After All That, Just A 57% WI Turnout

It amazes me that only 57% of the statewide electorate turned out for the Walker - - Barrett face off last night.

It's still a big number for gubernatorial races, the Journal Sentinel reports, but means indisputably that huge numbers of eligible voters just do not vote, even in an election this highly-publicized and easy to figure out - - no tricky, 300-word referendum question where "no" actually means "yes," for example.

Just two half-inch lines penciled on a ballot.

Maybe people didn't like their choices - - but there the choices were.

Or maybe non-voters sent a message of disgust about or disassociation from the entire matter - - but that's over-thinking it and giving credit where it is not due.

We live in a representative democracy and not much more than half the electorate cares who represents them, spends their money and structures a great deal of the world around them.

No one is required to vote - - I understand that.

But what a statement of disregard for the state of the state we all live in and pass along. I'm less perplexed this morning about why my candidate lost than I am about why so many people sat it out.