Send us your questions, it's time for a Reader Mailbag!

In these discombobulating times, let's recombobulate together. Send us your questions, and we'll do our best to give you some answers.

The Recombobulation Area is a thirteen-time Milwaukee Press Club award-winning weekly opinion column and online publication founded by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The Recombobulation Area is now part of Civic Media.

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Last time we had a reader mailbag and answered your questions around here, Joe Biden was still the Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election, the RNC was yet to descend upon Milwaukee, and The Recombobulation Area was not yet a part of Civic Media. 

I suppose you could say a few things have changed since early June. But now, as we sit in this post-Nov. 5 liminal space between the election and inauguration, it’s a good moment for some recombobulation with you, our loyal readers. 

So, send in your questions and, after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I’ll be doing my best to give you some answers. 

I’m certainly expecting some questions on news and politics in Wisconsin and other recent developments for The Recombobulation Area — covering the RNC and DNC, our feature story in the Fox Valley, Harris and Walz rallies all over the state, joining Civic Media, the election results themselves, reacting live to these results as part of Civic Media’s election night coverage, etc.

But you are more than welcome to ask some questions on a wide range of topics! In the past, I’ve answered questions on not just news and politics in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, but we’ve also discussed iconic Wisconsin bakery items (we ranked kringle ahead of cream puffs!), trades that my beloved Milwaukee Bucks might make (like the one for Jrue Holiday!), and a whole lot more. But we know there’s also been a whole lot to process in the world of news and politics, and with how discombobulating these last few weeks (months, really) have been, there’s plenty to discuss there, too.

So, have at it!

There are a number of ways to send us a question:

• Leave a comment! We’ll make it all the easier for you to get to it, here’s a nice blue button to click

• Send me a DM right here on Substack. Here, another nice blue button!

• Tweet at me! 

  • I’m at @DanRShafer (as you’re probably aware)

• Send it on Bluesky!

  • I’m at danshafer.bsky.social (more regularly these days!)

• Send it on Instagram! 

  • We’re at @therecombobulationarea (Would you like for us to be on there more? Send us a DM there to let us know!) 

• Send it on Threads!

  • I’m (sort of) on Threads at @danshafer!

• Send it on Facebook! 

  • Do people still do newsy stuff on Facebook anymore? Doesn’t seem like it. Anyway, we’re there, too. 

• Walk around shouting it!

  • This won’t work, but it would be funny!

• Send us an email! 

  • We’re at therecombobulationarea@gmail.com. If you’d like to keep your name out of the mailbag, this would be the best way to do it.

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Alright, have at it! Send in those mailbag questions!

We can’t wait to hear from you.

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ICYMI: Recent posts at The Recombobulation Area 👇

Wikler could be 'goldilocks candidate' for DNC chair

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PODCAST: Post-election recombobulating with Angela Lang

Democrats make gains, but Republicans keep majority control in Wisconsin State Legislature

Joy and Desperation in the Fox Valley

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Dan Shafer is a journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. In 2024, he became the Political Editor of Civic Media. He’s also 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 18 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at @DanRShafer.

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Follow Dan Shafer on Twitter at @DanRShafer.