Some Voters Crossed Party Lines, Can Congress Follow Our Example?
Voters in several Patch communities chose both Republican and Democratic candidates, perhaps showing Congress that if residents can reach across party lines and focus on the issues, maybe our representatives should follow our example.
The last two years have been rough for Wisconsin voters. First we were caught up in recalls and then it was time for local school board and municipal elections. Eventually, we turned our attention to the upcoming state legislative and national races.
Along the way, we were hammered with ad after ad of the candidates bashing each other and even here on Patch, readers were clearly divided and not shy about expressing their opinions.
But come Election Day 2012, something kind of amazing happened in a handful of Patch communities: voters cast their ballots for candidates across party lines.
In Fox Point, on Milwaukee's north side, voters went for President Barack Obama and US Rep. Tammy Baldwin, but sided with Republicans Dan Sebring and Jim Ott in their respective congressional races. In Whitefish Bay, there was also a split that looked like Fox Point; Obama and Baldwin won voters over, but so did Sebring and Ott.
In Racine County, Sturtevant voters chose the president over Republican Mitt Romney by a single vote. They also chose Baldwin, but then threw their support to Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for the 63rd Assembly District, and to Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Janesville. Mount Pleasant, on the other hand, chose Romney, Baldwin, Vos, Ryan, and state Sen. Bob Wirch, D-Kenosha, for the 22nd Senate District.
These voters looked past the partisanship to cast ballots for the person they thought would do the best job. Do you think it's time for politicans to do the same?
Frances Martin
8:04 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
I'm inclined to vote yes, but not for the reason you've described. I think the loss by some Tea Party candidates , the fact that the Republicans won't have making President Obama a one term president as their overriding objective any more,and pressure from Wall Street on both sides will combine to generate some bipartisanship.