After a week of rallies, flyers, speeches, and (of course) defaming television ads in America’s Dairyland, today we show this country exactly what Cheeseheads are made of...well how they vote anyway. I’m keeping tabs around the Madison area, visiting the polls, talking to voters, and finding out the issues they care most about. 

Today I’m focusing on a huge portion of Wisconsin’s student and progressive populations in Madison, but it’s important to keep in mind that these populations don’t encompass all Wisconsinites hitting the polls. From the largely conservative suburbs of Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison, to their largely liberal student counterparts, to the populist farming communities of central and western Wisconsin, to the industrial towns in the southern part of the state, Wisconsin’s diversity will certainly translate at the polls.

And because Wisconsin offers a deep sea of issues, presidential hopefuls have found themselves swimming, treading, and even sinking through concerns surrounding farm subsidies, renewable energy, health care, Great Lakes health, and a dwindling manufacturing economy all week.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, still vying for a significant lead, dominated Wisconsin’s campaign scene. Bill and Chelsea helped Hillary cover important ground in Madison, La Crosse and Milwaukee, while Obama made leaps across the state. The two finally met in Milwaukee last Saturday for a Democratic Party dinner.

Though he trails significantly, Gov. Mike Huckabee made a prolific showing in the state making stops in nearly 10 different cities and towns, far outweighing Sen. John McCain whose main stop was at the Milwaukee County Republican Party’s “Reagan Day Dinner.”

At the end of the day I think we’ll see McCain on top despite Huckabee’s strong presence, and that might be the Arkansas Governors ticket home. For the Dems, it’s going to be a tight one, but with the Clinton campaign focusing on Texas and Ohio, Obama may be looking at 9 straight.

Anyway enough recap, get out there and vote! I’m going to do the same. I’ll report back later tonight.

At the Polls Right Now

So far the biggest issue here has been the weather. With temperatures hovering around the single digits, walking long distances is almost out of the question, potentially limiting the student and lower class vote. Also with the sun high in the sky, the roads thaw and refreeze adding havoc to traffic.