However, the story from the 32nd district revolves mostly around a difference of just 4 votes, a valid challenge to be sure, and around one of candidates not making himself available to the sheriff's office to sign the petition allowing for the recount to go forward. It was later discovered by authorities that the absentee signer was cited for speeding that day. You just can't make this stuff up.
Which brings me to Wednesday's farcical editorial, which by the way had nothing to do with the candidate's behavior in the 32rd assembly race. Instead, the Gazette wrote that it's time to change Wisconsin's primary system. Their editorial ends with this...
JG Editorial Excerpt:Yeah, our endorsed candidate lost. We're confused. It wasn't supposed to end this way. Oh, ... sniffle ... boo-hoo.
Wisconsin could and should likewise carefully craft such a referendum and remove the confusion and disappointment that voters here endured last week.
But do you know what Rock County voters really endured? Besides the attack campaign and smear-mongering from the monopole Gazette - we endured democracy. We the people made our selection and chose Jenifer Keach, apparently to the contempt of the newspaper, in an open and healthy primary - not by a difference of a mere 4 votes or 40 votes - she won with 61 percent of the vote with a difference of nearly 1,400 ballots.
Because of that, the newspaper says change is needed. But it gets even more sadly comical.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you probably won't forget how the Gazette's wingnut "We the People" blogger went off fabricating an anger-baiting accusation against Rock County coroner Jenifer Keach by falsely claiming she is attempting to kill Wisconsin's open direct primary simply because she merely challenged the ballot petition of her challenger. His posting was titled in all caps, "KILL a WI DIRECT OPEN PRIMARY? NO! NO! NO!" and asked readers to help protect and preserve the high quality process of our direct open primaries in Wisconsin. Stand against the coroner was his message - she's evil. PERIOD! What will his response be now? Who really cares except that it might have some entertainment value.
Yet, the bloggers posting under the umbrella of the Janesville Gazette have been part of the ongoing authoritarian campaign to eventually steal county offices away from the ballot box.
Previously, the newspaper said that it's time to take the partisanship out of county offices - no wait! It's time to change to a medical examiner, no wait! It's time to select a panel of political operatives to appoint officials for county offices - no wait! Now it's for real - now we want to change the entire Wisconsin open primary system ... sniffle ... because ... sniffle ... our endorsed candidate for coroner ... sniffle ... lost. We're sooo confused.The newspaper's Wednesday editorial was more than just a self-portrait of a sore-loser, it is a portrait of a bully authoritarian newspaper that is now becoming a blowhard of itself - which I didn't even think was possible - but it sounds right.
The bottom line is, is that the people in Rock County better stay tuned in to the political shenanigans of the professional Janesville Gazette, the tax-shifting power-usurping establishment and certain members of the Rock County Board. I know that might sound condescending and self-ingratiating on my part, I don't mean it that way. But without this blog and its in-real-time perspectives posted in the archives, there is no other independent record of their repeated abuses and propaganda management. The dots are all here and I've connected a few - you only need to connect the rest and draw your own conclusions.
4 comments:
I personally would never suspect the people at the Gazette would stoop to this level until I read this blog. As always you make a compelling argument, but this time it has become very obvious that had Ms. Keach lost the primary under the same circumstances, they would not have wrote that editorial. They would have said she lost it fair and square. This leaves me to believe this is not about politics at all. It is about hate.
I did not vote for Ms. Keach because I gave the Gazette's reporting and opinion the benefit of the doubt. I was wrong. They have lost my confidence and I feel like I've lost a friend.
Thank you for your perspective.
A New Friend.
I love this article and Number One's response. This is what open and honest communication can do. I suspect a lot of people are seeing what the Gazette is up to by now. The Gazette has burned a lot of political capital trying to get Keach. I wonder when it's all over if they will think it was worth the cost. Are you wondering why the breaking story about drugs at the Milwaukee ME office wasn't on the front page of the Gazette today? I thought the Gazette was really interested in all the benefits of an ME. By the way, several Forensic Pathologists run that office and 4,000 narcotics turned up missing. It seems some of the doctors didn't even know the drugs were stored there and no policies to handle their security were in place. Sound familiar? I wonder what kind of oversight Scott Walker has been implementing for the ME office in Milwaukee County? I suppose our Rock County Board would be much more responsible. Especially with the Gazette as their watchdog.
Anonymous 9:14, if it's any further consolation, you are not alone in those sentiments and I really do appreciate those kind words. Thank You!
RLC, there should be no doubt in anybody's mind about how illegitimate those early "burning drugs in the yard" allegations were against the coroner when it became obvious she was dealing with non-existent policy and a "it's not my job" attitude taken by other county agencies. She has gone above and beyond most expectations not only by instituting policy and looking out for the best interests of the county, but to do so in the presence of a very hostile media.
A rational person only has to ask himself one question. Why would the Gazette continue to support a candidate who already lost? A candidate that the Gazetee publicly stated lacked the skills to do the job. Labeled as a carpetbagger with ulterior motives and doomed to failure.
One reason only - they want the office to fail so the conservative elements on the county board will have a clear path to eliminate the elected office. Jenifer is standing in their way just by doing a good job.
Make no mistake. This is not really about a medical examiner. It's about power and political ideology.
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