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The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer.

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Greetings, readers:

While I’m away, I wanted to make I’m not leaving you too discombobulated. So, we’ve shared a few stories from our archives (and maybe a tweet or two) to help you recombobulate a bit…

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From the archives: The Recombobulation Area’s award-winning coverage of Act 12

From the archives: Crowley coverage

Dan Shafer@DanRShafer

No full breakdown, just popping in for a couple quick posts. -I don't find head-to-head results in Aug. to be all that interesting. Crowley being up with Likely Voters doesn't say much, imo. But Crowley being way ahead with independents is one to watch. Still, WI is a Toss-Up.

Dan Shafer @DanRShafer

As per tradition, here's the net favorability for the politicians, parties and movements polled by Marquette. Crowley: +7 Evers: +3 Tiffany: -4 Baldwin: -7 R. Johnson: -8 Rubio: -9 Vance: -10 Republican Party -12 MAGA: -16 Trump: -17 Barnes: -20 Democratic Party: -24 Democratic

7:00 PM · Aug 26, 2026 · 12.5K Views

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9 Replies · 1 Repost · 33 Likes

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… but now, it’s your turn to help me out. After a couple weeks away from the grind of the day-to-day news cycle, I will inevitably be returning after Labor Day a bit discombobulated.

So, let’s recombobulate together. Send me your questions, and upon my return, I’ll write up some answers. There’s so much happening in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and once we get past Labor Day, that’s when campaign season really revs up, so now is a perfect time to reset with you, our wonderful, good-looking, loyal readers.

Here’s how you can send in your questions:

Email:

• therecombobulationarea@gmail.com

Social media:

• Twitter, @DanRShafer

• Instagram, @therecombobulationarea

• Facebook, @therecombobulationarea

• Bluesky, @danshafer.bsky.social

• Threads, @danshafer

And, our preferred option, right here on Substack:

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You can also join other subscribers in our official Recombobulation Area group chat, and I’ll be checking that, too.

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See you all soon!

Let’s keep recombobulating,
Dan Shafer, founding editor of The Recombobulation Area

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The next few weeks at The Recombobulation Area

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Dan Shafer is an independent journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. He worked with Civic Media from 2024 to 2026. He’s written for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Heartland Signal, Belt Magazine, WisPolitics, and Milwaukee Record. He previously worked at Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business Magazine, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine, and BizTimes Milwaukee. He’s won 24 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at @DanRShafer.

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Follow Dan Shafer on Twitter at @DanRShafer, at BlueSky at @danshafer.bsky.social, and on Threads at @danshafer.