Walker Wins Recall, Does It Matter?

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) has won the country's third ever gubernatorial recall election, defeating union-supported democratic challenger Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Interestingly, this was the first time in the United States' history that a recall has not resulted in the success of the challenger. This speaks a few things to me. The first calls me to question the legitimacy of the recall. Obviously the voters of Wisconsin did not think that Walker has done such a terrible job (with 94% of precincts reporting, Walker lead by a 9 point margin (54%-45%, I think it's worth noting that Walker only won by a 5 point margin in 2010), after all, according to the state Department of Revenue, the state should boast $275.1 million surplus by June 30 of this year and a $154.5 million surplus by June 30, 2013. The other way in which the aforementioned statistic speaks to me is that Wisconsin, like much of the country, is incredibly polarized. Clearly this margin of victory was no landslide; many have strong feelings in both directions on many issues, including the debate over the appropriateness of unionized labor and its power.

Both sides of the political spectrum have been speculating over the importance of this election--what does it mean for November? I've heard many say that this recall election could be a big momentum swing for November or at the very least will be indicative of how the country as a whole feels. We all knew whoever the loser was--the media outlet on his side would surely shrug it off, even if the same person claimed the election was significant prior to knowing the results. Well unfortunately, this recall was primarily about one issue, where the issues that shape the results in November are a melting pot of problems primarily consisting of the economy, gas prices, and unemployment. However, we must also keep in mind that Wisconsin is very much so a blue-collar state, with heavy union influence. It's not much to say that the Boston Celtics beat the Heat in game 5, however it would be noticeable if my high school team beat the Miami Heat. Okay, maybe Walker wasn't that big of an under dog, but the point being is that I think it shows the truth; number don't lie, and his policies (whether you agree with them or not), have helped Wisconsin with a debt problem, something that New York State could afford to take some notes on. However Romney, (to my knowledge) has made no plans to tackle public-sector unions like Walker has, his policies and the policies of Walker are not a perfect match, and in an election atmosphere where independent voters turn the tables, it is important to keep in mind that many independents vote on issues pertinent to their daily lives. My diagnosis: this recall victory for Walker has little impact on the presidential election in November.