Sunday, July 24, 2011

Recalls: It's About Walker, Stupid!

Recall elections are coming to Wisconsin on August 9, and it's important to remember what these are about.  Yes, it is about the Republican State Senators who turned their back on Wisconsin history and voted to take away the rights and opportunities that Wisconsinites depended and counted on for generations.  But it is also about sending a message to the one person that personifies all of these struggles, the one who got the keys to the castle, stormed in and is busy blowing it up - Governor Scott Walker.

Strategies as shown in different campaign ads found on TV and YouTube do not ignore the connection between Walker and Republican State Senators but they center too heavily on numbers and particulars.  The advertisements we see are the typical "Senator so-and-so voted to cut this and take away that, and he gave this and that state resource to special interests", and so on.   These types of ads can be perfect when the public is uninformed about a candidate and electorate needs to be educated and engaged.  That is not the case we have in Wisconsin today.

We are dealing first of all, with a group of State Senators who for the most part are well established and in fact have all won election or re-election, which means these are Senators who are fairly well-liked by over 50% of voters in their districts.  This is not an opinion.  But the mere fact that election is being held on August 9 should remind all the spin-doctors out there that this is not a regular election and it should not be treated as such.

The Senators up for recall were chosen for recall for no other reason than they were eligible to be recalled and enough signatures were gathered to trigger recall action.  That is very important to remember.  Therefore, attacking them with complicated messages that break down their legislative records does nothing but make this absolutely unique recall election in Wisconsin history look like every other election, which ultimately risks deflating the anger and frustration voters have towards the Walker administration.

It is time for strong, unambiguous messages that remind voters what this election is really about.  And this election is not about Senators Darling, Hopper, Olsen and the rest.  It is about the fact that these Senators support Governor Scott Walker who is busy destroying the fabric of our society while following the blueprint of a national think tank that provides "model legislation" which has nothing to do with solving Wisconsin needs and instead only thinks about that which it's corporate donors support but even that is too complicated.  Let me boil this down even further: This recall election is about Governor Scott Walker.

This ad, called "Recall Momentum!" is a very good example of what I'm talking about: a single ad that can run against every candidate who voted for Walker's agenda and is now (or later) up for a recall or re-election.



"Recall Momentum!" ad does not discuss what each particular candidate has done and what specific legislation they endorsed because at this moment in our history, it is meaningless.

What needs to be made clear to voters is that these State Senators voted with Scott Walker every time and instead of protecting their constituents, they chose to back the Governor's agenda, thus making them and Scott Walker one and the same.  With Walker's disapproval in Wisconsin now reaching 59%, (http://news.yahoo.com/poll-59-pct-disapprove-wis-govs-performance-234552265.html), it is the job of each campaign to reach to the other side, to those who voted for these State Senators but now have come to disapprove of Scott Walker and make a strong appeal to them that these Senators need to be recalled, regardless of the particulars because unless breaks are put on Scott Walker's agenda, things in Wisconsin are only going to get worse.

That is why Defend Wisconsin News Round Up put together ads highlighting (such as the one below featuring Senator Luther Olsen) not what Senator Randy Hopper did by voting for Budget Repair Bill or what Senator Alberta Darling did by supporting Governor's Budget but very simply pointing out that Randy Hopper = Scott Walker and Alberta Darling = Scott Walker.



It's really just that simple:  this recall election is about appealing to those who voted for these Republican State Senators but now strongly disapprove of Scott Walker.  These are the people that are needed to make the difference, to give Wisconsin a chance to recover that which we lost in the last 6 months, and to protect that which we will lose if Scott Walker's agenda is not stopped in its tracks.  In order to succeed, what needs to be said is that Republicans State Senators up for recall = Scott Walker.  Over and over and over.  

To see ads Defend Wisconsin News Round Up produced for every Republican State Senator up for recall, check out this:

Defend Wisconsin news round up: Simplifying The Message. New original ads!

3 comments:

  1. Well done!! I love the music of 'Hit the Road'. We do not need more hate spread. Walker and his cronies have done that. We need people to take action and vote.
    Thank you for these ads.

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  2. Well done! The message is clear. These are not personal attacks against those who are up for recall. This is about what they were willing to sacrifice to follow the leader.

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  3. Ditto to the first 2 comments! Did anyone see today's interview-debate with PASCH and Darling?
    If so, how was it?

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