Wisconsin voters would be foolish to fall for Scott Walker’s attempt to make his opponent, former Trek Bicycle CEO Mary Burke, appear incompetent. At this point, the race is still a toss up, but Wisconsin just made history by electing Tammy Baldwin, an out and proud lesbian, to the U.S. Senate in 2012. That’s why, as a realistic socialist and regular optimist, I believe Wisconsin is totally capable of making history again. But the voters have to actually get to the polls, and that requires registering. And while Mary Burke has spent enough of her own money on this campaign, she would be well advised to rely mainly on her speech from now until Election Day. After all, it’s free (usually) and it means a lot more to voters than negative advertisements like a grown man standing in a hole and then somehow blaming her for being stuck in it, as Gov. Scott Walker’s most recent ad does. Walker’s ads are rather creepy, if you catch my drift.
Raising money will not be the most important factor in winning this election, despite what the cynics claim. That being said, it’s obvious that a lot of money has been and is continuing to be raised on both sides, but according to an Aug. 4 report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Walker out raised Burke by $12.5 million. That’s not an exaggeration. Imagine if that money was instead sent to families about to send their kids to college. Talk about a real solution to a problem, rather than a “freeze” in tuition hikes. Amazingly, $12.5 million is quite a high gap in fundraising comparisons for no legitimate pay-off. So it begs the question: if Scott Walker is so popular, as many people think he is in Wisconsin, then why has his campaign negatively portrayed his opponent as a “Madison millionaire,” while at the same time having raised literally millions of dollars more than her in this campaign? Well, it’s just hypocritical, old school politics. The one detail that cannot be ignored here is that Scott Kevin Walker is predictable, in that he wants to hold on to the position of Wisconsin governor so that he has a legitimate shot at contending for president in 2016. His strategy appears to be to raise as much money as he can by kissing up to donors who will fund his current campaign and possibly any future campaigns as well.
What isn’t old news, though, is that the star of the thrilling “New Jersey Bridge Scandal” (brought to you courtesy of MSNBC), N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, just made a presence in Wisconsin to endorse Walker on the very same day Michelle Obama made a visit in Milwaukee to endorse Burke. Remember this, because if Walker wins a second term in November, his fake east coast friend will completely turn on him in a year and a half from now during the Republican presidential primaries. Meanwhile, it makes a lot more sense for the first lady to endorse the potential first female governor of Wisconsin: Michelle Obama has indicated no political ambitions of her own, yet as a fellow Midwestern citizen, she genuinely cares about progress being made for the people not just in her home state of Illinois, but also in the state to the north.
It’s pretty clear, too, that Scott Walker has lost his appeal to anyone who is a woman, a person of color, an immigrant, a senior citizen, a student, a homosexual, or a union member. After all, one could argue, he knows that if they show up to vote at the polls, their ballots likely will not be cast for him. No amount of money he raises is likely to change this fact. Therefore he seems more prone to enact legislation which imposes more restrictions for voters who don’t possess the proper identification (hint to any apathetic students: your Wiscard doesn’t qualify).
Mary Burke will need to not only convince the people of Wisconsin that their right to vote is being challenged, but that she is also worth voting for to counter this Republican obstruction. As for any undecided voters, it may help to address the “plagiarism” claims Walker is throwing at her for what they are: a shiny object for the easily distracted because, comparatively, her minor mistake simply cannot compare to his ongoing John Doe investigation, which is actually a serious breach in ethics. It’s a mountain being made out a molehill because the true story is that an advisor of hers incorporated precedents that have worked in other circumstances within her detailed jobs plan. What exactly is the heated issue with synthesizing good ideas?
The real issue is that Walker is painting Burke as a moron, and the neck-and-neck polls show that it’s paying off right now. But there’s time to improve those predictions before Nov. 4. Mary Burke must show the voters how much of a leader she can be by speaking her Harvard-educated mind in an open and honest way. She needs to be extra friendly, and even more blunt on the direction she believes Walker is taking this state. Burke should not worry about raising any more money; she could certainly get herself elected through free sound bites, as long as each statement ends with a clever phrase, such as “I’m not making these numbers up, look into it if you don’t believe me.” If Mary is interested in my advice, then she should take the rest of this month to speak with journalists regularly that way her genuine concerns will reach the voters’ attentions if she is loud and clear enough.
Even little things could go a long way to further her reach across the state. She could go to costume themed events in a fun Halloween costume… come on, people running for office need to celebrate too. How about campaigning with her golden retrievers more? Start hugging people more? It all comes down to being a more approachable person— I mean, I’d be excited to hug the potential first female governor of Wisconsin. At this point we could really use a governor who can set a good example for the youth of this state.
Tony is a junior majoring in landscape architecture. Is Mary Burke the best choice for Wisconsin? Is Tony overlooking Burke’s faults or underplaying Walker’s strengths? Please send thoughts to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
