Today, I’ll be calling Wisconsin Democrats as part of the GOTV effort in the Walker recall election. The GOP understands why this is a crucial win for them. If they can keep Walker in office, the Union leading progressives have no real strength, and the same energy that went into busting collective bargaining, women’s rights, and education, will spread even further. If Walker remains in office, the OWS movement and all other progressive efforts in Wisconsin are dead. Entirely dead. And the biggest consequence of this will be that Obama will most likely not hold onto WI in November, a state he must win if he is to be re-elected.

And the really big deal tomorrow is voter turnout. This is important in any election, but even more so tomorrow as the GOP is all ready to turn out in historic numbers. A loss for Tom Barrett tomorrow means that Democrats stayed home. It is one thing to lose an election because the other side is more popular, and their positions understood as better, but to lose only because the other side turns out more voters is tough to swallow.

I can see why some voters may be poll shy. Much is understood as riding on the election. If a voter turns out and s/he feels like they really tried and they lose, it is devastating. S/he can feel like no matter what, they aren’t enough to make a difference, and that feels scary. Problem is, if many feel this way, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. So the answer is good old fashioned GOTV efforts and nudge as many people to the polls as possible. If you can spare some time, please join me in making some calls.

Comments are closed.