Despite all their millions, they came up short:
…almost 350,000 people voted in Tuesday’s recall elections — and Republicans won 53 percent of the total vote. After blowtorching the state with negative ads and benefiting from a favorable timetable, the unions could still only get 47 percent of Wisconsinites to support their effort.
This should make the unions think long and hard about whether they want to embark on a mission to recall Gov. Scott Walker next year. Doing so successfully would easily cost them five times as much as they just spent — and even with their recent deluge of cash, most of the public still didn’t support them at the polls. Additionally, the extra time will also give Walker’s reforms more time to work — and once the public sees that schools can manage their affairs effectively without being hamstrung by union regulations, organized labor’s argument gets even weaker.
That’s a) in an off-year election where union turnout usually makes the difference b) in famously progressive Wisconsin c) after spending many millions d) with a nationwide media and organizing push e) when labor had a galvanizing issue in Gov. Scott Walker’s direct assault on the institutional collective bargaining power of public employees, which led to a dramatic walkout by Democrats.
They’re slow learners. Though when it comes to one of the unions, they’re slow teachers as well.
My $contributions helped! (a little) It feels great. 😀
All six of the Republican incumbents were elected in 2008 – a Democratic “sweep” year. Two of them were recalled, and two others barely squeaked by, despite millions spent by the Republican party. I wouldn’t get too comfortable yet.
“…despite millions spent by the Republican party.”
Who were outspent 2 to 1 and expect one of the fleebaggers to lose next week. Which means the unions spent 15 million or more to win one state senate seat. The Republicans spent half that to retain 5. They may not be in a recliner but the folding chair it’s not. If I were in a union, I’d be asking for new leadership for wasting enough money to win a U. S. Senate seat on what amounts to a local election.
Hey, Gerrib finally says something worthwhile! Indeed, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Don’t rest on your laurels — the enemy has the eye of the tiger. They only have to win once, but you have to win every time. Etc, etc…
MATT DAMON! *raises arms in victory*
Chris,
One of those who were replaced essentially self-destructed, being involved in an ugly affair with one of his (much younger) aides and having his own (betrayed) wife endorse the recall. The other was (I agree) a fluke in the first place, elected in a district that gave Obama a 20% margin in 2008. These were the two who lost….is that the best you can do for $30 million?
As for ‘squeaking by’, the GOP margin of victory averaged higher than Obama’s in 2008, in fact only ONE of the four winners had less of a margine (52-48) than Obama did in 2008. If you think that is a ‘squeaker’, then you will concede, I hope, that Obama didn’t have much of a mandate in 2008? No? I didn’t think so…
“Mandate?” The rule for “mandates” is simple and has nothing to do with percentages: Democrats always have a “mandate”, no one else does.
The issue is only ever brought-up when a non-Donkey wins and the media seeks to exercise their self-assumed appellate jurisdiction over elections.
Indeed, Titus — Bill Clinton was awarded a mandate by the media for getting 43% of the national popular vote in 1992.
A more directly analogous case might be that of the (deservedly) late Pres. Salvador Allende of Chile, a Marxist who was “democratically elected” with 36% of the vote in a three-way race and proceeded to use his “mandate” to attempt to turn Chile into another Latin American client satrapy of the (also deservedly) late Soviet Union. Fortunately, the remaining 64% of Chile, when they’d had enough of wholesale expropriations and Cuban secret police everywhere, rose up and cleaned house. Allende pulled an Adolf Hitler redux, holing up in his palace bunker and committing suicide. Then Gen. Pinochet took over, hunted down and exterminated roughly 10,000 fifth columnists and traitors and today Chile is a peaceful, prosperous and free place.
Needless to say, the mainstream media – both then and now – tell the story a bit differently.
Just to drive home f1b0nacc1’s point,
The real squeaker was the 18th where the Dem barely pulled it out. The real test will be when the Democrats face their recall elections.
Wirch in the 22nd (south Wisconsin, includes Kenosha) is probably unbeatable. He got 67% of the vote in 2008 in heavy Democratic district. He out-polled Obama who won the state in 2008 56 to 42.
Holperin in the 12th looks vulnerable. He won the 12th with only 51% of the vote in 2008. Low Democratic turnout could doom him.
Hey, Gerrib finally says something worthwhile!
I have to say, we have such a generous heart toward our trolls here. We only want the best for them. So when they accidentally get something right we encourage them with attaboys.
But let’s not forget those that do the encouraging. So here’s an attaboy to you as well. Trolls, we really do wish you only the best. We reserve curl up and die only for the move vile. It brings a tear to my eye… attaboy ya’all.
We have seen a decline in troll quality recently. I’m not sure what can help that.