Walker raises $2.5 million in first half of year

[a kennedy]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Gov. Scott Walker raked in the cash during the first six months of the year.

A report filed Tuesday shows he raised $2.5 million during that time, which included massive protests and national attention over his anti-union proposal. Democrats have also said recalling him from office next year will be a priority.

Petitions to force a recall election against Walker can't be turned in until Jan. 3, 2012, a year after he's been in office.

The state Republican Party touted Walker's fundraising figures, saying he received more than 30,000 donations during the time with 80 percent of them being for $50 or less.

Walker reported spending $1 million and having $1.8 million cash on hand at the end of June.

http://www.news8000.com/news/Walker-raises-2-5-million-in-first-half-of-year/-/326/175668/-/12xfc2qz/-/index.html


D*mn.....from outside Wisconsin???

[elocs]

1. See my earlier thread on this in GD:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1525384

This is not going to be easy because Walker will have a huge war chest and we don't even have a candidate yet.

[a kennedy]

2. Ok, and sorry for double posting.

thanks.

[elocs]

No, we posted in different forums. I picked GD because more people will see it.

There might be those who mostly check the WI forum that might have missed it.

[elocs]

3. No, we posted in different forums. I picked GD because more people will see it.

There might be those who mostly check the WI forum that might have missed it.

[sybylla]

5. It's not the size of the tool that matters but what you do with it, as they say.

How often do Dems have more money than pukes? Not very often.

On the other hand we have a lot of things on our side, the bulk of which is neocon hubris and incompetence. Neither seem to be going away anytime soon.

These legislative recalls are starting to prove that and the fact that a solid message and unfailing motivation will see us further than any neocon bank account.

Besides, the report said Walker spent $1 mil in the first half of the year. What's it bought him? Bad poll numbers, a half-empty bank account and, in three weeks, a Democratic Assembly.

:evilgrin: THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

[elocs]

6. I wouldn't get too cocky too soon. This will not be a slam dunk, it will be tough.

We haven't even won the senate recall elections yet.

In gathering signatures to recall Walker Democrats had better damn well make sure it is exactly by the books and that every 'i' is dotted and every 't' crossed. Also know that there will be a primary against our unknown challenger to Walker, our unknown candidate who has not yet raised any money.

I was in Madison with the tens and tens of thousands of people. I heard the "This is what democracy looks like" cry over and over. To be honest, I bet that the Republicans who bothered to show up at the polls and vote last November thought what they were doing was what democracy looks like as well. If Democrats had bothered to do the same we would not be in this situation now.

[sybylla]

8. Our unknown challenger who hasn't raised money?

I can't tell you all the names of candidates interested in running for Gov that I've heard tossed around, and each of them either already has money in the bank for a state race, Fed money they can use (for precedent, see Mark Green), and/or the connections and support to fill the coffers in a hurry.

What you didn't notice in the reports filed yesterday was the fact that the Dem party has raised more money in the first half of this year than they raised the previous three-four years total (making Walker's numbers look pretty weak). That's a lot of money to build a movement on, to gather volunteers, to open offices and hire staff, to begin messaging and softening up Walker even more. If you think everyone's just sitting around waiting for the day we can start collecting signatures, you're not paying attention.

While you're busy gathering the clouds over the imminent end of the world, remember the kochroaches spent plenty of money on the recall primaries. Then compare their turnout to a regular election and remember that it's the middle of summer when few people have their minds on elections. That makes their turnout numbers fairly pitiful. But it also will probably prove in most of these recall districts to be the most voters either party will be able to wring out in the middle of a beautiful summer. In some places, if the Dems only turn out in August all those who voted last week, the kochroaches still need to double their turnout to win. Is it possible? Sure. Which is why everyone I know is still working their tail off instead of sitting at home waiting for the world to end.

It's not being "cocky" to suggest there are plenty of reasons to stop pissing on the recall parade. All this fucking doom and gloom isn't taking in the whole picture while it distracts from what's been done and what needs to be done. I see no good reason to suck out all the hope, convincing some who might otherwise help that they should invest their precious free time and spare cash elsewhere.

I've seen it happen. You apparently have too, as you lament that Dems didn't turn out last November and then spend your time here inadvertently persuading them there's no reason to turn out for the recalls either simply because Walker has raised what looks like a fairly sad bit of money compared to what he's done for his puppetmasters in the past six months.

But I'm betting that's not what you intended. I'm betting we're both on the same page when it comes to how we ought to proceed - with hard work, commitment, and everything we can throw at the mo-fos.

I realize this has been a roller-coaster year for politics, that tensions are high while we watch the world we know being torn apart. We all have days when we wonder whether we can go on. That's precisely why we need to take care how we frame our posts for the next year, lest we spread the dangerous and highly contagious disease of doom and gloom.


edited for clarity.

[elocs]

9. You had better re-edit for clarity because I don't know what you are talking about

and you don't know me or have a clue as to what I think or intend. I am not "busy gathering the clouds over the imminent end of the world" so I'll call bullshit on that one right away.

I'm saying this is all going to be hard work and not a slam dunk. I'm saying that people should not take this recall, any of the recalls for granted and turn out and vote in each and every one of them. That's not doom and gloom or pissing on the recall parade, but simple reality.

A Walker recall is still at least a half year away and that's a long time for people to maintain a high level of passion and intensity. The Republicans have a candidate, a name: Walker. We have: a candidate to be named later. I'll be happier when we have an announced candidate with a name.

Meanwhile here in La Crosse I am doing what I can to help elect Jennifer Shilling and defeat Kapanke. My 19 year old goddaughter is even pounding the pavement going door to door in this horribly hot weather to get out the vote for Shilling. So even though it is very likely we will beat Kapanke here I am not cocky about it and taking it for granted and I know that people still have to turn out and actually vote to get the job done.

[sybylla]

11. If you need to think we're a half-mile behind on a 1-mile race

to stay motivated and keep working for Jen Shilling or anyone else, cool. That's good for you. A glass half-empty kind of perspective works for some people. SOME people.

What I'm asking is that, while I appreciate a fact-based and rational examination of the row we all have to hoe, bitching about how long it is, how spindly our seedlings are, how much better the other guy's row looks or making our row out to be longer than it actually is, only makes a lot of people on our side want to walk away. Maybe join a community organization that actually gets things done. Maybe spend that $25 they thought about giving to the cause on a couple of steaks to throw on the grill instead.

So let's agree to take care with the language we use and avoid speculations on both ends of the doom-rapture scale.

For the record, I wasn't the one who started making "cocky" assumptions about a post that merely pointed out the fallacy in assuming we're behind in fundraising based on Walker's CF report and, additionally, that being behind in fundraising must necessarily put us behind in campaigning.

Is that clear enough?

[TheMightyFavog]

10. That's right. We got lucky with Hansen.

We were fortunate that John Nygren did not have enough signatures to force a GOP primary, leaving the Republicans with a candidate so toxic that not even the Koch groups, or WMC would touch him with a 10 meter pole. Even the state GOP kept their distance. Hell, a lot of Republicans actually stayed home because they did not want to vote for someone like Vanderleest. Had Hansen been running against a guy like Nygren, he would have had WMC and Koch Brothers help all the way, and this recall would have been much closer, if not a loss for Hansen.

[elocs]

7. Dupe. For some reason I am getting real double postings tonight. n/t

[tinwi]

12. Where is Feingold?

I thought he was considering

[Yon_Yonson]

4. This recall has to be grass root

I want to see a massive steamroller of Wisconsinites flattening Herr Walker and his greenback. Let these NEOCONS waste their money on this looser because I’m ready for a fight. We have the unions, WISDEMS and freedom loving peoples ready to get this bum out of office!

[HelenWheels]

13. Big Whoop

So if I am figuring correctly Walker got less than $15,000 in small donations. I'd like to know how many BIG donations he got.

[Yon_Yonson]

14. It’s all about numbers

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--46G9H4mhn4/TWz-fCVNetI/AAAAAAAACx0/UQ4BcQurvHc/s1600/markstein+walker+numbers.gif

:rofl: