Saving Face (In the Budget Battle)

A week ago I posted a rant, titled “Stalemate”, about how I thought the 14 Democrat senators had essentially painted themselves into a corner by decamping to the Land of Lincoln. OK with you if I change my mind a bit on that one?

Most of the recent polls, including those done by right-leaning organizations, show that gradually more and more Cheeseheads are unhappy with Governor Walker’s intransigence and his insistence on dismantling public employee unions. Walker’s numbers are down, and are continuing to fall as more people outside Madison become aware of what’s really going on here.

Outside agitators (no, not Joe the “plumber”) like Michael Moore say the fight to maintain collective bargaining rights for public employee unions is being won, because other Republican governors are now backing away from similar plans to bust the public employee unions. Channeling Charlie Sheen, Jesse Jackson says the Democrat senators are “winning.”

I’m a born-and-raised Wisconsinite, and have lived much of my adult life here. I’ve lived in small, medium, and large communities in this state, and even though it may belie the Germanic steadfastness (read: stubbornness) that permeates much of our common ‘sconnie culture, we don’t like bullheads. And the lefties are apparently succeeding in painting Scott Walker as a bullhead, who refuses to compromise.

Anyone who’s ever been in a successful relationship with another human being has learned that in most conflicts, discussion leads to compromise, which leads to happiness. The protesters are succeeding in painting Governor Walker as a person who will not discuss or compromise.

Here’s the thing, though. If the 14 Democrats (and their supporters) want to “win” this conflict, they have to figure out a way to do it so Scott Walker doesn’t lose too much face. If he thinks he’ll be seen as “caving in”, he won’t budge, because it would further damage, if not destroy whatever’s left of his ability to “lead” the state.

And that’s something politicians have not been very good at for the past couple decades. They’d actually have to work together toward a common goal to end this stalemate, something none of them have demonstrated much ability to do.