Labor will suffer a self-inflicted wound, If Scott Walker wins Wisconsin’s recall election
If Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker loses the election to
recall him from office Tuesday, the political press will declare the arrival of
Big Labor's comeback. If Walker wins, it will be seen as yet another sign of
labor's demise.
The election to recall the Republican governor,
sparked by Walker's successful 2011 effort to end collective bargaining for
public employees, has drawn participation from many different groups, including
the tea party. But unions, which have long been fighting stories of their demise,
have much of what's left of their reputation as powerful political organizers
riding on the race.Union membership in 2011 fell to a record low for the second
straight year, according to the Department of Labor, but that's not the only
avenue in which unions have been struggling.
Bill Schneider, a a senior fellow and resident
scholar at centrist think tank Third Way, told Yahoo News that labor has lately
experienced "tougher times winning" electoral races in which they've
inserted themselves. This includes labor's unsuccessful attempt to take down
Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the 2010 Arkansas Democratic primary.Labor activists
deny any suggestion that a downward trend is forming.
"This is one election," Chris Fleming, the
media director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, told Yahoo News of the recall, adding that the left was heavily
outspent in this race. "We cannot compete with the Koch brothers and all
of Walker's millionaire and billionaire megalomaniac friends who want to take
control of the government."
Walker personally raised about $21 million,
significantly more than the $3 million raised by Democratic challenger Tom
Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee. And Walker additionally benefited from major
spending by outside tea party groups and super PACs.Fleming said regardless of
Tuesday's outcome, the effort to recall Walker has "energized" union
supporters "like never before" and turned their message about
protecting working class families into a "mainstream movement."
"Anyone who says the enthusiasm is low needs to
come to the state just for a day," Fleming said, adding that labor
supporters knocked on half a million doors in 48 hours ahead of the recall, and
have set up 31 field offices and 60 staging locations, more than he's seen for
a presidential campaign.But polls show labor losing the enthusiasm battle in
the face of tea party energy and mobilization on the right."The reason
[Democratic challenger Tom Barrett] continues to trail overall is that
Republicans are more excited about voting in Tuesday's election than Democrats
are," the Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling wrote in its
analysis of a new poll on the race released Monday.Democrats downplayed the
fact that President Obama chose not to make a campaign appearance for Barrett,
but Schneider notes that many party officials have long been reluctant to
attach themselves to this race.
"They had doubts at the beginning ... what
exactly was behind that, I don't know," Schneider said. "I think
Democrats were hesitant."Schneider said the Wisconsin recall is connected
to the 2012 presidential race because it is "a test run for a
strategy that Obama may be tempted to
follow."Schneider notes that if Republicans are successful in Wisconsin in
November in the presidential election as well as in downballot races, labor may
have itself to blame.
"Conservative are riled up and that's because
liberals riled up their base," he said. "And now, [Republicans] are
likely to stay angry right through November."Additionally, Schneider said
the recall has significantly "toned up" the Republican ground game in
the state.Observers say Republicans across the country are likely to try to
piggyback off of Walker's success if he wins and take a stronger stand against unions.
Comments
Post a Comment