NYC Letter: Political Crow -- Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Day 1,229 of CHOPE
D-minus 227 Days

Nobody remembers the wildly inaccurate predictions of the chattering class and politicos. Most especially the wildly inaccurate predictors themselves (or this).

Prediction.

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
WISCONSIN A "DRY RUN" FOR OBAMA
May 27, 2012 (RCP)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN: If the Republican governor should retain his seat up there, what will it say about the power of unions who have been fighting him and what will it say about putting Wisconsin in play this fall?

REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, I am going there Tuesday to campaign with Mayor Barrett. I think that he has a real opportunity to win. We have put our considerable grassroots resources behind him. All of the Obama for America and state party resources, our grassroots network is fully...

CNN: But are there national implications?

DWS: ... engaged. And -- well, I think what's going to happen is that because of our on-the-ground operation, we have had an opportunity in this election, because especially given that Wisconsin is a battleground state, just like we did in the recall elections a year ago, to give this a test run.

And so what I think the implications will be is that ultimately I think Tom Barrett will pull this out, but regardless it has given the Obama for America operation an opportunity to do...

CNN: Test run it.

DWS: ... the dry run that we need of our massive, significant, dynamic grassroots presidential campaign, which can't really be matched by the Romney campaign or the Republicans because they've ignored on the ground operations.

Result.

Scott Walker wins the recall election by 6.8% and betters his 2010 win by 205K votes.

DNC CHAIR DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ
STATEMENT ABOUT WISCONSIN ELECTION RESULTS
June 6, 2012 (FNC)

Despite the disappointing outcome of tonight’s election, there is no question that over the past year this recall effort sent a message to Scott Walker that his brand of divisive politics is offensive and wrong. Thousands of Wisconsinites mounted this effort in the face of a flood of out of state, secret and corporate special interest money – amounting to a massive $31 million war chest for Governor Walker to just $4 million on our side.

I want to thank Mayor Barrett, our other candidates on the ballot tonight and all the passionate, dedicated individuals on the ground who held conversations with their friends, family, neighbors and co-workers about the stakes of this election. The Badger State’s progressive, grassroots tradition was on full display throughout this election, and it will remain front and center as we continue our important work to move Wisconsin forward for working families across the state as we head toward November.

And as we turn our attention to the fall, we will not cede an inch in Wisconsin to Mitt Romney who has been behind in virtually every single recent poll and who wants to go back to the same failed policies of the past from which Wisconsin is recovering. [Ed.: The policies of Mr. Walker's predecessor, two-term Democrat Governor Jim Doyle.] And while we’re not taking anything for granted, if Mitt Romney thinks he’s going to be the first Republican to win Wisconsin since Ronald Reagan he’s got another thing coming.

We have addressed most of DWS's we-lost-but-are-unbeatable fantasies here. Mr. Obama having abandoned Wisconsin Democrats -- adding insult to injury with fly-overs and two feeble tweets -- suffice it to say if the recall was a dry run for the DNC's "massive, significant, dynamic grassroots presidential campaign" then it is Mr. Obama who may have "another thing coming".

WI RECALL A TEA PARTY VICTORY
By Dana Loesch

June 5, 2012 (BB) - Networks are calling the historic Wisconsin recall for Governor Scott Walker and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch while final vote counts continue to roll in. This victory marks the third time the far left and Big Labor has been defeated at the polls since Obama's inauguration. If ever there was a referendum on public sector unions and the President's idea of how government should work, it was with this election. If ever there was a measure of the muscle of the tea party movement, let it be judged by this election.

The tea party led the way, got out the vote, and raised massive amounts of money for the recall candidates.

... Jimmy Hoffa Jr. said in Detroit: "President Obama, this is your army ... let's take these sons of bitches out."

So much for that.

While Occupiers and union protesters got the ink, the tea party dropped the placards and picked up clipboards, phones, and got out the vote.

Ouch!

EXIT POLL: WISCONSIN
IN PLAY IN NOVEMBER
By Michael Barone

June 6, 2012 (AEI) - The Wisconsin exit poll evidently reported the race for governor in the recall ballot as 50%-50%. With 92% of the vote in, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s excellent website reports the score as 54%-46% Walker. Let’s say that’s the final results: only 13% of precincts from Milwaukee County and 3% of precincts from Madison’s Dane County—the Democrats’ two reservoirs of big majorities—remain uncounted. It has been emblazoned on mainstream media that the exit poll also showed Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney in the state 51%-45%. But if you think the exit poll was 4% too Democratic—and that’s in line with exit poll discrepancies with actual vote results over the last decade, as documented by the exit poll pioneer, the late Warren Mitofsky—that result looks more like 49%-47% Romney. Or assume the remaining Milwaukee County precincts whittle Republican Governor Scott Walker’s margin over Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to 53%-47%, which looks likely, the Obama-Romney numbers would look like 48%-48%.

Double ouch!

CHOPE.

What dry run?