It has been almost impossible these past few weeks not to stumble upon the casual congregations of Scott Walker recall supporters vying for the signatures needed to begin the gubernatorial recall process. There is almost no doubt that, amidst all of the political turmoil and anger plaguing the streets of Madison and other parts of the state, that supporters will probably obtain the 540,208 signatures needed for step one in their effort to oust the governor from office. Yet, admittedly, Walker opponents are in need of a strong, well-rounded and more moderate candidate. Such a candidate should hold stances on social and economic issues that counteract what many would label as the "ultra-reactionary" ideas of Walker's administration.
The major blow to the recall process came with the realization that three-term U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced that he would stay out of the race. Feingold is extremely popular, and his political experience and intelligence are hard to beat. His policies and ideologies are systematically nearly polar-opposites of Walker's all across the board.
Yet, if the last several weeks have displayed anything, many will point to both Kathleen Falk and Mahlon Mitchell as two potential serious challengers to Walker.
Falk, having run for the gubernatorial office before, has extensive experience as both County Executive and Assistant Attorney General and has actively participated in the early stages of the recall process, making her a possible candidate. In her resignation letter last year, Falk referred to her "progressive" policies. Yet, Falk is much more of a liberal than she might want to admit. She has an extensive record with environmental policies, launched programs, including those such as Pathfinders, that some may argue border upon pork, championed human service policies, fought against poverty and worked on preventing the expansion of urban sprawl. Don't get me wrong: I agree with the majority of these programs and ideas. However, having lost in a previous gubernatorial run and a run for Wisconsin Attorney General, Falk will hypothetically have a difficult time trying to appeal to the mass majority of Wisconsin residents that live outside of the more liberal counties of the state.
Surprisingly, Mahlon Mitchell, the current president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, has taken an equally active role in the recall. He has staged rallies supporting workers' rights and has marched with recall supporters in the past several weeks as the paperwork to initiate the recall effort began being filed. It is hard to disagree with, at least on the surface, a populist candidate who argues that citizens are tired of haphazard politicians who fail to come through on their campaign promises. While it may be good to an extent that Mitchell has no political experience (the outsider effect can sometimes help), it is not a good idea for a union leader to be governor of the state, no matter how upset Wisconsin citizens may be with the state's collective bargaining fiasco.
United Wisconsin announced last week that they have obtained over 300,00 signatures in two weeks, and recall supporters have nearly a month and half to collect the more than 200,000 remaining signatures. While it is mildly unsettling that some individuals are randomly signing recall petitions without any true knowledge of the scope and magnitude of the issues at hand, Walker opponents must find a solid candidate who does not possess any radical tendencies, a candidate whose more moderate-leaning stances on economic and social issues can counteract what many would label as the "ultra-reactionary" ideas of Walker's administration. Only then will the recall supporters and Democrats have a real chance at putting what they believe will be an end to Walker's policies.
Ethan Safran is a freshman with an undeclared major. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
