Wisconsin is having a warm winter, embracing country music and putting more conservative laws on the books, which our guest says are all qualities of states in the South. He explains why he thinks Wisconsin has gone southern. We also discuss the biggest political stories from around the country, and learn about a pioneering UW program that celebrates hip hop and urban arts.
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'Wississippi'? Reporter Examines Whether Wisconsin Has More In Common With Southern States
Wisconsin could hardly be further north and still stay within the continental U.S., but some analysts say they think the state is increasingly reflecting the politics and culture that are identified with the American South.
Steven Schuster, digital producer and editor at the ABC affiliate WBAY-TV in northeastern Wisconsin, recently looked into the idea in a piece titled “How Wisconsin has become more Southern.” The topic has also been brought up on Reddit, with one user calling the state “Wississippi.”
David Cannon, University of Wisconsin-Madison political professor, told Schuster that Wisconsin’s politics over the past several years have increasingly been more aligned with states found below the Mason-Dixon Line.
“Wisconsin is closer to Alabama and Mississippi than Minnesota and Massachusetts,” Cannon said.
Cannon cited several policy shifts to emphasize the point, including new laws involving right to work, firearms and Act 10.
Other political shifts, said Schuster, include rejecting Medicaid expansion, declining support for public education and transportation, changes in campaign finance laws and less environmental regulation.
“If you look at the recent lawsuit where Wisconsin is now suing the EPA over carbon emissions, Wisconsin has joined several other states,” said Schuster. “And if you look at those states, they are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, MIssouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Wyoming — a lot of these are Southern states.”
For evidence of Wisconsin’s going Dixie beyond politics, Schuster pointed to a proposed development just outside Green Bay in which developers hope to build a 45,000-square-foot Southern-style mansion that would feature upscale retail stores, single-family homes and a gun club.
“Hunting has always been always been a strong part of Wisconsin’s culture,” Schuster said. “And I think this type of gun club expands on that and is more inline with something you’d see in the South with this type of mansion.”
And while country music has entered mainstream charts throughout the nation, Schuster said he’s seen increased interest in the genre right here in Wisconsin with major music festivals throughout the state featuring plenty of band’s in boots, blue jeans and a 10-gallon hats.
Southern-styled food, said Schuster, has also increasingly traveled north to the Badger State. He said while Cracker Barrel’s can be found at just about every exit in states like Tennessee, he said the restaurant chain has a good presence in Wisconsin, including Germantown, Kenosha, Madison and Wisconsin Dells.
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This Week In Washington – December 16, 2015
Harry Enten, senior political writer and analyst for FiveThirtyEight, joins Central Time for our weekly look at the most pressing issues in national politics.
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UW Madison First Wave Program
We’re joined by two guest to talk about UW-Madison’s pioneering First Wave Program that promotes muticultural studies in hip hop and urban arts.
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Is Wisconsin Becoming More Southern?
Wisconsin could hardly be further north and still be in the continental United States, but some have suggested that the state is becoming more culturally and politically southern. We hear what listeners think.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Galen Druke Producer
- Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
- Veronica Rueckert Producer
- Steven Schuster Guest
- Harry Enten Guest
- DeShawn McKinney Guest
- William Ney Guest
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