Democracy's heart is beating again

Maybe it’s because he isn’t from this country. Maybe it’s because the country he is from – South Africa – has a checkered history when it comes to democracy and he just doesn’t get it. 

But Elon Musk seems to have misunderstood the whole checks and balances thing in our Constitution. It appears he thinks it means that if he writes the checks he can tip the balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

But Wisconsin was having none of it on Tuesday night. 

The repudiation could not have been any more resounding. No amount of Musk dollars nor dollars from the many other anti-democratic special interests intent on getting Brad Schimel on the court to return the state to the most undemocratic district maps in the the country, enshrine ever more odious voting barriers, re-introduce a nearly two-century-old abortion law, further erode workers rights, take away health care and chip away at the foundation of our election laws could keep democracy-loving voters from turning out in record numbers to deliver an overwhelming victory for Judge Susan Crawford.

And while the anti-voter constitutional amendment passed as expected, Democrats could celebrate a critical win by incumbent Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly, thus holding off the for-profit school industry’s attempts to further erode public education in our state.

And it wasn’t just a win; it was a blowout. Democrats would have taken a one-vote victory for sure, but the nature of the result points toward real momentum in the fight against everything Trump stands for and underscores the disgust so many feel for his governnance by tantrum: wanton and cruel dismantling of critical government institutions; contempt for the courts; blustering ignorance; and disregard for the America’s health and national security. 

Enough, Wisconsinites shouted, is enough.

One expects the We The People rally at Houdini Plaza on Saturday, already estimated to be record size, to be even more energetic. The people were already rising out of their stupor and despair from the Trump administration’s daily assaults but there is no overestimating the level of energy Tuesday’s results will inject into the counteroffensive now. 

It should also not be forgotten that this victory was not just against corruption and arrogance and moneyed interests; it was for a woman who evinces the very decency and honor and commitment to public service we used to demand of our elected officials but which is now scorned by 40 percent of America. 

Justice-elect Crawford has spent her life seeking truth and justice through intelligence, impartiality and her innate and impossible-to-fake humanity and humility. One of the things that has been so debilitating over the past several months was coming to believe that those qualities we once took for granted in our leaders not only didn’t matter anymore but were actually ridiculed. Such a profound worldview shift was bound to knock people off balance. 

But that 10-point landslide has restored our balance and now that we have it, we are better poised than ever over the past five months to join the battle for our nation’s soul. Because that war continues today.

The victories also join the list of other special elections that have yielded swings toward the Democrats of anywhere from 15 to 20 points in just the past four months. We in Wisconsin are not alone in our contempt for what is happening. 

Let’s not sit on these much-needed wins. Let’s build on them. If you weren’t in the fight for Crawford and Underly, prepare to join it in 2026, when yet another Wisconsin Supreme Court election confronts us and for the midterms next year when Democrats, now with all the momentum, will be in a position to win back at least the House of Representatives, if not the US Senate.

The results will take care of themselves – as we saw on Tuesday – if we do the hard work ahead. 

So our parting words for Elon are Buh-bye. Take your checkbook with you.