We have been keeping track of the many "in-your-face" moments that Scott Walker has delivered to fellow Republican Mark Neumann. They have usually come behind-the-scenes or through unofficial means. The attacks have really come nonstop with the most vicious coming from the most zealous Walker groupies. In light of this continual assault, and the apparent unwillingness of Neumann to fully engage, I have wondered how serious Mark Neumann has really been about his campaign thus far. Taking all of these attacks but not taking advantage of some of the more obvious low-hanging fruit has been curious indeed. I have also wondered about Neumann's motivation because of what appeared to be a lack of (or at least tardy) due diligence regarding research of Walker.Although I have wondered if Neumann actually has the stomach for this fight, more recent indications seem to point to him very slowly gearing up for it. Specifically, I'm referring to some of the following:
- Putting $1 million into his own campaign with rumors of putting in as much as $3million.
- A significant increase in the number of letters to the editor by his supporters.
- A focus on social networking and then taking it for an occasional test drive.
- Supporters contacting the RPW apparently reminding them of their own rules.
- Increasingly using the contrast of a private businessman vs. Walker's limited work history.
- Most recently trying to tie Milwaukee County unemployment figures around Walker's neck.
I certainly can't be the only person noticing an increasingly (and slowly) more aggressive Mark Neumann. One indication that people close to Walker appear to be noticing it, might be the frequency with which the attacks from his campaign operatives anonymous groupies have gone after Neumann recently. They have accused him of everything from buying his Facebook followers to not knowing where Superior is located to alleged improprieties with his campaign finance reporting. I think that the timing and frequency of their hysteria might say something in this context.
Scott Walker has certainly left himself wide open for attacks in many different areas. It appears that Mark Neumann is starting to slip on the gloves with each passing week. But in my mind, the real question is two-fold: Has Neumann waited too long to put them on and is he really ready to use them?
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4 comments:
Compared to Scott Walker running for the last 4-6 years, everyone is just "slipping on their gloves." The primary is a long way away and, if this is any indication,Walker better gear up for a tough fight...Neumann knows how to campaign and I bet he's just getting warmed up
Regardless of what Mark Neumann does at this point, Scott Walker has the support of the majority of the Republican primary voters. If Neumann attacks Walker, I believe there will be a backlash, placing Neumann is a much more difficult position to win the primary.
I still have to wonder what would happen if he dumped a couple million into the primary.
if he could expose Walker's conservative rhetoric vs. actual reality, would any of those primary voters abandon ship? Could Neumann expose Walker as being a phony and create a backlash against Walker?
I think that a conservative blogger had it right when he said that this support for Walker has become a cult of personality more than being based on actual performance or conservative issues. If Neumann isn't planning on aggressively getting that message out, then he surely is toast.
I made the 2nd comment on this post. Cory, I do agree with your assessment. There exists a cult of personality for Scott Walker. He has been re-invented, re-imaged, or whatever you want to call it. Sometimes when people are so stepped in deception, there is little willingness to consider the whole truth. In regards to Mark Neumann, his campaign is been a disaster for the most part. I like a lot of what Mark stands for, but if he cannot run a good campaign, I'm not sure how he can run state government. At the most, I think Neumann will put in another $1 million, not $2 million. If I were advising him, I'd tell him to save his money and put it towards another worthy cause that is not as fruitless.
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