Glenn Grothman wins 6th District GOP congressional primary

Looks like he’s the right choice, doesn’t it?

You obviously didn't read my post. I never said Glenn wasn't conservative. He is - very much so.

I voted for Duey. He is at least as conservative - if not more - as Grothman plus Duey is a citizen legislator and a businessman AND an involved father of a large family. Duey was the candidate who would represent me best because he shared the most ideas and faced the same challenges as me. You're right, Duey took bad advice from a bad campaign manager. Even so, I still think he would have been the best man for the job.

Leibham is a conservative leaning GOPe, but I preferred him to Grothman for Congress because he shared more beliefs and life experiences as I do.

Grothman does NOT share my life experiences. He has no direct knowledge about how difficult it is to raise a family or run a business, make a payroll or struggle with a mortgage. People can tell him about it or he can read about it in a book - because he doesn't watch TV or movies to see society's reflections of family life. Being a wonky textbook conservative just is NOT enough for me. I don't expect Glenn to be a TMZ expert, but he should be at least aware of how entertainment media are impacting the family lives of his constituents.

Again, I like Glenn as my state senator. In a body of just 33 senators or in a 19 member caucus, being an odd duck and conservative policy wonk is a good thing. But I don't think Glenn will be very effective as a lone wolf oddball in a House of 435 or a caucus of 240. He probably would be more effective in the US Senate.

I will vote for Grothman, but I'm not real thrilled about it.

Of course I read your post. I just disagree. Do you honestly think Duey would be better? He has little experience as a legislator and even less success. He’s authored 3 Bills under Walker vs. 50 for Glenn. He’s untested. (He wasn’t there for the lockout at the Capital.)

As my husband asks, “Why would a guy with 8 kids want to go to DC?”

Duey is likeable (or was) but his campaign this cycle was atrocious. I’m glad he lost. I’m just sorry that he undermined Glenn. It really showed at the poll where I worked. Glenn won both boxes easily, but Duey had a stronger showing in the box where the people had never been represented by either of them. I think that is where Duey’s negative campaign paid off. But not enough to win, and there are many people who will never forget it. (or forgive)

We can count on Glenn.

The last runoff was July 22nd, Georgia. David Perdue beat Jack Kingston for the Senate nomination, which I think was the wrong choice but he leads rat Michelle Nunn in the polls. And Bob Barr lost his in his attempted Congressional comeback to conservative Barry Loudermilk.

Alabama and NC had runoffs on July 15, not much was at stake but a strong conservative, Gary Palmer, was nominated in Alabama 6 (safe seat).

I am still at Yellowstone with my family but making sure I am able to follow Glenn’s election on I heart radio. This is even in national news. I am so happy glenn won. I see quite a few people think that Duey would have been better because h has a large family. I believe because glenn does not have a family to worry about in D.C. he will be able to devote very minute to working for th people.

I’ve just been called into City hall to recount our boxes. Grrrrrrr. (we were out of balance by one ballot)

Do you honestly think Duey would be better?

Yes, I do. I wrote a paragraph or two spelling out exactly why I thought Duey was a better choice. I thought you said you read my posts.

He (Duey Stroebel) has little experience as a legislator and even less success.

Again, I've already stated my preference for a citizen legislator like Duey as opposed to a career politician like Grothman. I'm not sure what you mean by your measurement of success comment.

He’s authored 3 Bills under Walker vs. 50 for Glenn. He’s untested. (He wasn’t there for the lockout at the Capital.)

No, Duey hasn't been in the Legislature for more than a decade like Glenn, so I don't really expect him to have authored a bazillion bills. And no, Duey wasn't holed up in a Capitol office during the Unionista sit-ins, which occurred before Duey ran for the Legislature. I'm not sure what test occurred that Glenn or Duey or even Leibham would not have met in a similar or identical fashion.

As my husband asks, “Why would a guy with 8 kids want to go to DC?”

Among the positive messages Duey highlighted was that he wanted to go to DC to work to make a better life for his children and the children of his constituents. Duey vowed to spend only as much time in DC as required, so that he could come home to his family. Glenn will have a much less pressing need to return home to the district.

Duey is likeable (or was) but his campaign this cycle was atrocious. I’m glad he lost. I’m just sorry that he undermined Glenn.

None of the 3 major candidates were clean on that count. Grothman's ads slagged Duey and played just as loose with facts and perceptions. If you want to fingerpoint, it would be accurate to say that Duey's ads "started" it. Again, this is where I think Duey went overboard on bad advice from a bad campaign manager.

It really showed at the poll where I worked. Glenn won both boxes easily, but Duey had a stronger showing in the box where the people had never been represented by either of them. I think that is where Duey’s negative campaign paid off.

I disagree. I think the Milwaukee radio talkers (Sykes moreso than Belling or Weber) took greater exception to Duey's ads. Sykes was especially smarmy in his reaction (note Charlie's apology today for his unfunny personal attack on Duey's children yesterday). I think the radio talkers' overreaction drove more negative reaction than the actual ads. Sykes has always disliked Duey, but perhaps Charlie's bile was more of an attempt to increase talk radio influence on the seat by kingmaking a Milwaukee exurban politician supported by more listeners to prevent victory for Leibham and his supporters on the fringe of the Milwaukee radio market. If so, it's quite possible that the talkers would have broken bad on Grothman instead of Duey if Glenn had "started" the mudslinging.

But not enough to win, and there are many people who will never forget it. (or forgive)

And there are those who won't forget that Grothman cravenly jumped ahead of Stroebel's informal candidacy into a race for a district in which Glenn did NOT live. "Politics ain't beanbag" as the saying goes, but Glenn broke a lot of political etiquette with his move. Political and industry professionals like myself notice things like that. This is where I advised Duey to focus any "attack" (along with the weird, loner wonk tag) on Glenn, but understand that it is a more esoteric distinction. Instead, his advisors pushed him to inaccurately lump Grothman together with Leibham.

We can count on Glenn...

...to be crass, blunt, brusque, clumsy and sometimes unintentionally offensive in his public comments at perhaps the most inopportune time. Just a prediction - the next time the GOP has a down year, Glenn will be vulnerable (more than Stroebel and Leibham would be) to a Democrat challenger from Winnebago or Sheboygan County.

Glenn's not an awful choice for the district. Just like Sensenbrenner, he's just not a really good one.

FGS — Glenn has represented most of that district for the last decade. It is just a fluke that the legislature redrew the lines to excise Glenn out of a district that he had represented for a number of years. They excised me out of Duey’s district at the same time and gave our area to Dan Knodl in Germantown, leaving Glenn with no constituents in Cedarburg or south of Pioneer. In fact, I don’t think he has any constituents in Ozaukee County at present. I think his current district (as redrawn) is strictly Washington County.

Glenn has been a devoted legislator to our area for years, whether he’s representing us, or not, and is well known. He shows up at every meeting and discusses the ins and outs of Madison to whomever will listen. And he doesn’t show up at strictly Republican gatherings either. I’ve run into him at Farm Bureau, at Book Club discussions, at Maxwell Street, at the NRA convention in Milwaukee a few years back, at the County Fair. He’s always ready to explain what is happening and to listen to our concerns.

Glenn didn’t author 50 Bills over the last 10 years. He authored 50 Bills for Walker over the last 3 1/2 years, the same amount of time that Duey was there.

Glenn crafted one third of Walker’s legislative agenda that put us back on a firm fiscal basis. Joe didn’t do much during that period either. I’ve forgotten the exact number, but it is in the single digits. Glenn is a leader. The other 2 are back benchers.

I don’t listen to Charlie Sykes often, so I don’t know what you are talking about. But I thought Duey’s first TV ad (baseball theme) was just awful with his youngest child screaming “You’re out!” That was pretty ugly, and I’m glad he pulled it off the air finally. But that doesn’t excuse him for all the lies he told about both Joe and Glenn. He should fire his campaign manager and apologise.

BTW, I signed Duey’s nomination papers.

Whatever.

Your posts are so factually incorrect, it's hard to know where to start.

Glenn's 20th Senate district encompasses all of Duey Stroebel's 60th Assembly District (the northern 2/3 of Ozaukee County and northeastern Washington County) plus Assembly Districts 58 & 59 (Washington County north of Richfield & Holy Hill minus parts of Hartford).

The only parts of Ozaukee County NOT in Glenn's & Duey's districts are Mequon-Thiensville and a lakeside portion of the Town of Grafton (given to Alberta Darling's district to make it safer for the GOP).

You keep trumpeting Grothman's "accomplishments" as a politician. For many conservatives, Glenn's lengthy time in office and the fact that he is both a lawyer & politician by trade are negative traits, not positive ones.

People perceive things differently. Charlie Sykes & Jay Weber think it's a great that Glenn doesn't watch TV & movies and prefers to read scholarly books of policy and political theory. I think it identifies him as an eccentric, out-of-touch wannabe academic.

I loved Duey's baseball ad and had a hand in its production. I'm not sure why you took offense to it. I think Duey would have had a better result if he had stuck to a campaign running against generic career and wonky politicians and promoting his successful business and family backgrounds.

If you were so mortally offended by the Stroebel campaign's exaggeration (please note: bad & poorly executed political exaggeration, not lies) of Grothman's record, you better dig deep and gird yourself for the fall general campaign.

As far as I know, Grothman is not a homeowner and pays no direct property taxes in the district (although some lamely argue his rental payments include a portion of his landlord's property taxes). Throw in Glenn's lifelong status as a childless single person and that he's never really been an entrepreneurial business owner and the Democrat's upcoming campaign attack characterization of Glenn Grothman as an out-of-touch firebrand policy geek will write themselves.

Again, I like Grothman as my state senator. I will be sad to see him leave that post. I just don't think his schtick will play well in DC.

Fortunately for Glenn and the GOP, the district is drawn favorably for Republicans

I loved Duey's baseball ad and had a hand in its production. I'm not sure why you took offense to it.

Aha! Now it comes out. You were part of Duey's team. Hardly an uncomitted observer.

Well, everybody I know hated that ad. They had been neutral on Duey, and some were even fond of him until that ad. They grew to hate him. It seemed almost like child abuse to encourage the little child to yell "You're out!" in such an ugly manner. It was just swarmy.

And then all those ads that tried to make it look like Glenn took money from the unions when he had not -- conflating Glenn's fundraising with Joe's.

I guess I'd like you to think about where Walker's agenda might be without Glenn's help and expertise in getting it through? Do you think the state would be running a surplus right now?

I don't always agree with Glenn, which is why I considered all candidates. But, when push came to shove, Glenn was the only choice. As I said before, you can always count on Glenn to do what he says he's going to do. I'd rather have someone who reads (and thinks) wonky, philosophical books than just another pretty face and a glad hand. Duey's ads came off as "not ready for prime time."

Before you write off Mequon and Thiensville as insignificant -- consider that we are the largest municipality(ies) in Ozaukee County. Glenn once represented half of us, and Duey once represented a significantly smaller portion. But, people here still remember Glenn showing up everywhere and engaging his constituents, as well as those who were not his constituents. Duey? Not so much.

Wow. You have a serious reading comprehension problem.

No, I was not a part of Duey's team. He is a friend. We have same-aged children (although I only have 4). I've been a baseball coach for 2 of his sons. My campaign involvement was limited to helping to procure the baseball field and providing the baseball equipment used in the commercial. That's it.

"Everybody" I know loved the ad. Of course, most of the "everybody" I know are baseball families - just like the Stroebels. We're kind of partial to that theme. Our families spend tens of hours on a baseball field every week of the spring and summer playing, coaching or watching baseball. Little Mary Stroebel was thrilled to put on baseball gear (just like her older brothers' part-time umpire jobs - and yes, ALL of Duey's children work hard at multiple part-time jobs) and simulate an umpire's out call.

And "swarmy"? I think the word you meant to use is "smarmy" - which still isn't appropriate usage.

But I'm really more amused by your warped viewpoint that baseball is a form of child abuse. Wow!!

Also, I never "wrote off" Mequon-Thiensville as insignificant. I was simply correcting your GROSS MISSTATEMENT that none of Ozaukee County remained in Grothman's district after 2011 redistricting. My point was that nearly ALL of Ozaukee County EXCEPT Mequon-Thiensville remained in the district. There's that reading comprehension issue again.

As for your "where would we be without Glenn" rant, I would remind you that 20th Senate District is a safe Republican seat. If not Glenn, then some other conservative leaning Republican would have represented the district and helped forward the Walker agenda. Please don't make Glenn out to be some sort of Uberpolitician. He's done a good job as a state senator, but really nothing that would merit a "promotion."

I've previously acknowledged the point that the exaggerated ads (Stroebel's first and then later Grothman's) were bad moves. And yes, conflating Grothman's fundraising with Leibham's was dumb. A smart campaign manager would have dealt with the career politician issue (Grothman & Leibham) and the moderate/GOPe/fundraising issue (Leibham) separately. You elevate a campaign tactic (one which Grothman displayed to a lesser extent) ahead of the candidate. I will always look at the candidate first and the tactic second. If tactics really mattered, Grothman's submarining of Duey's informally announced campaign should have been a negatively defining act.

I'm sure your memory of appearances at Mequon constituent events is slightly skewed. Grothman has been around area events as a state senator and candidate since 2004. And prior to that Grothman had been near the area as an assemblyman since 1993 (Gee, it makes you wonder if Glenn ever had a real job?). By contrast, Duey was elected in a special election in April 2011 and officially served as your state rep for a grand total of 20 months, but effectively ceased to represent Mequon for the Fall 2012 election season. For arguments sake, let's call it 16 months (March 2011-July 2012). Hmmm, 20 years of familiarity versus 16 months - which might you remember more?

Also consider Duey's more constitutionally appropriate treatment of his legislative position as a part-time citizen legislator while continuing to run his realty, investment and property management business. Glenn has always treated his legislative posts as though they were full-time jobs. And without owning a home or raising a family, I guess Glenn really had nothing better to do with his time.

Glenn does great constituent service (as does Stroebel and Leibham). Working inside the Capitol, Stroebel and Leibham are much easier to work with. Working with Glenn on behalf of business or industry has always been difficult unless the issue fits within Glenn's narrow field of view.

You can like Grothman all you want. I think he's somewhat of a kook - a conservative kook, to be sure - and I will always be lukewarm on him. I will vote for the guy, but I'm just not a fan. Why does that upset you so much?

But I'm really more amused by your warped viewpoint that baseball is a form of child abuse. Wow!!

No. Forcing, encouraging (whatever) a small child to shout an ugly epithet on TV in imitation of an adult is a form of child exploitation. It just makes most folks feel "icky" and sad for the kid who is at an age when parents should be reminding him to say "please and thank you." It wouldn't have had the same uncomfortable effect if it had been one of the teens, or Mrs. Stroebal delivering the punch line.

As far as "where would we be without Glenn to push Walker's agenda", I'll remind you where were we BEFORE Glenn. We had Mary Panzer and a score of other Republicans who let the voters down big time. They hid under their desks when the going got tough. Glenn has the experience and the expertise and the tenacity to write Bills (he's educated as an attorney, despite your contempt for such) and he uses that talent FOR us. And yes, he had a law practice before he joined the legislature. I don't know if he still practices law, or not. I don't know when he would have time. He works full time for us and he's always ready to help constituents and non-constituents and other legislators with his knowledge.

Glenn continued to show up at Mequon and Cedarburg meetings long after he was no longer our representative. (Duey didn't.) I can't tell you the number of times I'd be at a meeting and the doorbell would ring at 9 pm and it would be Glenn -- he'd just driven in from Madison and was eager to fill us in on the political news of the day.

I'm through with this discussion and your insults. You are the one with the reading comprehension problem. Plus you have no gratitude for the work that Glenn has done over the years representing you.