Did Scott Walker's Recall Win Pave the Way for a Romney Victory? >
Only Time Will Tell What Scott Walker's Victory Means for Barack Obama
Barack Obama must convince voters that the conservative platform does not have the answer for the nation's most pressing problems
June 6, 2012
About Michael Kazin:
Michael Kazin's most recent book is American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation . He teaches history at Georgetown University and is co-editor of Dissent.
The only intelligent answer to this question is "it all depends." For Mitt Romney to carry Wisconsin and other critical Midwestern states such as Iowa and Ohio in November, Republicans will have to repeat the enthusiasm and huge fundraising advantage that lifted Scott Walker to victory on Tuesday. But that depends on the answers to three critical questions: What will be the public's view of the economy in that region (as well as the nation at large)? Will Romney be able to excite his base and woo independents who voted for President Obama in 2008? Will the president manage to convince skeptical voters as well as his liberal base that he is willing to fight for the programs and ideas he believes in? We do not and cannot know the answers five months from election day.
[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]
What Scott Walker's win does confirm, however, is the continuing power of the conservative movement. It has managed to galvanize those Americans who are hostile to unions, progressive governance, and secular elites and gain lavish funding from major corporations and individual billionaires. And, in all but name, it controls the Republican Party. Neither liberal activists nor the Democratic Party can match either its passions or its resources. The problem is that conservatives have no viable solutions to any of the major problems which plague our nation and the world—from the economic crisis to entitlement reform to global warming to promoting democracy in the Arab world. So any opportunity to make progress on these vital issues depends on re-electing Barack Obama this fall.
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- Other Arguments
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#16620
Yes — Scott Walker's win strengthens the case for Mitt Romney's free market approach
JOHN M. O'HARA, Author of 'A New American Tea Party'
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#25121
Yes — Scott Walker's recall win shows voters want the government to stand up to unions
JAMES SHERK, Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation
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#33921
Yes — Victory over recall movement causes a wave of GOP enthusiasm that favors Mitt Romney
RON BONJEAN, Former Chief of Staff for the Senate Republican Conference
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#43721
Yes — The outcome of the recall election means Republicans will only intensify focus on Wisconsin
DOUGLAS SCHOEN, Democratic Campaign Consultant
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#52737
No — Walker's victory in Wisconsin doesn't mean Mitt Romney won't have to campaign or that Obama's in trouble
JAMIE CHANDLER, Political Scientist at Hunter College
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#61546
No — While there is opportunity for Romney in Wisconsin, it's premature to call it a sure thing
KARLYN BOWMAN, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
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#7747
No — One silver lining for Democrats: Exit polls show Barack Obama beating Mitt Romney
KRYSTAL BALL, MSNBC Contributor and Former Democratic Nominee for Congress
