Maybe I am feeling especially fatalistic on this overcast afternoon, but it seems to me another term with Gov. Scott Walker at the helm of Wisconsin is a very real possibility. In the interest of full disclosure, I was never excited about Mary Burke's candidacy: too many connections to the negatives of former Governor Jim Doyle, a vanilla personality, and a lack of any ability to invigorate voters.
Gov. Scott Walker most certainly has been a disaster for everyone but the richest in Wisconsin. However, there are many outside of the 1% who still feel he is the second coming of Ronald Reagan (in their minds, that is a good thing). The Burke campaign has failed miserably in offering anything that would make voters take a long hard look at what Gov. Scott Walker's policies and actions have done to Wisconsin. It may seem like a good tactic to connect him to the Koch brothers, but for most people, the Koch brothers are a far off entity and not a worry to them. It might seem like a good idea to just sit back and let Gov. Walker self destruct. But, a funny thing happened on the way to November. Gov. Walker has taken on a teflon appearance.
What the campaign should have done is emphasize how much his policies have IN FACT decimated the middle class, education, unions, and stunted economic growth. The campaign should have thrown down the gauntlet about how the money saved through deep tax cuts has NOT come back to benefit anyone but Gov. Scott Walker's corporate cronies. The campaign should have cast a bright light on the improprieties of Gov. Walker's staff and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Honestly, this should have been an absolute landslide victory for a candidate who could focus and invigorate the electorate. Instead, it has been a slow slouch toward "meh".
This is what I would have liked to have heard from Mary Burke: "I own a corporation, and my wealth puts me in the Top 1% of income in Wisconsin. You would think I would be overjoyed with Gov. Scott Walker's policies which slashed public education to save me a few dollars on my taxes, undermined the ability of unions to negotiate fair contracts so workers would have to just make do with lower wages and benefits, funneled public money to corporations like mine while allowing the roads and schools to deteriorate, made sure that middle class and lower class citizens would continue to struggle to find affordable healthcare, and use up as many natural resources as possible so that the wealthy can continue to reap the profits. But, I believe in a government that works for EVERYONE, not just 1% of the population. While the 1%, myself included, have been getting richer, too many people in Wisconsin have been getting poorer, and that hurts everyone. Who does Gov. Walker think buys those products made in Wisconsin? While Gov. Scott Walker has his sights set on the White House, he has neglected to take care of the people that need help the most. While his staff bends and circumvents the laws of the great state of Wisconsin, he has wasted taxpayer money and time on a voter ID law to make it more difficult for everyone to vote. Gov. Scott Walker is not interested in listening to you and your concerns. He can't hear you above the sound of money. It is time that we have Governor who represents EVERYONE."