A few weeks ago Chris Christie was in Wisconsin pushing people to get out and vote for Gov. Scott Walker during the primary. Tim Pawlenty was in Wisconsin for Walker yesterday. In the coming weeks Govs. Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal will be making stops in our state for Walker.
After pressure was leveled by the netroots on the DNC we were notified that Debbie Wasserman Schultz would be gracing us with her presence. That's it. Other than the chair of the DNC we don't have national Democrats coming to Wisconsin to help rally support for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the recall. RNC Chair Reince Prebius didn't come to Wisconsin, because he knows he won't inspire many. Instead, Prebius is sending in the all-stars conservatives will want to come out and see speak.
I hate saying this, but I feel abandoned and I know I'm not the only one. Wisconsinites have fought so hard and achieved so much with very little support from Washington DC. We taught the establishment that people power matters. We collected one million signatures to recall Walker when we only needed half a million. We broke open ALEC. We made the Koch Brothers a topic of mainstream conversation. We're one of the first states to successfully challenge voter i.d. laws. We contributed to the inspiration behind the Occupy movement. We showed that people care about collective bargaining rights.
And all through this Walker and his supporters in the legislature have continued to pound on our progressive values, strip away long standing rights, and push austerity down out throats. We continued to stand and fight.
I don't know how anyone in DC can't see the importance of the June 5 vote. It is, perhaps, more important than the Presidential election. If Walker wins that's an endorsement for the war on women, the ALEC agenda, and more austerity. It will deflate the millions of Wisconsinites who were willing to sign a recall and risk McCarthy-era blacklisting tactics.
If Walker wins I have no doubt Rep. Tammy Baldwin will lose her bid for the Senate. The conservatives will be emboldened and energized while progressives will be deflated and devastated.
President Barack Obama seems to be writing our state off as an easy win come November, but it isn't. If Walker wins Wisconsin will become a swing state. Why should Wisconsin fight for him when he won't push the rest of his party to fight for us? How will we be able to take him seriously if he tries to rally here before the election? I was lucky to see him speak three times in 2008. I can't locate a single spark inside me that burns to see him again.
I'm uncomfortable posting this diary, because I've read the comments left on many of the Wisconsin election posts. "Sucks for you." "WTF is wrong with Wisconsin?" "Looks like you've lost, next."
It hurts.
Progressive Wisconsinites, and even some conservative Wisconsinites who oppose Walker, are tired and worn out. We've been fighting every single day since February 14, 2011. We've used every tool the Wisconsin Constitution allows to try and stop our state from being destroyed.
Think of the solidarity rallies around the country last March. Think of the Occupiers wearing cheeseheads. Think of everything we now know about the Kochs and ALEC. And now, imagine June 6 if we defeat Walker. Imagine what that will do to conservatives who see him as a future Presidential candidate. Imagine how much it will revitalize Wisconsin progressives in advance of November.
It will be a progressive shock wave across the United States that will show just how much single individuals can do when faced against a party that prefers an oligarchy over a Democratic Republic.
What can you do? Write to national Democrats and ask them to barnstorm Wisconsin to oppose Walker. Our feet are sore and our knuckles bruised from knocking at doors, we sure could use some inspiration.