Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, faced off last night in the first of two debates leading up to the June 5 gubernatorial recall election. There weren’t any fireworks, and it’s unlikely that the hour-long debate held on the Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend swayed the polarized Wisconsin electorate. But the debate did reveal why Walker is consistently leading Barrett in the polls.
It’s neither money nor merely superior messaging that’s given Walker the edge, as some have suggested. Both candidates were polished and on message, though the tone and substance of each man’s message was strikingly different. Walker is leading in the polls because he’s winning on the issues. During the debate, Walker touted his polices and their positive results: balanced budgets at the state and local level, decreasing property taxes, positive job growth. “The good news is our reforms are working. It’s why largely our opponents don’t talk about them anymore,” Walker said. Indeed, Barrett didn’t focus on Walker’s policies. He focused on attacking Walker’s character.
