Scott Walker's Bad Day

Scott Walker has now had to come face to face with the fact that he may be on his way to becoming only the third Governor in United States history to be recalled before the end of his term.

Walker who became a lightning rod last year after signing a bill that limited collective bargaining rights has become target number one for Democrats across the country.

Certainly the bravado with which Walker faced down angry crowds in the state capital last spring seems to have faded. Who his challenger will be from the Democratic side is up in the air. Democrats both in Wisconsin and across the country would like to see former Senator Russ Feingold run against Walker. Certainly Feingold would increase the energy level by a factor of ten but it must be remembered he lost his last statewide race.

Still Walker has done Democrats a favor. He has made the Democratic faithful come face to face with the reality of what happens when you vote against your history, against your obvious economic self interests. It seems highly unlikely that any union member could stay home in this next election and just as unlikely any could vote for Governor Walker.

This will be a proxy battle. The organizers and money used in this race will be in a large part from outside the state. This, after John Kasich was rebuked by the voters for his own union bashing bill, has to be seen as a last stand by Republicans. Defeat here will indicate to even them that they overstepped and might also show Democrats that being loyal to unions has political benefits.

If I were betting I would think that Walker could lose but if this election is in November he might well win, simply on the turnout assured of a Presidential election.

If it is before the National Election it will be a temperture guage on the electorate in all of the swing states.