Dane101 - Wisconsin Primary

Full coverage (history and results) - Wisconsin Primary 2008 - Clinton, Huckabee, McCain, Obama

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:38:01 +0100

Projected winners by CNN/MSNBC/FOX are Senators Barack Obama and John McCain.

10:30 p.m.: Oh, are you still here? Come back tomorrow and we'll have a results breakdown for you. We've been blogging all day and we need to unwind. Thanks for tuning in!

9:40 p.m.: Poking around the rest of the state we see that in Brown County, home to Green Bay and a large blue collar population, Obama beat Clinton 56-42. With 93 percent of the votes in Obama had 22,044 votes and all of the Republicans combined took in 15,847.

9:15 p.m.: Middleton went heavy for Obama which proves Google Trends predict absolutely nothing. Obama more than doubled Clinton's numbers: 4664-2011.

9:00 p.m.: With all Madison wards still out, these are the numbers we have in terms of turn out in Dane County. Democrats with 41,007 and Republicans with 9,819. In 2004 during the Wisconsin Primary the turn out for Democrats in Dane County was 125,363. President George W. Bush was uncontested.

8:45 p.m.: Obama continues to dominate in Dane County. He has not lost a single municipality with all of the following reporting: Albion, Berry, Black Earth, Blooming Grove, Blue Mounds, Burke, Christiana, Cross Plains
Deerfield, Dunkirk, Dunn, Mazomanie, Medina, Middleton, Perry, Pleasant Springs, Primrose, Roxbury, Sun Prairie D-3, Vienna D-2, Westport, York, Belleville, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Brooklyn, Cross Plains, DeForest, Marshall, Mount Horeb, Rockdale, Shorewood Hills, and Middleton. McCain was also the victor in all of those with the exception of Christiana and Albion. Those communities went to Huckabee.

8:30 p.m.: We now have winners for the Dane County District 28 race. Kurt Schlicht and Susan Beil will go on to compete on April 1. They won 38 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Wisconsin Votes: Primary Day 2008 in Madison and Dane County, the pre-results evening edition

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:15:42 +0100

First things first. Official word from the City Clerk is that they have no preliminary turnout numbers because "It's a zoo" and turnout is so high. Stay tuned for continuous coverage as the night goes on. Tell us what you are thinking in the comments below or email them to editor at dane101.com. Photo by Melody Hanson All of our earlier coverage can be found by clicking here.

7:55 p.m.: ...and with that we end our primary day threads as we move onto the long anticipated results threads. We will be bouncing around for the rest of the night between the Barack Obama shindig at the Great Dane and Dane County Supervisor Scott McDonnell's party at Hawk's. View the results thread here.

7:15 p.m.: Casey and Alan do some election day coverage from the Food Court of the West Towne Mall.

7:10 p.m.: Alder Brenda Konkel reports, "Rob just voted at Gates of Heaven - he was number 1091 . . .the line was out the door from the time he got there to the time he left . . .
He said that while standing in line, some people were saying that the room needed more light as it was hard for the poll workers to see the names . . . someone said that they should tell me . . . so Rob told them he'd make sure I knew . . .

btw - I decided not to vote."

6:45 p.m.: Time magazine posts some early exit poll results for Wisconsin. Associated content also has exit poll numbers here. AP exit poll summary here.

6:40: Bessie Cherry reports, "I was voter number 1617 at Georgia O'Keefe Middle School, a polling place that was full of family folks (at least a dozen kids and some babies with their parents including my own six-year-old) and some neighborhood luminaries, like Isthmus' Kenneth Burns and Harlot Bronte of the Mad Rollin' Dolls. On the way to O'Keefe we caught the end of John Nichols' chat with Rachel Maddow on Air America about his perspective on the WI primaries, a great precursor to my vote. The atmosphere was a bit frenzied-- there were probably 25 people in line behind me, most bemoaning the fact that their names didn't start with letters between M and Z. My daughter loudly announced my vote to all within earshot as she fed the ballot through the machine. She was also incensed that someone had used the voting marker to draw on the walls of the booth. Personally, I wish that O'Keefe had gone the way of the other polling places I read about and held a bake sale (I noticed that Lapham pollworkers were handing out free candy!)-- it makes for a more convivial, neighborhood atmosphere and it's a good way to keep the kids calm. Despite the frigid temps and the impending night, on the way home we passed two girls who couldn't have been older than 8 or 9 jumping up and down atop a snowbank yelling "Go Obama" and holding up adorable handmade signs. I gave them a thumbs up."

Wisconsin Votes: Primary Day 2008 in Madison and Dane County, the afternoon edition

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:30:39 +0100

We continue our all day coverage of the Wisconsin Primary in this brand spanking new thread. We have included our morning coverage, but if you are so inclined you can also view it here. According to the Dane County Clerk's office voter turn out was at 10 percent as of 10:30 a.m. That is substantial considering the cold morning and many commuters experiencing a rough time with many of the Madison roads encased in ice. As an example, one Sun Prairie resident told us a normal 15 minute commute to downtown Madison took him nearly 1.5 hours. Below we will update until the evening. Feel free to use the comments section below to make your own observations.

5:00 p.m.: This thread is now closed. Please see the "evening primary" thread for current in-coming reports.

4:00 p.m.: We are taking a short nap. Unless something major happens in the next hour we will see you on the other side of 5 p.m.

3:55 p.m.: James, of Jim James and the Damn Shames fame, reports, "I made it over to Midvale Elementary at about 3 pm and it was pretty quiet in the polling gymnasium. There were two or three people who walked by to vote as I filled out my change of address form. One young mother who was also trying to vote must not have brought two forms of ID (eg: driver's license and utility bill) because, as much as they were trying to help, she was made to wait. Be sure to bring the proper documents if you are changing addresses this time around!"

3:40: Tana at the Central Library gives thanks, "We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the library staff you usually don’t see - our maintenance crew - for their hard work in clearing our sidewalks and courtyard of the icy snow that accumulated over the weekend. Thanks Dave, Gilbert, James and Ricardo! The sidewalks were clear for the voters who came first thing in the morning before the library was even open."

Election 2008: Images of Hillary Clinton speaking at Monona Terrace

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:11:03 +0100

Senator Hillary Clinton was in Madison last night hosting a rally before Wisconsinites hit the polls. Phil Ejercito took the following pictures of the former First Lady. Jason Dean wrote about the speech. Earlier today, we posted pictures of Senator Barack Obama's wife Michelle Obama speaking at the Overture Center. We would post pictures of Senator John McCain, but he blew off Madison completely. Click on the pictures to view them larger.

Election 2008: Images from the Michelle Obama rally at the Capitol Theatre

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:11:56 +0100

As Wisconsin goes to the polls we bring you these images from Phil Ejercito of Michelle Obama speaking at the Overture Center's Capitol Theatre here in Madison on Monday. In the interest of primary day balance, Phil assures us that images of Senator Hillary Clinton's rally at Monona Terrace are coming soon. Katjusa Cisar wrote about Michelle's appearance for Dane101. Click on the images to view them larger.

2008 Primary Day in Madison: Reports from the polls

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:00:04 +0100

This is the morning thread. Please see our afternoon thread here.

Primary Day has arrived in Dane County and everyone who cares about the future of the country is strapping on their ice cleats and putting chains on their tires so they can make it to the polls. Dane101 will be collecting reports from the polls in this entry throughout the day. Feel free to add your personal experiences in the comment thread below.

11:00 a.m.: Adam Schabow reports, "I voted this morning. Due to the crappy roads, a drive that would normally take me 5 minutes took me 20 minutes to get to Hoyt School to vote, but once I got there, it only took me two minutes to actually get in and vote. Not too shabby. I was the 70th person to vote there at 9am this morning."

Hillary Clinton makes final stump speech of Wisconsin Primary in Madison

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:36:26 +0100

The scene resembled a victory party more than a political rally.

As supporters entered, they were treated to a banquet of coffee, Doritos, and Pepsi products. The soft sounds of a mandolin flowed through the hall as Harmonious Whale performed for the waiting crowd. The awkward arrangement of the conference room quickly filled, forcing the event staff to open another section and relegate newcomers to an area where the podium was virtually invisible.

Election 2008: Michelle Obama speaks to near capacity crowd at Capitol Theatre

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:41:50 +0100

Barack Obama inspires the kind of mania more appropriate perhaps to the Beatles or a religious cult.

Take the elderly man accosting passersby outside the Overture Center Monday afternoon, a handmade yard sign hung around his neck.

“Vote for Ohhhhhhhhhh-BAMA!” he yelled repeatedly, raising his arms Y-M-C-A style over his head to make an ‘O.’

Obama calls this “hopemongering,” but his critics say that his campaign amounts to inspirational fluffing and not a lot of action.

Michelle Obama spoke this afternoon at the Overture Center in a speech that highlighted her husband’s roots and defended his supposed lack of substance. About 900 people filled the Capitol Theatre almost to capacity.

Clinton rally postponed; Michelle Obama Monday rally still on

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:43:48 +0100

According to various news sources the rally for Senator Hillary Clinton scheduled for this evening has been postponed. Instead, the rally will be held Monday night. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with Clinton scheduled to speak at 8:30 p.m. Chelsea Clinton is enviously campaigning in Hawaii.

While Clinton competitor Senator Barack Obama has canceled his Wisconsin events today, his wife, Michelle Obama, is currently still scheduled to make an appearance on Monday in the Capitol Theatre of the Overture Center for the Arts. Doors open at 2 p.m. with the event starting at 3:15 p.m.

Picketing Bill Clinton: "Where is Jacki's Medicine?"

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:29:45 +0100

Local activist, Ben Masel provided this account of picketing at Bill Clinton's appearance on Thursday.

Just back from Bill Clinton's appearance at the historic Stock Pavilion on the University of Wisconsin Campus. When Gary Storck and I approached, we were directed across the street by the most polite pair of Secret Service agents I've ever dealt with, but, as it's a narrow street, not an unreasonable "Free Speech Zone."

Our signs referred to Bill's encounter, as a Candidate, with Jacki Rickert of Mondovi, Wisconsin in 1992. Jacki had been approved for the federal medical marijuana program, but not yet admitted when Bush I closed the program to new admissions in 1989. She caught up with Bill in Osseo on his post-Convention Mississippi River bus tour. After she explained her odyssey through the federal bureaucracy, Bill "I feel your pain" promised "When I'm President, you'll get your medicine."

Election 2008: Bill Clinton comes to Madison and there is much rejoicing (w/photos)

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:15:41 +0100

(Photos below by Phil Ejercito, click to view larger)

The Stock Pavilion has a rich history of hosting presidents. Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and William Howard Taft have all appeared at the nearly 100-year old building.

Add Bill Clinton to the list.

Calling the position of president “America's most fortunate hired hand,” Clinton was in town yesterday to promote his wife Hillary's campaign. While Hillary has yet to make an appearance in the dairy state, she sent the hired guns to campaign for her, including California Congresswoman Hilda Solis and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.

Election 2008: Photos of former Governor Mike Huckabee in Madison

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:45:14 +0100

The Presidential candidates continue to duke it out in our backyard and our checklists are quickly filling up as they hit Madison. Below are photos from Phil Ejercito of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's visit to Madison. See more photos from Phil at his website (cfuct.org) and read Jason Dean's article on the visit here.
Click on the images to view them larger. Photos and an article on former President Bill Clinton's visit will be arriving on dane101 within the hour.

Wisconsin Primary: Election Officials Sought for Campus-Area Polling Places

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:21:41 +0100

The City of Madison is being proactive in the face of what could be a record setting election turn out here in Madison. With the entire Clinton family having made or scheduled to make appearances, as well as the massive turn out for Illinois Senator Barack Obama on Tuesday, voter energy is high. The city has sent out a call for extra hands at campus area polling places. More details are below and to submit a poll worker application visit the following link: http://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/pollworker.cfm

Quote:

MADISON: The Madison City Clerk’s Office is seeking Madison residents to serve as Election Officials at campus-area polling locations for the February 19 Primary Election.

What They Are Saying About: Chelsea Clinton

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:20:35 +0100

We haven't done a "What They Are Saying About..." in a long, long time and the stop by Chelsea Clinton to the UW-Madison campus seems like a better place than any to bring it back. "What They Are Saying About..." is a feature where we troll the blogs and traditional media to see what is being discussed concerning Madison or Wisconsin issues. Chelsea Clinton hosted a Q&A session on campus for her mother, Hillary Clinton, who, in case you are living under a rock, is campaigning to be the Democratic nominee for President. Wisconsin votes on February 19 along with Hawaii. Thankfully, we have more delegates then the island state so the politicians are braving our frozen tundra instead of hosting rallies on beaches in the Sun. As Bessie Cherry noted on dane101 Sunday sending Chelsea to woo the student vote in Wisconsin is a smart idea because "in the 2004 presidential election, Wisconsin boasted the second highest rate of youth voter turnout in the nation." Below is what the blogs and MSM are saying about Chelsea:

Chelsea Clinton to appear in Madison on Monday, February 11

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:50:16 +0100

Chelsea Clinton, the 27-year-old only child of former president Bill Clinton and current presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, will grace Madison with her pedigreed presence tomorrow, appearing in the Main Lounge of UW Madison's Memorial Union at 3:30 p.m. She's swooping into town on the heels of an Obama sweep of every contest this weekend, on the eve of Obama's appearance at the Kohl Center, and in advance of Wisconsin's February 19 primary, which is shaping up to be a significant factor in the Democratic race for the nomination. Some say the upcoming primary will attract the most Wisconsin voters in 20 years.

In the 2004 presidential election, Wisconsin boasted the second highest rate of youth voter turnout in the nation (Minnesota's rate was highest). College political groups in the Dairyland are impressively organized and increasingly mobilized. So the choice of sending Chelsea out to stump seems a calculated one, keeping in line with the candidates' fight for the youth vote.