The recall effort against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) continues on in high gear. Volunteers have about a week left to collect their goal of 720,000 signatures. The threshold of 540,000 signatures needed to initiate a recall has already been reached. While it appears the recall effort will be successful enough to force an election, many observers have begun to ponder who the opposition candidate will be.
Selecting the candidate to challenge Walker looks to be a daunting task. The political firestorm that erupted in Wisconsin in 2011 has divided the state and brought any bi-partisan progress to a screeching halt. Any candidate chosen will have to show an ability to cross party lines and demonstrate an ability to create a cohesive environment for government. It may be true that avid political participants have staked out their side, but this election will be won by independents. Yes, I realize that cliché saying is used in almost every election, but I believe that more than ever it holds true.
So, the question then becomes who can bridge the current divide and move Wisconsin in a truly forward direction. An easy answer could be State Senator Tim Cullen, who has already indicated he would be open towards running. Mr. Cullen has displayed maturity, even amid the chaos in early 2011. The problem is that he was one of the 14 Senators to flee the state. This, of course, is a point of admiration for the left, but is a target on his back to the right. Then, Cullen had the audacity to support legislation that would bar such action in the future. Not only will the fleeing hurt Cullen with conservative voters, his apparent hypocrisy on the matter will lose him independent voters. The fact that he seems almost eager to compromise will also cost him independent voters wary of a candidate unwilling to stick to his or her positions and will also turn off voters on the left. In my opinion, Cullen is just not the right person to unseat Walker.
If a sensible, pragmatic politician like Cullen cannot win, then who? Well, if the choice was mine to make, I would have to lean in the obvious direction of Russ Feingold. Russ served as a U.S. Senator for 18 years, but was swept out of office in the Tea Party wave in 2010. While in office, Feingold was a champion of immigration reform, campaign finance reform, fair trade practices, and countless other important endeavors. Needless to say, Russ is a man of the people who is there for the people. It is unfortunate that Feingold’s particular breed of politician is one that grows closer to extinction each day. I believe it is Russ’ true nature as a person that makes him the most prime candidate, not his platform or his ability to raise money. The only problem is that when you have a political atmosphere so polluted with rhetoric and vitriol you begin to lose people like Russ Feingold. Recently after being unseated, Russ began his work with Progressives United. He has stated that he has no intention of running against Walker, citing his need to develop his new organization. Russ appears to have packed it in, which means the search continues.
I will throw out one more possible candidate that I have yet to hear anyone else mention: State Rep. Donna Seidel. For those not too familiar, here is a quick bio of Mrs. Seidel. She is the 85th district Rep. for the Wausau area. Seidel graduated from Stevens Point in 1972 and then moved to Wausau to become one of the few female police officers at the time. Then, Donna began working with the district attorney’s office as an investigator. In her time in law enforcement, Rep. Seidel worked on consumer affairs and sexual and domestic abuse cases. In 1989, Seidel became the Clerk of Courts for Marathon County, a position she held until 2004. It was in 2004 that Seidel entered politics and was elected to the State Assembly. While in the Assembly, she has served as minority Secretary, assistant majority leader, and is currently the assistant minority leader. Other achievements include: Board of Trustees at North Central Technical College, Board of Directors at United Way, Board of Directors at YMCA, Board President of The Women’s Community, and many others.
With such an impressive list of accomplishments, I feel Rep. Seidel is a valid candidate on her merits alone. It is clear from her life’s work that she is dedicated to improving the quality of life for women and children, but a closer look also reveals a politician dedicated to improving conditions for business in Wisconsin. In the past, Seidel has supported or drafted legislation on various forms of tax credits and regulations designed to improve the business climate in the state.
Seidel has the professional and political experience to be a serious threat to Walker. Another thing she has going for her is that she is a woman. The desire for a new direction in the state could mean a prime opportunity for a female to step into the spotlight. The attacks on women’s health, as well as those on education and health care have ignited a spark in many women that have never paid attention to politics before, and it has a lot of men re-evaluating their positions. Seidel has shown the courage to be a pioneering woman in the past, and there is no reason to think she would shy away now. Wisconsin needs a strong, sensible leader that actually cares about their constituents and not a leader that is concerned more with their wealthy donors or their ego-driven legacy. It’s time to draft Donna Seidel.