Weren’t we supposed to be on TV by now?
Imagine you’re the Democrat(ic) party establishment’s favorite candidate for governor. Fresh off endorsements from two former rivals who have quit the race — one of them the sitting Milwaukee County executive. In a straw poll, you were the favorite among state convention delegates — the party insiders who knock on doors and post yard signs. You’ve just announced a $1 million ad buy to cement your case against your two most serious competitors — both of whom orbit somewhere left of Pluto.
You furiously work the TV remote but see only plaque psoriasis ads on the flat screen. “Where is my $1 million TV ad buy? I’m not seeing it,” you ask your trusted campaign manager.
You are the Democrat(ic) Party of Wisconsin’s great white hope, the hispanic-only-by-marriage Sara Rodriguez, the current lieutenant governor. Antidote to the anti-cop “they/them” crazies who crashed and burned your party in the Kamala/Tim Walz disaster.
You go before the cameras and admit you were flat-out bamboozled. Maybe worse than the brain washing George Romney admitted to those many elections ago. Your most important campaign hire, your campaign manager, someone who had worked with you for six years, had cooked the books. Or so you say. We have not heard from the discharged campaign manager, Kara Spencer, who was hired, ironically (according to excellent reporting in The Capital Times) for her expertise in election campaign compliance.
“I am hurt, angry and deeply disappointed by someone I trusted to run my campaign.” — Sara Rodriquez, Democrat(ic) candidate for WI governor
→ The July 2-4 Wedgewood poll shows Hong leading with 30% of the Democrat(ic) vote; Barnes at 28%; and Rodriguez at 19%; with Brennan, Roys, and Undecided (undifferentiated) at 23%.
Money talks, money votes
Turns out the legally required campaign finance report double booked (verb, transitive) the same contributions some 900 times, according to an analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Campaign expenditures were under-reported.
There’s no one million dollars sitting in the account. More like $200,000. Democrats are just not willing to put their money where Sara Rodriquez is. Which can only help the two Left of Left candidates already leading in public opinion polls: Francesca Hong, a pro-Hamas (an exaggeration, but not by much), defund-the-police socialist, and Mandela Barnes, an empty suit who lost what Democrats believe was a winnable race despite spending $2 million against Ron Johnson four years ago.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Rodriguez’ crash and burn is an even bigger help to likely Republican nominee Tom Tiffany. Don’t we always say, better lucky than good? Meanwhile, the state Republican party is transferring $6 million to the Tiffany campaign.
The question is whether the campaign manager is liable for criminal prosecution in addition to the titular treasurer (one Jacqueline Boynton), whose signature is the only one required on the filing?
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