For a brief, terrifying moment, it looked like Thanksgiving might become a culture-war battlefield. But the election in Wisconsin didn’t go as radical as it might have, and the turkey is safe—at least for now.
That’s the word from Silvio Canto Jr., writing for American Thinker, who reports that the Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s Senate race produced a surprise result that has centrists breathing a sigh of relief. But as he warns, the celebration may be premature.
A Narrow Escape
The primary, held Tuesday, was supposed to be a coronation. Francesca Hong, a chef and state lawmaker who had galvanized the party’s left flank, entered the day with polls showing her holding a safe double-digit lead over her rival, Milwaukee County Executive Crowley. But by early Wednesday morning, with 98% of the votes counted, Crowley had pulled off the improbable, edging out Hong by roughly 3,000 votes.
It was one of the biggest surprises of the night—and a stark reminder that the polls are not always the gospel truth in low-turnout primaries.
As Susan Crabtree noted, late into Tuesday night Hong found herself overtaken by Crowley, as six states held primaries. The result was a dramatic reversal of fortune, and for many centrist Democrats, it was a welcome one. Hong, after all, had promised to bring radical ideas to Washington—ideas that, if her critics are right, could have extended even to the Thanksgiving table, with all the traditional family rituals that come with it.
“Turkey Day is back,” Canto writes, “and you won’t be hearing anything about a certain community being upset by a family holding hands and saying thanks. The tradition lives on, and that’s a good thing.”
But here’s where the story gets complicated.
The Wild Card
Canto cautions that centrist Democrats shouldn’t count their chickens just because Hong lost. The real question is what happens next.
“They shouldn’t count their chickens either because we don’t know how Ms. Hong’s supporters are going to react,” he writes. “It may be the wild card in the upcoming election. They may stay home rather than support the establishment, as they call it. In other words, they are not wild about Crowley.”
In other words, the primary may have ended with a moderate victory, but the war for the soul of the Democratic Party is far from over. Hong’s supporters, many of whom see the party establishment as an obstacle rather than an ally, could prove to be a decisive force in the general election—either by rallying behind Crowley or by sitting out entirely.
And that’s a dangerous uncertainty for a nominee who is already facing questions about his ability to unite the party.
Can Crowley Unite the Party?
Crowley may have won the primary, but he is not, in the words of Canto’s Milwaukee friends, a “distinguished local politician.” He may be the Milwaukee County executive, but he’s not exactly a household name, and his victory was hardly a mandate. A 3,000-vote margin in a primary is a razor-thin victory, especially when the polls had suggested he was trailing by double digits.
The general election will pit Crowley against Republican Tom Tiffany, and while the odds currently favor the Democrat, Canto isn’t ready to bet on it.
“The odds favor Mr. Crowley over Mr. Tiffany,” he writes, “but I wouldn’t bet on that completely. Again, let’s see how Mr. Crowley performs in debates and how he can unite the party.”
That’s the key question. Can Crowley bring together a party that is clearly split between its establishment wing and its energized progressive base? And can he do it in time to face a Republican opponent who will surely make the most of any Democratic disunity?
Another Bad Night for Pollsters
Beyond the immediate political fallout, Tuesday’s primary was also a reminder that polling is a precarious business. Hong’s double-digit lead in the polls didn’t materialize on election night, and Crowley’s narrow victory was a shock to nearly everyone watching.
It’s not the first time the polls have been off this cycle, and it probably won’t be the last. As Canto notes, “another Tuesday and another bad night for polls. Maybe polling in these low-turnout primaries is a risky business.”
He recalls a friend in the polling business who once told him, “It’s tough to poll people who don’t answer their phones.” It’s a simple observation, but one that carries a lot of weight in an era when fewer and fewer people are willing to pick up for unknown numbers.
The Road Ahead
For now, the immediate crisis has been averted. Thanksgiving will go on as it always has, with families gathering, hands held, and thanks offered—without any cultural backlash from a radical politician. But the bigger fight is just beginning.
The Democratic primary in Wisconsin has exposed deep fault lines within the party, and Crowley’s narrow victory raises as many questions as it answers. Will Hong’s supporters back the nominee, or will they stay home? Can Crowley broaden his appeal beyond Milwaukee County? And will the polls be any more accurate in November than they were on Tuesday?
For Democrats, the relief is real, but so is the uncertainty. For Republicans, there’s reason for cautious optimism. And for the rest of us, there’s the turkey. As Canto says, “Go buy your turkey… for now.”
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/go-buy-your-turkey-for-now/