Not Much To See (or Hear) Here

During my brief foray into state politics I was subjected to being videotaped just a handful of times.  Once was while walking into a rally for then-Senate candidate Ron Johnson here in Oshkosh where not one--but two people were recording everyone who walked into the building.  My reporter instincts got the better of me and I asked one of the young men what he was doing.  "I'm on public property sir, I am allowed to film this" was the only response he would give me to my three or four questions--so obviously he had been well-trained not to crack while behind enemy lines.

Now, James O'Keefe--who masterminded the secret videotaping of State Senator Mike Ellis earlier this year with members of his group Project Veritas--is promising a lot more of these overt and covert operations.  That got me to thinking "what if I had somehow won that race a few years back--and they were doing that to me?"  And I had to chuckle at what they would probably "uncover".  I imagine their "logbook" would look something like this:

Day One: Followed Mr. Krause to the golf course where he hit balls on the range for about an hour and a half and practiced putting for another half hour.  His driving accuracy and short game are top-notch--but he really needs to work on his irons.  I attempted to engage him in a conversation about school vouchers while pretending to be a fellow golfer but he shot me a dirty look and asked if I thought Tiger Woods discussed politics on the practice range.  I thought we might have an opening when Mr Krause ordered an "Arnold Palmer" in the clubhouse--but it turns out that only has iced tea and lemonade in it--and no alcohol.

Day Two: Followed Mr Krause to Festival Foods where he was doing his grocery shopping.  I noticed that he purchased a lot of fresh fruits and dairy products--but not many green vegetables.  He also seemed to buy a lot of red meat.  Attempted to engage him in a conversation about the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage while pretending to be another shopper but he said he had to hurry home to get dinner made on the grill before his wife got home from work.

Day Three: Followed Mr Krause to the YMCA where he worked out for about 90-minutes.  He appears to have good upper body flexability but could really improve the strength in his shoulders and his hamstrings if he's looking to add more distance to his drives.  Attempted to ask him questions about campaign finance reform while pretending to be another runner on the track--but I could not keep up with him.

Day Four: Followed Mr Krause to the gym again--where this time he played basketball with a group of other middle-aged men.  He can't go left anymore with the dribble--but he continues to show great range from the outside.  Tried several times to guard him and get him to talk about his feelings on party leadership--but he kept running me into screens.  Eventually, I became too exhausted after the third game in a row and had to lay down for a little bit.  I did hear him complain to a fellow player about Traevon Jackson not getting the ball to Ben Brust, Frank Kaminsky or Sam Dekker for game winning shots--so perhaps we can use that to paint Mr Krause as a racist.

Maybe our current and future leaders should consider being this "boring" as well--and the whole "secret video" craze will fade away on its own.