The polls have tended to show that Democrats in Wisconsin are in a much stronger position than last fall as a result of the budget repair bill controversy.
I’ve wondered whether voters minds really could have changed that quickly, and whether union intimidation tactics really have worked. Has the majority really flipped to the side of big government public employee unions?
While not a scientific measure, a sample analysis of approximately 50,000 e-mails sent to Gov. Scott Walker shows — contrary to the polls — strong support for the Governor’s position, as reported by JSOnline:
Gov. Scott Walker was right when he said that emailers supported his stance on collective bargaining for public workers, a new analysis has found.
The analysis of the emails released by Walker Friday was done by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
Their computer-assisted study of the emails released through a court settlement found strong support among emailers for Walker’s budget repair proposal, which would repeal nearly all union bargaining for public workers. But the margin was closer when only emails from Wisconsin residents were considered, the analysis found.
The report also noted that public opinion polls don’t mesh with readers’ stances.
Of all e-mails, the split was 62-32 in support. While JSOnline correctly characterized the support of Wisconsin e-mailers as “closer,” the support still was quite strongly in favor of the Governor:
“When the Center looked only at emails from Wisconsin, the margin was much slimmer, with 55 percent favoring his bill and 42 percent opposed.”
So whether you look nationally or only in Wisconsin, there is a very sizable majority in favor of the Governor.
Does this mean that the polls may not truly reflect both the electorate and the motivation of the respective sides?
We’ll find out as the recall efforts move forward.
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Comments
That is why we hold official elections instead of relying on polls.
I find it shocking that 42% of those e-mailing oppose taxpayers and favor the socialist-leaning AFL-CIO. Isn't the treason of the Dem senators who fled to Illinois apparent to everyone? Or does everyone on the left believe that the ends justify the Alinskyian means? Regardless of their view on this issue, all Americans should be appalled by the fleebaggers' un-American actions. Have I taken crazy pills or teleported to an alternate universe? That any significant number would support this action indicates that the end of our republic is near (if not already here).
Wow, quite a comment for a legal blog. The action of the Democratic Senators was entirely legal. Or perhaps you see a lawyer named Abe Lincoln as treasonous for doing the same thing.
What you don't get is the Midwestern pace of political action, especially in Wisconsin (and Minnesota), where a rush to judgment riles the electorate — and cutting off discussion riles us even more; we're accustomed to hearings on bills held across the state for everyone to have a chance to say their piece. Walker wanted his bill with sweeping changes done in four days, aka a New York minute. Republican legislators held only one hearing the next day, with hardly any notice — so the hearing went into the night, the reason why people awaiting their turn started sleeping in the Capitol. Then those legislators abruptly cut off the hearing, so people themselves continued it for days — and so few days to do so led to the public employees coming swiftly from across the state, etc.
Had the process been conducted as usual for a few weeks, with hearings in far corners of the state far from media, and in evenings and on weekends for workers to attend, all would have been well and Walker would have won weeks ago.
You just can't hurry a Midwesterner. And you just have to be "Midwestern nice" — or the stubbornness is stoked, and there will be heck to pay.
Milwaukeean, nothing personal, but you're full of crap. There was 60 hours of debate (yes, it went into the night) but it is pretty hard to debate with elected officials who flee their posts and run off to another state where they can't be dragged back to the Capitol to do the jobs they were elected to do.
And you seem to think that any legislation proposed by those you elected to do exactly that should take it to the people first. Perhaps you can tell us when that has happened in Wisconsin before, and if that is the way you do business, why do you even have elected officials? Just put the legislation on the ballot and be done with it.
Just as a reminder, the Wayward 14 were not the first to pull that stunt. The Killer D's did it in 2003 in Texas. Look where the Democratic party in Texas is now. It is an endangered species.
Milwaukeean, tell us about the Wisconsin version of "Midwestern nice" with the death threats, the squatters in the Capitol, the property distruction, the hate signs and having the Democratic Socialists of America organizing rallies in Madison.
Which union you in, "Milwaukeean"?
Note that the in-state support for Walker is the same percentage he got in the election.
These have to be push-polls, although Rasmussen is an outlier, and all my Wisconsin friends who aren't public school teachers are 100% behind Scott Walker. The Dems are trying to scare the skittish Lindsay Graham RINO type GOP into cowering and crying uncle.
No, the Republicans allowed less than 17 hours for the official hearing on the bill, retire05, so nothing personal, but you're full of crap and have not watched the hearings (all archived on video) to see when Vos and Darling pulled the plug. The unofficial hearings account for the additional hours (adding up to more than 60). As for your next comment, I can tell that you're not in Wisconsin but relying on a certain ridiculous news channel for such skewed reporting. That would be the same channel that caused much hilarity here for inserting stock footage in its reports that showed palm trees at our state Capitol and police in shirtsleeves. So I can tell that you never have been in the Midwest at all in February!
And I'm not in a union. But as a Milwaukeean, I'm in the county where Walker was our exec for seven years, his own county that voted against him two-to-one in the gubernatorial race. We know best the sort of messes he left behind with his headling rushes ahead of the law, with yet another recent ruling against his actions here that will cost us yet more millions. So much for Walker's support, dave in boca — it is tenuous now and unnecessarily so, polarizing a state where turnout could have told him that most Wisconsinites just wanted a mature leader to reduce economic uncertainties here rather than a drama queen.
By the way, if any of you actually knew anything about Wisconsin politics, you would know that most of our recent governors, from both parties, attempted ends-around the law to raid funds, too, and also cost us millions when those cases came to court. There really ought be no reason for us to be "broke" (and we really are not, as Walker is not abiding by the legislated level to trigger a "crisis"). So I'm just a Wisconsinite weary of the hubris of politicians of all stripes. I just want them all to calm down and grow up. You, too.
Snort.
The person who defends a bunch of thugs and goons throwing a temper tantrum, and 14 senators running away from their jobs because they weren't getting their way … is suggesting the rest of us 'grow up.'
Pssst. Beam in your eye. Might want to have that taken care of.
Sure Milwaukeean. A $3.6B deficit for the biennium is rolling in dough. Right. Whatever. You must have gone to MPS with that kind of enconomic background.
The one that raided funds was Doyle – and that was with raising taxes. Face it. After 8 years of Doyle and the last couple of those with a friendly legislature, the Democrats ran the state into the ground.
Walker is just trying to dig out of the mess. But my hunch is that you won't give him a shot, but are one saying we should give Obama all sorts of more time.
And I do know about WI politics. Lived there until 2 years ago and the entire family still does. And that 55% approval for Walker sounds about right. After the intimidation campaign, nobody is going to speak out loud. So they quietly send e-mails to tell the Governor to stay the course.
Hey Milwaukeean, after he won the special election, y'all re-elected him as Milwaukee County Executive … TWICE!
Neomom, I was the first to say — if you read what I wrote before reacting — that Wisconsin has been badly led by governors from both parties for too long now. I begin to see the Illinois way of dealing with governors; they all belong in jail.
Also read again, please, what I wrote about the requisite statutory trigger for a fiscal crisis. Wisconsin did not reach that. You could look it up.
That does not mean, of course, that belt-tightening is not required; that's what we voted for in November. But that's why it also makes no sense for Walker to have added to the debt as he did with his initial series of bills. You could look up those, too. I hope that he comes back to his campaign promises.
And no, I didn't go to MPS. But because I'm in Milwaukee, you and I know what that red flag means in one of the most segregated cities in the country. So I'm glad you're waving that flag in some other state now.
Segregation? Professor – I believe we have a candidate for the Saturday night card game!
MPS spends more per pupil than any other district in the state and has the worst results. Maybe that's because they have to spend another 72 cents on every salary dollar for fringe bennies. Because it sure isn't getting spent in the classroom. So yep, I am firmly supporting all of Scott Walker's efforts. Just like I did when in Milwaukee.
btw – there are charter schools here that have over 70% poor and minority that have fabulous results. And they only receive 3/4 the state money than traditional public schools. Why? Because they focus on educating them, not on cramming for tests squeezed in between social justice lessons.
Yes, neomom — surely, if you really lived in Wisconsin so recently, you saw the many studies reported in Milwaukee media, Madison media, etc., about the segregation here. Milwaukee is, as you must know, the only "majority minority" city in Wisconsin as of the 2000 census, and the recent census is expected to show increased concentration of minorities in the city of Milwaukee as well as increased white flight to burbs, especially ex-urbs in Waukesha County. (Incidentally, the county credited with electing Walker as governor.) But if you missed them, just google jsonline, for example, for studies by names like Doherty, Levine, Pawarasat, etc.
As for your statement on charter school funding, now I really have to question that you actually lived in Milwaukee. Those of us who do know that we are taxed for two school systems, public and private (charter, voucher, choice, etc., the church and storefront schools) — and we know the studies that also show that extra money is not making a sufficient difference. And that's even though the charter and other non-MPS schools don't take students with special needs, disabilities, etc. But at least the charter schools did generally comply with accountability assessments required of MPS, while too many other alternative schools did not. So we got those goshawful storefront scam schools, since those who pushed the enabling legislation did not establish any oversight for decades.
So, yes, K12 education in the city is sad. The Bradley Foundation, Ayres Foundation, and Archdiocesan pushes for school choice has not paid off. But now the plan is being pushed elsewhere in the country, which is even sadder for young students everywhere whose schooling already is suffering, as you say, from Bush's misguided "No Child Left Behind" emphasis on "teaching to the test."
"Because they focus on educating them, not on cramming for tests squeezed in between social justice lessons. "
I think you're leaving out some important elements in the public school mission: overpaying bureaucrats and funneling taxpayer dollars to the Democrat party!