Wisconsin voters support the Democrats over Republican governor Scott Walker by eight points and the unions over Walker by 15 points, according to a new Rasmussen poll:
Among those asked about weakening collective bargaining rights, 56% supported the union and 41% supported the Governor. There is a similar age dynamic on this question, even though the overall level of support for the Governor is lower.
Per the poll results, voters are more supportive of a pay cut for state workers to decrease the budget deficit than not, but there’s a majority of opposition to “weakening collective bargaining” for unions:
Public Policy Polling found similar results to Rasmussen regarding Scott Walker’s support.
Rasmussen notes how the presentation of the question, as a measure of fiscal responsibility or as one of union reform, largely alters public perception of Walker’s budget legislation, a fact that some other polls conveniently ignore. The results here, though, reinforce the challenge Walker and Wisconsin Republicans have in selling their tough reforms to the voters. In the governor’s view, public-sector union reform is critical for getting Wisconsin’s fiscal house in order, and the ability for state employees to collectively bargain on their pensions and benefits impedes local governments from implementing more cost effective alternatives. And as Daniel DiSalvo notes, there are huge costs to public-sector unionization, hidden and unhidden.
Wisconsin Republicans seem to recognize the political risk and say they will push ahead anyway because it’s the “right thing to do,” as state senator Randy Hopper told THE WEEKLY STANDARD. What’s left for Walker, then, is to bring the Wisconsin public around to his way of thinking. As this latest polling shows, it won’t be easy, and it may be a fight Walker is losing in Wisconsin.
