I don’t know, but perhaps Wisconsin doesn’t have such a system. I think most states don’t allow repeals by referendum, and most certainly don’t have recalls.

Also, I’d point out that this was largely pushed by public sector unions, which people sometimes resent because they get rights people in the private sector often don’t get, and certainly don’t have as secure access to. Private sector unions are pretty weak these days, and their jobs have largely been sent overseas.

Finally, a recall vote is just that…a recall vote. It’s convenient to let a replacement be chosen at the same time, but people who might legitimately think Walker is an utter piece of crap might not feel comfortable arbitrarily undoing the results of an election. I think Walker should be fed to coyotes, but even I’m inclined to think the people who voted for him should suffer him – they bought the snake oil, afterall. Either way, I would take this more as preservation of the status quo than a “resounding victory.”

Because the people of Wisconsin, the majority anyway, like Walker and what he’s accomplished and implemented for the state. From my understanding, this is the first time in American history that a recall election didn’t accomplish an actual recall.

@bkcunningham I have to disagree. How is it possible that 20% of the people who voted for Walker can like what he’s accomplished… but are planning to vote for Obama in November… who has accomplished polar opposite things and stands for everything Walker denounces? I think it is much more a situation of people thinking the recall is illegitimate (ie, even though I don’t like the guy, he won fair and square) than a positive endorsement of the law he passed. I mean they had over 100,000 people protesting at the state house in the dead of winter for weeks. We barely broke 10k on one day here in Ohio, and that law was thrown out by a wide majority.

As for the recall, it is the first time a governor has survived a recall election, but in fairness it’s only the 3rd time a recall of a governor has ever happened.

How did he win, @tedd? Twice?

@bkcunningham Well the first time he won in a low voter turnout (something around 50% of the turnout for the 08 presidential)... where the Tea party overwhelmingly turned out nationwide and swept in Republicans.

This second time he won the recall but I’m not sure if you’re missing my point… that 20% of the people who voted for him in the recall (which had a turnout around 60–70% that of the 08 election).... are very clearly ideologically opposed to him. There was also the pretty well stated sentiment by more than a few people that even though they disagreed with the guy they felt it was only fair he served out his term since he won the 2010 election on the up and up. It probably helped a lot of voters turn their back on their own party that Barrett, a widely unsupported candidate, was the competition.

My understanding is, because it wasn’t just one (or two) laws. In addition to the labor issues (which I don’t know much about), he’s done a lot of damage to women’s rights. He repealed the 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which made it easier to sue for sex-based discrimination; he required abstinence-only sex-ed; banned insurances from covering abortion save for a small handful of special cases; enacted a law that outlaws medical abortions (RU-486); eliminated a Medicaid program that provided contraceptives to low-income men and women; eliminated funding for Title V, the only state-funded family planning program (which includes cervical, breast, and prostate cancer screenings); and repealed the requirement that insurances cover contraception.

So, when it’s a whole slew of laws, and not just ones that he enacted but ones that he repealed, ballot referendums seem an awfully complicated way to fix things.

The unions were flexing thier muscles. The voters kicked sand thier face. The exit polls were not representative of the election results so why would you assume they are representative of the Obama/Romney race. I think you’re grasping at straws.

I don’t feel like I can second-guess the political strategists in WI. I know nothing about the state. I wonder what will happen in the next general election, though.

@Jaxk I would guess they are representative of the Obama/Romney race because the question asked in said exit polls was “Who do you plan on voting for in the November presidential election, Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?”

How much more representative can you get than that???

And the only one who flexed their muscle was big business. Frankly we should all be frightened… if they spent this much to win the governorship in Wisconsin, how much will they spend elsewhere? How very little the common mans voice counts for now.

But hey, don’t let me interrupt you celebrating a win for your oligarchs.

@tedd

Nothing can interrupt my celebrating at this point. I see just a tiny bit of sanity re-entering the electorate. Good cause for celebration.

@tedd, would you link the site with the exit poll question for me, please?

[mod says] This is our Question of the Day!

Not enough votes in the legislature. WI cannot repeal a law by referendum , as they can (and did) in my state, Ohio.
Pretty obvious. How does that merit Question of the Day?

@josie It’s timely. I often choose one for its ‘current affairs’ value.