Wisconsin Democrats looking at “Anybody But ME!” for Governor race?

Democrats in Wisconsin want you to know: they’re going to be on the stick for 2014!

Wisconsin Democrats repeatedly made the argument at their state convention over the weekend that Governor Scott Walker needs to be defeated in 2014.

Hear that!  They’re tanned! Rested! And ready to go!

However, there continue to be few hints about exactly who will take on that challenge in the coming months.

…Oh.  Right.  One of them will have to actually volunteer to walk into the buzzsaw.

I see that Mary Katharine Ham has also seen this article: her chortling is a bit more genteel than mine, but no less hearty. Turns out that if you go after a guy, hammer and tongs, and then lose – I’m sorry, did I say “lose?”  I meant to say “stepped on a rake* and then did the Fitful Staggers for five minutes” – it really, really does horrible things to your later recruitment.  Well, at least if you’re a Democrat.

Anyway, it’s going to be an interesting gubernatorial cycle next year: and if you had asked me which GOP governor first elected in 2010 was going to be in the most trouble in 2014, Scott Walker would probably have been close at the top of the list.  Instead, he’s all the way at the bottom.  And I’ll be very, very honest about this: his and Susana Martinez winning re-election next  year would be sufficient for me to score the whole gubernatorial election cycle as a win for us.  We’ll do considerably better than the generally recognized two out of eight battleground races, but those two are the top priority.

And yes: this is in large part due to 2016.  The odds are good that either Walker or Martinez, assuming their elections work out, will be on the GOP ticket.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*To reference the philosopher: there was nothing about that night that wasn’t fun.  Shame it wasn’t followed up by a Romney win five months later, of course; but I like to look on the bright side of things.  Imagine the smug sourness of progressives if Romney had won, and then had to take the blame for all of the privacy shenanigans that his predecessor had gotten up to.  Imagine.  Instead, they’re all just sour.

9 thoughts on “Wisconsin Democrats looking at “Anybody But ME!” for Governor race?”

  1. Walker on the ticket pretty much guarantees the unions go all-in.
    .
    That should divert quite a bit of their money and energy away from statehouse and house races, and open some opportunities.
    .
    We also get a public debate on the proper role of public-sector unions – where Walker has hit IMO the right balance, or more accurately, the right set of wedges. Cops, firemen, and EMTs treated separately from “teachers” (because the “teachers” union has a lot more bureaucrats than educators) and separate from AFCSME and SEIU.
    .
    This worked in Wisconsin .. a very pro-Union State.
    .
    Mew

    1. I think they’ll go after Snyder this time around. He passed Right to Work in Michigan. A state almost as pro-union as Wisconsin. Good thing too as this allows Walker the stealth to pass Right to Work in Wisconsin. He appears to be following the path Mitch Daniels started in Indiana. Eliminate Collective Bargaining, get reelected, and pass Right to Work. I expect Ohio and Wisconsin to join Indiana soon. Too bad Illinois can’t participate, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

      1. Yep. I liked Daniels when he was looking at running, but then he shoved his foot down his throat.
        .
        Not sure how well Walker would do in the religious right demolition derby that took out Mitch, but .. the times now are not the times Daniels faced… he may have an easier path.
        .
        Mew

    2. I think they’ll go after Snyder this time around. He passed Right to Work in Michigan. A state almost as pro-union as Wisconsin. Good thing too as this allows Walker the stealth to pass Right to Work in Wisconsin. He appears to be following the path Mitch Daniels started in Indiana. Eliminate Collective Bargaining, get reelected, and pass Right to Work. I expect Ohio and Wisconsin to join Indiana soon. Too bad Illinois can’t participate, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

    4. Unions are afraid if given the choice the rank and file will make the same choice that Wisconsin teachers made

      Protection of paycheck from union thugs > Protection of tenure from politicians

  2. Tom Barret might as well run again. You know he is a hankering for some more abuse.

Comments are closed.