what Democracy looks like.
Just returned from the “No Kings” march down State Street to the Capitol in Madison WI today. Found a (bum-proof) city bench outside the Overture performing arts center. The fellow across the street had a better idea, observing the festivities from the open window wall of a whisky bar. (Madison really is great that way.) After an hour the anti-Trump marchers were still coming strong six blocks away from their rendezvous at the University of Wisconsin Library Mall.
It was festive, with its own marching band and even a bagpiper, who was cheered when he fired up the pipes. And HUUUGE!
We’ll do our best to emulate Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and comment on the variety of signage and plumage. One tee-shirt read, “Political Prisoner in Training.” Another, “This is a Protest; Not an Insurrection,” and ”So Much Wrong, so Little Cardboard.” And this play on a certain disgraced former FBI Agent’s possible threat, “86 #47.”
Immigration and what have you
The round-up of illegal immigrants was the main course. “Immigrants are welcome here,” was one chant. For all that, maybe one Mexican flag. More American flags, but upside down (indicating distress, of course). “No Kings,” like many a partisan demonstration, was a BYO punch bowl of Leftist causes: End the War on Drugs. No Public Land Sales. Trans rights. My Body, My Choice. And, unforgivably “Free Gaza.” No outward support for the Ayatollah, at least.
Our favorite placard: “Local Unpaid Agitator.”
Note this well: at least nine of 10 signs were home made. My fellow Republicans will dismiss this as the work of George Soros and his checkbook at their peril. Perhaps the Third Internationale paid for the Magic Markers. But there are not this many Hollywood extras. If it’s Antifa, the Madison chapter has many a gray beard.
The canary isn’t just coughing, fellow Republicans, it’s dialing 9-1-1.
Hard the usual Leftist chants: “No Justice, No Peace.” It was another that jarred loose a chip from our memory bank, “This is What Democracy Looks Like.” Ah yes, the 2011 intifada against Scott Walker’s Act 10 government employee union reforms. Was today’s No Kings demonstration bigger? If not, it was close.
We are veterans of several Marches on Washington during Vietnam, a Father Groppi march for civil rights in Milwaukee, among too many others. Enquired of the lady sitting outside on this beautiful mid-June Saturday whether these demonstrations do any good. “Maybe not,” she allowed. “But it makes us feel better.”
Blaska’s Bottom Line: is not as dismissive. No Kings/Madison WI was impressive. It’s the bandwagon effect. Says, Hey! We could prevail! We doubt any anti-Trump demonstration anywhere in the country showed stronger, per capita. These people vote! Trump took 23.6% of the vote in Dane County (aka metro Madison) in 2024. Three months into his term, the state supreme court candidate he endorsed took 18.3%. Wisconsin elects a governor next year. Our candidate will need to walk a tightrope more slender than the filament in a light bulb — making inroads in Madison/Dane County without alienating MAGA nation.
25 responses to “Madison’s anti-Trump rally may well be …”
But, How did it smell?
Any lookers?
Not at all diverse but nice of them to mark President Trump’s birthday.
Plywood sales hardest hit.
No Autopens!
No bumper sticker protests!
“I was skeptical at first, but the No Kings rally worked.
I woke up this morning and my country still has no king.
Good job, everyone!”
– Scott Adams
Yawn. I’m glad they feel better at least. Meanwhile the vast majority of normal people were out doing normal things on a perfect summer day.
like shooting lawmakers?
LIB LUNATICS SHOULD BE OUT HUNTING DOWN THEIR BUDDY THAT MURDERS POLITICIANS!!
VANCE BOELTER VOTED FOR TRUMP
—according to the BBC
Absolutely. Speaker Mike Johnson (2020 election denier) should follow Robin Vos’s playbook and hire Michael Gableman to investigate liberals’ plans to murder their fellow liberal lawmakers. Gableman (2020 election denier) is uniquely qualified to get to the bottom of this scandal.
HUH???
Conservatives had our parade already. I was last November when we paraded to the polls in huge numbers to give Trump a massive win. The losers still can’t cope – so they throw an unending tantrum. All their angry energy is funneled toward signs and slogans, and that’s fine – because if they were smart they might look in the mirror and reassess the wisdom of embracing extreme positions that most of the country rejects.
tell that to all the repub’s that are going to town halls. They don’t seem all that impressed by their party.
Trump voters must like chaos and stupidity. I wonder how many of them have buyer’s remorse. The November election was then; this is now. The President’s approval numbers are in negative territory and will sink even further if people lose their Medicaid. Health care issues have the power to sink the Republican Party. Democratic strategists undoubtedly have this in mind.
TACO opened the WHQVC store today selling a $500 gold phone and a pricey call plan. The MAGANUTS are lining up to be fleeced again. Maybe Musk will buy a few million and hand them out at rallies. If they tell you they are made in the USA they are lying to you AGAIN.
Richard: You’ll want to go online at Trump.org and buy a Trump ’28 hat in the store! Psycho Don may technically be limited to two terms, but he would say, “I don’t need no stinking Constitution.”
We are living in weird-a$$ days.
Democratic strategists is an oxymoron.
This is what democracy looks like: Trump won, Trump lost, Trump won again.
was there a protest march? my wife and I were at a baseball game. protesting the umps calls.
Janesville had a good turnout including a counter protestor whose protest was pushing one of the organizers and screaming in the face of some older attendees, including a woman using a walker. Nice job reinforcing the MAGA stereotype.
We need only the images of summer of 2020 to know what leftist “protests” look like. As I recall, cities burned, businesses were destroyed, innocent bystanders were beaten, gun sales went through the roof, and security cameras went up on almost half the houses in my neighborhood.
I was the piper on the Scottish Highland bagpipes. Thanks for the shout-out!
I didn’t see any normal people there