Want to sway Wisconsin Democrats? Better be a Northerner.
In our Anecdotal Evidence column, movers and shakers share personal stories of how intriguing (and often odd) presidential campaigning in their respective swing state can be.
Craig Gilbert 鈥 Washington Bureau Chief, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel & Author of The Wisconsin Voter Blog
Craig Gilbert. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
鈥淥ne of the weird things about Wisconsin: When the Democratic nominee has been a Southerner, the state tends to be more Fifty-Fifty. When it has been a Northerner, it tends to be more Democratic.
鈥淲ith people like John Kerry (former Massachusetts senator), Michael Dukakis (former Massachusetts governor) and Walter Mondale (former Minnesota senator), it鈥檚 been a state the Democrats have been able to win even when they lost nationally.
鈥淲ith Bill Clinton (former Arkansas governor) and Al Gore (former Tennessee senator), it鈥檚 been a state that Democrats have been able to win, but they didn鈥檛 do better than they did elsewhere.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a lot of presidential elections to know if these things are random. But it鈥檚 a Wisconsin quirk.鈥
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