Photo credit: Phil Roeder
I grew up in the age of CinemaScope Cecil B. DeMille movie spectaculars that somehow whipped up excitement for the next Technicolor version of what were essentially Bible stories by promising “A cast of thousands!” In this jaded modern world, nobody cares any more how many extras wearing loincloths appear in films.
But in politics, it’s still easier to sell something that attracts lots of people than something few people want. That sums up the completely different problems facing Democrats trying to find the right candidate to challenge Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the frantic Republican search for somebody, anybody, to run for Paul Ryan’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Let’s start with the Democrats. With 10 Democrats now eager to take on Walker during what looks like a Blue Wave election year, it’s been difficult for any individual candidate to stand out. That’s now threatening to attract even more candidates.
The latest trial balloon was Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett considering what would be his fourth race for governor (he ran in the primary against Democrat Jim Doyle in 2002 and twice against Walker in 2010 and the recall election of 2012). Barrett’s friends probably hope he passes this time. Three-peats are great in basketball championships, but a third campaign against Walker could lead to another barrage of the not-so-subtle racist attacks Walker employed previously to set the rest of the state against the city.
Hatred Against the Big City
There’s a reason it’s difficult for any Milwaukee mayor to be elected governor. The common misperception around the state is that Milwaukee gets way too much funding for its urban problems. That’s absurd, but Republicans use it to cut desperately needed state assistance even more. Walker—the first Republican Milwaukee county executive—lived right next door, but his anti-Milwaukee, ultra-conservative politics always made it clear he didn’t represent those people.
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Besides, in the mob of Democratic hopefuls, there are potentially strong candidates who could make a solid case against Walker’s reelection without the additional burden of battling unfair, anti-Milwaukee prejudice. The difficulty has been cutting through the clutter of candidates.
Among those who may be most likely to emerge are State Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers and State Rep. Dana Wachs, an experienced trial attorney from Eau Claire, Wis. Evers is perfectly positioned to challenge Walker on his most vulnerable issue: the most devastating cuts in history to education at all levels throughout the state. Wachs has a broad, detailed platform from which to forcefully debate Walker on a wide range of economic, educational and environmental issues.
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin is presiding over a tremendous local economic boom but might not be able to overcome his outdated media stereotype as a ’60s radical. There are other candidates from out of the past and some who could be the leaders of tomorrow, but voters are just beginning to sort them all out.
Serious Trouble for the GOP
Sure, that’s a problem for Democrats. But Walker himself knows he could be in serious trouble whoever the Democrats nominate. We know it, too, because Walker’s telling Republicans all over the state he’s in serious trouble. It may not just be a fundraising ploy. Democratic victories in Wisconsin elections and around the country suggest he’s right. Walker also has gone absolutely silent about the enormous $3 billion taxpayer giveaway to a shady billionaire promising thousands of jobs near the Illinois border that still sparks resentment around all the rest of the state.
More evidence of trouble ahead for Republicans was the difficulty they had finding a presentable replacement for Ryan when he suddenly decided—like 38 other Republican congressmen so far—to retire rather than face possible defeat in November. Bryan Steil, a corporate attorney appointed by Walker to the UW Board of Regents, finally walked the plank and announced his candidacy.
That came only after refusals from every high-profile Republican anyone could think of in the district, including former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the local state senator and three other members of the Assembly. Suddenly, nobody wants to run for congress as a Republican.
Until Steil bit the bullet, the most likely Republican nominee was Paul Nehlen, the racist, anti-Semitic businessman who ran against Ryan in 2016. President Donald Trump actually cozied up to Nehlen on Twitter during that race at a time when Ryan was publicly complaining about some of Trump’s own racist rhetoric.
Although the district leans Republican, if Steil is nominated, he’s likely to face the best-funded Democratic race for the seat in history. Randy Bryce, a working-class ironworker, has already tapped into national opposition to Ryan around the country to raise millions of dollars for his campaign.
If the drama this year were one of those widescreen biblical film epics from my youth, the “cast of thousands” would all be frightened Republicans fleeing for their lives.
