Best friends
Re: “Campainless” (5/10/2018): I remember years ago when I could pick up an Isthmus and trust that I was reading the product of dedicated journalists who had asked themselves, “What do our readers most need to understand about the civic choices facing them?” Maybe I was naive then, but Isthmus editors don’t seem to be even pretending anymore. I haven’t yet decided who I’m supporting in the governor’s primary — maybe it’ll be Paul — but it’s clear who Isthmus is backing. Here’s how I imagine the editorial discussion that went into this cover story: “Paul is running! Paul is our friend! Let’s boost Paul!” I didn’t come to this conclusion just now, as I read the Soglin panegyric. In 2016, I challenged one of Isthmus’ friends in a race for county clerk, and the situation became clear to me then. Before deciding to run for that office, I’d spent a few years wondering why I was having a hard time getting Isthmus interested in the fact that Dane County wasn’t complying with the wise election-security recommendations of President Obama’s Commission on Elections Administration — that Dane County elections were still being declared final without being checked for accuracy. If Isthmus then had shown half the random voter’s level of interest, the newspaper would have given the issue serious, factual coverage. The county clerk might have been pressured to implement the federal election-audit recommendations. I wouldn’t have had to run for county clerk.
— Karen McKim (via Isthmus.com)
BEST COVER ON ANY MADISON PERIODICAL IN HISTORY, EVER!!!!!
— Jeff Scott Olson (via email)
Soglin is selfishly taking oxygen from more committed candidates. Walker is beatable but not by a candidate not willing to work his or her butt off. Any candidate not working hard should step aside. That means you, Soglin.
— Rob Striker (via Isthmus.com)
Seriously? The state voted multiple times for Walker, went for President Trump, and times are good here. Soglin? A chance? Delusional.
— Steven Bukosky (via Isthmus.com)
School ties
Re: “A (Stevens) pointed rebuke” (5/10/2018): As a UW-Stevens Point graduate, I am heartbroken and dismayed by what is happening to the university, AND the opportunities for students in Central Wisconsin. Can we be done with Walker yet?
— Crystal Blue (via Facebook)
Corrections: Last week’s cover story, “Campainless,” misspelled the name of Austin Altenburg. A graphic accompanying the cover story incorrectly spelled Bridget Maniaci’s first name as Brigit. The same graphic also mistakenly repeated the pie chart for the 2015 primary and general elections. The graphic has been corrected online.