After Scott Walker turned around Wisconsin’s sizeable debt, making a 180 of their $3.6 billion deficit towards a $150 surplus, many have been stung by what they call his draconian methods, such as the funds he cut from interest groups — most of which were of the opposing Democratic party. Now Wisconsin is due this Tuesday to make a recall vote, to see if Walker should keep his office as governor, or whether Democratic challenger Tom Barrett should take over.
Obama weighed in — with whatever weight a tweet holds — saying “It’s Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow, and I’m standing by Tom Barrett. He’d make an outstanding governor. -bo.”
GOP chief Reince Priebus tweeted in response: “A bold tweet from the President who wouldn’t actually campaign with him or step foot in Wisconsin.”
Nor did Romney visit Wisconsin, campaigning instead in Fort Worth, Texas, about “Obama’s hostility to job creators.”
So does the Wisconsin recall even matter to the rest of the country? Greatly. First of all, the voters will decide what they feel about the fiscal budget. The nation has gone over $6 trillion further into the red these last four years — never has the nation so drastically indebted itself — and we are now setting our attitude towards what we believe we should do about the mammoth fiscal deficit. Do we believe sacrifices should be made, and that we should stop living at the expense of the future, or are we okay leading the debt mount and mount for our own comfort and security? And if we are to reduce the debt, should we adapt as drastic measures as Walker?
Not only will the Wisconsin election reverberate with our national attitude towards debt, it may influence how Obama and Romney are voted on in that state. With Walker, the state may go Romney — though it typically votes Democrat. Though there are elections being held in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota on Tuesday, Wisconsin’s is the most crucial.