Christian Schneider:

Those spending any time at all on political social media have no doubt seen conventional wisdom that Hillary Clinton lost in 2016, in part, because she failed to visit the swing state of Wisconsin in the last few months of the campaign. It’s a point that has spawned a million “where’s Hillary” jokes, but it isn’t necessarily true.

For one, Clinton did visit Wisconsin several times during the campaign, just not in the closing weeks. She campaigned frequently in the state in both 2008 and 2016, losing big in primaries each time. It’s not as though Wisconsin voters didn’t know her.

Nevertheless, the Democratic National Convention decided to troll Clinton this week, picking Milwaukee as the site for the party’s quadrennial soiree in 2020. Not only are Democrats going to make sure their nominee sets foot in Wisconsin; they’re also bringing the whole cast of characters.

But as was the case with Clinton, mere physical presence likely won’t be enough to win Wisconsin voters over. Taking precedence will be what their candidate stands for.

In making the Milwaukee announcement, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez suggested convention-goers may eat some vegan bratwurst and drink some “damn fine union-made Milwaukee beer at the end of the night.” But vegan bratwurst — more accurately described as “tofu crammed in a sock” — is about as authentically Wisconsin as the actual proposals the slew of Democratic candidates have thrown around so far.

Take, for instance, the Green New Deal, which would hammer Wisconsin’s agriculture- and manufacturing-based economy. Any proposal ridiculous enough to make House Speaker Nancy Pelosi roll her eyes will have about as much support in America’s Dairyland as skim milk. (Which, in the immortal words of Ron Swanson, is “water which is lying about being milk.”)

Voters might also look askance at a $33 trillion Medicare-for-all plan, when 95 percent of the state’s residents are already insured. Among the accomplishments of Gov. Scott Walker (R) during his tenure was expanding coverage to record levels; throwing out that progress in favor of an untested, budget-annihilating genuflection to European socialism might not be what state voters have in mind.

In 2009, when Democrats controlled both houses of the state legislature and the governorship, they proposed a single-payer health plan in the state. The result? A Walker victory and full Republican control of the Assembly and Senate.

Perhaps the greatest irony is that Milwaukee became a necessary convention venue specifically because of the work Republicans have done in the state over the past eight years. In 2008, Barack Obama won the state by 14 percentage points. By 2016, on the strength of reforms passed by state conservatives, Wisconsin went to a GOP presidential candidate for the first time since Ronald Reagan in 1984. And now, Democrats want it back.

In fact, much of the reason Milwaukee became such an attractive place to hold a convention was due to the work of Walker and other state Republicans. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Fiserv Forum, a new arena that Walker approved just four years ago.

Interestingly, many of the same state Democrats who will feature prominently at the convention next year are the same who marched against Walker’s Act 10 public union reforms eight years ago, predicting doom for the state. Instead, the state has become so attractive, it will be a national showcase of success for the same party that opposed Walker at every turn. In essence, Democrats are beginning this marathon at the 24th mile — crediting them with making Wisconsin a prime spot for a national convention is like crediting the historic success of the “Star Wars” franchise to Adam Driver.

And those government union reforms that Democrats ripped the state apart in an attempt to rescind in 2011 and 2012? New Gov. Tony Evers (D) has introduced his budget plan and hasn’t laid a finger on them. It seems Perez’s suds-based pandering to unions during his announcement might be six years too late.

Of course, like most big cities, Milwaukee is beset with problems, such as crime, joblessness and poverty. And like most big cities, it has been governed by progressives for decades. The city’s current feckless mayor, Tom Barrett, has never seriously been challenged since he took office in 2004.

In the 1980s, faced with high taxes and greater regulation, employers began fleeing the city, leaving large swaths of the city devoid of economic opportunity. To combat that phenomenon, state lawmakers implemented the nation’s first private school choice program — a successful move that Democrats would surely reverse if now given the change. The Democratic convention might be a very inhospitable guest, indeed.

Those issues aside, there is no doubt that in the middle of next year, Milwaukee will be a caloric Armageddon, gleefully stuffing delighted Democrats with beer, cheese and encased meats. The city will be thrilled to have them there. It is their ideas that Wisconsin voters might want to keep away.

Actually, I’d prefer the Democratic (or Republican) convention stay away. The national political conventions are nothing more than a four-day-long taxpayer-funded pep rally for people who want to control your lives and your money. It is another example of the fetish wrong-headed people have for politicians and politics. (Washington was described as Hollywood for ugly people; well, politics is sports for the unathletic and lazy.) These are people I wouldn’t choose to spend two seconds with, and they’re going to be invading Milwaukee … well, actually, adding to the population I already choose to not spend time with that infests Milwaukee.

What exactly takes place of significance? The selection of candidates? Not anymore since primary elections. The platform? That’s written by the presidential candidate and “voted” upon by the sheep on the convention floor.

Then there is Milwaukee. Any community where there are entire sections where if you venture in you may not come out alive is not worthy of your presence or your money.

Dan O’Donnell wrote this before Monday’s news that Milwaukee will host the 2020 Democratic National Convention:

The only city in America to elect three socialist mayors, Milwaukee would represent a chance for Democrats to embrace what Chairman Tom Perez called “the future of the party” by highlighting its past.

And what a past it’s been! Milwaukee hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1908 and its Common Council has been dominated by liberals for nearly as long, meaning that Democrats can showcase a city that they have totally controlled for more than a century. Their policies and their policies alone are responsible for making Milwaukee the city that it is today…the tenth worst city in America in which to live.

Each year, the news and commentary website 24/7 Wall Street measures cities on a wide-ranging index of socioeconomic conditions, including crime rates, economics, education levels, environmental conditions, public health, housing, infrastructure, and recreation and leisure. This year, Milwaukee ranked tenth-worst.

“More than one in every four Milwaukee residents live in poverty, more than double the 11.8% state poverty rate,” researchers Samuel Stebbins and Evan Comen wrote. “Poor cities often have higher crime rates than more affluent cities, and Milwaukee is no exception. There were 1,546 violent crimes for every 100,000 Milwaukee residents, more than five times the statewide violent crime rate of 306 per 100,000.”

Yes, by holding their convention in Milwaukee, Democrats can show the nation how their crime prevention policies have led Milwaukee…to the 15th-highest homicide rate in the nation in 2016 (the most recent year for which complete data is available).

“Milwaukee remains one of the most dangerous places in the country,” Comen noted. “Overall there were 1,533 violent crimes — which also includes rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — per 100,000 residents in 2016, nearly four times the national rate of 386 incidents per 100,000 residents and the eighth most of any city.”

Holding the 2020 convention in Milwaukee would also allow the Democratic Party to make further inroads into its all-important African-American voter base. As University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers concluded in 2012, “no metro area has witnessed more precipitous erosion in the labor market for black males over the past 40 years than has Milwaukee.” Even more illuminating, after 108 years of Democratic rule Milwaukee is the single most segregated city in the country for renters and third most segregated overall.

Wait, how can this be? How can a place governed by Democratic policies not be the utopia that Democratic promises indicate that it should be? This disconnect is the very heart of why Milwaukee is so perfect a city to host the Democratic National Convention, as the city would stand as perhaps the most concrete example of liberal policy failures at a time when the 2020 presidential nominee would be making even more utopian promises.

As the Democratic nominee would invariably promise to incarcerate fewer criminals, overhaul America’s education system, and end the nation’s “school-to-prison pipeline,” voters would see a century of Democratic leadership resulting in Milwaukee’s sky-high violent crime rate and a public school system so dysfunctional that it boasts just a 59.7% graduation rate and includes “one of the lowest performing comprehensive public high schools in America.”

As the Democratic nominee would invariably promise to better America’s economy by “spreading the wealth around” and “making things fairer,” voters would see a century of Democratic leadership resulting in Milwaukee’s 28.4% poverty rate more than doubling the national rate of 12.7% and Milwaukee’s median household income of $36,801 totaling at just a little more than half of the national median household income $59,039.

As the Democratic nominee would invariably promise to improve race relations and make America a better, more tolerant place, voters would see a century of Democratic leadership resulting in a place that is, “by many measures,” the “toughest U.S. city for blacks.”

Why is Milwaukee so perfect for the Democratic National Convention? Because Milwaukee is the inevitable result of Democratic leadership; Milwaukee is what happens when Democrats govern with unchecked and unbroken control for more than a century.

And it’s about time the rest of the country saw it.

James Wigderson adds:

Because Hillary Clinton didn’t campaign in Wisconsin in 2016 and lost, Democrats have decided not to take the state for granted in 2020. They’re sending the Democratic National Convention road show to Milwaukee.

Conveniently the Democrats will be in Milwaukee for Bastille Days. We’ll hope they won’t be inspired to bring back the guillotine.

Ironically, if you like to drive for Uber or Lyft, or rent your house out with AirBnB, it will be a great time for individual capitalists when the new Democratic socialists come to town.

We’re looking forward to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) staying in a modest Oak Creek home and then complaining about the cost of capitalist rent exploitation before leading a march down Wisconsin Avenue with a rock star entourage to protest climate change and cow farts in the dairy state before flying home on a private airplane.

But how good of a deal is it for everyone else?

The budget for the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia was $84 million, not including additional security costs that were subsidized by the federal government. The local host city will be expected to find most of that money through private fundraising. The host committee in Philadelphia raised more than $85 million after having a more modest goal of $60 million, according to Philadelphia Magazine.

Some of that money came from taxpayers. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development gave $10 million, according to Philadelphia Magazine. Conventions typically try to get the host city to guarantee covering the cost of the convention, although Charlotte, NC, refused in 2012. San Antonio took itself out of the runningfor the Republican National Convention in part because of that request by the Republican Party. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has already announced the city has acquired a line of credit for the convention.

The expected economic impact of the Philadelphia convention was $300 million, but the real economic impact was closer to $180 million. Even that number, however, does not take into account the lost productivity to private industry as a side effect of hosting the convention. Also, high end restaurants may not benefit nearly as much as they hope.

But there could be donkeys. “The host committee also paid $200,000 for 57 local artist-decorated fiberglass donkeys that have been installed across the city, complete with a Pokémon Go-style scavenger hunt,” Yahoo News reported in 2016. If the donkeys come back, truth-in-advertising requires that they wear Che Guevara t-shirts.

Donkeys were not the only expenditure, according to Yahoo News: “The City of Philadelphia plans to spend $695,700 on preparations for and work during the convention, including cleaning, employee overtime, patriotic decorations and ‘homeless outreach.’”

So good news, DNC organizers. If there is one thing Milwaukee has, it does have homeless people downtown.

Then there will be the miscellaneous costs which will add up. Milwaukee’s streetcar does not currently reach the Fiserv Forum where the convention will be held. Don’t be surprised if the mayor and Governor Tony Evers try to insert into the budget later a request to fund that leg of the streetcar using state funds or increased local tax revenue, perhaps as part of some deal to allow local governments to raise taxes for transportation costs. Then look for delays in the state budget to be used to attack Republicans because those delays could hurt Milwaukee’s preparedness for the Democratic National Convention.

Meanwhile, while the federal government does cover security costs for the convention, there will be costs to the city in police overtime as officers are required to do more traffic diversions and handle other police calls related to the convention. As more police resources are diverted downtown, how much will local neighborhoods suffer?

Not everything will go smoothly when the convention finally arrives. We can expect the city’s freeways to be jammed with convention goers driving further and further out desperate to look for a place to sleep as the city simply will not have the hotel space to accommodate everyone. There are only so many A-list celebrities that you can jam into the Pfister Hotel downtown before Katy Perry comes knocking on your door in the suburbs hoping you have a fold-out couch. But we wouldn’t expect them to ride Amtrak to Chicago looking for a hotel. That would be barbaric.

Then there will be the protesters. Between the hard left’s desire to protest everything, and the sheer number of Democratic candidates running for president, Milwaukee could be ground zero for the biggest riots in years. But even if the federal government’s $50 million to fun security helps keep a lid on most of the problem children of the left, there will still be some protesters that aren’t going to behave.

Normally a Starbucks close to the convention site would be the ideal franchise but the Starbucks on Red Arrow Park, given its history and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz running for president, should probably up their fire insurance coverage now.

The Democrats may regret choosing Milwaukee for the site of their National Convention. As the longtime home of the most successful Socialist Party in America, Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Mark Jefferson says it will be a homecoming for many of the new socialists in the Democratic Party.

“No city in America has stronger ties to socialism than Milwaukee,” Jefferson said. “And with the rise of Bernie Sanders and the embrace of socialism by its newest leaders, the American left has come full circle. It’s only fitting the Democrats would come to Milwaukee.”

However, a quick drive just a few minutes north of the convention site and Democrats will get to see what Democratic and Socialist control of Milwaukee in 1910 has meant for the residents of Milwaukee’s North Side: crime, poverty, unemployment, failing schools, high property taxes.

As for the Democratic hope that the convention will be enough to bring Wisconsin voters back, they should remember the old saying that “familiarity breeds contempt.”

Perhaps the Democrats should listen to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).

“I’m glad Milwaukee will enjoy the economic boost from hosting the 2020 Democrat National Convention. As voters in a key battleground state, Wisconsinites will also get a first-hand look at Democrats’ extreme policies that would reverse the economic progress made under the Trump administration,” Johnson said Monday. “Understanding the risk of Democrat socialistic tendencies should provide motivation to re-elect Republicans up and down the ballot in November 2020.”

The Democrats are coming. Let ’em in. The most harm they will do is to themselves.