August 30, 2003
Doyle's dilemma
The Badger poll was very bad news for Governor Doyle, but not for the reasons suggested by Republican Party chair Rick Graber. Graber crows that Doyle's veto of the disingenuous tax freeze is the reason for his extraordinarily low poll numbers with 34 percent approving of his performance.
The fact is that Doyle has never consolidated his base. Had he just made that a priority, his approval rating would be close to 50 percent.
Three good people sought the Democratic nomination for governor: Doyle, Kathleen Falk and Tom Barrett. After the primary, Barrett and Falk did what losing candidates are supposed to do--they supported the winner. But Doyle did not return the favor after his narrow victory over the most unpopular governor the state has ever polled--Scott McCallum. (You remember. He was the guy who had a huge boat on his pier but didn't know where it came from, and the one who called local officials "big spenders." And, like Doyle, he never consolidated his party base.)
The first question asked of possible appointees by Doyle's staff? "Did you support Doyle in the primary?" Those who supported Barrett or Falk, with precious few exceptions, were out the door. As one Republican sage put it, "I've never seen such a sore winner." Like it or not, two-thirds of the Democrats who went to the polls last September voted for someone other than Doyle. Like the two they voted for, however, they were ready to get on with the idea of the first Democratic governor in 16 years. Talk about a draught!
But Doyle's palace guard was not. Like George Meany, they wanted to "reward our friends and punish our enemies." Problem is that their "enemies," to misuse Pogo, "are us." The result? He has played more to Republicans than Democrats on the flawed theory that he automatically gets the Democrats while wooing the Republicans.
Progressives have railed against property taxes and corporate loopholes, but Doyle has placed himself in the absurd position of defending higher property taxes--the worst tax of all. Why? Because he boxed himself in on the "no new taxes" pledge on the advice of his campaign consultants. Problem is, higher tuition is a "tax" and he has, by his actions, increased taxes on our students by 18 percent while granting another $45 million annual tax cut for big business.
Time to sniff the coffee. If you want Democrats to get with the program, give them something to get behind other than the elephant.
A thought for the governor. Send your staff to Fighting Bob Fest next Saturday and tell them to take lots of notes. Stop fighting the last election. It's over.
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