The problem with the recall....you have to get twenty-five percent of the registered voters in that district to sign the petition. When you produce the finished product...you can expect a couple hundred folks who were not even residents of the district...who signed it. Then you’ve got around five percent of the folks who signed...who aren’t even registered voters. Then you’ve got a couple hundred folks who aren’t even citizens of the US who signed.
So out of ten petitions turned in...statistically, I’m guessing six will pass the hurdle.
Then you have to have cash to run a recall. A no-name Democrat against the established Republican? That’s another problem.
So, I’m predicting that out of ten Republicans that you might actually target...you get one guy actually tossed out. Oh, and the campaign money used in a off-year election? That could have been used next summer for real election campaigning for the President but you weren’t smart enough to realize that.
And if all of that doesn’t faze you...consider the cost of running the actual election itself by the district. Another $250k I’m guessing to make each district election occur. The taxpayer gets stuck with that bill.
Maybe the best suggestion here is to have elections throughout America every six months....and bankrupt ourselves into democracy.
One good thing about the WI mess - people are getting involved about the issues. Whomever wins the next WI elections, you know it won’t be because people aren’t paying attention.
Recalls (and special elections) are always unpredictable as typical turnout models etc do not apply. It is bad news if 3 republican targets are not leading. I assume they were from non-safe districts so they are in real danger. Losing 1 GOP member would be ok, but more than that would be disaster. It would embolden Dems everywhere and scare GOP to do this again.
Dems have much more money (Soros and unions can provide tens of millions for WI Dems).
GOP should really try to get 2-3 dem recall elections (from competitive districts).
Wiscondin has a tradition of successful recalls - Governor Walker’s career got rolling with a win in a recall election. I’d put the over/under on aucesses at 4.
And don’t think Walker can’t be recalled. CA recalled Grey Davis