Bwahahahaha!
The day after Scott Walker removed himself from the Republican clown car, an online poll from the largest newspaper in Wisconsin asked people the following question with some very eye popping results.
I hope Walker is paying close attention to the results which are even worse than his latest state poll numbers.
Latest Wisconsin poll (last month) has Walker with 39% approval and 57% disapproval.
The governor's approval rating in Wisconsin had fallen while he pursued a presidential campaign. Now analysts say he must work to repair his image in the state. Can he do it?
Yes, he has plenty of time to bounce back.: 11%
No, Wisconsin will move on and leave him behind.: 78%
Maybe, but it will take more work than Walker put into his campaign.: 8%
I don't know. Time will tell.: 4%
Total Responses: 1122
Yowsa! That's bad.
Republican strategists are far more optimistic on Walker's chances of rebounding.
"He'll need to repair his image," conceded a top Republican official, who asked that his name not be used because he has to work with Walker.
"Unfortunately, way too many people thought he was more focused on national (issues) than Wisconsin. I don't agree with that, but I think that's something that can be easily fixed."
Evan Zeppos, a Democratic political consultant, disagreed that Walker faced a quick fix, noting that the governor's favorability rating was at an all-time low of 39% in the latest Marquette University Law School Poll.
Zeppos attributed Walker's dip in support to his decision to move to the right during his failed presidential bid and to the Wisconsin governor's repeated stumbles on the campaign trail.
"It's not a PR repair plan that he needs," Zeppos said. "He's significantly damaged his standing."
Walker left the state right after his re-election in November, 2014. He began a speaking and fundraising tour of the country and literally ignored his Gubernatorial responsibilities. While gone, leaders in the Republican Legislative majority pushed a radical GOP agenda so extreme that public criticism escalated and media editorials asked Walker to come home to rein in Republicans.
Walker's sole focus on his Presidential run has soured many of his past supporters who saw the disarray that his absence created and his failure to return to set the state in order. Additionally, many are upset about Walker breaking his promise that he only wanted to serve as Governor if re-elected in 2014.
His frequent campaign statements denying that he wasn't even interested in running for President became a lie immediately after the election was over. He didn't even allow any time to elapse for his voters to forget his promises to them. Nope, it was off to court RW groups and billionaire donors without even a Thank You Note to supporters back home for re-electing him so taxpayers would foot the bill for his security detail and all their expenses while he pursued his Presidential dreams.
If there's one thing Republican voters have in abundance, it's anger.
Many are speculating that Walker's self-removal from Presidential politics leaves him in a better position for a top spot in a future Republican President's Cabinet. They're unsure of his future in Wisconsin.
His pals at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel even have an editorial giving him advice on how to restore his image. I'm sure they stand ready, like our other state media, to polish him up as they always do. But, for today, they claim they'll be watching.
We will be watching to ensure their "reform measures" include no more attempts to take power away from the citizens by hiding records that reveal what public officials are up to. Or by crippling the agency that oversees political and government shenanigans.
We don't need any more havoc wreaked here.
We don't need any policies imposed on Wisconsin in order to appeal to a national constituency for a future run for federal office.
We need a governor who loves Wisconsin and who will work with citizens, across party lines, to make this an even better place to live.
It might serve him better to just stop doing and saying stupid things, both nationally and in Wisconsin. I'm sure he'll put out self-serving ads, return to local RW talk radio to address the peasants, and use our media to fluff him up.
How successful he'll be is anyone's guess. Maybe he's no longer interested in Wisconsin and thinks that his moon sized ego is now too large for the Governor's mansion. Time will tell.
