Scott Walker pressed for specifics at Club meeting

[HereSince1628]

10. well it wasn't for lack of trying...we had good, one very near record voter turnouts

1st time off-year election (as WI gov elections always are) lower turnout among some WI dems. His opposing candidate was Mayor of Milwaukee and former congressman Barrett. There is strong anti-Milwaukee sentiments in much of WI it plays variously as urban vs rural, welfare vs anti-welfare, and some but much less flat out racism. Western and se WI voters didn't turnout...

The election went 52% Walker, 46.3 Barrett the difference was 6 percent but represents a swing of only 3% would have taken it the other way.

Recall/Special elections that took place was unfortunately a rerun of the 2010 election. Exactly the same candidates, the ACT 10 tyranny amd anti-unionism were the central issues behind the recall.

The rerun/recall election was held in June, not during the general election. This hurt Dems as dem voter turnout drops for non general elections and (on edit) that date was targeted to cage college and university student voters who would between home and college residences without time to change registrations.

VOter turnout was good. It was very good for the Teaparty which was very highly motivated by conservative talk radio and supported by out of state Koch money.

One more SE WI county went for Barrett The result was 53.1 Walker to 46.3 for Barrett. Pretty much exactly the same as the earlier election.

The 2014 election Walker ran against a candidate from the WI Dem right. For many years a DC lobbyist, then an executive in her family business...where she ended up painted with supporting the off-shoring of jobs that occurred at Trek bicycles. She was painted as a corpo-dem

Voter turnout in this election was 2nd highest in the nation for that off-year. Dem turnout was better in Western and Central WI. Again SE Wisconsin turnout wasn't strong for Dems. Dems voting INCREASED over previous elections but the increase wasn't great enough

Overall the election results were 52.3 for Walker and 46.6 Mary Burke DOES THAT LOOK FAMILIAR? It's pretty much exactly the same as the previous Walker elections. Again the difference would have been overcome with a 3% swing.


So. The lesson here is the state is closely divided, but the teahad has the upper hand. WIDem isn't running candidates with charisma or message that motivates voters. THe dem base IS voting and increasing voting and is still getting beaten. Money, Media, lack of motivating message or commanding personality are all factors