Waukesha County is RINO country

Republicans are losing nationwide!

Three days after an abortion-without-limits lobbyist won election, we’re thinking even Trump-Only Republicans (RITOs) should welcome back into the party a few more RINOs like Brian Hagedorn on Wisconsin’s supposedly non-partisan Supreme Court. 

Hagedorn, former chief counsel for Gov. Scott Walker, incurred the enmity of MAGA world when he cast the deciding vote refusing to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat here in Wisconsin and thus, the presidency itself. He took seriously his campaign promise to follow the law, not his own personal dictates. Too many of his voters did not. After the April 7 election of former State Sen. Chris Taylor (D-Madison), Hagedorn now will be outnumbered 5 to 2 on the court.

Blame money (or lack thereof), blame the party, blame the candidate, question the issues, doubt the strategy, but don’t blame the voter — which more than a few sidewalk superintendents are doing — using words like “lazy.” That’s like blaming sugar addicts for spurning New Coke. Votes are won, not demanded.

Yes, we were outspent: $6.1 million to $900,000. Money does vote but donors like to bet on winners. So do the special interests, which includes newspapers. Some are blaming party chairman Brian Schimming, but he — more than any single player — pulled Ron Johnson and Trump 2024 over the finish line. RoJo will decide our friend’s fate.

“If Wisconsin is going to remain a swing state, Republicans need to rebuild their party organization and reassure suburban voters who aren’t MAGA.”— Wall Street Journal 

“How many [Taylor] votes came in on mail-in ballots?” — Trump-ed up election denier Tom Arliskas

The brand’s national CEO is toxic

This RINO supports much of Donald Trump’s agenda. We like his fight. But what burns many voters retinas is a vainglorious, petty, and vengeful human being. (Minnesota didn’t help.) MAGA’s Sean Trumpittys tell voters to look past all that. Hard to do with a President who tweets hate at midnight. A prosperous dairy farmer outside Dane County told this on-line scrivener:

“Any candidate who even smells of MAGA is dead in the water as Trump has destroyed all semblance of decency. Lazar and Tom Tiffany are both caught up in this.  … I have been a lifelong Republican voter and I can’t bring myself to vote for more of this.”

The leader of the Republican party has lost the largest sector of Wisconsin voters: independents. Only 26% of them can stomach the man. Overall, Trump is 14 points underwater, according to the latest Marquette Law School poll. Those aren’t coattails, they’re concrete overshoes.

In affluent Waukesha County, the state’s most Republican county, Lazar managed just under 54 percent. Well south of Hagedorn’s 68.5%. And Waukesha is Lazar’s home county! Hellz bellz, Mitt Romney — the RINO poster boy! — won 67% of the Waukesha’s vote in 2012. Trump in 2020 and 2024 fell a good nine points short of both Mitt and Hagedorn in Waukesha County. The coup de grace, a Democrat on Tuesday beat a sitting Republican legislator for mayor of the city of Waukesha.

Back here in Dane County, Democrat-endorsed candidates won all 13 contested supervisor races and turned out the lone Republican on a 37-member board. Is that Brian Schimming’s fault?

Blaska’s Bottom Line: If the Republican party wants to win in November, candidates like Tom Tiffany have to walk a high wire that would give a Wallenda vertigo. They’ve got to show some separation from this terribly flawed President without alienating MAGA nation. Tom Tiffany’s best hope is Democrats get drunk on their own success with Francesca Hong or Mandela Barnes. 

Where in the U.S. are Republicans winning these days?!