Rebuked In “America’s Battleground”

Gov. Scott Walker’s Win A “Leading Indicator” For Wisconsin’s Outcome This November

TONIGHT, GOV. SCOTT WALKER DEFEATED DEMOCRAT TOM BARRETT IN WISCONSIN’S CLOSELY WATCHED RECALL ELECTION

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) Defeated Mayor Tom Barrett (D-WI) In Wisconsin’s Failed Recall Election. (“Breaking: Walker Wins Wisconsin Recall, CNN Projects,” CNN’s Political Ticker, 6/5/12)

DEMOCRATS DEFEATED AMID THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN’S “DRY RUN” FOR NOVEMBER’S ELECTION

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): “We Clearly Have A Lot At Stake Here In Wisconsin.” (Bill Glauber and Patrick Marley, “DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz Said National Party Backs Recall,” Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel, 5/30/12)

• Wasserman Schultz: The Wisconsin Election Will Be “The Dry Run We Need” Of Our Grassroots Presidential Campaign. CROWLEY: “But are there national implications?” REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: “Well, I think what’s going to happen is because of our on the ground operation we have had an opportunity in this election, especially given that Wisconsin’s 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’s given the Obama For America operation an opportunity to do –.” CROWLEY: “Test run it.” REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: “–the dry run 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.” (CNN, State Of The Union, 5/27/12)

Wasserman Schultz: Wisconsin Recall Had “The Full Engagement And Activity Of The Obama For America Staff And Volunteers On The Ground .” REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: “Well actually there has been a significant amount of resources put in from the Democratic Party, and from our considerable ground operation through the full engagement and activity of the Obama for America staff and volunteers on the ground. We’ve, over the course of the cycle, Andrea, put in over $1.5 million into Wisconsin to try to A.) to make sure the recall actually got on the ballot, and we were involved with our folks on the ground helping the volunteers and the Wisconsinites who have been really standing up for the workers and the middle class families that Scott Walker essentially ran over when he was elected governor.” (MSNBC’s, “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” 6/4/12)

Wasserman Schultz: The DNC Is “Putting All Of Our Effort Into This Fight.” “Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz told 75 Democratic Party supporters Wednesday that the national party was ‘putting all of our effort into this fight’ to help Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett topple Gov. Scott Walker in Tuesday’s recall election.” (Bill Glauber, Patrick Marley, “DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz Said National Party Backs Recall,”Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel, 5/30/12)

WISCONSIN RESULTS A “LEADING INDICATOR” OF THE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN NOVEMBER

BuzzFeed : Winner Of Recall Election To “Hold The Advantage” In Wisconsin In November. “And whoever wins could hold the advantage in November in a state President Barack Obama won handily in 2008, but which appears to have swung right over a difficult and volatile four years. The winner next Tuesday will have both momentum and a friendly chief executive in the statehouse, and both Mitt Romney’s and Obama’s campaigns are looking to convert the Walker and anti-Walker organizations into turnkey campaigns in what could be an unexpected toss-up state.” (Zeke Miller, Rosie Gray, “Wisconsin Recall Shapes Up As ‘Dry Run’ For November Election,” BuzzFeed, 5/30/12)

• BuzzFeed: “Wisconsin Recall Shapes Up As ‘Dry Run’ For November Election” (Zeke Miller, Rosie Gray, “Wisconsin Recall Shapes Up As ‘Dry Run’ For November Election,” BuzzFeed, 5/30/12)

The Washington Post’s The Fix: “For Both National Parties, The Race Is Being Cast As A Leading Indicator Of Which Way This Swing State Leans Heading Into The Fall.”(Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake, “Wisconsin Recall: Scott Walker Enters Final Week With Edge,” The Washington Post’s The Fix , 5/29/12)

CNN: “Wisconsin’s Still A National Fight.” “Walker and Barrett will face-off in a June 5 election, the culmination of a two year fight over collective bargaining rights for public employee unions. Both parties have cast the debate as a larger referendum on the role of government and polices supported by both parties.” (“Wisconsin’s Still A National Fight,”CNN’s Political Ticker, 5/29/12)

Roll Call: “Wisconsin Recall Vote Becomes Microcosm Of National Election” (Eliza Newlin Carney, “Wisconsin Recall Vote Becomes Microcosm Of National Election,” Roll Call, 6/4/12)

The New York Times: “Recall Battle In Wisconsin May Snarl Obama Camp” (Jeff Zeleny, “Recall Battle In Wisconsin May Snarl Obama Camp,” The New York Times, 6/3/12)

Campaigning For Barrett, Former President Bill Clinton Called The Election “America’s Battleground”

Former President Bill Clinton: Wisconsin’s Election “America’s Battleground.”PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON:“And now they look at Wisconsin and they see America’s battleground between people who want to work together to solve problems and people who want to divide and conquer.” (President Clinton, Remarks At A Barrett For Governor Campaign Event, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 6/1/12)

AND TEAM OBAMA NOW CONCEDES A STATE OBAMA WON BY DOUBLE DIGITS IN 2008 IS A TOSS UP

On The Eve Of The Recall Election, The Obama Campaign Began For “The First Time … Officially Calling The State, Which Had Always Been Expected To Be In The Democratic Column In The Presidential Race, A Toss Up.” “This appears to be the first time that Democrats are officially calling the state, which had always been expected to be in the Democratic column in the presidential race, a toss up. Democrats are probably wise to make the call ahead of tomorrow’s recall vote, in which Republican Gov. Scott Walker is favored to win. It helps pre-spin what will be the narrative coming out of a Walker victory, which is that Republicans have the grassroots momentum in the state heading into November.” (Maggie Haberman, “Obama Camp Calls Wisconsin A Toss-Up For The Fall,”Politico, 6/4/12)

Wisconsin Democrat Chairman Mike Tate: “We Are Tremendously Polarized. … We’re Going To Remain A Very Competitive State Heading Into The Fall.” (Jeff Zeleny, “Recall Battle In Wisconsin May Snarl Obama Camp,” The New York Times, 6/3/12)

In 2008, Obama Won Wisconsin By 13 Percentage Points, 56 Percent To 43 Percent.(CNN, Accessed 6/5/12)