Ben Wikler helped elect Donald Trump

Wisconsin’s Dem chairman ran interference for old Joe.

One of the guilty pleasures of the Trump regime is the suffering it causes Democrats, dues-paying or otherwise. They’re paying for their perfidy in propping up old Joe Biden as the only Democrat — sentient or otherwise — who could beat Trump, that existential threat to all that is holy and decent. Their lamentations rival that of the Hebrew prophets:

“One of the great lessons from 2024 is that never again can we as a party suggest to people that what they’re seeing is not true.”

That’s Obama and Kamala guru David Plouffe as quoted in the Jake Tapper/Alex Thompson book, Original Sin: President Biden’s decline, its cover-up, etc. (We read it in two sittings! It’s a real hoot!) Democrats who spoke out before the debate from hell were few and promptly marginalized. Most deserving of the Mike Pence profile in courage award is Dean Phillips, D-Minnesota. As early as July 2022, Phillips was saying Joe couldn’t cut the mustard.

In October 2023, failing to get higher-profiled candidates to challenge the incumbent, Phillips announced his bid. “Phillips would tell people he ran to force a debate with the President. A debate, he maintained, would expose to the world that this man … could not compete for the highest office in the land.” — Original Sin. But the party brooked no debate.

 Screw the voters

Among the many party hacks who covered for “President Droolcup” (as Matt Taibbi calls him), was Wisconsin’s own Ben Wikler, then chairman of the state party. We excerpt from Original Sin: 

Even after Biden’s approval rating sank to a disastrous 37% by the end of October 2023, whatever argument Phillips was going to make would not be heard by most voters. … He was about to learn just how far the Democrat(ic) party commitment to democracy would reach. [BLASKA: that was snark.]

Back in 2016, when Bernie Sanders would complain about the extent to which the process was rigged … Phillips thought he was just being a sore loser. 

[The party] stated with the primary calendar. In 2020 Biden had come in fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire, second in Nevada, and first in South Carolina. … Biden unilaterally called for making South Carolina the first state contest. This move stunned party leaders [including] Congressman Jim Clyburn [and] DNC Chair Jaime Harrison — both of South Carolina. …

It was machine-style politics to ensure that Biden would be the nominee even as millions of Democrat(ic) voters were making plain their serious concerns about his ability to do the job. …

The Democrat(ic) Party of Wisconsin and its chair, Ben Wikler, refused to recognize Phillips as a candidate. Philips had to sue all the way up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which unanimously ruled he should be on the ballot.

 Some background

In a meeting lasting only 5 minutes, chaired by Wikler, the Wisconsin party forwarded only Biden’s name to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Republicans, meanwhile, submitted Trump and five more candidates, including four who had already abandoned their campaigns!

But Madison’s Capital Times saw no evil, ends justifying means and all. Encouraging the party to promote Wikler to national chairman, the progressivism publication enthused: “[Wikler’s] made himself an essential figure in the struggle to renew economic, social and racial justice in Wisconsin. … especially his commitment to renewing and extending the party’s ties with working-class voters.”

Blaska’s Bottom Line: By covering for Joe Biden’s infirmity and quashing dissent, state Democrat(ic) chairman Ben Wikler lost the working class and helped Wisconsin elect Donald Trump.

Who else needs a good shaming?