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PK's avatar

The Democratic Party of Langlade County (one of the poorest counties in the state that's been voting Republican and ignored by the state party for years) had a straw poll at the county fair last weekend. Hong was the overwhelming favorite

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

unconventional candidates lead to unconventional voter behavior. the pollsters cannot account for that

Lori's avatar

These candidates give me hope!

Linda (Evanston IL)'s avatar

Carville and Axelrod and Schumer are relics of the past and clueless about how much trump 1.0 and 2.0 have done to destroy our nation, disrupt the global economy, and completely destroy our reputation on the global stage. And we of course have the incompetence of Ken Martin at the DNC.

StanleyTwoBrix's avatar

Weirdly, the people who sold out America to corporations for enormous personal gain are fighting to keep the gravy train flowing.

Cécile Stelzer-Johnson's avatar

Hmm, you said it yourself : "sold out America to corporations for enormous personal gain". Is it really so weird that they would want the gravy train to continue?

Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

I thought he was joking.

Carolyn Bakula's avatar

It will be no love loss to me if those three were to leave the democratic party. In fact, I say "good riddance!"

Marian Gillis's avatar

In a long form interview, Abdul El Sayed was asked a stupid question. Don’tcare if They don’t like You?

He said voters do not need to like him, but themself.

Do you like yourself enough to survive: medical debt, homelessness, hunger, untrained gun toting guys in baklava’s, etc.

Landslides are likely these days now that millions of acres are bare.

Cécile Stelzer-Johnson's avatar

I had not heard this interview, but that was indeed a stupid question... and he answered masterfully!

Cécile Stelzer-Johnson's avatar

Hello, fellow Wisconsinite. I'm a bit north of you, near Wisconsin Rapids, notably more red than Stevens Point, and the vibes here, are pro Francesca Hong. I have talked to fellow Dems around here, and stated that I would not support them unless they came out in her favor. Specifically, I will no longer donate to the Democratic Party until they learn to listen to the voters.

Trying to label someone as Socialist, commie, Democrat socialist or... whatever is a fool's errand: It is, especially intellectual laziness that signifies :"I'm in this tribe, not this other tribe" (and therefore everything they do is OK and what the other tribe does is wrong). North Korea dares to call itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, for example. So take every label with a grain of salt

It's more work, but let's deal with the issues, instead, not labels. Look carefully at what she says on the ISSUES, and you will understand her broad appeal..

https://francescahong.com/policy/

Here, I'm planning to speak against data centers in Wisconsin Rapids (in a couple of hours,) where the paper mill Stora Enso used to be.

PNK wants to build one there. (Actually just the shell. He will then invite "tenants". Which ones? nobody knows, which insures deniability if they mess up!

Francesca is against ANY data center.

Who came to speak *for* data centers? You'll never guess : A Russian and also Eric Adams, the disgraced and Trump-pardoned former mayor of New York!!!

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

Agree completely

Bonnie Blodgett's avatar

Who was the Russian? Probably not a Putin supporter, as the U.S. doesn't typically attract anyone who understands the root causes of our proxy war in Ukraine. I would love Ken's take on the new multipolar world order as represented by BRICS. To me it is humanity's only ray of hope. As to the DSA, that, too, is a fantastic development but never forget what the Schumer/Pelosi/ Clinton crowd did to Bernie.

Cécile Stelzer-Johnson's avatar

His name is Anton Voronkin, who is Chief development officer for PNK Group. He's a young guy, attractive, clean cut. This is what I was able to get on him:

https://rocketreach.co/anton-voronkin-email_23574534

There seems to be a big hole in his career from 2006 to 2021, and he presently lives in Saudi Arabia, Tabuk Province. It is a province in Saudi Arabia, located along the northwestern coast of the country on the Red Sea.

I had never heard of BRICS before, and if they coalesce, I can see Russia as a dominant force. Its a dangerous world we live in.

https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/03/brics-expansion-and-the-future-of-world-order-perspectives-from-member-states-partners-and-aspirants

Joan-Marie Lartin's avatar

Thank you for this analysis and publishing excerpts from that leaked document. It says it all doesn’t it

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

i'm shocked the memo hasn't gotten more coverage!

Cécile Stelzer-Johnson's avatar

I have a bit of difficulty using the "share" button, but I'm sending the link to my list of friends.

Cécile Stelzer-Johnson's avatar

Where there's a will, there's a way!

Mark Huseby's avatar

The establishment Democrats, who the MSM parrot, is the reason that assessment is underreported. Meanwhile, the republicans are going to have a problem besides Trump. There is a potential new party forming to challenge them.

Slightly Lucid's avatar

Are you really shocked?

David S Ball's avatar

Sadly, the "big Tent" Democratic Party feels the need to commit blue-on-blue "friendly fire" because these two were not anointed from the top. Instead of hope because voters are energized, the DNC sees its stranglehold on the democratic agenda in jeopardy. A win by both would help push the door open for a Democratic Party lost in the wilderness.

M F's avatar

It's more than past time we get Democrats worthy of the name.

JP Connolly's avatar

It seems as though the centrists, the schumerati, see kitchen table issues as "outside" the mainstream--they ARE the mainstream. Mamdani et al get the votes because they understand kitchen table issues--and yes, the votes of people like me, in my late 80s. To me the centrists are just conservative lite, not very lite at that.

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

the schumerati lol im gonna borrow that

StanleyTwoBrix's avatar

Ken, I can't say this enough - the Democratic Party Establishment doesn't exist to win elections.

They exist to stop anyone who would ever interrupt the gravy train.

If they lose, the grateful industries that the server will shower them with enormous advances for books no one will buy; no-show sinecures in think tanks that tell the rich the pleasant lies they want to hear.

If they try to govern, they are in danger of needing to accomplish something useful, of which they are incapable.

Clif Brown's avatar

If I see James Carville being quoted one more time I will put my fist through the monitor...well, I'll think about doing so anyway.

X K's avatar

"... losses in the general election would be inevitable because they are too 'extreme' for ordinary voters."

So another logic bomb has gone off... So it's okay to defend and perpetuate the extreme dystopian morass we're in that's going to capsize us before too long and label such common sense measures as f***ing Israel, a true national health insurance program, and cutting the "defense" budget in half are labeled as "radical," toxically "progressive," "extreme," "unelectable"?

Yes, latest research establishes that the sun does indeed rise in the West at least once each week...

Mary Pat Rowan's avatar

Ken,

Your writing about these two candidates is great! You really have chosen your words carefully to point our why they are so good and why they can win in a general election.

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

Thanks Mary Pat! Say hi to Hattie for me :)

Susan Becraft's avatar

I’ve often dreamed of throwing almost everyone out of Congress and starting over. These candidates, if they win, will be a start.

Thank you, Ken.

Susan Becraft's avatar

I assume you saw that Kay Granger finally died over the weekend.

Marian Rich's avatar

Excellent piece! The Democratic Party establishment deserves what it gets.

Guy's avatar

We are entering into "emperor-has-no-clothes" territory. Or, to mess with the metaphor a bit, "Once you see it you can't unsee it."

Thanks, in part, to all the unflinching independent journalists like Ken who now have their own platforms to reach the many people (more than we might think) who are tired of all the B.S.