I've been wondering this for months, but this morning's article from Real Clear Politics sort of drove the whole point home.
You sure you want to crow about having ten volunteers in your office making calls on a weekend the month before an election?
Feingold, of course, faces a number of logistical issues. The guy's been in Washington a little too long for that shake-em-up outsider image to carry him. Ron Johnson's ability and willingness to self-fund means that Feingold is probably going to get outspent, but not by so much that he can try to dress himself up as the cutesy underdog a la 1992.
And instead of finding a new approach, we seem to be getting a tired, three-term incumbent who's made peace with cashing out the chips and exploring other options.
This isn't to say Feingold hasn't got some potential weapons. People hate frauds, and when it comes to Ron Johnson's claim of being self-made, that's about as fraudulent as it gets. Johnson earned his money the old-fashioned way - he married into it and let his father-in-law set everything up for him. Those are the kinds of candidates that mainstream voters are inclined to hate (John Kerry, anyone?). But you can't hurt Johnson if you're not willing to throw the punches.
So is Feingold going to fight in the next month? Or is he content to put up a token effort and ride off into the sunset an eight-point loser?
Feingold spokesman John Kraus dismissed the lack of visibility on State Street on Sunday afternoon, explaining that it was anathema in the Badger State to campaign during Green Bay Packers games. Feingold was in Green Bay on Sunday, instead, for a tailgating rally with steelworkers.
Kraus said the Feingold campaign's Madison efforts for the day included volunteer recruitment calls and "Get Out The Vote" preparation.
He added that 18 canvassers knocked on 481 doors in Madison, Fitchburg, Stoughton and Cottage Grove; 10 people made 553 persuasion calls; and staffers handed out about 50 yard signs.
You sure you want to crow about having ten volunteers in your office making calls on a weekend the month before an election?
Feingold, of course, faces a number of logistical issues. The guy's been in Washington a little too long for that shake-em-up outsider image to carry him. Ron Johnson's ability and willingness to self-fund means that Feingold is probably going to get outspent, but not by so much that he can try to dress himself up as the cutesy underdog a la 1992.
And instead of finding a new approach, we seem to be getting a tired, three-term incumbent who's made peace with cashing out the chips and exploring other options.
This isn't to say Feingold hasn't got some potential weapons. People hate frauds, and when it comes to Ron Johnson's claim of being self-made, that's about as fraudulent as it gets. Johnson earned his money the old-fashioned way - he married into it and let his father-in-law set everything up for him. Those are the kinds of candidates that mainstream voters are inclined to hate (John Kerry, anyone?). But you can't hurt Johnson if you're not willing to throw the punches.
So is Feingold going to fight in the next month? Or is he content to put up a token effort and ride off into the sunset an eight-point loser?
3 comments:
If Johnson wins in 2010, but Herb Kohl retires in 2012, I wonder if Feingold will try to make a comeback then. If the national mood has shifted by 2012, I think he would have a good shot. At least as good a shot as what Frank Lasee is trying to pull off, but probably Feingold has an even better shot at a comeback.
He wouldn't be the first person to lose in a wave election and then come back two years later, although most of those people were in the House.
So the Real Clear Politics reporters walked up State street on a Sunday during the Packers game and the Harvestfest and were surprised to find no political operatives working State Street for Feingold? At a time when Russ himself was in Green Bay working the Lambeau parking lot?
Here's a better assignment: find Ron Johnson anywhere public.
While watching the NBC Nightly News piece on the Senate race I found it telling that Ron Johnson is riding around in a large SUV as his campaign "bus", while "Mr.Lunch" Scott Walker is riding around the state in a fully loaded huge Extreme Makeover Home Edition tour bus. One is lean and mean,ready to move, while the other is ill-equipped, bloated and hoping that you still think it can go up the hill with running out of gas.
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