Tuesday, June 5, 2012

I’d Rather Be Us Losing Than Them Winning « Student Activism

I’d Rather Be Us Losing Than Them Winning « Student Activism:


Even if We Lose, We Win.

As I write this, it’s an hour and a half until the voting booths close in Wisconsin for the Walker recall. This week’s polling shows the margin closing, and Twitter rumor says that turnout has been through the roof, but I tend to believe that what we thought was going to happen last month is going to happen tonight: Walker will win in another squeaker.
He outspent Barrett seven-to-one, after all, and had an even bigger margin in soft money, and there are a lot of Republicans in Wisconsin. Not enough to win the state for the presidency, usually, but enough to send Russ Feingold packing. It’s not a deep blue state. The polls have mostly showed Walker up 3-5 points, and polls don’t usually lie.
So I think the good guys are going to lose this one. I hope I’m wrong, but that’s what I think.
And here’s what I want to tell you if I’m not wrong. Folks are going to say this is a disaster for progressives, and for unions, and for grass-roots Dems, and for politically engaged students.
To hell with them.
The weird alchemy of electoral politics and horserace reporting says that 50.01 is more just than 49.99 (and —