Good to be back home in Milwaukee.
Catching up on my local media now, but one thing that caught my eye while I was gone was the press release by County Exec. Scott Walker yesterday that they were going to have a press release next week to presumably formally announce his candidacy for GOP choice to be Wisconsin’s next Governor.
I thought it was a bit odd that they’d put out a press release promising something exciting(!) next Monday untill I read around and found out that there was an open letter published yesterday by former Gov. Thompson’s right hand man James Klauser. In it, he told people that he would – and presumably his considerable influence in GOP circles – be supporting former Rep. Mark Neumann as the GOP candidate for Governor in 2010, and other Republicans should too.
As I’ve long suggested, outside of the Milwaukee suburbs, there is in fact very little support from Republicans for Scott Walker, and they are starting to coalesce around Rep. Neumann as their man. To counter that announcement and get some attention for itself, the Walker campaign puts out a press release which promises a press release next week.
To top that off, I have heard several times from conservative media outlets that a Republican primary between Walker and Neumann would Be a Bad Thing!! for Republicans. I think they feel a bit jeaulous that their candidate, Scott Walker, may have some competition for the GOP nominiation and that anyone who challenges him is hurting the party.
I think what they really mean is that a Republican primary between Scott Walker and Mark Neumann would be bad for Scott Walker, not the Republican party.
Primaries in any party shouldn’t be looked upon as something that hurts your party, but helps candidates explain their positions and differentiate themselves from the competition. After all, the current Governor went through a pretty brutal primary of his own on the Democratic side several years ago and still managed to knock off a sitting Republican Governor here in Wisconsin.
It’s silly to think that the Republicans couldn’t do the same thing. But the local conservative media outlets are heavily invested in a Walker candidacy and know the outcome will probably be much the same was it was in 2006 with Walker either dropping out on his own or lossing to a better candidate.
Hence, they’ll try to play it off as being bad for the entire Republican party when in fact it’s just bad for Scott Walker.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and sons Carter and Colton.
Good to be back home in Milwaukee.
Enjoying the Spring weather?
Walker is, of course, running for governor—as a member of his staff told me last Thanksgiving. As you note, a primary race between Walker and Neumann would not hurt the Republican party, quite the opposite. I don’t think Walker can win a primary, he’s not well known, or popular, outside the suburbs of Milwaukee. I think it’s difficult for any candidate from Milwaukee to get elected to state office and Walker would be no exception.
Good analysis, especially about the part about primaries helping instead of hurting parties.
If the GOP has a clean but spirited campaign, the winner will have a huge advantage over Doyle. If there is a knock down, drag out primary fight, Doyle might do better. but either way, I just don’t see Doyle winning in 2010, especially with the discontent for all politicians.
Dan, good analysis. I’m in agreement that primaries are not necessarily a bad thing, and in the case of a GOP that seems to be “rediscovering” itself, a gubernatorial primary probably wouldn’t be a bad thing for voters. However, I’ll go ahead and disagree with Dan H. and say that Doyle will cruise to reelection, no matter who the Republican candidate is.