Recall Elections

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

The Republicans retained the State Senate in Wisconsin yesterday:

Democrats won two state Senate seats in Tuesday's historic recall elections, but failed to capture a third seat that would have given them control of the chamber.

By keeping a majority in the Senate, Republicans retained their monopoly on state government because they also hold the Assembly and governor's office. Tuesday's elections narrowed their majority - at least for now - from 19-14 to a razor-thin 17-16.

Consider me very surprised, as I assumed we'd see at least 3-4 switch over. Of the losses, one was from a Republican in Democratic territory, and the other was immersed in a number of scandals.

What does this say about Walker and the Republicans in Wisconsin? About the local impact of the changes in how the public sector deals with unions? Heck, about the popularity of the arguments put forth about the unions at all?

There are two recall elections for next week for Democratic incumbents, as well. I haven't seen polling for them yet.

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

It's not a binary question. Voting structures reflect less the will of the people in our wealth-driven political system than they do the ability of particular campaigns to organize and fund-raise better than their rivals. This is true whether or not the candidate is one I like or dislike.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Nothing, this is the system the Constitution itself was designed for. It's functional but it has nothing to do with the rule of the people in a serious sense of the phrase.