Wisconsin Democrats have made a huge announcement in their effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker. They say that in the first 12 days of the petition effort, up through this past Saturday night, they now claim to have collected over 300,000 signatures — more than halfway to the goal that they have 60 days total to meet.
In order to trigger a recall against Walker, the Dems must meet a high bar: Signatures of at least 25 percent of the number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election must be collected in a 60-day window. That means the Dems must get over 540,000 signatures — over 9,000 per day, statewide — plus some significant buffer that campaigns routinely collect in order to protect against signatures being disqualified over one imperfection or another.
But even against that lofty requirement, the Dems are claiming that in the 12 days since the recall launched, they have collected over 1,000 signatures per hour. Put another way, when measured against just the 9,000-per-day requirement, they claim to have taken only 12 days to reach where they had to be at about Day 33.
“Scott Walker has taken to the airwaves, supported by millions in corporate cash, to defend his record of job loss and full-scale assault on Wisconsin’s institutions and values,” said a statement from Meagan Mahaffey, executive director of the recall umbrella group United Wisconsin. “But all over Wisconsin, the people are seeing through Walker’s deceptions and are moving to take our state back.”
The Dems have been searching everywhere for signatures, including a canvass near shopping centers on Black Friday.
Accepting these numbers at face value, this would mean that the Dems are overcoming a key caveat that has had to accompany their earlier signature announcements: That after months of build-up to the recall campaign, there would be an initial rush of people to sign at the first sound of the starting whistle, after which signature collection might significantly slow down. However, these numbers indicate almost no slowdown yet.
Last week, the Dems had announced that in their first four days of the collection effort, they had taken in 105,000 signatures — which would calculate to 26,250 signatures per day. This new announcement implies roughly 195,000 signatures in the next eight days — which calculates to 24,375 signatures per day, a slowdown of only just over 7% from the first four days.
Can they keep up the pace? If so, they would trigger only the third gubernatorial recall election in the nation’s history, following North Dakota in 1921 and California in 2003 — both of which were lost by the incumbents.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
dallasguy87
So, Dguy, what if they collect a cool million, you figure almost half will be bogus?
Read between the lines, essentially this story isn't saying that the recall will reach its goal early, they are saying they might double it by the deadline.
dallasguy87
The actual recall election appears to be inevitable, so the real question is, how many votes will it take to oust him?
Any estimates?
Yea!
I wish the good people of Wisconsin the very best with their recall of the trash that was voted into the governors office. I hope the Dem's and Independents have learned a lesson (as we hoped they have nation wise)that we cannot stay home and not go vote. We are aware of the results of letting the bible thumping religious fanatics and tea bagging lunatics take control. They have reeked havoc on the gerrymandering process at a state level and brought the house to a "do nothing mode". Those of the reactionary political ideology of the Republican party, commonly known as the "Flat Earth Folks" have become total obstructionists. We must recruit every individual that is registered to vote, register as many as we possibly can and turn all out to vote out all bible thumpers and tea baggers in 2012. This is a must for the survival of the nation, and the middle class. In doing so we will send the tea bagging lunatics the way of the Whigs. These people have become obstructionists to economy building, job creation, fair taxation(so the wealthy pay their fair share), wanting to destroy the social safety net program, the individuals right to organize and a women's right to chose. Creationism is the epitome of the Flat Earth Folks thinking processes.
Wonderful news. I cannot wait until Gov Pig Eyes is spotted loading the moving truck at the governors mansion in WI.
Awesome News ! I cannot wait to see Scott Walker RECALL ! ! ! !
Fuck'em Bucky!
There was actually a 4th gubernatorial recall - Arizona, 1988. Enough signatures were collected to recall Evan Mecham that year, with a recall vote scheduled for May 17, 1988. The only reason the recall vote never happened is because Mecham was actually impeached and convicted about 6 weeks before the scheduled vote!
Just might happen again here in Arizona. There is a movement afoot to recall Jan Brewer for her blatant attempt to derail the voters' will in the redistricting process, her racism (SB 1070), and her general cluelessness.
And let's not forget about this little gem either:
Those "Badgers" are giving me hope that democracy can prevail...Scott Walker is pushing my home state (and most of my family) off a cliff. Everyone I know in Wisconsin is working on behalf of the recall. I'm stuck here in Florida with the equally evil Rick Scott. No recall provision in our state so we have to wait for his crimes to catch up with him and put him in jail.
Desperate Floridian Can Skeletor (Rick Scott) be impeached?
Keep going Wisconsin! A recall would be good for Wisconsin, America, and Democracy!
300K! Holy ____! Bye, bye Walker
How about some recalls of more state senators while they're at it?
At least three, maybe four are in the works along side the Gov recall. Including Walker's right hand man in the Senate, Scott Fitzgerald. Red XIV
Heroic effort. Thanks, Wisconsinites.
Some news reporters, bloggers and commentators have mistaken the diminishment of protests in the streets as a diminishment of interest or will. We Wisconsinites may be quieter but we are ever more determined. It's gonna happen. : )
I wanna know when TPM is going to start covering the push by Indiana legislature to make Indiana a Right To Work state come Jan 4th. The GOP's plan is to fast track it before the SuperBowl festivities in Indianapolis. The heat is rising here in Indy. I read a disturbing article in Christian Science Monitor stating unlike Wisconcin & Ohio which are swing states. The national labor movement will not spend $ or send man power to help protest this bill. Based on the fact Indiana is considered a RED State and it's not worth fighting for... As a dues paying union member who protested last year and this pass Thanksgiving weekend on orientation day at statehouse. I find this TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Especially with the atmosphere right now.
The Steel workers were there and we had several hundred protestors. I expect NO DEMAND the Indiana House Dem's walk out again to Illinois accepting the $1000 fines a day. Union members will raise money to offset the fines cost.
How many times have the members of the Koch (pronounced 'kawch' as in 'Mayor Ed Koch' and not 'koke') family been tempted to sign the petition? Don't they have confidence that Walker can defeat a recall vote? Someone should ask the Koch family members to sign the petition.
joe.gould That would be funny but the Kochs don't live here. They can't vote, they can only buy their representation in this state.
joe.gould In fact, the Koch brothers pronounce their name "koke".
bronxsteve Yeah, and Boehner is biner!
NOLAbronxsteve For it to be Biner, it would have to be spelled Beihner.
PLSzymeczekNOLAbronxsteve Original pronunciation would sound like "Birner."
Walker and his thugs have done considerable damage to our great state! We need to do some serious house cleaning!
Let's not forget this little gem....
suebeeyo That was a classic!
I think we can all safely say Walker totally pissed off at least 300,000 Wisconsinites..............
Just deserts.
Scottie boy is toast on a stick and I could not be happier for the social consciousness of the country; Jesus what a lying, sack of fecal matter, heartless bastard, doing the bidding of wealthy heartless bastards.
Make it so.
Whoooooooooa.... they're halfway there....
I am so glad this nasty son of a bitch will be out of office soon. I feel dirty with him being in office and I live in Tennessee.
If the Democrats are smart they will get twice as many signatures as they need because the GOP will do anything and everything to knock people off these petitions. Let's hope they keep collecting until the midnight deadline so that the total is overwhelming.
afblac They have to collect untl the deadline actually. They filed their paperwork to collect signatures for 60 days exactly 60 days before he'd become eligible for a recall effort to take effect. They cannot turn in their signatures until their deadline on purpose and I can assure you they will want to turn in a mountain of proportions equal to what Ohio turned in on the anti-union bill where we needed u-hauls and a carry line to unload 4 times as many signatures as required. The bigger the statement and the more people they can make contact with, the better for the purposes of the recall effort in full.
afblac Petition gatherers always have to get at least 20% additional signatures because many will be discarded as duplicates among other reasons. I have no doubt, they'll get more than enough signatures.
On Wisconsin
Toss the SOB out. He has done nothing but damage any level of government that he has (mis)managed.
Normally, I pay little attention to computer details but I'm wondering, what are those little icons on the bottom right corner of some posts?
fargo117 They show who belongs to the special club. Maybe you can belong someday.
@Flying Squid Squid, people who belong in the 'special' club need 'special' scissors.
fargo117 They don't let us use anything sharp in here.
@Flying Squid Well, damn....maybe its the 'like' function
Flying Squidfargo117 Well, I've read some very sharp wits. :)
'Tis the "like" function. Shows the last few people to like the post.
fargo117 Those are "likes" Every time someone likes what your post....their avatar shows up. Try it on a post you like.
I am pleased as punch. I hope they send Walker packing.
He just cancelled a local showing scheduled for Saturday. Apparently he'll be better off in another town meeting with " Wisconsin National Guard members and their families." Oh such a brave political move, Scoots.
Don't forget that's 540,000 that will withstand verification scrutiny. Do you know how many signatures on petition drives are thrown out because they can't withstand scrutiny?
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