creisinger / Depositphotos.com
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I wonder if Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company, was scared for just a moment.
The FBI said they were aware of him, and his post suggesting that Donald Trump should be assassinated. Oh, he didn’t actually say it. His social media posts says people in the resistance need to be better marksmen. And he went on to say maybe the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a false flag operation to change a Trump-negative news cycle.
Put the two statements together, and every intellectually honest person would conclude that he’s wishing the president dead. He already promises to pour free beer on the day Donald Trump dies, naturally or otherwise.
He was indeed contacted by the Secret Service. Free speech is protected. Threats against the President of the United States are not. I’d like to see charges filed. Let a jury decide what is and what isn’t over-the-line.
Kirk Bangstad announced a free speech event at the Minocqua Brewing Company. Those with a macabre sense of humor who prefer their political opponents be deceased could raise a glass with him. And now Mr. Bangstad announces that he’s running for governor.
What’s that all about? My guess is two things: first, he calculates it’s a bad look for Donald Trump’s justice department to bring criminal charges against a candidate for political office. And, it’s a fundraising opportunity. Bangstad uses any political controversy he creates as a chance to raise money.
Of course, he’s not a real candidate for governor. Real candidates have a realistic chance of winning. He does not. And his publicity-driven candidacy comes at a bad time for Democrats, who are still wrestling with whether their actual candidate will be liberal Mandela Barnes, who has name recognition and a large warchest, or outside-of-the-mainstream socialist Francesca Hong, who would win the primary but otherwise seems unelectable in a general election.
As we get closer to the August 11th primary, Democrats will have a serious choice to make. And as we get closer to the primary, Democrats won’t be interested in the self-serving candidate with the face-paint, the floppy shoes, and the red nose. Having a clown in the race only complicates things.
Chris Conley
Comments