What do the Elections in Wisconsin Really Mean?

Kathleen Burch | June 4, 2012
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As the Wisconsin recall election approaches, Democratic leaders offer mixed statements regarding their views of its national implications. While admitting to the amount of resources invested by the Democratic Party in this election, Democratic House Representative from Florida and Chair of the Democratic National Party Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obama Re-Election Campaign Stephanie Cutter both insist that its result will not reflect the outcome of the presidential election in November.   

 

In an interview with Chuck Todd of MSNBC’S The Daily Rundown, Stephanie Cutter brings attention to the resources that Democrats have contributed to the race. When asked by Todd if “Democratic allies will feel satisfied that the Obama campaign did everything they could to help Tom Barrett”, Cutter focused on the grass roots resources that the Obama campaign has invested in Wisconsin. She denied, however, that the outcome of tomorrow’s election will be any indication of Obama’s success in the fall.

 

 

CUTTER: I think that people on the ground are looking at the significant resources we are putting into this race…If you think that the secret weapon here is sending President Obama, then I’m pleased that you believe that. But, I think that actually having people organizing and volunteering and turning out the vote and doing everything they can that actually effect an election, then that’s more powerful.

 

TODD: Does the result tell us something about November

 

CUTTER: Um, no, I don’t think so. This is a gubernatorial race with a guy who was recalled, and a challenger trying to get him out of office. It has nothing to do with President Obama at the top of the ticket, and it certainly has nothing to do with Mitt Romney at the top of the Republican ticket. So, no I don’t think—there may be some that predict that it means doom for us in the fall elections, but I think they’ll be proven wrong.

 

In an interview between Newsmakers and Wasserman Schultz, the Representative from Florida likewise maintained that the elections have national significance, but will not be indicative of President Obama’s success in November.  

 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: It’s an election that I think is important nationally because Scott Walker is an example of how extreme the Tea Party has been when it comes to the policies that they have pushed the Republicans to adopt. But, I think it will be at the end of the day a Wisconsin based election…

 

However, that same day in an interview with Candy Crowley of CNN, Wasserman Schultz indicated that she believed the election in Wisconsin would serve as a “dry run…of [their] massive, significant, dynamic grassroots presidential campaign, which really can’t be matched by the Romney campaign or the Republicans because they’ve ignored on the ground operations.”

 

Republicans continue to maintain that tomorrow’s elections will be a decisive moment and a strong indicator of American political opinion. Neil Cavuto of Fox News shares that some people are calling this “the most seminal event and maybe the most defining event before the Presidential election in the fall.”

 

 

It seems reasonable to infer that the hesitancy of Democrats to “sign their name” to the election is due to this predicted outcome which is looking less and less agreeable for supporters of Barrett. Real Clear Politics polling data currently shows Governor Walker as 6.7 points ahead of his challenger Milwaukee Mayor Barrett. However, after so thoroughly describing their support at the grass roots level, it seems preposterous that Democrats—or Republicans for that matter- will be able to ignore the resounding voice of American voters in Wisconsin.

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