Wisconsin - the gift that keeps giving

I'm learning to never under estimate the absurdity of Wisconsin politics. One problem that I've mentioned the unions faced is that they really didn't have enough people to sustain the protests on their own. Richard Trumka, the head of the AFL-CIO, addressed that problem by inviting in Progressives of every stripe to join the protests to swell their ranks.

The danger of this, from the union perspective, is that these other groups begin to hijack the union message and replace it with their own foolishness (I've talked about that earlier here, here and here).

The above video shows another example of that. As the Isthmus Daily reported in Walker opponents take to Wisconsin's waters with protest flotillas protestors discovered that Tonette Walker, the Wisconsin First Lady, was hosting a garden party at Governor's mansion. They responded by organizing the Wiflotilla, a group of a few canoes, kayaks and small power boats that parked off-shore from the mansion where they hooted, chanted and honked on their horns. 

Naturally the protestors plan on making this an on-going protest, and they are even talking about spreading it to lakes and water ways all over Wisconsin. Can banging drums and megaphone assisted chants of "this is what Democracy looks like" be far behind?

Aside from the stupidity of consciously coupling themselves with the provocateurs of the Gaza flotilla (is that really an association that resonates positively with the citizens of Wisconsin?), have they considered how crass, rude and over-the-top this looks to a lot of people? Have they considered how fisherman or vacationing families out for a weekend of recreation on a lake are going to react to a pack of nitwits chanting protest slogans at them while they try to relax?

My guess, this will lead to another round of "will you guys please shut up" from the public like the zombie protest evoked, and then some frantic back peddling. "It was all in fun, and besides it's OUR democracy, OUR mansion, OUR lake and blah, blah, blah, Koch Brothers, blah, blah, blah... "

The Unions can barely hold their ground when they frame it as noble teachers being picked on. They won't hold it at all when it is one group of clueless louts after another making nuisances out of themselves.

(HT: Anne Althouse)