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| Tammy Baldwin: openly gay Senate candidate on brink of history | Tammy Baldwin: openly gay Senate candidate on brink of history |
| (5 months later) | |
| Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat who stands a good chance of being the first openly gay candidate elected to the Senate, has a story she likes to tell about the event that propelled her into politics. | Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat who stands a good chance of being the first openly gay candidate elected to the Senate, has a story she likes to tell about the event that propelled her into politics. |
| "I remember graduating from college, being very interested in public service yet wondering what I could aspire to be," she said in an interview. "It was that year [1984], when I graduated from college, that Geraldine Ferraro was nominated for vice-president, and I watched in my first efficiency apartment, a little one-room place. I choked up and I thought at that moment: I can do anything. I can aspire to anything." | "I remember graduating from college, being very interested in public service yet wondering what I could aspire to be," she said in an interview. "It was that year [1984], when I graduated from college, that Geraldine Ferraro was nominated for vice-president, and I watched in my first efficiency apartment, a little one-room place. I choked up and I thought at that moment: I can do anything. I can aspire to anything." |
| With Baldwin on the ballot, facing Republican Tommy Thompson, and votes in four states to legalise same-sex marriage, there is a strong chance this election day could deliver a similar moment. | With Baldwin on the ballot, facing Republican Tommy Thompson, and votes in four states to legalise same-sex marriage, there is a strong chance this election day could deliver a similar moment. |
| It is already galvanising the movement for LGBT rights, winning Baldwin's race national attention. Barack Obama was due to hold his second campaign rally with Baldwin in 48 hours on Monday morning. | It is already galvanising the movement for LGBT rights, winning Baldwin's race national attention. Barack Obama was due to hold his second campaign rally with Baldwin in 48 hours on Monday morning. |
| During a brief stop at a small campaign office in a working-class area of Milwaukee on Sunday, Baldwin was thronged by volunteers from the Victory Fund, which works to get LGBT candidates to elected office. | During a brief stop at a small campaign office in a working-class area of Milwaukee on Sunday, Baldwin was thronged by volunteers from the Victory Fund, which works to get LGBT candidates to elected office. |
| They had travelled from as far as Florida, New York and California to volunteer for her campaign. Outside groups poured money into the race, allowing Baldwin to pulverise Thompson's record. Al Franken, the comedian and Senator, went canvassing door-to-door. | They had travelled from as far as Florida, New York and California to volunteer for her campaign. Outside groups poured money into the race, allowing Baldwin to pulverise Thompson's record. Al Franken, the comedian and Senator, went canvassing door-to-door. |
| Polls show the Senate race virtually tied between Baldwin and Thompson, a former governor who has towered over Wisconsin politics for a quarter of a century. Ad spending on both campaigns topped $65m, making Wisconsin one of the most expensive Senate races in the country. | Polls show the Senate race virtually tied between Baldwin and Thompson, a former governor who has towered over Wisconsin politics for a quarter of a century. Ad spending on both campaigns topped $65m, making Wisconsin one of the most expensive Senate races in the country. |
| But Baldwin insists her sexual orientation is rarely a topic of conversation on the campaign trail. "It almost never comes up," she said. "It's been a race that has been flat out on economic issues." | But Baldwin insists her sexual orientation is rarely a topic of conversation on the campaign trail. "It almost never comes up," she said. "It's been a race that has been flat out on economic issues." |
| To a lesser extent, a win for Baldwin – an "ultra-liberal in the words of her opponent – would also be a slap at Wisconsin's governor, Scott Walker, who broke up the unions and then saw off a Democratic recall vote last summer. | To a lesser extent, a win for Baldwin – an "ultra-liberal in the words of her opponent – would also be a slap at Wisconsin's governor, Scott Walker, who broke up the unions and then saw off a Democratic recall vote last summer. |
| Baldwin is a strong supporter of most of the policies the Tea Party activists despise. | Baldwin is a strong supporter of most of the policies the Tea Party activists despise. |
| She supported and even wrote part of the healthcare bill – the section enabling children to remain on their parents' insurance until age 26. She voted for the climate change law in 2009, and wanted to deepen investment in renewable energy. She has had doubts about sanctions on Iran. | She supported and even wrote part of the healthcare bill – the section enabling children to remain on their parents' insurance until age 26. She voted for the climate change law in 2009, and wanted to deepen investment in renewable energy. She has had doubts about sanctions on Iran. |
| Thompson on the other hand wants to repeal Obama's healthcare act, expand oil drilling, and adopt Paul Ryan's deficit plan. | Thompson on the other hand wants to repeal Obama's healthcare act, expand oil drilling, and adopt Paul Ryan's deficit plan. |
| Baldwin, 50, who has represented the liberal college town of Madison in the House of Representatives for 14 years, has the low-key demeanour of a technocrat or chief executive, but she espouses the politics of a populist. | Baldwin, 50, who has represented the liberal college town of Madison in the House of Representatives for 14 years, has the low-key demeanour of a technocrat or chief executive, but she espouses the politics of a populist. |
| On her tour of get out the vote operations, she skipped the rousing speech for private chats with volunteers. | On her tour of get out the vote operations, she skipped the rousing speech for private chats with volunteers. |
| Her opponent, Tommy Thompson, has been out of politics for 12 years working as a healthcare lobbyist. He was elected to four terms as governor, and served as health secretary in the Bush administration. | Her opponent, Tommy Thompson, has been out of politics for 12 years working as a healthcare lobbyist. He was elected to four terms as governor, and served as health secretary in the Bush administration. |
| But Thompson remains an old-school politician who seems unable to exit a room until he has shaken every last hand. He spent his Sunday tailgating with football fans in Green Bay, and before hopping on his red "proven reformer" bus to three more campaign events – with eight young grandchildren in tow. "It's going very well," Thompson told the Guardian. "There is momentum with us and I don't think the polls have picked up on this all over the state." | But Thompson remains an old-school politician who seems unable to exit a room until he has shaken every last hand. He spent his Sunday tailgating with football fans in Green Bay, and before hopping on his red "proven reformer" bus to three more campaign events – with eight young grandchildren in tow. "It's going very well," Thompson told the Guardian. "There is momentum with us and I don't think the polls have picked up on this all over the state." |
| For the most part, Thompson has not tried to use sexual orientation in his campaign. In a speech at party headquarters at Fond du Lac, north of Milwaukee, he focused his remarks on Barack Obama, whom he likened to Jimmy Carter. | For the most part, Thompson has not tried to use sexual orientation in his campaign. In a speech at party headquarters at Fond du Lac, north of Milwaukee, he focused his remarks on Barack Obama, whom he likened to Jimmy Carter. |
| But his campaign earlier sent out pictures on Twitter of Baldwin at a gay pride event. Thompson has also tried to brand his opponent as too extreme for Wisconsin. | But his campaign earlier sent out pictures on Twitter of Baldwin at a gay pride event. Thompson has also tried to brand his opponent as too extreme for Wisconsin. |
| "There are big differences between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney," Thompson told the crowd at Sheboygan. "But there's an ocean between Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson. She's so extreme that Nancy Pelosi turns to the left to talk to (Baldwin)." | "There are big differences between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney," Thompson told the crowd at Sheboygan. "But there's an ocean between Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson. She's so extreme that Nancy Pelosi turns to the left to talk to (Baldwin)." |
| Baldwin fought back with ads branding Thompson as an outsourcer of jobs and a lobbyist with no interest helping in the poor. | Baldwin fought back with ads branding Thompson as an outsourcer of jobs and a lobbyist with no interest helping in the poor. |
| Most people following the race think it will go down to the last votes – Baldwin herself is predicting a much tighter finish than the last two elections. But she still dared hope out loud that her own race could make history. | Most people following the race think it will go down to the last votes – Baldwin herself is predicting a much tighter finish than the last two elections. But she still dared hope out loud that her own race could make history. |
| If she wins, her presence would force the Senate to engage more fully with LGBT issues. | If she wins, her presence would force the Senate to engage more fully with LGBT issues. |
| "If you are not in the room, the conversation is about you. If you are in the room, the conversation is with you. We never had an openly LGBT member of the US Senate, and even though there are strong pro-equality allies who serve there, it has always been a conversation about a group of people. So this changes everything," she said. | "If you are not in the room, the conversation is about you. If you are in the room, the conversation is with you. We never had an openly LGBT member of the US Senate, and even though there are strong pro-equality allies who serve there, it has always been a conversation about a group of people. So this changes everything," she said. |
| It could also change the landscape far beyond Washington, Baldwin said. | It could also change the landscape far beyond Washington, Baldwin said. |
| "I think in particular for young LGBT youth, especially those that come out in hostile communities or less supportive families and are thinking: 'what about my future?'. They can wake up to a Tammy Baldwin victory on November 7 and feel the way I did when Geraldine Ferraro accepted the nomination." | "I think in particular for young LGBT youth, especially those that come out in hostile communities or less supportive families and are thinking: 'what about my future?'. They can wake up to a Tammy Baldwin victory on November 7 and feel the way I did when Geraldine Ferraro accepted the nomination." |
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