miss Vicki’s ire. She and I used to be Facebook friends and I usually enjoyed her ruminations. However, she once opined on a topic I was intimately familiar with and she had her facts wrong. I made a friendly correction and gave her the correct facts and she unfriended me rather than correct her post. You Dave, maybe we should set up a club for people who have pissed Vicki off.
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I hung up Vicki years ago, mainly because some of the statements she made were so ridiculous that I feared my IQ would go down if I kept listening to them. The one that might have done it was when she said that we shouldnāt be afraid of chemical pesticide cocktails being sprayed on vegetable crops because we can always just wash them off. Good thing I had my car windows up because I remember yelling WTF.
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I read the blog because you are not afraid to say what you think. This pisses people off mightily. The pussies! ~bob
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Well, ya know Dave, every one should have a skill. š
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I try to be an equal opportunity gruntler, and also try not to make it personal as I sometimes (gasp) change my own opinions on various subjects. I commend Blaska for the shining example of free speech that is his blog – even when curmudgeons like me lay it on thick!
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“even when curmudgeons like me lay it on thick!”
Lay it on thick and nothing’s left uncovered, am I right?
Anywho, Curmudgeon is certifiable Term of Endearment in these here parts.
Heck, The Gotch has been…um…presented with a copy of
The Portable Curmudgeon not just once, but twice, by those who recognize this rare quality.
The Gotch
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This is the schism that will destroy Republican chances in 2024. Here are the irrefutable facts from my point of view:
Donald Trump will never be elected President again.
It doesn’t matter who the Dems nominate, Trump cannot win.
If Trump drops out of the race, so will Joe Biden, clearing the way for another Dem.
If Trump stays in the race, so will Joe, if he is breathing on his own.
Any other Republican will win against any Democrat. But Trump loses to everybody. He is probably the only person who can lose to Biden…again.
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patrickmoloughlin wrote, “Here are the irrefutable facts from my point of view:”
Sorry but you’re contradicting yourself. You can’t have irrefutable facts if it is from your point of view. What you’re actually writing is your opinion and you hope it turns out to be actual facts.
I know some people that would refute each of your statements of “irrefutable facts” with their own contradictory “irrefutable facts”.
I don’t support Trump running again.
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“I donāt support Trump running again.”
Yup! The Gotch wants to Own The Lefties as much as the next Righty, but that ain’t going to happen if Trump keeps this up.
The Gotch
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It seems to me that the only time Trump opens his unethical loose cannon narcissist mouth is to change his stanky old socks. I didn’t want Trump as president in 2016 and I don’t want him as president in 2024 and President Biden is terrible. I’m sure we’ll end up with another lose-lose election with a couple of pieces of sh!t as major party presidential candidates.
When is someone decent going to stand up to the political left’s propaganda machine and woke lunacy and make an intelligent, ethical and civil run for President?
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If that’s really the case then all I can say is…RUN DONNY RUN.
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what?? no red wave, lefties crying in the streets, rending of garments, blah blah blah.
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I suppose I should have said “It’s my irrefutable opinion.” I try to do better.
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patrickmoloughlin wrote, “I suppose I should have said ‘Itās my irrefutable opinion.’ “
But your opinion is not irrefutable either.
Strrrrrrrrrike Two. š
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It was an irrefutable fact that he was never going to be elected the first time!
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Also if Trump gets the nomination simple solution is don’t run against Biden, run against Harris. Commercial would be Biden doing senile things then cut to a cackling Harris, fade to black, show text “A heartbeat away” and then “Trump 2024” over a waving American flag.
Here’s a question: what if Biden dies late in the campaign? Would the election be rescheduled?
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Granato fired! Gard…sweating?
I love to see a new Sheriff in town.
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Not if Gard sneaks into the NC-2As.
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Those two situations are like night and day. Gard is safe for years to come, NCAA tournament or not. Have you guys been watching for the last 5 years?
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Chryst was safe for years to come. Leonhard was a lock.
This is not your father’s UW Athletic Department.
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“Chryst was safe for years to come.”
NaĆÆve statement; things had been going downhill, if slowly, for years. Delete the once-in-a-generation three (3) season rushing yards of JT, and we’re Rutgers.
Wheels came off this season; Bucky’s pride (the O-line) was getting summarily mauled. As The Gotch painfully posted on 10/01/2022 RE: UI and (ptuey!) Bielema: āFIVE F*****G NET YARDS RUSHING??? A Heisman Candidate TWO (2) F*****G NET YARDS RUSHING????????
How’s this happen when they’re getting the same **** & ***** recruits?
“Leonhard was a lock.”
Respectfully disagree; Leonhard was the emotional favorite, but he was a question (losing the Axe for the 2nd straight season was the everLUVin’ Coup de GrĆ¢ce), Fickell was an ANSWER, and (IMO) has been proving it every day since.
This BB season has been a hiccup; no one’s stepped up to replace Davis’ surprisingly ahead of its time production or Davison’s leadership.
Any idea who’s been responsible for the lion’s share of the recruiting (including three (3) NBA 1st Round picks) over the last ~15 years?
HINT: He was last year’s B1G Ten COTY.
ON WISCONSIN!!
The Gotch
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Excellent rebuttal!
But I still won’t be surprised if Gard gets the Axe.
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The story of why Chryst was fired has not been told. What you saw play out was an attempt to quietly move on from a tragic situation while respecting the privacy of those involved. Notice the complete silence? Trust me, it’s a sad story.
All you need to know about Granato’s firing would be learned from attending a UW hockey game the past two years. The empty seats were shocking. Good seats could not be given away.
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“The story of why Chryst was fired has not been told.”
You sure he WAS actually FIRED?
Given the last couple of lackluster seasons (and 2022 limping out of the gate) and the certifiably pathetic showing against the Illini at Camp Randall, Bucky was on the ropes and getting pummeled.
Could be that in that heated Sunday meeting, Mac understandably made known some pretty stringent THIS, OR ELSE expectations, to which Chryst may have said “Maybe I’m not your guy.”
Mac, sensing an uncomfortable but plausibly deniable out, agreed.
“Trust me, itās a sad story.”
“Tragedy“? Please explain.
Not one peep out of Chryst, et al, in over five (5) months; sheesh, the Radio Silence on this is deafening. Not even The Gotch’s WSJ Sports guy knows anything, or just claims that because nothing’s been confirmed.
Chryst was a genuine (if unemotional) guy; not your ego-maniacal Jim Hairball or your d!p$#!t Row The Boat whirling dervish Fleck.
He just wasn’t getting it done
The Gotch
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I can’t post the story publicly, because I only know it through contacts, but they are well informed contacts, and the story makes perfect sense (particularly, the silence) once you hear it. Perhaps we could meet up for a beer sometime and I’ll tell you. You can email me at patricko_madtown@yahoo.com and I’ll fill you in, but I’d rather meet the legendary Gotch in person.
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