Wisconsin is a vital swing state for Obama. In 2008 he won the state by an impressive margin, but 2010 saw a sea change in the state’s electorate that created a tidal wave in favor of Republicans, a tidal wave that could extend to 2012 and cost the president his re-election.
Based on an absurd procedural technicality, a left-wing judge in Madison has already halted the collective bargaining portion of Governor Walker’s bill from being put into law and an appeals court has already passed on making a ruling and kicked it up to the State Supreme Court. And this is just the beginning of judicial meddling and overreach into legislative matters that — unlike forcing the American people to purchase something — has no constitutional issue that requires any sort of adjudication.
The Left’s firewall, as it always is with leftists unable to win at the voting booth, is the courts. And on April 5th, State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser is up for re-election. Prosser is a reliable 4 to 3 tie-breaking vote in favor of judicial restraint on a court that’s just one vote away from exploding into a frenzy of left-wing judicial activism. The one vote on the horizon willing to overturn every piece of Walker’s agenda — including the end of collective bargaining reform — is Joanne Kloppenburg, Prosser’s left-wing opponent.
I’m unaware of any polling on this race so I turned to Charlie Sykes, a talk radio leader in Wisconsin (you should be listening to) and Big Government contributor. He’s on the ground there and understands the story (and stakes) as well as anyone. Here’s his disconcerting but undoubtedly accurate lay of the land:
I think it will be close: the left is engaged and enraged. We conservatives are engaged. Don’t know about the independents. This is a traditionally very low turnout election and if the unions turn out their troops, there might be enough votes to flip the court. But no one on our side is complacent about this. We understand that, as you say, it is for all the marbles.
This will turn on how the race is defined: if voters decide based on credentials: Prosser wins; if they see it as a choice between a liberal and a conservative judge, Prosser wins; if it turns on who is tough on crime, Prosser wins.
But, if it is seen as a referendum on Walker or the union bill, Kloppenburg has a very real shot.
This in a state where a sitting State Supreme Court Justice losing a re-election bid is nearly as rare as Halley’s Comet. This in a state that just 4 months ago (feels like years) voted overwhelmingly for Republican rule.
GET OUT THE VOTE NEXT WEEK WISCONSIN.
http://biggovernment.com/jjmnolte/2011/03/27/april-5th-will-decide-who-governs-wisconsin-the-voters-or-4-judges/
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