We attended the NO KINGS Capitol rally in downtown Madison, WI, this past Saturday. It was a large, enthusiastic crowd; media estimates place its participants at around 15,000. With attendant rallies across outlying Madison areas – a close friend at a rally in nearby Stoughton, WI (population 13,000), estimated the crowd there at 500 – the total turnout in our environs probably approximated 20,000. Probably not enough in our Congressional district to shake the White House, but we’ll get back to that.
There were almost as many clever signs as there were marchers. A favorite: a picture of President Donald Trump on a placard bearing the inscription, “Does this ass make my sign look big?” Another sign with a complementary theme, more poignant: a picture of Mr. Trump on a placard bearing the inscription, “Does this ass make my country look small?”
There were a number of signs mocking MAGA’s fear and loathing of “Antifa.” I’m aware that there is a debate as to whether there is or is not an actual “Antifa” organization – Mr. Trump says there is, and has sought to declare it a terrorist organization, while I understand that former FBI Director Christopher Wray has formerly characterized it as more an ideology than an organization – but I believe that the word, “Antifa,” itself, is simply shorthand for “anti-fascist.” Although no one on any part of the political spectrum should ever resort to violence, or be part of any group that is willing to resort to violence, since the arguably most evil regime in the history of the modern world – responsible for the murder of millions, including millions of Jews – was proudly fascist, these signs seemed to be asking: What is wrong with being anti-fascist? Call me dense, but aren’t we still free because Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill led their nations in a world war against the fascist creed? (Clearly, I’m not consuming enough alt-right media to understand the MAGA angst.)
On to the omens. A sign I saw during the march that I considered particularly telling and potentially counterproductive (clearly unintended by the wielder): “Too Many Issues; Not Enough Signs.” If you’ve read many of these pages, you realize that in the context in which we’re speaking, I’m a one-issue guy: preservation of our democracy. I consider all other policy issues we face, no matter how important, subordinate to protecting our way of life. We heard several speakers and chants yesterday whose point I – and I suspect other moderates — might under other circumstances question or seek to qualify. I consider NO KINGS to be brilliant branding because it brings all of those who oppose the autocratic inclinations of the Trump Regime under one roof. To save our way of life they must stay together. They cannot allow themselves to be divided or distracted by “too many issues.”
Finally, an encouraging omen that I would consider dangerously ominous if I were a MAGA: the reported 1,000 NO KINGS marchers reported to have demonstrated in Janesville, WI. Janesville has about 66,000 residents, meaning that about a percent and a half of its people stopped what they were doing on a beautiful Wisconsin autumn Saturday to demonstrate. I pick Janesville for two reasons: TLOML and I know it – we lived there for three years when early married – and because it is former U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s hometown and in the WI First Congressional District he represented in Congress. There were reportedly other significant NO KINGS demonstrations in other Wisconsin First cities. The Wisconsin First is now represented by Republican U.S. WI Rep. Brian Steil, also from Janesville. Mr. Steil held his seat by 2 points in 2024. There were also reportedly notable NO KINGS marches in the Wisconsin Third, currently represented by Republican U.S. WI Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who won his seat in 2024 by 3 points.
Referring back to my observation above, I truly doubt that the Regime cares about the Madison NO KINGS turnout; if there were only 50 Democratic seats remaining in the U.S. House of Representatives, Madison’s would be one. At the same time, I am confident that the Regime does care about holding the Wisconsin First and Third Districts in 2026. I don’t know whether political voter science has yet evolved to the point that analysts can project a candidate’s or issue’s overall popularity – or unpopularity – based upon the numbers of citizens who turn out at a rally, but clearly for every demonstrator who turns out at a rally, there are “X” more who don’t turn out but agree with – and will vote in accord with — the demonstrator. If I were Mr. Steil or Mr. Van Orden – or any other MAGA member of the House of Representatives across the country who won his/her office in 2024 by less than 5 points in a district where there were notable NO KINGS rallies last Saturday – I’d be feeling a wee bit insecure in my seat today.
On we march (figuratively as well as literally 😊).
McCoy's Noise 