I’m sure many of you know by now that Scott Walker survived the recall election. However, even though Tom Barrett lost the election, I don’t think Walker won anything to be proud of.
The numbers may have kept him in office, but what concerns me is who is actually running the show.
It’s no surprise to me that Walker came out on top in this election. In today’s politics, it’s generally the person who can outspend his or her opponent that ends up the victor. This is why when I heard Walker raised $30.5 million, compared to Barrett’s measly $4 million, I knew he had it in the bag. What concerns me and what is, quite frankly, disturbing is the amount of out-of-state money that was dumped into these recall election campaigns.
Of the collective $34.5 million the two candidates raised, more than $20 million came from out-of-state interest groups. And about $19 million of that went to Walker. So what, right? Who cares where the money came from?
The fact of the matter is, these interest groups didn’t just hand out a bunch of money. They expect something in return, whether or not that something is in the best interest of the state. So really, when you say Scott Walker won the recall election, what you mean is that out-of-state interest groups won the election and Walker is the elected “yes man.”
Sadly, I understand that in this day and age this is just how politics are and I accept that. I am very interested to see how Walker will handle the demands of his new, rich friends, and trust me, that day will come.
Some may argue that if it weren’t for those meddling Democrats with their unnecessary recall election we wouldn’t have this great influx of out-of-state money. You are absolutely right.
However, if Walker merely sat down and opened the doors for conversation, there wouldn’t have been a need for a recall election in the first place. He drafted his budget bill in near secrecy, thrust it in the faces of the legislature and then refused to talk with union leaders who agreed to nearly everything except limiting collective bargaining rights.
Walker’s undemocratic actions sparked this whole recall movement and I can only hope he has learned something from this experience. Going forward, Walker will need to learn to compromise with both sides of the legislature. If we want Wisconsin to get back on track, we need to remember what made this state’s politics so great. The ability to come together and make sacrifices for the betterment of the whole is an invaluable attribute. I hope Walker realizes this because as interest groups become more and more invested, this skill will become increasingly vital to his success.
