It’s been almost a year since the s*** hit the fan in Wisconsin, since the state became divided like never before, and since I started blogging about it. At long last, the recall effort against Governor Walker, his deputy, and several Republican senators has ended.
Now we’re waiting for the final tally: Will he be successfully recalled?
If he is, we’ll have the chance to oust him in a new election. And if that happens, a message will be sent across the country and the world: Support unions or you’ll face a political reckoning.
I’ve helped with the recall effort over the last couple of weeks, showing up at my local recall headquarters—there are many around the state—and phone banking. In three-hour shifts, I called lists of recall-friendly people and recruited volunteers. As the effort wound down last week, I made more phone calls urging everyone to get their petitions turned in to the office so they could be counted. They were due last Saturday.
I’ve phone banked before, but this was unique. Almost every call went something like this:
Me: Hello, is Robert available?
Robert: (With thinly-masked suspicion.) This is Robert.
Me: Hi, this is Katie from the Committee to Recall Scott Walker.
Robert: (Suddenly enthusiastic.) Oh, hi! Yes?
Me: I’m just calling to let you know about volunteer opportunities, and to make sure you’ve gotten your petitions turned in.
Robert: Well, I’m actually busy this weekend, but I did get all my petitions turned in. I turned them all in yesterday. Do you have any updates on the numbers?
Me: They haven’t been released yet.
Robert: Boy, do I hope we get him! Thank you for everything you’re doing!
It was exhilarating to be magically transformed from an annoying phone solicitor into a hero. And I had a secret I was bursting to tell: all signs point to success!
I can’t be sure about this, of course. But I deduced this conclusion from a little interaction with the guy in charge of the office.
I was volunteering with United Wisconsin, the “big” recall group that was supported by the Democratic Party, unions, and individuals in Wisconsin and beyond. United Wisconsin concentrated their efforts where they’d be most effective, only sponsoring senate recalls in districts where they had a good chance of winning the elections that would follow the recalls. Other organizations were sponsoring the other recalls in more long-shot areas.
As my organizer was instructing me on my phone calls in the final days of the effort, he told me not to solicit volunteers for any of United Wisconsin’s recall efforts. People could still help, if they wanted, but it wasn’t so urgent—the numbers were looking so good that we were helping out instead with other groups’ recalls.
I gave a little cheer when he said this, realizing what it meant. He gave me a smug little smile.
As someone passionate about political dialogue, I’m pained at how divided the state is. But as someone who also passionately believes Governor Walker and Republicans have behaved badly, I’m very excited to see them face consequences.
So: The results will be announced tomorrow, Tuesday, at 3 pm Wisconsin time. Only two governors have ever been successfully recalled; get ready to watch history in the making!
