Posted on 08/09/2011 8:23:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Wisconsin voters go to the polls today in several state-Senate districts in today’s recall elections. They’re having to tramp to the polls in the dog days of summer because the unions wanted to refight the midterm elections all over again — and to set up the 2012 elections as well, Politico notes:
The results of the state Senate match-ups will have a significant impact in Madison: If Democrats can pick off at least three of the six seats, they can capture control of the state’s upper chamber, placing a formidable obstacle in GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s path. A successful night would enable them to point to their victories as unequivocal repudiation of the governor’s ambitious conservative agenda and also create momentum for the next step—an attempted 2012 recall of Walker.
Yet the ripples from Tuesday’s election will reach well beyond Wisconsin’s borders. Successfully recalling even half of the six senators who voted with Walker would invigorate the liberal base both within the key battleground state and outside it just as the 2012 presidential campaign begins to heat up. It would also send a powerful message to Republicans about the risks of a head-on confrontation with labor. For the GOP, a successful defense of the seats would serve as a validation of their bold statehouse agenda in the aftermath of the 2010 elections.
While it was backlash from Walker’s successful attempt to curtail collective bargaining rights for public employees that forced the GOP state legislators onto the ballot in the dog days of August, that legislation is no longer the single flashpoint here. National interest groups on both sides of the ideological divide are using Wisconsin as a test case for issues ranging from taxes and spending to the looming entitlement crisis.
Strange things can happen in special elections. Generally speaking, the victory usually goes to the side with the largest organization, although as the election between David Prosser and Joann Kloppenburg proved in April, that’s not always the case. Unions have that advantage, and while the debate focused solely on the bargaining-rights reform for PEUs, they had the passion and the momentum, too.
Having the terms of the election broadened doesn’t do Democrats or unions much good. The fight today now mainly reflects the same debate Wisconsin voters had just before they booted Democrats from control of the state government. Its prior focus on the supposedly radical nature of the new Governor left Democrats vulnerable to stories about his success, such as last night’s news about the millions of dollars Scott Walker’s law will save Milwaukee. Nationalizing the election will have voters looking at the performance of Democrats in Washington on the economy, especially the downgrade of US Treasuries by S&P and the contrast in direction taken by Republicans in Madison toward fiscal sanity and responsibility.
That may be why Democrats have, er, downgraded their expectations for today, via Kevin Binversie:
Democrats on the ground here are increasingly confident they will pick-up two state Senate seats, but are warning that winning the third necessary for a takeover is a tenuous prospect.
Despite hype from some in the party apparatus about a “six for six” sweep Tuesday, the more realistic scenario is winning two or three seats, according to those involved in the ground game. …
“While we have solid research suggesting there are races where we might secure a second and third potential pick-up, none of these of these races except 32 should be considered safe pick-ups (and even there we face challenges to get the ball over the goal line), and we are dealing with an unprecedented electorate that is very difficult to forecast,” she continues.
District 32 is Democratic-leaning already, which makes current the Republican officeholder, Dan Kapanke, an easy target — but Kapanke isn’t going away quietly. His team has been organizing for months to protect his seat, and given the shift in focus, might be able to remind his constituents why they put him in office in the first place.
That is what Republicans across the state need to do today. They need to organize, turn out, and ask their neighbors if they prefer leadership that produced the best budget in 15 years and millions of dollars in public savings to the kind of leadership that produces downgrades and massive deficits.
i’m a little worried about this actually
And if any of the dems win, start the recall petitions immediately.
I will be pleasantly surprised if the RATs don’t win three seats. BUT that will only encourage them to go after Walker when the time limit passes. It will not allow them to DO anything in the legislature and Walker has rammed through enough to weaken them next election cycle.
Well, if people want to continue to pay exorbitant taxes for someone else’s benefit, I suppose there is little one can do about it. If the unions succeed, there will probably be a mass exodus of people leaving WI.
I would think people of all political persuasions (or none at all), would object to being forced to pay for someone else’s lavish pay and benefits.
A setback for republicans will stop needed reforms, but wont matter in the long run. The liberal worldview is crumbling.
You damn well better be. This is where the RATs can attack the Tea Party philosophy and they are. Will the electorate support the TP or go back to sleep? If the RATs can win these races they can hang on for a while longer, if they lose big they are in very hot water.
The State Fair riots should remind enough voters to get their butts to the polls that we can hold off the deranged/demented/depraved aka the Democrats.
I disagree it will have any effect either way. IT will be a blow psychologically for the Left if they lose but it changes nothing even if they win 3 seats.
They will not be able to over ride a veto by Walker of counter legislation they pass and they cannot change what has already been passed. It’s strictly a local if State wide election since WI was a solid and deep Blue State anyway not much will have changed for next year.
Further, IMO as the people realize the benefits of Walkers legislation which removed collective bargaining from the unions, causing deficit to disappear and surpluses to happen all over the state, any likely gains by the liberals will more then likely be offset by losses next year.
I also don’t think there is any chance of walker being recalled next year.
The left and the unions are heavily outspending the GOP and conservative groups by tens of millions of dollars. The left also has far more troops on the ground, many from outside of the state. The teachers and the unions represent huge block votes. We will soon see if money, full-time political staff and a win at any price attitude will win it for the left.
:: And if any of the dems win, start the recall petitions immediately. ::
Cloward-Piven the recall effort! EXCELLENT idea!
As Jay Weber said today on WISN Milwaukee this AM, “Those of you who CAN vote and CAN make a difference are representing all of us who cannot vote.”
This election is extremely important as this is the first round of the 2012 election, folks. For those who say 2012 can’t get here quick enough THIS IS IT~~~!
This recall is a sham forced upon us by the Obama backers and the national Obama team - no doubt about the 30+Million spent by union thugs. The 14 Dem Fleebaggers should be the ones recalled and only two - next week.
Pray for Wisconsin to show the country we cannot be bought, we will not give in and we will not give up. Show the USA what Wisconsin is made of! Just DO IT!
When are the dem recall elections????
I posted on my FB wall. “Come on Wisconsin, do what’s RIGHT today”
Yes, we should be. The Dems will by massive union spending and/or fraud will take some of these seats.
that will provide perhaps a template, and certainly a narrative, for the "Anti Tea-Party" for the next year.
Democrats have pumped almost FORTY MILLION DOLLARS in to these 5 elections, for State Senators. They are bussing in SEIU and other Union members from as far away as Ohio to be “Campaign Workers”.
They’ve had KOS Whackjobs and Paid “Volunteeers” doing telephone canvassing for weeks.
This is MUST WIN for the Dems. If they don’t win 3 of today’s five, it’s a HUGE defeat for them.
After the US Debt downgrade, the Stock Market crash and the Unemployment intransigence, I doubt they will be able to win a decisive victory.........................Unless the people of those districts are insane..................
Buses packed with union thugs must be pouring over the border as we speak...
RE: Unless the people of those districts are insane..................
That is something that is always in doubt... especially in places like Madison and Milwaukee.
Well if that doesn't voter fraud will. It's how the left wins all elections now. The liberals are outnumbered almost everywhere in the states and most assuredly in WI. Yet somehow they manage to win elections that they shouldn't. They'll do the same today in WI cause as you say they have a win at any price attitude. Guess what cheaters cheat. It's what they do.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.