The Wisconsin Recall Results: A Post Post-Mortem

 By Allen Ruff

 The Progressive
 June 21, 2012

http://www.progressive.org/wisconsin_recall_post_mortem.html

 A number of post-mortem analyses surfaced almost
 immediately, and they were somewhat helpful in conveying
 various understandings for the defeat of the recall effort
 against Scott Walker in Wisconsin. They got most of the
 immediate facts straight. But they were lacking in various
 respects. We need a deeper social and political analysis to
 understand some of the other factors behind the defeat. This
 is key for the development of future strategies and tactics.

 While the inordinate out-of-state amount of pro-Walker (and
 anti-Barrett) money and media time, the weaknesses and
 shortsightedness of the Democratic campaign, the failures of
 the trade union leadership, the all-in emphasis on the
 electoral effort, and the structure and timing of the recall
 process ("recall fatigue"), all had a part in shaping the
 outcome, other factors helped give the victory to the right.

 For instance, we have been told that, "59% of [eligible?
 Those voting?] white people voted for Walker, as did most
 suburbs and small towns," and that "38% of union households
 (rather than unionists) voted Republican." Several pieces
 stated that support for either candidate was largely related
 to the perception of how well Walker's administration had
 been creating new jobs.

 Modest improvement (if any) in the number of jobs and
 improvements in the state of Wisconsin's economy, distorted
 and trumpeted by the Republican's propaganda mills,
 certainly were made a key issue. (The Barrett campaign spent
 a whole lot of energy and resources responding to the
 Walkerite's framing of that issue).

 But "jobs, jobs, jobs" was not the sole reason why people
 voted the way they did. As in any election, various subjective
 factors, some of which could be described as key "wedge
 issues," played a significant role. How else, might we
 otherwise begin to understand why "38% of union households"
 (Up only 1% from 2010, according to a New York Times exit
 poll) voted against their own (material) interests?

To read more, go to 
http://www.progressive.org/wisconsin_recall_post_mortem.html

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