After earning a third term, Ron Johnson can't even win gracefully

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

As the year got underway, Oshkosh Corporation, a Wisconsin-based company, announced plans to create plenty of new manufacturing jobs — in South Carolina. Wisconsin’s Democratic senator, Tammy Baldwin, immediately went to work trying to keep those jobs in her home state.

The state’s other senator, Republican Ron Johnson, said he didn’t much care. “It’s not like we don’t have enough jobs here in Wisconsin,” the GOP lawmaker said.

There were times in 2022 when Johnson practically seemed to be daring voters to reject him. It was as if he were conducting a real-life political science experiment, testing the limits of how far a politician could go and still get re-elected in a competitive battleground state.

The incumbent didn’t just thumb his nose at economic development in his own state, he also concocted a weird conspiracy theory about the FBI, which he foolishly claimed had tried to “set him up.” Johnson moved sharply to the right on Social Security and Medicare, endorsing a plan that would put the programs in jeopardy. His Jan. 6 antics made the Republican a national laughingstock. He wouldn’t even commit to accepting the legitimacy of Wisconsin’s election results.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/maddow-blog-after-earning-a-third-term-ron-johnson-can-t-even-win-gracefully/ar-AA13Y0es

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Is "earning" really the best term to use here ? nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Article's title

Not my words. But I think you're correct.

[Ray Bruns]

2. I think we all know why Ron Johnson was re-elected.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. A qualified, educated, and eloquent Black man ran against him.

No way was he going to win.

[LakeArenal]

5. Maybe not. Please enlightening me.

Why, in your opinion, was Ron Johnson re-elected?

[maxsolomon]

6. His 2-Term pledge meant nothing to WI voters.

And meant nothing to him.

He's an absolute clown. WI should be ashamed.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

7. Ron Johnson and Scott Walker are reasons why voters DON"t pay enough attention

and that is sad.

Both guys are pretty much doing damage and admitting it and yet voters seem not to notice and vote them in again.


I know Walker lost but I really felt like Johnson should have lost this election.

[JohnSJ]

8. What's the matter with Wisconsin?

[buzzards97]

9. Alot.....

What is wrong with WI....as a lifelong resident, there are numerous factors that respond to your question.

1. There is a strong population of backwards, racist, misogynistic doofuses that live in the northwoods that enjoy swilling cheap beer and shooting deer. they don't like people of color, people with 2 X chromosomes, non-heterosexuals....not really sure on the religious thing...but anything that is not generally christian in nature is suspect. In many ways it truly is rural vs. urban.

2. To get democratic victories, the state has to rely on Milwaukee and Madison to get out the vote...which they did....and other college communities. That Johnson won by 1% was really rather amazing.

3. The R's flooded the state with negative ads. It was ridiculous.

4. I don't know for sure, but sort of suspect that possibly a white D candidate would have won.

5. WI is one of the worst gerrymandered state...I realize this doesn't matter for Governor or Congressional elections, but it matters in the state.

5. I think there were just enough voters who voted for Evers and Johnson...I speculate they voted for Johnson on the issue of inflation.

So....this is what I think the matter with WI is. It's a quirky state.

[JohnSJ]

10. Thanks for the analysis, but how did Evers pull it out?

[buzzards97]

11. Likely...

It was likely abortion and the incredible loon he was running against. The loon said very close to the election that by electing him Republicans would be in power forever. And, the loon has had some shady dealings as a business owner. Not sure how that sat with people. Again, I think that the flood of ad money is what really helped Johnson....I didn't see nearly the volume against Evers. Evers was an incumbant. He is also white. I just have begun to understand the level of racism in this country. In WI...I think, especially in the rural parts of WI....being African American is closely correlated to Milwaukee and Madison. And to the rural citizens....i.e. gun-toting deer killers....those Milwaukee sorts are very suspect and very scary. It's fine to lug guns around in the back of your pickup truck in rural WI....just not for a Black person in Milwaukee. Just one person's opinion that has lived in both rural areas and Madison.