Mark Neumann's money is a big problem for Republicans. It wouldn't be if Scott Walker didn't exist, but he not only exists, but is the endorsed candidate of the Grand Ol' Party. The only way Neumann's money will make a difference in this race is if it is used to destroy Walker first. The money he can pour into the race for ads, specifically negative ads against Walker, could leave whatever candidate prevails battered and bloodied before he even gets a shot at Tom Barrett.
But according to Jeremy Shown, Mark Neumann may not have to spend all that money if Scott Walker's own supporters keep doing all the damage for him.
First it was the ridiculous spectacle of the Scott for Gov blog.
Then it was the Jim Klauser open letter asking opponent Mark Neumann to return campaign contributions because of a perceived negative campaign against Walker. Mr. Klauser, I'm sorry that I wasn't around for your Thompson glory days, I was foolish enough to move to Wisconsin right before we embarked on Doyle train to nowhere, but the fact that you were for Neumann before you were against him makes you less than a credible source.
Now it's the campaign against liberal blogger Capper. A campaign that has escaped the blogosphere and spilled over in to the real world.....The fact of the matter is that if you have to resort to having the civil magistrate confiscate the computer of your rhetorical opponents, you have already lost.
I would have to agree on the Klauser letter. It played right into Neumann's campaign against career politicians and politics as usual. Klauser's appeals to GOP solidarity don't appeal to average voters. During a primary season that will be largely defined by Tea Party-infused anger against perceived RINOs, even Republican primary voters will be unsympathetic to the idea that Scott Walker doesn't have to work hard for the nomination.
I don't know how much the Capper incident really hurts Walker. If they could prove there was some kind of communication between Walker's campaign and the group to go after Liebenthal, then it would be a scandal. That's why groups like CRG and One Wisconsin Now exist. They work indirectly for parties but they do all kinds of things and take all kinds of risks that the parties don't want to take. They fire off negative attacks aimlessly, and sometimes they strike gold.
