Replies

Do a little research, the answer is out there. Check the vote totals;compare the numbers in past elections to this past one. The people that did not show up were Republican voters. Ed Thompson did not lose the election for you, Jim Doyle did not lose the election for you, the state GOP and the GOP candidate blew it.

In the 2000 fall election, with 2,958,607 total votes cast, 6640 Wisconsinites voted for Harry Browne, the Libertarian Presidential Candidate, representing only 0.26% of the total vote.

In the 2002 fall election, only two years later, with 1,771,013 total votes cast, 183,352 Wisconsinites voted for Ed Thompson, the Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate, representing a whopping 11% of the total vote.

Where did all these Libertarian voters (from 6640 in 2000 to 183,352 in 2002 - two short years) come from?

You seem to believe that these Libertarian voters for Ed Thompson didn't come from the ranks of otherwise Republican-voting Wisconsinites, siphoning off valuable votes that would have put McCallum over the top, and I believe that they did. Well, where were all these Libertarian voters in 2000?

I won't dispute that McCallum wasn't a politically astute candidate. But then, neither was Ed Thompson, who's big issue was off-reservation non-Indian gambling machines, which should come as no surprise as he was busted for just such an offense.

I've also witnessed an interesting turn of admittedly anectdotal events. Over the last year, having attended many of the gun shows in SE WI, I saw many exhibiters with "Ed Thompson for Governor" bumper stickers afixed to their display cases - bumper stickers which were noticeably absent at the most recent post-election gun show. Me thinks these otherwise likely Republican voters have recognized, too late unfortunately, the tactical mistake they made, and aren't too comfortable advertizing that fact, even if you haven't come to grips with it yet.

You are compareing the Presidential election to a Governors race,apples to oranges, if the numbers are to mean anything.

In the last Governors race, the Rep. candidate got over 1 million votes. The libertarian got a whopping 11,000 votes.

Shift to this past election. . Libertarian pickes up 180 thousand votes. McCallum has 400,000 votes go away.

If every vote for a Libertarian came from the republican voters as you claim, explain were the other 220,000 prior republican voters went?

Again, the state GOP was of the same mind set as you are, if we run a R we will win. Well guess what, 220,000 of your freinds felt it was not needed to show up.

Why aren't the gun shows covered in McCallum stickers and signs, if he is the big gun advocate you claim. Maybe he takes his base for granted? Do not blame the people that were out there voteing.Look at the goofs that did not show up.