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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Political debates with more than two or three candidates are useless. A cattle call debate usually involves the participants speaking over each other, and not enough time to make intelligent points. The debates often degenerate into silly “raise your hand if…” questions or shouting matches.
Yet the democrats running for governor in Wisconsin, all 7 of them, will appear on a debate stage on July 28. That’s two wees before their primary, and the first day of early voting.
You probably can’t name them all, but here they are – and my assessment of their political chances:
State Rep Francesca Hong; the most liberal of the candidates, but lately the news about her has been negative – $30,000 in credit card debt that was mysteriously paid off, and her “vision” of a society without jails and without armed police. Internal Republican polling suggests she will win the primary and will be a Zohran Mandhami-like candidate for the political left.
Mandela Barnes; former lieutenant governor and the narrow loser in the last U.S. Senate race to Ron Johnson. He has money and name recognition – he is also one of the more electable democrats in the race. He doesn’t talk much about his early defund-the-police and black lives matter support. In this contest he also has competition to his political left. It’s the race of his life; if he doesn’t get the dems nomination for governor, his political career is likely over.
State Senator Kelda Roys; the most liberal member of the state senate, but she’s been out-leftied by Francesca Hong. The loony-left wing of the party sees no reason to settle for her.
David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive. He’s known in the state’s biggest and most liberal city but is unknown in other parts of the state. If he wins the democratic party nomination, he still has to introduce himself to voters across Wisconsin.
Sara Rodriguez, the current lieutenant governor, is an unknown and is being crippled because Tony Evers won’t endorse her.
Joel Brennan, he served as the head of Governor Ever’s Department of Administration. He’s an old school democrat; probably the most normal, most electable candidate in the race. And that’s why he has no chance of winning.
Missy Hughes; who? Former head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. No chance of being the nominee.
The problem for all 7 candidates is that liberal democrats will settle for nothing less than a liberal socialist in the August 11th primary. The problem for whoever wins will be to convince voters to forget everything they said in the debate, and appear to be normal in the three months until the general election. It will be a difficult magic act to pull off.
Chris Conley
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