When first made aware of Sen. Herb Kohl’s coming retirement, I, no doubt along with many Wisconsin residents, expressed a common sentiment: Oh yeah, that’s right, Wisconsin has another senator beside the doofus that beat former Sen. Russ Feingold.
Kohl, the state’s senior senator, is wrapping up his tenure after 20 years in the business. But with nearly a quarter century of service in the Senate under his belt, one would expect he’d have done more than serving as a run-of-the-mill liberal Democrat and spending his time as chairman of the Special Committee on Aging … well, aging.
But out with the (very) old, in with the new, right?
First in the running is former two-term Republican congressman and gubernatorial-wannabe Mark Neumann. Although he had a poor showing against Gov. Scott Walker in the 2010 Republican primary, Neumann’s conservative cred is boosted by his track record in Congress.
He echoed Newt Gingrich on opposition to tax increases in the mid-’90s, he’s outspoken in his anti-LGBT, anti-abortion beliefs and has jumped on the balanced budget bandwagon with all the gusto of a seasoned Tea Party patriot. Combine all that with a self-made, small businessman backstory, and he’s the complete package.
Neumann’s also received the backing of Club for Growth, the small government, anti-tax advocacy group. Club for Growth has been attacking another likely candidate for Kohl’s Senate seat, former-Gov. Tommy Thompson, for his tax policies and relatively moderate stances. Oh, and one of Neumann’s former staffers is the executive vice president for the national Club for Growth.
But Tommy, despite what the club would have you believe, has spent time selling himself as a Tea-soaked man of the people.
Thompson toyed with a run against Feingold in 2010, trying to distance himself from the “Obamacare” initiatives he previously supported. Wisconsin’s political scene has changed drastically since then, but I remember vividly the warm reception Thompson received at the Tax Day rally that same year, his jowls flapping like a Gadsden flag as he announced he wouldn’t be seeking Feingold’s seat.
Whether any of that fervor has continued on remains to be seen. Thompson’s dual center-right/far-right personalities will conflict, and he’ll be forced to come down on one side.
But where Thompson may have to rely on moderate nostalgia and whatever conservative elements he can muster to stay afloat, a rising star may be able to draw on the current political atmosphere.
Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, though not officially in the running as of yet, has great potential to garner the support of Wisconsin conservatives of all stripes. And although he may not have the star power of his brother in the state Senate, Scott (think of Jeff as the Emilio Estevez to Scott’s Charlie Sheen), his steadfast support of Gov. Scott Walker’s conservative agenda will no doubt serve him well.
Then, of course, there are the Democrats. After serving half a year as a punching bag on the state level and losing Feingold in 2010, Democrats could stand to get a win. But with Feingold announcing he will not enter the fray to reclaim Wisconsin in the name of all that is good and decent, a serious blow was dealt to Democrats’ collective dreams.
The prospective frontrunner is Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. Her name recognition and track record will help her among liberal voters, but the state’s 2nd Congressional District, including the perpetually blue Dane County, is an entirely different animal than the state as a whole.
Also said to be eyeing the position are U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse and former Rep. Steve Kagen of Appleton. I’ll leave it at that, because that’s all they’ve managed to do.
A lot of the anger across the state concerning Walker and Republicans could translate to a Democratic win. But until Democrats can bring forth some more substantial candidates, particularly one that can appeal to a more moderate set of voters, Republicans appear to be at an advantage.
Jake Begun ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history and journalism.
