by Ken Van Doren

I have not yet made up my mind which gubernatorial candidate to support. I would like the Republicans to offer their strongest candidate to oppose the presumed Democrat nominee, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, as that will give them the best opportunity to defeat him. The State of Wisconsin simply cannot endure another four years of Obamaphilic rule without increasingly dire consequences. I am not yet ready to say that Scott Walker is the man for a variety of reasons. First, there is the process that selected him. By this, I mean not only the endorsement vote on May 22 at the convention. It has been clear for nearly two years that the insiders were pulling for Scott. He was the ONLY potential gubernatorial candidate who had a chance to speak at last year’s convention, and doubtless party apparatchiks have pulled for him behind the scenes. To be sure, I have no objection to the likes of former congressman Mark Green or State Assemblyman Mike Huebsch personally endorsing whomever they want. That is, and should be their right. The party however, should be like the government ideally would be, fair and impartial.

Then there is the company Mr. Walker and friends keep. To my mind, it was a serious mistake to get the likes of Jeb Bush and Newt Gingrich involved in fundraisers, and Karl Rove to speak at Saturday’s convention dinner. Why? Because a significant number of Republicans, myself included, see the Bush administration as one big mistake that should be repudiated and apologized for, not exalted. And these associations will hurt even more among independents and disaffected Democrats who may otherwise be inclined to vote for Walker. Gingrich and the Bush cabal have – with their hypocrisy, their undermining of the constitution, our rights, and spending us into the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression – terribly undermined Republican credibility to the point that they set the table for one Barack Hussein Obama. Without their help, I doubt if anyone so leftist could have won in 2008. So one is left with the question: Will Walker and company be like those they associate with?

It is still early in the campaign season. Nomination papers are not due until July 13. There is the possibility that another, perhaps better candidate will turn in papers. I am doing my best to set aside my biases and, as impartially and factually as possible, decide whom to vote for. Perhaps, if there had been a debate a couple months ago involving all the candidates, we the voters could have gotten a better handle onwhomthe best candidate is. But ONE candidate chose not to participate in that debate, and it was shelved. The very beauty of a contested primary is that it allows the voters to get a better handle on the candidates, and gives candidates a better opportunity to hone their message and delivery, makes for a stronger candidate in the fall.

Having grown up in a Democrat area in a Democrat family, I distinctly remember my first Republican vote. Using, or rather, abusing his “line item” veto authority, acting Governor Marty Schreiber had not long before struck the word “not” from a piece of legislation, reversing legislative intent, and I felt he needed to be punished for it. And then the Republicans at their convention endorsed Bob Kasten for governor. Contrarian and antielitist that I was and am, I voted for Lee Sherman Dreyfus. The “Not an Insider” stickers worn by supporters notwithstanding, Walker is painting himself as an insider by his actions. This is a mistake, especially in this, the most anti-incumbent, anti-insider election of my lifetime. I can only suspect that the party endorsement of Walker will hurt him outside the convention more than it helps. Those arguing for the endorsement say that it allows them to dump more money on him and allows him to use party mailing lists. To that I say that the money has been expended and will be expended on his behalf anyway. And why are these lists not available to other legitimate candidates?

To be sure, it is not 1978. There is no Democrat incumbent. It may be that I and other contrarians will vote for Walker and that he will win in September. If he wins in November, it may just be because insiders in the Democrat party are pulling the same kind of shenanigans as insiders in the Republican Party. It is more likely that victories will be in spite of rather than because of endorsements. And since, in the end, it is the voters who will decide, let us end this potentially harmful practice.