Curmudgeon's Corner

Protest Candidates?

Posted by Al Campbell on June 9, 2011

Political, Wisconsin, Quality of Life

Is a ‘protest candidacy’ the right thing for Republicans to do in the coming recall elections?

I received a telephone call and a letter from the Washington County Republican Party yesterday.  The subject was a ‘protest candidate’ who would be placed in the race against the Democrat opposition in order to force a delay of about a month in the actual general election given the need for a primary election.  This is intended to give the Republican candidate more time to campaign for re-election, while the Democrat would have to focus energy and dollars on the primary race.

The idea is admittedly intriguing since Republicans have found themselves on the receiving end of political trickery; it gave me pause while I thought through this approach.  I have indicated that I am not a member of any political party but I am conservative, so I typically find my favored candidate on the Republican ticket; sometimes, unfortunately, as the lesser of evils.

There is no law against this approach but does this risk a backlash?  Just because an opponent in any contest uses tactics that are unseemly, does that give the other side the right to use similar tactics?  Does the Republican candidate risk voter backlash by the use of this tactic?  Is there no room for seizing the moral high ground in the political arena?  Does a moral victory ring hollow if the election is won by the person who used the unseemly tactics? 

Or, is all fair in love, war and politics?

In the final analysis, I have to come down on the side of not using this tactic even though it might “serve them right”.  These questions always provoke thought and temptation and that is not a bad thing.  I simply come to the conclusion that I don’t believe one side serves itself well over the long haul by using questionable tactics.  There is the fiscal issue of more cost for the taxpayers.  There is, however, the almost certain backlash that will be used over and over again by the opposition because that is a very effective tool.

The GAB process should be thoroughly examined and changes may be found necessary in that whole process.  Unfortunately, when anything is centered in Dane County, there is almost always the undeniable odor of partisan politics even though there is to be none of that involved.  We need to focus on changes that get us beyond that garbage so these kinds of ideas don’t have to be considered.