I was surprised at how hard the loss in Wisconsin hit me. I mean, it wasn’t like the Democrats nominated someone other than a corporate shill (just less of one than Walker). I’ve never even been there. Still, the loss. The stripping away of union rights. The fact that money got to dictate the agenda even more than usual. That this somehow became more of a process story rather than a story about Walker until election day when it was a reformation of his agenda.
But still, a win would have turned back something. It would have signaled that enough is enough. That at our best we’re in it together. That corporate money doesn’t trump decency and hard work. I don’t know what to say, except keep working.
Corporate money and obfuscation won the day. And it sucks. But as much as powerful interests want to drown out your voice, you still have a voice. As much as organizing lost to big money this time, there will be a next time. As much as this is a setback, as much as people’s lives are going to be hurt by his policies, it’s not the end. There is no end.
Don’t forget Democrats won control of the Wisconsin state senate on Tuesday, Carl. Yeah, I know that’s largely a symbolic victory, although not entirely because it does mean Walker can’t convene a special session this summer to do more dirty work. We’ll have to wait and see whether the Democratic senate majority holds up past November 6, but if it does Walker will be a lame duck. The fact Wisconsin voters have turned 3 GOP state senators out of office in recall elections gives us hope. Remember, also, that voters voted against recall, not for Walker; a lot of folks who voted against recalling won’t vote to re-elect him — his support base appears to be about 44% – 45%, which makes him beatable in 2014. Personally, I think we’ve already seen Walker’s high water mark, and his power and influence will wane from here. Finally, it will wane very quickly if he’s indicted, and so many of his close associates already are charged with crimes it’s almost inconceivable that Walker himself was above the wrongdoing and isn’t implicated. Let the GOPers party this time; Tuesday night may be the last partying they do in Wisconsin for a while.
Wisconsin 2010 governors race:
Scott Walker 52.29% Tom Barrett 46.52%
Wisconsin 2012 recall election
Scott Walker 53.1% Tom Barrett 46.3%
I started out thinking that the election was bought by the righties, but now I’m thinking that the money did make any difference. Now I’m thinking the righties could have spent twice as much or nothing at all and the election would have came out the same.
I don’t think there’s any big lesson here. Well, other than that the people of Wisconsin aren’t real fond of recall elections.
Had Walker won by a much larger margin than he did the first time around I think you could make the arguments that the right are making.
Yeah, it appears that the folks around here just sold their Souls, their State and their Futures out to the Koch/Walker GOP Corporate Enterprise System.
What can you Say ? It’s nothing that a little more repression and oppression won’t cure — eventually.
Still Alive and Kicking here in the Merry ol’ Kingdom of FitzWalkerKochiStan.
(sent via fast moving car, laptop computer and undisclosed nightly locations)
Don’t blame the GOP because the Dems shot their wad early on in the hysteria over Act 10.
Scott Walker remains the undisputed titan of political fundraising in Wisconsin, raising $22.8 million since he took office in January 2011. But pitted together, labor unions, Democratic candidates and parties and other groups aligned with the Democratic Party have raised about $35 million in that time — nearly matching the $37 million raised by GOP candidates and Republican political action committees and other groups. Data covers campaign contributions between Jan. 1, 2011, and April 23, 2012.
Read more: http://host.madison.com/data/p.....z1xFzNzj51
Hey Bob
So the GOP bought a few Wisconsin Souls, it’s Wisconsin and like Walker says, we’re “Open For Business”
Chill and don’t call out the Wisconsin National Guard on me!
I Stand For Governor JOHN DOE.
@5 Baffoon Bob is in favor of anything that lowers wages and makes the 1-percenters richer. He’s probably a wannabe.
Scott Walker will not win again in Wisconsin. Obama will win Wisconsin in November. The recall election is not a harbinger of anything to come, other than we can see how much money is headed in a destructive way from the right this year.
@7 Here’s The Economist’s more nuanced take on the situation:
http://www.economist.com/blogs.....our-waning
Despite this magazine’s conservative leanings, it’s always thoughtful and objective, and often brings a fresh and interesting perspective to public policy issues.
@ 5
You need to look at how much was spent over the course of the recall, to be fair.
Start with the $4M unions dumped into their favored primary candidate, who lost badly. That’s money wasted.
Consider the six recall races launched against state senators in 2011 and the substantial money spent by the left on those. Consider also all the money spent in protesting even before launching the recall efforts.
All told, Dems spent nearly as much as the GOP on this political disaster Dems foisted upon themselves. What do they have to show for it?
1. A strengthened GOP governor who now has national cred. He’s an overwhelming favorite for re-election in 2014, contrary to @7’s hopes, because by then he will rightly claim that he balanced WI’s budget and lowered property taxes, and that the state by then has a budget surplus. You would replace a governor with that kind of record………why?
2. A badly depleted set of public sector unions. Far fewer dues coming in this year means a whole lot less money available in the next election cycle and beyond. THIS is really what the protests were all about – keeping the dues rolling in by any means necessary.
3. A state senate that temporarily is under Dem control…..except it’s not scheduled to meet until next year, when redistricting will probably cause at least two seats to flip back to GOP control, so the senate will stay in GOP hands, along with the house and the governorship.
Unions and Dems undid NOTHING. They are poorer and weaker as a result. The whole nation watched and most of it laughed. The rest took notes.
Public sector union compensation is no longer sustainable. Things that cannot go on forever, don’t.