The Fremen Factor

I’ve lived in Wisconsin for 21 years. For nearly all that time, the state has been one of the most liberal in the country…home to Russ Feingold, the city of Madison, and Tammy Baldwin.

And, yet, now Wisconsin has become the launching pad for some of the most influential conservatives of our generation: Governor Scott Walker who defanged the government unions and and became the first governor in history to survive a recall.

Ron Johnson – an unknown businessman who dethroned liberal lion Russ Feingold to become one of the nation’s most conservative senators.

Reince Priebus – the head of the Republican Party in Wisconsin is now the head of the Republican party nationally.

And Congressman Paul Ryan is running to be Vice President of the United States.

How did so many Conservative powerhouses come from such a liberal state?

I think I know.

I’ve been calling it the Fremen Factor.

The Fremen are a tribe of desert warriors in Frank Herbert’s novel Dune.

In the novels, the Fremen were able to conquer the entire galaxy because they were raised in one of the most hostile environments imaginable-a world where mere survival required constant vigilance, discipline, and a willingness to fight.

I think something similar happened in Wisconsin. The political environment here has been so hostile to Conservatives for the last two decades, that any politician determined to be a Conservative in Wisconsin had to be tougher and more committed than they might have been in a state like Texas.

In the Dune novels, the man who lead the Fremen to victory was named Paul.

I wonder how Mr. Ryan would feel about taking on a new nickname?

Note: Edited to correct Reince Priebus’s name.

12 comments August 13th, 2012