In May, Wisconsin Republicans had their state convention, during which they voted to endorse Tom Tiffany as their candidate for governor and Will Martin as their candidate for lieutenant governor. One would think that while there are still several Democratic candidates vying to be their party's chosen candidate, it would be a great chance for the Republicans to take advantage of a unified front. One would have also underestimated the dysfunctionality of the Republicans.
On Juneteenth Day, we were reminded that Tiffany was one of the 14 Republicans who voted against making Juneteenth Day an official federal holiday. His reasoning was breathtakingly horrible:
"My vote reflected my belief that America has one Independence Day, and that is July 4th," Tiffany said in a statement this week in response to questions about his vote. "Juneteenth and other historic events should be celebrated, as they have been for years, but I do not support the premise of establishing another Independence Day when July 4th serves as a unifying moment for all Americans and reminds us of our ongoing work to build a more perfect Union."
In other words, only the white man's Independence Day should be recognized as a national holiday.
Tiffany forgot that at the time of the founding of this country, Black people were slaves and not considered to be equal to white people. They were only considered to be worth a fraction of white people. It wasn't until the Emancipation Proclamation that they were given equal status (on paper, anyway).
But just in case that didn't make things awkward enough, we need to mention that Martin, who could very well end up being Tiffany's running partner after the August primary, is a Black man. Understandably, he has a much different take on the holiday:
"Our forefathers and foremothers bled and, in some cases, died that this nation could free millions like my great-grandfather's parents," Martin said in the post, which he shared on X, Facebook and Instagram. "So, on this and every Juneteenth, I celebrate how Wisconsin and the Republican Party helped the USA become a more perfect union. It is not a substitute for the Fourth of July; it is an extension of the freedom ignited across this nation 250 years ago."
It should also be noted that Tiffany's campaign has been mostly blowing one racist dog whistle after another. Awkward!
Excuse me. I need to go stock up on popcorn. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of their awkwardness.
