POWIP Piece of Work In Progress – Former Abode of Dan Collins

A Modest Appeal to Concede

On the late late night of the election in Wisconsin for Supreme Court Justice (actually in the early AM the following day), candidate Kloppenberg declared victory. At the time, it struck me as a dicey thing to do.

For one, the margin of "victory" she held was razor thin. In the hundreds of votes. For another thing, she was basing her claim to victory on unofficial numbers provided to the Associated Press. These "results" were preliminary and prior to the Official Counts reconciled during the canvassing process.

On the first score, I would suggest that CV aside, claiming victory while the numbers were preliminary and unofficial demonstrates what over 50% of the voters who voted already suspected: namely, Kloppenberg is ill-suited for the bench. Usually, a judge is expected to be judicious. Prudent. Deliberate. Usually it is helpful for a judge to wait until all of the facts have been gathered before passing judgment. Usually a judge knows this and is not at all quick to his findings. So, in her first act as unofficial and tenuous-at-best victor in the election, Kloppenberg made a monumental gaffe... a gaffe which allows onlookers to see into the very core of her inmost approach to jurisprudence. Haste and immaturity in a person of her age are unusual. Particularly odd to find blossoming in a person seeking a position of such significant gravitas. One also caught a glimpse of greed... a woman so bent on winning that she threw caution to the wind. That is, she allowed her emotions to overwhelm reason. So badly did she want that bench that she was willing to go way out on a limb to claim it. In so doing, she reveals an immature mind and a degree of enchantment with the Brass Ring that is a little more than frightening.

On the second score,  the process is important. There is a process to due process. One wonders why she could not sit tight like Prosser and wait until the process ran its course. Again, the contrast between the two candidates while the official outcome is still not official is radical.

Now here is my appeal: as a citizen of Wisconsin, born and raised in the state, I would strongly urge the 2nd place candidate (based on the final certified tallies) to please, please, please show some class and concede.

What Wisconsin, the state you seek to serve at the very highest levels of state government, does not need is a protracted recount featuring interloping lawyers from the coasts.

What Wisconsin does not need is more embarrassing national attention. This is our house and we would kindly like to keep the gawkers at bay. This is a family thing. It is not a reality TV show.

What Wisconsin does not need is to be a spectacle. We live here, many of us, precisely because it is decidedly not in the center of anything (save geographically). We are, mostly, quiet people who like peace and living far away from the limelight. We work hard, raise our kids, visit with out neighbors, go to church, watch the Packers, have a beer, and that's pretty much it.

When the official results are in, we will know one thing: all the votes will have been counted and certified. All discrepancies from the unofficial numbers provided to the AP will be reconciled.

Whoever receives the most votes is the winner. Whoever receives the fewest votes is not the winner.

It is time for Cheeseheads to be reconciled to one another. I know at least one candidate who has the class and demonstrable prudence to concede should the official tally go in the opponent's favor. But it requires classy people on both sides of a divide this large to afford Wisconsin a dignified tomorrow.

Enoch_Root

Person with kids,a beautiful wife, a job. Catholic of the Latin Rite.

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