The Unpopular Governor: Jim Doyle
The Unpopular Governor Jim Doyle
By: PAI’s lead political analyst, political.analyst@paxamerica.org
08-03-09
For the past year and a half, conservatives around the state have led efforts to recall Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle for excessive spending and intrusive government intervention in private affairs. Now, with a little over a year left in his term as Governor, those efforts have been suspended. With Governor Doyle’s approval ratings currently in the low 30’s, the group that who sought to remove Doyle from office felt it was no longer a necessity at this juncture. Rather, they are planning to remove him from the ballot if he decides to run again in November of 2010. Doyle has not yet announced whether or not he will seek a third term, but if he does his chances of winning are drastically decreasing. According to the most recent polls, Governor Doyle’s approval rating stands at a meager 33%, in comparison to his disapproval rating which stands at around 60%. Doyle, if he does not take the job as head of the Peace Corps, will have a bitter reelection fight on his hands against one of two formidable Republican candidates: Mark Neumann or Scott Walker.
Doyle has consistently espoused excessive spending, fiscal irresponsibility, intrusive government, and a destruction of individual liberties as evidenced by his overwhelming support for a statewide smoking ban. The advocacy groups, who first brought about the recall efforts, have decided that they will now file a petition during the election to prevent Doyle from being on the ballot. In order to make that a reality, they will need several hundred thousand signatures. At a time when the state deficit is higher than any other time in state history, the last thing the state needs is a Governor who has utterly disregarded fiscal sanity and responsibility. In November of 2010, Wisconsinites will be able to vote for candidates who support individual freedom, fiscal sanity, and making Wisconsin great again. From the research done by this author, it is highly unlikely that Governor Doyle runs for reelection in 2010. If he were running again, he would have been much more cautious in his decision-making. For example, Doyle would not have cut a deal with a Spanish rail company for $47 billion to buy railcars for a high speed railway system that does not yet exist.
Doyle has consistently advocated excessive spending programs at a time when the state cannot afford to do so. If Wisconsin is going to remain on the cusp of innovation, and the envy of the nation, it is essential that voters from this state vote against any candidate who may be a burden to state resources and individual liberty.
