On Jan. 1, Journal Sentinel colunmnist and respected local historian John Gurda wrote a column for the Sunday paper headlined: “Beware Faux Mandates: Other Politicians Through History Have Mistaken Election for Mandate.”
I can’t get that column out of my mind these days. Because it was so prophetic … and so right.
Gurda wrote:
Scott Walker is skating rather blithely on the same thin ice as Ryan. He defeated Tom Barrett 52% to 47% in November. That’s a five-point spread – decisive, but hardly a landslide.
Walker has to live – and govern – with the knowledge that nearly half the state’s voters don’t want him in the executive mansion, and that some of his loyal supporters disagree sharply with his opposition to high-speed rail.
True humility in his situation might suggest a conciliatory, consensus-building approach, but Walker has plunged ahead with the spotless conscience of the utterly convinced, a man forever untroubled by shades of gray. Acting for all the world as if he had a mandate, the governor-elect who won’t even hold office until tomorrow has already scuttled the high-speed rail project and cowed the Legislature into leaving the state employees’ labor contract on the table.
So, I ask: Where is the mandate? Where is undeniable support for making the sweeping changes Walker has already led since being elected, especially the union-busting legislation he is pushing through now?
If Walker had beaten Barrett 60-40%, or even 55-45%, that might be another story. But we are talking about five percentage points here — a closer race than many, including me, predicted. Five points. I ask again, where is the mandate?
Of course, Walker has strong support from his base on his so-called “budget repair bill.” The people who love Scott Walker love that he is out to essentially put an end to collective bargaining and, in turn, public sector unions. That much is clear.
But just how many people is that, exactly? Fifty percent of the state? Less? What about the rest of us? What about the tens of thousands of protesters who are showing up in Madison day after day to fight against this legislation (including Saturday)? Do their voices count here? Does my voice count?
Now, I’m not blind to the fact that, on the whole, there was a historic Republican wave in Wisconsin in the November elections. The governorship, the state legislature, a U.S. Senate seat and several Congressional races all turned over toward Republicans. I get that, although I argue this “throw the bums out” mentality will be the norm, not the excpection, moving forward in state and national politics, including 2014.
That said, even the 2010 election was no mandate, certainly not Walker’s disappointing showing against Barrett. I just wish Walker would stop treating it like one and, as Gurda writes, quit plunging “ahead with the spotless conscience of the utterly convinced, a man forever untroubled by shades of gray.”
Walker needs to compromise on the collective bargaining issue, as unlikely (impossible) as that is.
But don’t take my word for it — listen to the more than one million people who voted for Barrett … and the countless others who may not have voted in November but, if the election were held today, would run to the polls to sweep Walker from office.
South Milwaukee Blog 
I don’t think anything is “impossible” at this point.
Why is compromise called for only when liberals don’t get their way? When Doyle and the Democrat legislature TRULY rammed their 2009 budget bill through in 24 hours with no debate the cries for compromise were ignored. You lost – get over it!
Randall: I think that was wrong, too. This type of stuff needs open, honest debate — and, as crazy as this sounds in our political climate these days, an open mind. FYI: I was no big fan of Jim Doyle either, for this and many other reasons.
Hmmmmm…….
“The 14 Wisconsin Democratic senators who fled to Illinois share more than just political sympathy with the public employees and unions targeted by Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill.
The Senate Democrats count on those in the public sector as a key funding source for their campaigns.
In fact, one out of every five dollars raised by those Democratic senators in the past two election cycles came from public employees, such as teachers and firefighters, and their unions, a Journal Sentinel analysis of campaign records shows.”
I guess this shows whose spoon is feeding whose mouth…I emailed Chris Larsen last week and despite what they said about answering constituent phone calls and emails, I have not received a returned answer to my email. On Tuesday, because of their pouting, they will cost the taxpayers of the State of Wisconsin $165 million because they are not at their job. The public will surely remember this when election time, either regular or a recall election.
No surprises in that story for me: Unions generally support Democratic candidates, big business interests generally support Republican candidates. Hasn’t it been that way forever? So, when can I expect that story linking Republicans and their anti-union beliefs to the source of their campaign cash? I hope soon. In fact, here is one …
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/117082778.html
That said, and call me an idealist if you must, but I’d like to think that candidates from both parties will think and act in accordance with their beliefs and the beliefs of their constituents in making decisions, no matter where their campaign cash comes from.
The difference here is that union employees have no say where their dues money ends up. Every time my husband pays his dues, I say, “right into the back pocket of the Democrats.” He is not a public employee, but his union ALWAYS supports Democrats.
You are correct Melanie. The union employees really have no say over how their union leaders spend their money collected from union dues. That has left many union members a bad flavor.
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