From Wisconsin Truth Project-Walker Backers Scapegoating Neumann for their Own Sloppiness

Wisconsin Truth Project-Walker Backers Scapegoating Neumann for their Own Sloppiness



Walker Backers Scapegoating Neumann for their Own Sloppiness

May 20, 2010 by Flavius Valerius Constantinus

I fully acknowledge that, even though I’ve been trying to maintain some semblance of neutrality in the GOP race for governor, I am looking more and more like an unapologetic Neumann backer.  I get that.

I also get that Scott Walker is still the prohibitive favorite to win the GOP nomination on September 14 – for now.

What I don’t get is the Walker campaign’s shameful sloppiness as Mark Neumann turns up the heat.  First it was a long-time Walker associate and well-connected corporate lawyer getting busted with his hands in the cookie jar over at my favorite blog, www.Scott4Gov.com.

Then it was Darlene Wink, a staffer in Walker’s official Milwaukee County Executive Office, campaigning on the taxpayer’s dime – posting swooning pro-Walker comments on news websites.  (Some are now speculating that Wink doubles as Mom4Scott on Scott4Gov, which may explain its going dark for the better part of a week.)

Then there was Walker’s humiliating and potentially catastrophic flip-flop on the Arizona immigration law.  This issue alone is ripe for a post of its own.  With immigration still a nuclear issue in the GOP base, Walker’s gaffe is a potential game changer that sows the type of doubt amongst Republican faithful that may bring Neumann into the race to stay.  These people all remember Neumann as a man of his word, and Walker’s egregious error plays right into Neumann’s strength.

All of these things are glaring signs of a flagging Walker campaign plagued by poor staff work, careless mistakes, a lack of team discipline and a brewing paranoia about Neumann’s candidacy and Greater Wisconsin Committee’s attack ads.

All of these things point to a Walker campaign that is almost certain to lose – if not in September, certainly in November.

That means Walker’s supporters are already setting the table for a massive “Blame Mark Neumann” campaign in the event Walker is not the next governor.  Actually, they’ve been doing this for a year.  I just haven’t had the chance to point it out until tonight.

Consider the following comments offered recently by some of the deeper-thinking Walker supporters.

On Neumann’s YouTube page, poster “Blockygraphics”, presumably a Walker supporter, offers the following:

    Mark Neumann will be lucky to get another republican to get him a job mopping floors.

    Neumann, you are a jackass. Attack Barrett, not Walker you miserable hack. If Walker suffers in the 2012 because of your stupidity, most will never forget it.

On Charlie Sykes’ blog, poster Dan B. wrote:

    If Walker loses to Barrett in the general election, it will be totally Neumann’s fault.

I could find a ton of other examples from the blogosphere but I don’t feel like it and you get the point anyway.  Walker’s people are setting Neumann up to take the fall when Walker loses.

Based on the recent performance of Walker’s campaign, however, the only people he should blame are currently receiving a paycheck from him.

Walker is currently being fire tested – and he is failing miserably.  This should not give confidence to any conservative activist hoping to return the governor’s office to a Republican this year.  Walker needs to shake up his team Cheney-time ASAP if he wants to end the mistakes, get his mojo back  and put himself back into the driver’s seat.