First, the Wisconsin Democrats of the 1940s and 1950s welcomed outsiders and moved them quickly into the forefront of the party. Consider this notion: What if, in 2014, the Democratic Party had nominated retiring Republican Sen. Dale Schultz for governor? Yes, of course, Schultz is more conservative than the party base on some issues; but he was a hero for standing up to Scott Walker in critical fights over labor rights, voting rights and protection of the environment.

Second, Wisconsin Democrats used to be not just proudly progressive and populist but also proudly at odds with national Democrats. Wisconsin Democrats spoke a language that was distinct to Wisconsin — in much the same way that the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party still speaks a language that is distinct to that state. Imagine what could have happened if, in 2014, Wisconsin Democrats had run a campaign that rejected the tone-deaf “messaging” of national Democratic strategists and presented their party as a maverick party with a distinct vision: aggressively critical of national Democrats who work with authoritarian Republicans on issues like trade policy and domestic surveillance; fiercely libertarian on issues such as legalization of marijuana; fiercely traditional when it comes to sustaining family farms, rural schools and small-town Wisconsin; proudly populist in its commitment to raising wages for working Wisconsinites (Scott Walker should have taken a hammering in debates and in ads on these issues).