In a New York Times op-ed, Governor Scott Walker called on his fellow Republicans to face potential protesters with confidence, using his experiences in Wisconsin as a case study to prove the merits of standing strong in the face of organized opposition.
Recalling the massive demonstrations that followed his proposal of Act 10 in 2011, Walker wrote, “100,000 protesters descended on the Capitol, while others protested at the executive residence and even my house. Despite the intimidation, we stood strong in our fight for taxpayers.”
“It paid off,” he argued, “and today the budget is balanced, taxes are down and more people in the state are working than ever.”
Walker is right to point to his own example.
The organizers who orchestrated impressive protests against him in 2011 forced a recall vote against Walker the following year. Given the energy displayed by his Democratic opposition, the race was expected to be close. Come election day, Republicans throughout Wisconsin wondered how the night would end.
In fact, the only real surprise that night was how easily Walker triumphed over his opponent, earning a nearly seven point margin of victory over Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
Similarly, given another chance to defeat the governor, Democrat Mary Burke lost her bid to thwart Walker’s second term by six points in 2014.
Now, Wisconsin Republicans have 64 seats in the state legislature, marking their largest majority since 1957.
Flashback to 2011 and the images of tens of thousands of protesters swarming Madison did not inspire confidence in the GOP’s ability to maintain control of the state. Yet here we are, and that control has not since shrunken nor plateaued – it has grown.
Walker’s bold agenda actually galvanized conservatives in the state, prompting them to organize and defend their values vigorously against aggressive opposition. His decision to face the protests head on, owning his policies without apology and drawing attention to the disruptive tactics of the Left, drove moderates to support him and conservatives to turn out at the polls.
Running from protests implicitly concedes guilt. Voters interpret it as an admission of wrongdoing. Alternatively, confronting opposition without any shame in your policies, listening earnestly to voters’ concerns and addressing them with clarity and confidence is far more effective. People respond to sincerity, not hysteria and not spin.
Walker’s fellow Wisconsin Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1978, understands that as well as anyone.
“I’d rather have a town hall meeting in a crowded room than one with 12 people,” Sensenbrenner told constituents packed into a meeting held in the 7,000-person city of Delafield just last weekend.
Delafield, the city where I grew up, is a conservative suburb of Milwaukee, located in a county where only about 34 percent of voters cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton last November.
Nevertheless, Sensenbrenner was greeted with a “testy” crowd on Saturday morning. Unlike other lawmakers, however, Sensenbrenner sees town halls as an opportunity.
“These are important to me because I’ll be able to hear what my constituents have to say, but I will also have to explain to somebody who disagrees with me why I am taking the position I am,” he explained to NPR’s Scott Simon shortly before the meeting on Saturday.
“I think having an explanation is a matter of respect when I fall on the other side than someone who is speaking to me would vote and take a position if they occupied the seat that the voters have entrusted to me,” he finished.
That is the attitude that helped Sensenbrenner stay in office for nearly four decades, it is the attitude that swept Scott Walker to victory twice, and it is the attitude that assisted in the creation of a historic majority for Wisconsin state legislators.
Opposition is not defeat, it is an opportunity to earn support.
In his New York Times op-ed, Walker predicted, “Giving states their power back will lead to outrage because liberals will try to defend the enormous size of the federal government.”
“But going big and bold will pay off,” he continued.
Republicans nationwide would be wise to take notes.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
