H 23°, L 4° | Tomorrow: 
H 21°, L 6°Is it possible to make people believe you take them seriously after you publicly label them lunatics?
This is essentially the question faced by Rep. Mark Green as he runs for the Wisconsin governorship in 2006.
Last week, in a campaign speech, Mr. Green branded the city of Madison "Planet Madison," making evident his personal feelings about Wisconsin's capital. As Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz pointed out in a subsequent criticism of Mr. Green's comments, the public ridicule of Wisconsin's second-largest city is an interesting way to approach a campaign for Wisconsin's top political office. It seems Mark Green might find his message increasingly hard sell to Madison residents.
Unfortunately, the true burden of this debacle, while currently being carried by Mr. Green, would be transferred to the residents of Madison were he to be elected. Nobody living in the state's capital could feel adequately represented in state government given the denunciation by the governor.
Perhaps the scariest possible dilemma of democracy is to belong to a minority for which a majority-elected leader has shown a particular aversion. Usually, such an aversion is made clear through legislative action or ambiguous rhetoric. In the case of Mark Green's opinion of the residents of Madison, it was stated outright.
It is widely understood that Rep. Green must find a way to appeal to Wisconsin's more conservative voters, but chastising another group of Wisconsinites to do so is a highly questionable practice. Mr. Green, the epitome of a political opportunist, is putting off thousands of people. Through verbally insulting them, he is ensuring that many Wisconsinites will never be able to feel they have a friend in the Governor's mansion if he is elected. How can people trust and accept as their governor a man who has openly expressed his distaste for them?
It is hard to imagine why a candidate for a statewide political office would go out of his way to insult a large bloc of voters. One can hardly imagine Sen. Russ Feingold likening people from Kaukauna to a certain pungent odor that emanates from that city, or Gov. Jim Doyle expressing his hatred of anybody north of Stevens Point. Similarly, no such statement from Mark Green would be expected.
By showing his animosity toward residents of Madison, the state congressman is making certain that nobody from that city will ever be able to feel his governance is fair, should he be elected.
In a political campaign, candidates must focus on appealing to demographics likely to support them. For a brief period, overlooking those not receptive to your campaign message is acceptable. However, upon attaining a political office, one becomes a public servant accountable to everyone, in spite of any political differences. To disregard a faction of the constituency is a breach of the contract between public servants and those they represent.
Every person is entitled to an equal voice in government. Mark Green's recent comments give the impression that, under his leadership, the city of Madison would not receive the same level of attention as other parts of the state.
Madison residents must take Mark Green to task and demand that he explain his comments. The prospect of four years under governance that ignores the city is simply too dangerous. Madison residents have a right to feel they are represented in state government. Right now, it seems that if Mr. Green were elected governor that right would be violated.
Should Rep. Green continue to verbally attack Madison, however, voters must let him know that it is one planet he is not welcome on.
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Everybody already knows that Doyle hates anyone outside of Madison or Milwaukee. He has no more reason to appeal outside of those areas than Green has to appeal to Madison. What - do you think the Isthmus is going to suddenly go conservative?
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Rob,
Really, if and when you leave Madison you will find most Alum of moderate or conservative leanings refer to it as the People’s Republic of Madison. As for vilifying voters based on location explain how that is different than classifying my voting style by calling me an angry white (college educated)male. In case you haven’t noticed the use of Red States as cannon fodder is fairly common. With us Red Staters being nothing but a bunch of hayseeds who are led to the polls by preachers threating us with damnation if we should pull the lever for a Democrat. If your offended by the label, then ask yourself why is Madison viewed this way by anyone with a brain? Or Ann Arbor, or Boulder or Berkely or pick a college town. It is because college campuses breed people who actually believe that the NY Time is conservative because it is owned by a corporation.(Add your own conspiratorial echos) That think all corporations are evil in some way and we should all be buying our bread at the corner bakery and not at WalMart,(More echos)or Kroger(Echo, Echo, Echo) You read that Socialist Workers paper handed out on campus thanks to funding from the Seg Fee’s and are confused enough to think that communism is slightly left of center therefore the Times is conservative. A=B, B=C, Therefore A=C means you need to go back to philosophy class.
If Mr. Green is elected it will be immpossible to ignore Madison. The Governors mansion is in town and he will drive through the isthmus on his way to work each day. He would likely ignore the idiocy that comes out of Madison much as Jim Doyle does, but I’m pretty sure he won’t ignore the buildings, UW sports and rational people who don’t think protests in Madison will free Tibet.
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You’re trying to blow this way out of proportion. I live in Madison, and I was not insulted by his words. He was mearly pointing out that there needs to be change in Madison. This had no reflection on inividual people. Just another example of a liberal taking words out of text and blowing out of proportion. Great job BH!
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Sheese, talk about about overly-sensitive. When I was a student in the late 80’s, the badger herald was the lone conservative voice in an otherwise marxist communal state of Madison. Apparently, times have changed. Having traveled Wisconsin, working with literally 100’s of companies, I view “Plant Madison”, regardless of how this hyper-sensitive columnist interrupts the phrase, as very apt.
The reaction from this columnist simply reinforces the argument. There is an elitist air in Madison, and the pompasity of this windbag just highlights it. The immature and entitled attitudes that exist only in Madison, certainly don’t represent Wisconsin. Fortunately, these attitudes are concentrated primarily in the mush-minds of young college students, intelligent minds they are, and once launched from planet Madison, quickly settle and prosper in the real-world, planet Earth.
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To the second Anon:
The Governor’s mansion is in Maple Bluff.
In a political campaign, stereotyping folks from other states is different than stereotyping folks in your own state BECAUSE THAT’S WHO VOTES IN ELECTIONS.
Maybe YOU need to go back to philosophy class.
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Based on your feedback so far, I think your view of Rep. Green’s comments might be WAY off. Outside of our 1 mile radius of campus and perhaps Wily St and the near West side of Madison, many of Madison’s residents see our Mayor and more importantly, the City Council, as being out of touch with the community. As this city will never be labled conservative, it also is not nearly as Extremist Left as is widely spread. These two groups are quite vocal, but the majority of the city is full of normal people on both sides of the isle that believe our City Council and our Mayor have done a fine job in seperating our city from the rest of Wisconsin. So much so that we have become our own planet. Some people are in favor of these acts, but most are not.
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Anyone who leaves Madison for 2 seconds will realize that Madison is essentially a bubble that thrives on radical, illogical thought. It is not the leader of modern thought, but the leader of crazy thought.
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Mark Green’s comments will help to get him elected in next year’s race. People who live in the “reality” part of the “Madison - 10 square miles surrounded by reality” pretty much despise the city’s political attitudes. Unless, of course, one happens to live on the Upper East Side of Milwaukee, but that’s a topic for another day. While Green’s comments may seem insulting to Madison residents, they show the rest of the state that he’s in tune with their thoughts. A very time appropriate example of what Green’s comments take aim at is the naming of the tree at the Capitol building. It’s a Christmas tree, not a holiday tree, it’s a symbol of Christmas, not “the holidays.” And while this concept may seem trivial to some…”who cares about a damn tree?!”, the fact of the matter is that it bothers most people outside of Madison - a lot! And the response from the liberals in Madison to these concerns about stealing Christmas; usaully something like, “Can you believe there are so many uneducated hicks out there that actually give a damn about this stuff?”…that response is what leads to the animosity towards Madison from the rest of the state, and is exactly the type of emotion that Green is playing on. And in doing just that, Green may run away with the election, irregardless of how he may make Madisonians feel.
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I cant’t remember is Maple Bluff, which is like two miles from state street, its own city. Humor is lost on the humorless. I think Sherwood Hills? seperated themselves from the cities tax base but I don’t think Maple Bluff did. But then again Sub-Divisions have the neatest names.
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Please, write another editorial on this! You are doing so much to help Mark Green. I’m sure he appreciates the free opportunity to grab some great headlines.
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This is an extremely biased piece. He called it “Planet Madison,” but is that Representative Green’s only crime? That does not sound like a verbal attack to me. Madison is undeniably much different from the rest of the state. To try to deny that would be ridiculous.