A bird's eye view of Wisconsin

"My big takeaway from this short stay in Wisconsin is simply this - people don't have to run for office. Many (not all) do it because they feel a civic calling to help improve things." 

A bit tardy today as my bride and I just got home from spending the afternoon and evening in Wisconsin. Was it as good trip? Absolutely! We got to spend time in a state that for one day this political season, was the focus of all politics, both good and sometimes not so good.

Our afternoon in Wisconsin started out by visiting our friend Ken from Minnesota who works in Hudson. Once we found his shop, Ken gave us the "cook's tour". Both my wife and I were very impressed. This shop is only one of MANY flourishing establishments who have set up in Wisconsin due to it's MUCH friendlier business climate. Unlike Minnesota, one of Wisconsin's mottos is "Open for business".

We arrived at our friends' Tom and Kathy's house next. The voting in Wisconsin was in full swing and the after work crowd was just starting to hit the polls. It was an exciting time. This was Tom's first time running for local office and he had run a grassroots, very smart campaign. Between a very important presidential primary and the local elections, there was definitely a buzz in the air. I loved it. 

We met some of Tom and Kathy's very good friends at a local restaurant. We had drinks, dinner and of course, much conversation about the election. 8 o'clock was drawing nigh, so we paid our bill and went over to the house of a man (Rich) who was running for mayor. We went down downstairs to the rec room which was packed with people. The big screen TV was on with Fox News, giving up to date results of the presidential race. Laptops and smartphones were constantly checking local websites for the status of the community races.

Here is the bottom line. As we know Senator Cruz won by a large margin. My friend Tom won the seat he was vying for. And Rich, who was running for mayor, also won. But some other very good conservatives lost their races. Even in a reddish, mostly conservative enclave such as Hudson, the battle continues. There were victories, and also some losses.

My big takeaway from this short stay in Wisconsin was simply this - people don't have to run for office. Many (not all) do it because they feel a civic calling to help improve things. It is the same if you are Ted Cruz running for President, Rich running for the Mayor of Hudson, or my friend Tom running for a local supervisor position on the board. These folks, as well as the ones who ran and did not make it, did it for the right reasons. To make it better. To make even a good thing better. It was as inspirational evening for me. It was a time to just watch and enjoy.

The next time you are talking to someone and they tell you they do not care much for politics, tell them they should. For if we take a pass, ignore what is going on, we truly do end up with the government we deserve. Hats off to our fellow citizens who are getting involved. Hats off, and a hearty "thank you!"