When Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., announced her intentions to run for U.S. Senate, it excited and satisfied many liberal Wisconsinites. Baldwin is an ideologically consistent, progressive public servant whose years of service to Madison and the nation have advanced the causes of LGBT rights, non-profit health care and peace-oriented foreign policy. And, perhaps not surprisingly for a Dane County representative, Baldwin was rated in 2011 as the most liberal member of the U.S. House of Representatives by The National Journal— a distinction which will entice voters in Wisconsin's 2nd and 4th congressional districts and students here on campus.
However, since Madison and Milwaukee do not represent the entire state, some commentators believe that Baldwin, the presumptive Democratic nominee according to recent Public Policy Polling, is too progressive to win her seat.
This may not be the case. In fact, Baldwin has a chance to beat any Republican challenger by using one simple strategy: embracing and promoting her liberalism.
Baldwin is a left-wing guinea pig for future national and state elections. Baldwin can be credibly marketed as a congressional maverick. She has held steadfast to principle, voting against the Iraq invasion and voicing disappointment with Obama's health-care plan. While other prospective candidates, such as the more moderate Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., would still provide different ideas than the current Republican Party, no prospective candidate has as strong a progressive offer as Baldwin.
If you examine the most recent opinion polls, specifically those related to the atrocious debt ceiling negotiations earlier this summer, you'll notice Congress has record disapproval rates. A recently released NBC-Wall Street Journal poll showed 82 percent disapproval of Congress as a whole after the debt debate finally concluded. According to the same poll, 73 percent of the people polled said they believed the country was on the wrong track. These polls suggest that 2012 will be another anti-establishment year and one in which neither party has a clear advantage.
Sure, in 2010, Republicans took over Congress on a referendum of Barack Obama, but the polling that year suggested a disappointment with Obama. This year? The Republican surge is fading fast, and the numbers suggest that both parties are almost equally to blame. If next year will be a referendum on the ""status quo,"" Baldwin's unabashed liberalism will help her distinguish herself from the prevailing winds in Washington.
For many years, it seemed that Wisconsin had developed a liberal streak of sorts, represented by Democratic Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold for decades. But after the election of Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who overcame a complete lack of political experience to defeat Feingold last fall, it's clear that anything is possible in recent elections. So why not pick someone who seems like an outside chance again? Why not pick a far-left candidate like Baldwin who actually freely vocalizes her support of progressive causes?
It's tiresome to see the Democratic Party repeatedly campaign progressives who conceal their left-leaning ideals in state and national elections in order to win. While picking a moderate candidate to compete with a Republican is a frequent strategy of the left, it often fails. The time is right to pick a real liberal to capitalize on the anti-corporate progressivism seen in this year's protest at the Capitol.
Bottom line: whatever strategy is best, Democrats need to pick it. With 23 U.S. Senate seats up for renewal in 2012 and a Republican majority firmly established in the House, as well as the potential election of a Republican president, Democrats will be facing an uphill battle to retain any control of government. And if the Tea Party-infested GOP takes control, all Americans stand to lose from their economic and social policies.
This coming year, the strategy should be to deliver a bold alternative to the Republican agenda. And if bold is what we need to win, there is no better choice than Tammy Baldwin.
Ryan Waal is a sophomore majoring in English. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com
