Walker’s Win

For a little while on Tuesday night, thanks to the network exit polls, it looked like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker might actually be in a fight for his political life, that the outcome of the vote about recalling him, which had seemed assured for some time, could be in doubt. It didn’t last. By the time Tuesday night slipped into Wednesday morning, Walker—a Republican in a fairly blue state—had become the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall. He’d given his victory speech. And he’d racked up more votes than he did when he won his job in the first place, back in 2010.

“We’ll renew our commitment to help grow the quality of life for all of our citizens—both those who voted for me and those who voted for someone else,” Walker told the crowd that had gathered at his Election Night party. “Because tomorrow is the day after the election and tomorrow, we are no longer opponents. We are one as Wisconsinites.”

If only it were so easy. The battle over the Governor and his policies (and over those who supported them—Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, too, faced recall and won, and several seats in the state senate were contested as well) has opened wounds that will not be so easily healed. And for at least the next few days, the non-Cheeseheads among us will have to debate the question of What It All Means.

There are some implications for the Presidential election to consider, though perhaps not so many as Republicans would like you to believe, or as few as Democrats might suggest. If nothing else, the thing to remember is this: this vote was, ultimately, about Scott Walker, not about Barack Obama. But the amount of money that Walker and his supporters raised, the amount of enthusiasm they inspired, and the successful campaign they ran will all have Obama’s advisers sleeping a little less comfortably in the weeks to come.

Original Article
Source: new yorker
Author: Alex Koppelman