Release The Big Dog, Part 2

Bill Clinton rolled into Milwaukee to go to bat for Tom Barrett in his special recall election to knock out GOP Gov. Scott Walker, and actually the former President delivered one of the better barnburners I've heard him make in recent years.

“And this is what I want to say to you. This is about what’s best for you, and your kids, and your future — but it’s also about America,” said Clinton. “You know, for a hundred years now, people have looked to Wisconsin from all over this country, to see a place of small towns and vibrant cities; to see a place of farmers and factory workers and small business people; to see a place where there were vigorous political debates, closely held elections — and then people got together and figured out what the heck to do.

“And now they look at Wisconsin, and they see America’s battleground between people who want to work together to solve problems, and people who want to divide and conquer — people who know that creative cooperation is working in America, and people who want constant conflict.

“And here’s what I want to tell you. Tom was kind enough to say this in his introduction — I think I know a little bit about what would bring America back, what would bring economic recovery, what would enable us to have broadly shared prosperity. And I’ll tell you, if you go anywhere in America today, believe it or not, there are a lot of places that are already back. And they all have one thing in common. They’re dramatically different, but they all have one thing in common: They are involved in creative cooperation, not constant conflict.”

Here's the entire speech, about 17 minutes, from the Milwaukee Jounal-Sentinel:




Impressive, actually.  Greg Sargent also liked the speech, but wonders out loud if it's too late to make a difference at this stage in the game with the election just 3 days away.

This is a strong articulation of the message Dems hope to close this out on. The basic case Dems have tried to make is that Walker’s experiment has introduced an uncompromising and dictatorial leadership style into the state that’s fundamentally at oddds with its character; that Walker’s preconceived and sharply ideological agenda has torn the state apart; and that only by ending the Walker experiment can Wisconsin reunite and move forward again. That’s why Bill framed the choice on Tuesday as one about Wisconsin’s fundamental identity.

It’s anyone’s guess whether this will be enough to make up for Walker’s seeming lead in the polls. I’ve said before that I’m skeptical that he’ll be recalled. But this race is expected to come down to turnout above all. And Dems are hoping that Clinton’s visit, yesterday’s debate in which Walker was clearly on the defensive, and new revelations in the John Doe investigation will create a sense of momentum for Barrett in the final five days that will motivate core supporters just enough to put him over the top. 

The debate Thursday night was pretty strongly in Barrett's favor.  And the John Doe investigation into Scott Walker's possible campaign finance violations is also heating up.  It could be enough of a boost at the right time to put Barrett over the top, or not.  It's necessary however that the Dems go down swinging, and they certainly are here.