Debate Club

Did Scott Walker's Recall Win Pave the Way for a Romney Victory? >

Too Soon to Tell Whether Scott Walker Paves the Way for Mitt Romney

While there is opportunity for Romney in Wisconsin, it's premature to call it a sure thing

June 6, 2012

About Karlyn Bowman:

Karlyn Bowman is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

The 2012 presidential election is still more than five months away. A lot can happen. And for all intents and purposes, the general election contest is just getting underway, so it is premature at best to say which way the political winds are blowing in key states. President Obama is probably a little ahead of the game nationally in terms of organization and efforts to energize his base, but the polls show a very closely divided electorate. Gallup's latest aggregation has the race at 46 to 46 percent, with a small number of undecided voters.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]

Wisconsin has voted for a Democratic candidate for president in every election since 1984, but some of those wins have been narrow ones. The state is usually included in the list of swing states, and the evidence from the exit poll there yesterday is mixed. Wisconsinites voted for Scott Walker by 7 points in the recall, but they also said that if the election were held today, they would vote for Barack Obama by 7. Voters there said that Obama would do a better job than Romney in handling the economy. Bottom line, there is an opportunity for Romney to win the state, but it is no sure thing. Election results in June in a special recall election may not tell us much at all.

Tags:
Scott Walker,
Wisconsin,
2012 presidential election,
Mitt Romney,
Barack Obama
About Debate Club

A meeting of the sharpest minds on the day's most important topics, Debate Club brings in the best arguments and lets readers decide which is the most persuasive. Read the arguments, then vote. And be sure to check back often to see who has gotten the most support—and also to see what's being discussed now in the Debate Club.

Have ideas about what the Club should be debating? E-mail it to dclub@usnews.com.

You can also join the debate on Facebook or follow Debate Club on Twitter.

Advertisement
Cartoons
Thomas Jefferson Street Blog
Republicans Can't Forget the Economy During Obama Scandals

Scandals provide good fodder for the GOP, but it can't forget about fixing unemployment.

Amidst Obama Scandals, Republicans Prepare a New Debt Ceiling Hostage

Republicans are preparing to take the debt ceiling hostage…again.

Benghazi, IRS and AP Scandals Reveal a Clueless President

The recent slew of scandals reveals an administration either incompetent or malicious.

The IRS Scandal Is About Budget Cuts, Not the Tea Party

Cutting the tax collection budget hurts everyone in the long-run.

Obama 'Going Bulworth' Wouldn't Give Him Power Over Republicans

Both Congress and presidents overestimate the power of the Oval Office.

Bureaucracy Keeps Adopted Children Stuck in International Limbo

The U.S. needs to do more to ease the international adoption process.

The Real Scandal Behind the Benghazi Emails and Attacks

The GOP focuses on talking points while ignoring dangerous security budget cuts.

House Republicans Waste Time With Obamacare Repeal Vote

Why is the House bothering to repeal Obamacare yet again?

Advertisement