The Pathway Forward for Constitutional Carry

 

As of May 2026, twenty-nine states have enacted Constitutional Carry.

What about across the rest of the country? The movement has stalled, since red states with GOP trifectas have all gotten the job done. Constitutional Carry’s advance has paused since South Carolina finally approved the reform on March 7, 2024. Of course, we shouldn’t give a round of applause to the Palmetto State, since the long-lasting legacy of RINOs did everything they could to thwart meaningful, conservative turn rights reforms. But they did get the job done.

Nothing has budged since. Republicans are facing progressive backlash in other states, as expected since Trump got the top job a second time in 2024. Democrats are hard-pressed to stop this reform from advancing, and in the Rust Belt States, the last time they had Republican trifectas, the respective parties made some moves for gun rights liberation, but nothing along the lines of constitutional carry.

Where can gun rights activists expect the move for Second Amendment freedom?

I was really gunning for Virginia to join the Constitutional Carry club post 2025. That dream turned into a nightmare when Democrats not only swept all three statewide offices, but also expanded their legislative majority in the Virginia House of Delegates to near supermajority levels!

And now look what’s happening in Virginia: twenty-five gun control bills have blasted out of the legislature, including limits on the right to carry publicly, limitations on where one can carry, and even barring 18to 20 year-olds from carrying a firearm! The gun-rights movement was hoping that the Mother of Presidents would join the constitutional carry club. Sadly, that is not to be for the foreseeable future. Republicans must expose these draconian measures and scare gun owners and Second Amendment advocates to the polls.

North Carolina remains on the cusp of constitutional carry. The main obstacle is a matter of overriding the Governor’s veto. The Republican-dominated legislature passed SB 50, but Democratic Governor Stein vetoed the bill. He will pay lip service to public safety but refuses to enact the one key reform that will ensure it. Fortunately, the state senate overrode the veto.

Now the North Carolina House has to step up.

The Republicans in that chamber are just one vote shy of a three-fifths veto-proof majority. Of course, there are plenty of RINOs in the midst who are covertly hostile to gun freedom. At least thirteen of them bailed on the initial vote for the legislation last year. Election season is here, though, and those stay-aways have to step up and vote for the constitutional carry override if they want to get re-elected in 2026. Add to this dynamic the fact that some left-over former Democrat House Reps have ditched their crazy-woke party. GOP Leadership should reach out to them and offer them a legislative deal for their votes to get constitutional carry across the finish line. Second Amendment advocates, let’s cross our fingers for the Tar Heel State!

Does constitutional carry have a chance in any other legislative chamber this year?

The Pennsylvania state legislature passed the reform in 2022, but then Democratic Governor Tom Wolf vetoed it, and there weren’t enough votes for an override. Then came Election 2022, and Democrats took the House (by a slim margin) and the governor’s mansion, as well.

The state senate is still controlled by Republicans. As of May 6, 2026, the Pennsylvania State Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced its own version, even though the rest of the state went blue in 2022. Election 2026 is not looking much better for Republicans to gain a GOP trifecta for the next legislative session. They could win back the Pennsylvania House, but Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro maintains a strange popularity across the state, although GOP State Treasurer Stacy Garrity will give him a run for his money. She will campaign and win in 2030, and if Republican legislators are still in control, constitutional carry could come in 2031.

Wisconsin Republicans still control the state legislature, but Democratic Governor Tony Evers has resisted expansion of gun rights. HB 609 was introduced last year to enact constitutional carry, but it has gone nowhere since. Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany has a chance to become the next governor, since Evers declined to run again. If a wannabe Bernie Sanders candidate wins the Democratic nomination, Wisconsin may restore its GOP trifecta. Dairy State lawmakers must make constitutional carry a priority in 2027.

Will Michigan get back on track to restore and expand gun rights? Democrats control the Governor’s mansion in Lansing and the Michigan state senate. House Republicans have introduced their own constitutional carry bill, which could pass the lower chamber this year, preparing for a better environment after Election 2026.

Michigan may witness another 2010-style Tea Party wave, with Republicans washing back into power. The Democratic frontrunner for US Senate, former public health director Abdul El-Sayed, is a terrorist sympathizer. He is running against a state-wide tested and Trump-endorsed candidate, Mike Rogers, who nearly toppled Elissa Slotkin in 2024. He is the 2026 version of Pennsylvania’s Dave McCormick.

Republicans already face a favored field, since Democrats are split over the governor’s race. Democrat-turned-Independent and former Detroit mayor Mike Duggan was hurting the Democratic vote, but he ended up dropping out of the race. Still, Republican gubernatorial candidate John James is reaching out to him for support. He was pulling support from both parties, but his exit may help Republicans. The GOP took back the House of Representatives in 2024, and they are two seats shy of winning back the majority in the state senate.

With Rogers pulling off a US Senate win in the Wolverine State, he can pull up the rest of the Michigan GOP ticket for Election 2026. A GOP trifecta in Michigan must make it their priority to enact constitutional carry – then repeal the red flag laws and gun-free zones enacted under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s (aka Gretch the Witch) Democrat trifecta!

What about Minnesota? Trump was within striking distance of winning the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes in 2016, then his numbers sagged in 2020, then perked up again in 2024 (but not as close as his first run). The Democratic brand is in trouble since Somali voter fraud has stirred up the state, but will it be enough?

Election 2026 can be the “Constitutional Carry” year if Republicans make their case. They need to drive home the dangers of a Democratic resurgence to power. Just look at Virginia and what Minnesota tried to do earlier this month! The Marxist Democratic Party wants to take the guns away, folks, and they are not shy about their intentions this time around.

So, what is the future for carrying constitutionally in the United States?

North Carolina is very close.

Michigan and Wisconsin could be joining the club, provided that Republican statewide candidates win big and bring up their state legislatures. Nevada is still dealing with large Democratic majorities in the legislature, and the Republican governor Joe Lombardo opposes constitutional carry. Minnesota remains a long shot. The rest are Democratic hellholes that have declared war on law-abiding gun owners.

Following the most ideal outcomes, three more states will join the Constitutional Carry club in the next year.

After Wisconsin MassResistance raised the alarm: Catholic Diocese halts LGBT effort by two liberal Catholic churches

 

After Wisconsin MassResistance raised the alarm: Catholic Diocese halts LGBT effort by two liberal Catholic churches

The churches (and their leaders) had been part of radical group distributing graphic LGBT sexual books for children.

The Left lashes back at our success – but to no avail!

December 30, 2023

 The local coalition of odious left-wing churches was pushing "freedom to read" pornography for children.

In many places, the Catholic Church leadership is under fire by faithful Catholics for its unwillingness to oppose (or even for its complicity in) the LGBT agenda. But in Wisconsin, the Church leadership has stood tall. With help from our MassResistance activists in Kenosha, the Archbishop of Milwaukee ordered two local Catholic churches (and various Church officials) to cease and desist their involvement in a group pushing pornographic LGBT books on children.

Removal of pornographic books from school libraries angered radical leftists

Beginning last summer, our Wisconsin MassResistance chapter in Kenosha successfully pressured the local school system to remove several horrible pornographic LGBT books from the school libraries. This was applauded by parents.

But it angered the rabid pro-LGBT anti-family leftists who are obsessed with pushing their filthy material on children.

Leftists organize to distribute “banned” LGBT porn books to children in the community

On Sept. 29, the MassResistance parents in Kenosha were shocked to read an article in the local newspaper. A coalition of local far-left churches calling itself “Congregations United to Serve Humanity” (CUSH) was collecting copies of the “banned” homosexual- and transgender-themed books pushing sexuality on children.

They told the newspaper that their collection will include graphic homosexual sex books such as Gender Queer and This Book is Gay. CUSH would then create a “traveling LGBTQ library” to make the books available to children across the city.

CUSH outrageously labeled their pornography effort as “Freedom to Read” (a phrase peddled by the American Library Association). In their public announcement, CUSH dishonestly mixed the LGBT books with so-called “banned” books from decades ago and “civil rights” books which parents have no problems with. But it was clear that their true intentions were to promote LGBT pornography to children.

Two local Catholic churches involved

Several of our MassResistance parents in Kenosha are devout Catholics. They were particularly shocked to see that two local Catholic churches were listed as members of the CUSH coalition, and leaders from those churches were on the CUSH Board of Directors!

Those churches were known to be “liberal,” but this was beyond the pale.

Getting the Archdiocese involved

On Oct. 2, the Catholic MassResistance parents contacted the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which oversees Kenosha:

We have been fighting pornography in our public school libraries. To find out that St. Mary's and St. Mark's are members of an organization that is working against us and the teachings of the Catholic Church is scandalous. This should not be tolerated. Could you please address this issue as soon as possible. Thank you very much.

The Archdiocese takes action!

Several weeks went by. Finally on Nov. 27, the Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese responded to our activists.

He told the parents that the Archdiocese had spoken to the pastors of the two churches directly. He also sent the pastors and their staff an official letter on behalf of the Archbishop on Nov. 21, which was also made public. The letter stated the Archbishop’s position very clearly:

None of our parishes, clergy, parish leadership, and staff as official, public representatives of the Catholic Church, can support, or publicly be affiliated with CUSH.

It turns out that for the past several years the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) had been giving grants to CUSH, totaling over $200,000. Earlier this year, the Archdiocese had stopped approving those grants because of CUSH’s support for abortion. But its objection did not go further than that. This new policy statement made the disassociation from CUSH complete – and also sends a strong message about support for LGBT activities.

Religious Catholics celebrate this big victory

Also on Nov. 27, a member of MassResistance’s leadership team (who is also a lector at Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Kenosha) issued the following public statement:

I'm very active in the Catholic community here in Kenosha and it's deeply disturbing that two parishes are listed as members of an organization that is wildly anti-Catholic in their beliefs and mission. It's no secret that St. Mark and St. Mary are the more "liberal" of the city's parishes and, at best, fail to properly address moral issues in our society today. The liturgical abuses, wacky preaching, pro-LGBTQ messaging, and their support of an extremist organization in CUSH, which proliferated pornographic material to minors just this past month at their "Banned Book Drive" in partnership with the infamous host location of Drag Queen Story Hour, Blue House Books, has gone largely unnoticed and unpunished. I'm so pleased that the Archdiocese has ordered them to disassociate with this radical liberal organization in conjunction with depriving CUSH of funding. My heartfelt thanks go out to Abp. Listecki and Fr. Reesman for their faithfulness.

This statement was also published in a conservative news site serving the Kenosha region, the Kenosha County Eye:

 The conservative media in Wisconsin tells it like it is!

Angry CUSH leftist lashes out

The forced disassociation by the two liberal Catholic churches, as well as the loss of CCHD financial support, inflamed the local radical church leaders still in CUSH.

On Dec. 17, a female Unitarian assistant minister in the group wrote a scathing op-ed in the local liberal press denouncing “extremist groups and individuals in our area” (i.e., MassResistance parents) who were informing the community and the Archdiocese exactly what CUSH was doing.

The article repeats the litany of leftist lies, distortions, disinformation, and logical fallacies that they throw together whenever they are challenged. Every one of her absurd points can be easily debunked. She is obviously counting on an audience of readers that is completely ignorant and lacking in critical thinking regarding this issue. It should be embarrassing – but they are beyond shame.

Final thoughts

Winning battles like this may seem fairly inconsequential at first. But they’re not at all! The psychological effect on the other side is bigger than you might think. And they bring instant momentum for the next win!

Kenosha is on a roll! We’ll have more to report in the coming weeks.

   

Please help us continue to do our uncompromising work!

Our successes depend on people like you.

Donate to MassResistance

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Marriage Still Matters for GOP Voters: Wisconsin Governor's Race

Election 2022 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election
Tony Evers v. Tim Michels

The Wisconsin Governor's race is a prime opportunity for Republicans to take back a key state trifecta, ensure strong election integrity reforms, and restore a state back to the GOP column.

The governor's race seemed like a basic fight between the GOP establishment and the MAGA set.

But there was so much more to this fight than conservatives may realize.

The two man competitors for the GOP nomination were previous Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and business owner Tim Michels.

One key issue that separated the two candidates? The issue on false marriage.

Rebecca Kleefisch, who was endorsed by former Governor Scott Walker, Mike Pence, and Ted Cruz, announced that she had caved on the issue of family and natural marriage.

Consider this report:

Kleefischsupports upholding access to birth control, gay marriage as some fear rollbackof civil liberties

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Republican candidate for governor Rebecca Kleefisch will uphold freedoms to access birth control and same-sex marriage if elected as some fear those rights could be at risk if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

"Freedom" to birth-control is not freedom, but rather license. The same for false marriage, incorrectly termed "same-sex marriage."

In an interview with CBS 58, Kleefisch said she would not seek to prohibit access to birth control, IUDs and emergency contraception such as Plan B.

"No, birth control will not be illegal when I'm governor of the state of Wisconsin," Kleefisch said.

There is no state law which forbids the use of those items, anyway. Such questions are just ridiculous.

Views on Gay Marriage

Kleefisch, the former lt. governor, said she supports gay marriage and added her views have changed over the years on the issue. In 2010, Kleefisch said gay marriage could lead to people marrying dogs or inanimate objects, remarks she later apologized for.

Her views have "changed." Really? No, her cowardly push for political expediency pressed her to give up on this singular cultural issue.

"This is in the past and I think it needs to be left there," she said. "I am in the same place that I would say as a vast majority of Wisconsinites and Americans are. My opinion has changed…gay marriage will be legal when I am governor of Wisconsin."

No, the vast majority of Americans do not share her view on false marriage. And even if they did, the truth does not change and we need leaders at the state and federal level with the courage of their convictions to fight for faith and family, not just freedom.

Kleefisch's position is in contrast to her GOP primary opponent, Tim Michels, who believes marriage should be between a man and woman.

Yes!

Wisconsin's 2006 ban on same-sex marriage would go back into effect if the Supreme Court were to reverse its ruling that legalized gay marriage in the U.S.

That's an outcome which many pro-family forces should be striving for!

So, what about Mr. Michels, specially? How did the media attempt to spin and shame his noble stance on natural marriage and the family?

Tim Michels Opposes Marriage Equality

Republican nominee for Governor Tim Michels is standing by his 2004 opposition to same sex marriage in his bid to lead the state in 2022.

That's the kind of leadership conservatives want to see, and what voters need to see across the country.

At the time of his failed 2004 run for the United States Senate, Michels supported a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, which would have prevented marriage equality from becoming law in 2015.

"Marriage equality" is another misleading statement. Marriage is about submission and honor, not a chronic demand for fifty-fifty equity. Imagine what a terrible relationship that would be if a man and woman insisted on balancing out how much they gave and took from each other!

To be fair, Michels was not alone in his opposition to marriage equality in 2004. But public opinion about, and support for, marriage equality has blossomed in the last 18 years as millions of Americans changed their mind.

"Blossomed"? More like "mushroomed" or "metastasized."

Not Michels. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Michels responded to a question about whether or not he would seek to ban same-sex marriage by stating that he believed marriage belongs to opposite sex couples.

Good.

That extreme belief puts Michels at odds with the overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites, more than 70% of whom support marriage equality.

No, this is not extreme. I sincerely doubt the current statistics, and much of the confusion amounts to the fact that the pro-family movement has not done an effective job (so far) of showing the short-term and long-term consequences to homosexual conduct, false marriage, and fake adoptions on individuals, families, and society as a whole.

It also sets up a clear divide on a fundamental civil rights question of our time. Democratic Governor Tony Evers was the first Wisconsin governor to raise the pride flag over the State Capitol during Pride Month and supports marriage equality.

That clear divide made things all too clear for GOP primary voters, and they lined up behind Michels. Good for them

Final Reflection

The fight to restore natural marriage is not over. The corrupt corporate media wants to give off this false impression that the whole country has moved on and all of us just need to roll over and accept that "marriage equality" is the law of land.

First of all, it's never been the law of the land, but rather a legal fiction because of judicial overreach. Thirty-five states (including California), still maintain statutes or constitutional amendments which recognize marriage as an institution between one man and one woman. When Obergefell gets struck down, then the several states which have rightly defined natural marriage will be able to restore that definition and enforcement within their jurisdiction.

We need more gubernatorial candidates like Tim Michels, and voters should expect our leaders to stand up for what is right, change polls, and shape the culture back to the right and righteous norms that Make America Great.

Free Speech Victory: Wisconsin Supreme Court Sides with Prof. John McAdams

Four years ago, Professor John McAdams at Marquette University wrote a blog post criticizing a graduate student instructor for stifling debate in one of her classes.

According to his post, since the content of this information precipitated the legal battle which followed, one of the students in Cheryl Abbate's "Theory of Ethics" class shared her opposition to gay marriage. This was after class, however, since Abbate had determined out the outset that there would be no discussion about the recent, societal redefinition of marriage.

What's the point of an ethics class if there is no discussion for different sides of an issue?

The problem reached a head at this point:

And she added that somebody who is homosexual would experience similar offense if somebody opposed gay marriage in class. 

She went on “In this class, homophobic comments, racist comments, will not be tolerated.” She then invited the student to drop the class. 

Which the student is doing. 

Terrible. The student was told to quit since the graduate instructor would not permit any discussion of a contentious issue like "gay rights" because it might offend someone. Freedom of speech means that someone will be offended. Professor Jordan Peterson expertly outlined this argument in this interview with Cathy Newman.

Then things took a further turn for the worse, this time for the professor. When Marquette University found out about this post, they suspended him in December 2014, which was then extended into 2016. Marquette University then fast-track the process to fire him.

But McAdams has always been a fighter, unafraid of a difference of opinions, unwilling to relent in the face of left-wing elitist academia's political correctness to silence points of view. Rather than comply with their politically correct demands to self-censor his speech and apologize, he sued the University for breach of contract and free speech violations.

Two years after the initial filing, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in McAdams' favor.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that Marquette University political science professor John McAdams was improperly suspended after he publicly criticized a graduate student by name on his politically conservative blog, leading to threats against her.

The report looked at the differences of opinion on the case, even though four judges ruled in favor of the professors, and two justices dissented. One justice did not participate in the ruling.

The basis for the argument in McAdam's favor rested in the fact that his contract with the university protected his right to comment on issues on the campus. Nothing in the contract superseded his freedom of speech on his own blog.

Cheryl Abbate

The dissenters wanted the court to consider the impact of McAdam's blog post, since he identified the graduate student by name, and in turn opposition and outrage against the instructor spread throughout the Internet. The university had deemed that the professor's direct, open criticism of Cheryl Abbate violated the university's professional code of conduct.

Marquette stood by their decision to terminate McAdams, but they have choice but to reinstate John McAdams and restore to him the pay he lost over seven semesters.

Reflection

This case is an incredible win for freedom of speech, especially for campus academics who face the prevailing progressive headwinds more interested in buffeting students with groupthink. Universities used to serve as bastions of free thought, but with a reserved respect for religion and divine inspiration. A number of Ivy League Colleges (Harvard, Yale, Princeton) were founded as seminaries.

Marquette University is a private Catholic institution, and yet one of the graduate students (probably not the only one) wanted to suspend any discussion about gay rights, including gay marriage. One student's interest in sharing her opinion and making her case for natural marriage faced a sharp rebuke from the instructor, who in turn told the student to abide by the arbitrary standard or drop the class.

What about the rights of the students? What about the purpose of the course "Theory of Ethics"? TA Abbate's decision to scuttle discussion on this issue was a breach of contract, wasn't it, or at least false advertising.

But what about McAdams' decision to identify the graduate teaching assistant who had dismissed the student's concerns? Perhaps it was not the most "ethical" decision to share the person's name. Then again, the university and its staff should adhere to a code of conduct which respects diversity of opinion, not just hegemony to one ideology.

The fact is that the student reported to the professor, and the professor exposed the graduate assistant. Many students face similar shut-downs from their  left-wing instructors and their peers, and McAdams had every right to share that information.

We should commend the professor for standing his ground for the last four years on this matter. He didn't take down his blog post. He didn't apologize for sharing his views. In fact, he was standing up for not just freedom of speech and freedom of inquiry, but a renewing defense of the natural marriage, a fundamental value which makes civilization, and civilize society, possible.

The university's argument that McAdams had violated the institution's code of conduct is fatuous. McAdams did not call for shame, blame regret, or abuse against the graduate instructor. The blame for third-party interests to attack the teacher does not belong to McAdams. Speech does not create violence. Individual or corporate responses to speech may be violent, but the blame for these actions belong to those actors. 

Like everyone else, Prof. McAdams is responsible for what he says and does, but not for the responses and reactions of other people. Of course, a cult-like adherence to blaming others for students' misbehavior has grown commonplace on college campuses. Let's look at the deeper issue. The Catholic University wanted to cover up for and defend the illiberal graduate student instructor. The university was prizing inclusion over freedom of thought and pursuit of truth.

This was a thinly-veiled assault not just on freedom of speech, but the pro-family movement in general. There can be no challenge gay rights or gay marriage. Students and faculty must bow down, bend over for the LGBT lobby, and anyone who steps out of line and speaks against same-sex behaviors, transgenderism; anyone who speaks for natural marriage biological gender verities must be silenced.

McAdams did not back off, he did not walk off quietly. He stood up for freedom of speech, he forced the self-serving, hypocritical university to abide by its "Catholic" standards even while universities around the country are fleeing from Western traditions of free speech, respect for individual liberties, and a frank respect for divine authority.

Way to go, Prof. McAdams!

Red Alert: Eric Holder is Targeting Wisconsin

Eric Holder's corrupt non-partisan redistricting efforts are now going after Wisconsin. Holders wanted to brainwashing young people to hate guns, so that progressive leftists like him could take guns away and abolish the Second Amendment.

As Attorney General, he was running firearms to Mexican drug cartels through Operation Fast and Furious, which led to the murder of Americans, including border patrol agents. Shame on Holder.

The corruption and malfeasance of Holder's Department of (In)justice is unseemly and unprecedented. Congress held him in contempt for his rampant disregard for the rule of law, even as he refused to prosecute serious gun crimes then politicize the DOJ for President Obama's narrow, corrupt ends.

Now he's moving across the country to undermine Republican political power in state legislatures. His "reforms" to end partisan redistricting are just another naked power grab from the left to undermine the confidence and consequences of local and statewide elections.

Wisconsin is another battleground in which Democrats are hoping to resurge and take back power at the state and then national levels. We must stand our ground against this alien, communistic onslaught against our country.

Arthur, BREAKING NEWS: The liberal group led by Eric Holder and supported by Barack Obama is suing Governor Scott Walker! This is pure political vengeance and we need to fight back. Support the Republican Party of Wisconsin right now! Help us fight back against the latest stunt from Holder and Obama with: $25 $50 $100 $250 Some other amount Arthur, we have a real fight on our hands and Holder's group has made it clear that Wisconsin will be ground zero for their political scheming. They have already targeted the April Wisconsin Supreme Court race and now they are suing Governor Walker. Please jump in and help us fight back right now. Thank you, Mark Morgan Executive Director CONTRIBUTE »

Kevin Nicholson for US Senate: My Parents Donated to Tammy? Meh.

** SEND IN THE MARINE – CHIP IN TODAY! ** Arthur, As you know, I’m running for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin as a Republican. You may have recently read a news story about my parents: they donated to Tammy Baldwin, my Democrat opponent. Here’s the rest of the story. As I shared on “Fox & friends” this morning, I grew up as a Democrat, and was a Democrat as a young adult. But I’m a conservative today because of the life experiences I’ve had – life experiences that have shaped my worldview. Serving as a Marine in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan strips away any illusions you have. Getting married and having three children – and teaching them: don’t spend more money than you have, fight for innocent life, treat people decently, and protect this American experiment for the next generation. Working to help businesses solve their toughest problems. And realizing that common sense solutions are the only solutions that work in life. Let me be clear, Arthur: I am in this race for the same reason I joined the Marine Corps in the middle of two wars: America is worth fighting for.  And I will be the first to fight for the people of Wisconsin! Please make a $5, $10, $20, $35, $50, or $100 special contribution today – or more if you can. Every bit of support is counts! JOIN ME IN BEING THE FIRST TO FIGHT! As I shared on Fox & friends, I have a worldview that my wife and I have formed through our experiences, our life, and how much it means to us to be able to hand off to our children an American experiment that’s in better shape than the one we found. One that’s more sound, which is in a better position to protect the American Dream. That’s what we are fighting for. That’s what I fought for in the Marine Corps. I believe very strongly in these ideas – and I look at Tammy Baldwin, and frankly, I see the absolute antithesis of all that. I pledge that I will continue to fight for Wisconsin and American values, just as I have since I joined the Marine Corps. I’ll take our Democrat Senator, Tammy Baldwin, to task – and make her answer to the voters of Wisconsin for her liberal Washington values in November. Will you stand in this fight with me? Send Tammy Baldwin a message today by standing with my campaign and contributing. Semper Fi, Kevin Nicholson Conservative Republican for U.S. Senate

Wisconsin, From Blue State to Red: How and Why

Despite the political "earthquake" which broke out in a state senate election yesterday, Wisconsin has indeed gone from blue to red over the last eight years. The transition during Presidential elections was steady although gradual, starting in Election 2000. Al Gore barely carried Wisconsin that year, and neither major candidate broke the 50% margin.

The state was slowly going closer to a Republican statewide majority until 2008, when Obama won the state by 52% and then won the state a second time. He had offered a fairly populist brand in his first election win, and Romney could not provide a working man's option in 2012, so many working white voters stayed home.

Starting in 2010, Republicans took over major levers of power in the state, then enacted sweeping collective bargaining reforms. These Big Labor blows have protected working Wisconsinites while enhancing business prowess and potential. President Trump's pro-growth, populist agenda has ushered in a renewal of manufacturing and trade jobs, too.

Republicans have done an amazing overhaul in this once stubbornly Democratic state.

The red state no one saw coming

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Dawn Damico had never voted in a presidential election before, never felt sufficiently drawn to a candidate to pledge her political support. Until Tuesday.

The 52-year-old owner of a chocolate shop and grandmother of six said she voted for Donald Trump, helping push a pivotal and traditionally Democratic state into the Republican column and deliver an astounding victory for the GOP nominee.

This dynamic has not gotten enough treatment. People who had never voted before, voted. That change in the voting records made a big shift for Trump, and explains one of the reasons why the press and the pollsters got Election 2016 so wrong.

“Because I think he will be doing different things than the rest of them,” Damico said. “I’m a small-business owner and I’m tired of all the big people complaining about this and that. Let’s see how they would live doing what we do.”

How about that? This small business owner did not look at President Trump as some corporate bigwig who had no idea what she was going through. That's part of Trump's very populist appeal!

Clinton herself never campaigned here during the general election, and Trump deluged the airwaves with television advertising, which may have helped him secure the victory margin of less than 30,000 votes, state political analysts said. And, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, Trump made at least five visits to the state in the final three months of the campaign.

In this state dotted with silos, dairy farms, and Green Bay Packers memorabilia, analysts point to several factors that helped turn Wisconsin from blue to red: the middle-class anxiety felt across the Rust Belt, low enthusiasm among usually reliable Democrats, and the years-long trend line toward electing Republicans in state.

Wisconsin voters felt cared for. Clinton did not care about working people to begin with, and her disdain for revisiting this state assuredly pushed it into the GOP column for the first time in over 30 years.

Pretty impressive, I must say.

Trump carried the state by 1 percentage point, the third-narrowest margin in the country behind New Hampshire, which voted narrowly for Clinton, and Michigan, which also switched from blue to red. It was a remarkable turnaround for Wisconsin, which was almost universally forecast as a Clinton state by pollsters and strategists who missed an undercurrent of Trump support.

Polls are polls, and they often rely on retrospective results rather than prospective possibilities.

“He speaks for the parts of the country that everybody else kind of forgot,” said a 57-year-old landscaper at a bar in Menomonee Falls, who asked not to be named. “I don’t agree with everything he does or says or the people who have lined up with him, but it’s nice to know that someone will not just let this whole thing go away.”

The forgotten men and women of this country no longer felt forgotten.

Wisconsin voters also dealt a surprise defeat to former US senator Russ Feingold, who lost a rematch with incumbent Senator Ron Johnson, despite polls showing Feingold with a healthy lead. That outcome helped Republicans retain control of the Senate, dousing Democratic hopes to retake the chamber they lost two years ago.

Senate incumbent Ron Johnson did not run away from Trump, even when times got tough, and some bad words slipped out of his mouth. I had a strange feeling about this US Senate race, in that I anticipated that he would outshine the polling, which had consistently listed him as behind Feingold. How right I was.

Jeff Mayers, president of WisPolitics.com, a non-partisan political site, said that, despite the vaunted Democratic turnout machine, Clinton’s campaign failed to get backers to the polls.

“The short answer is Democrats didn’t turn out in the numbers they did the last two cycles, and it was the lowest turnout in Wisconsin since 1996,” Mayers said. “Bottom line is, she didn’t inherit the Obama coalition.”

Another reason. Obama's magical coalition relied on his own populist rhetoric. Of course, Obama was a sellout to Wall Street from day one, and Democratic voters across the country felt that pain.

Trump lavished attention and money on Wisconsin. While he was heavily outspentin most swing states, the Center for Public Integrity found that Trump and his allies funded about 60 percent of the roughly 10,000 ads aired here between June 12 and Nov. 6. The onslaught began in September, and Clinton and her backers stayed off the air until Oct. 29.

Yep. The lesson here? Don't take any states for granted. Republicans are learning this lesson again, since they just lost a state senate seat in a reliably red area.

Damico and others said the dissolution of the manufacturing industry and the Democratic Party’s focus on appealing to younger, more diverse Americans had driven middle-class white voters like here to revolt.

YES!

Here's another interesting report from a voter:

“I’m a big Second Amendment guy, and this was important to me,” said a man who identified himself as “Chip.” He said he supported Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the primary but Trump in the general.

Remember, Bernie Sanders had been a staunch supporter for the Second Amendment during his tenure in the House of Representatives, and his support for gun rights continued and harmed his primary bid somewhat against gun-grabbing Crooked Hillary.

Final Reflection

Politics makes a difference. Voting is crucial. All it takes is one wave election for a shift in a state from one party to another. Colorado Republicans witnessed the same overwhelming takeover in their beloved Colorful State. Democrats have ruined Colorado, bringing in pot, gun control, a naked attempt to impose a single-payer government-run healthcare system.

Conservatives need to understand that politics is a process. Principles do not win at the ballot box because they are good principles. It takes a good, strong political ground game to ensure those wins. Republicans worked extra hard over the entire Walker administration, from his victory in 2010 to the present day. Walker hopes for a third term as governor. Let's hope that Trump-mentum makes it possible, and that Republican and Democratic voters will recognize that GOP leadership ensures a better run state, more money in one's pockets, and a better future for their children and grandchildren.

Wisconsin US Senate Race 2018: Kevin Nicholson for US Senate

Arthur, We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Tammy Baldwin has been a disaster on national security. Do you remember when the Obama administration called ISIS the ‘JV team,’ coddled a state sponsor of terrorism in Iran, and showed weakness to our enemies instead of strength? Kevin does. And it frustrated him to no end. Tammy Baldwin continues to support the failed national security policies of Barack Obama, even though those same policies led to further chaos in the Middle East, and a more dangerous Iran and North Korea. It’s time for a leader who has real experience combating national security threats to be in the Senate. Kevin is ready to take back Washington from these liberal politicians who have failed to protect America. Can Kevin count on you to donate $10 to help Send in the Marine to the Senate? When Kevin was serving in the U.S. Marines Corps, he saw firsthand the evil acts committed by al Qaeda and other extremists. He was in al Anbar Province in Iraq --- one of the most dangerous and intense areas --- as part of the troop surge, and helped find and dismantle enemy IEDs designed to hurt fellow soldiers and civilians alike in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Kevin has proven he is committed to keeping our nation safe --- no matter what it takes. When America needs to fight back against terror, we send in the Marines. Now, we need to Send in the Marine to help shake up the swamp in Washington. Please consider chipping in today to Send in the Marine and keep our country safe and secure. Chip in $10>> Chip in $15>> Chip in $20>> Chip in $50>> Thank you, Team Nicholson DONATE

PAID FOR BY NICHOLSON FOR SENATE

Trump's Movement, Victory, and Voter Turnout

I have found more points of discussion and departure with Ben Shapiro about President Trump, why he won in 2016, and the nature of growing Republican victories and Democratic opportunities throughout the country.

Here were some comments worth responding to in one of his articles published in Townhall.com:

Trump supporters are wrong that Trump is untouchable. Trump didn't win in 2016 purely because he's some sort of Teflon candidate; he won because he ran against the weakest candidate in American history. Trump actually won fewer votes in Wisconsin than Republican nominee Mitt Romney did in 2012. Nobody showed up to vote for Clinton, so Trump won the state. Trump won fewer votes in Michigan than Republican nominee George W. Bush did in 2004. Nobody liked Clinton, so Trump won the state. What will happen if Democrats choose not to run a corrupt, venal and thoroughly charisma-free candidate? 

That's true.

But the argument that Hillary Clinton was worse, and not just that Trump had a better message, doesn't explain everything.

What will happen if they run former Vice President Joe Biden or Sen. Bernie Sanders? Between 2000, when George W. Bush lost the popular vote by about 544,000, and 2004, when he won it, he picked up some 10 million votes. Where is Trump going to pick up similar numbers?

One Trump pollster affirmed that Sanders on the Democratic ticket would have turned out better for Sanders, because he had a populist message of sorts for working Americans losing jobs all over the country to foreign, third-world competitors.

Now, what gives pause to the first part of this analysis?

Pennsylvania, for starters.

The voter turnout was actually higher in the Keystone State compared to 2012.

Granted, Trump won fewer votes than Obama had won in 2012 to carry that state, but he did far better than Romney had done, and the election was very close. Hillary Clinton won more votes than Romney had own, also. Oh, and Trump won more votes than Kerry had won in 2004.

What about Ohio?

Voter turnout was actually higher in this state, too, compared to 2012.

What about who won what?

Trump won 51% of the vote. He won more votes than Obama had won in 2012, and came close to Bush's numbers in 2004. He definitely exceeded Bush's numbers in 2000.

What about Florida?

Trump exceeded Obama's numbers in 2012 and 2008, and Bush's numbers in 2004 and 2000.

There is a lot of movement and momentum behind Trump's campaign, and the pundits who love him or hate him need to pay attention to the whole nation, not just the states where his victories came because of lower turnout.

Right-to-Work is Good for Business: Wisconsin Beats Minnesota

Does a right-to-work state do better than a forced unionism state?

Some unions, desperate to hold onto what little political might they claim, like to draw comparisons between adjacent states who differ on this labor question.

One of  the most often reported distinctions falls between Minnesota, a forced-unionism state, and Wisconsin, which went right-to-work in 2015.

The Republican Eagle provides further differences:

People love comparing the economic performance of Scott Walker's Wisconsin to Mark Dayton's Minnesota. Both governors were elected in 2010 and took their states in dramatically different policy directions. Walker lowered taxes, ended collective bargaining for public employees and eventually made Wisconsin a right-to-work state. Dayton raised taxes on the rich, raised the minimum wage and worked to expand public unions. Most of these policies were implemented between 2013 and 2015.

The argument went for a long time that Minnesota' economy was still doing better than Wisconsin's. The main reason, however, for the slower recovery in the Dairy State rests on the deeper recession which the state had plunged into.

Besides, states moving into Wisconsin from other states are not going to kick-start into robust growth overnight. The development of a stronger recovery will develop over time.

The news has gotten better for Wisconsin:

But it's also becoming harder to argue Minnesota bests Wisconsin. While economic output and income remain higher in Minnesota, Wisconsin employment numbers are now besting Minnesota. The accompanying chart shows Wisconsin total employment minus Minnesota total employment, which shows employment has been growing far faster in Wisconsin for over four years. Since February 2013, Wisconsin's employment lead over Minnesota nearly doubled, growing from 70,108 jobs to 138,383 jobs in June 2017.

Let's not forget during hard economic times, especially throughout the Rust Belt, whatever savings which households got from tax cuts, they probably kept the money rather than spending it. 

Right-to-work is good for workers, it's good for businesses, it's great for unions, and best of all, the reform helps businesses to expand, hire more workers, and grow the economy. It's also been great for Republicans as a whole, and conservatives in particular because taking away public sector unions near-monopoly on all collective baragaining has facilitate pension and entitlements reforms, both at the local as well as the state level.

Wisconsin has the smallest pension liability of all 50 states:

That is a good thing, folks. More businesses are moving into the state, as well, and the tax burden has decreased considerably for Wisconsites across the board. 

Will Minnesota voters decide on a similar, pro-growth change of pace? Election 2018 will prove pivotal for the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Will Minnesota turn into a red state paradise, including right-to-work reforms? We shall see.

It's looking pretty solid, however, that Republicans will take over the lower chamber, and Republican gubernatorial candidates are looking strong enough to flip the Governor's mansion into their own column, too.

Minnesota a Red State in 2018?

Has a right-to-work bill been introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature? The last attempt occurred in 2012, around the same time that Michigan's right-to-work law passed, despite the most violent attempts to stop its passage. The political momentum rests with the freedom to work movement, and if the Supreme Court does not strike down forced union dues, very likely two or three more states will join the other 28 freedom to work states in the next year.