Republicans have become something of an endangered species in Wisconsin politics in the past few elections. Following a national trend, the party lost its majority in the State Assembly in 2008. That put Democrats in control of both legislative bodies as well as the governor's mansion.
But as usually happens when one party takes complete control of the legislative and executive branches, the minority party suddenly starts to look a little more attractive to voters. Nationally, the Democratic Party is likely to lose congressional seats in the 2010 election, and President Barack Obama's popularity numbers are down significantly from when he took office.
In Wisconsin, the same trend is starting to be seen. A couple of recent polls should provide some hope for the state GOP in the 2010 elections and beyond.
The latest Badger Poll shows that only 30 percent of respondents now identify themselves as Democrats. That's more than the 28 percent who call themselves Republicans, but the 2-percent margin has significantly narrowed from the 15-point advantage Democrats showed in the poll just weeks after the November 2008 election.
You may have noticed that the percentages for Democrats and Republicans add up to only 58. That's because 41 percent of respondents said they favored neither major party. Interesting, indeed.
Meanwhile, a University of Wisconsin-Madison survey released last week, nearly 60 percent of respondents said the state is headed in the wrong direction. More of those surveyed disapprove of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle (47 percent) than approve (44 percent) of his leadership.
Doyle's lieutenant governor, Barbara Lawton, trailed significantly in the UW's 2010 gubernatorial poll. She garnered only 16 percent of those polled, while Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett received 38 percent. Barrett hasn't declared his candidacy yet, and 46 percent of those polled said they don't know who they'd vote for.
Also, a poll released Monday showed Sen. Russ Feingold may not be safe in the U.S. Senate seat he's held since 1992. A UW Department of Political Science and Wisconsin Policy Research Institute poll showed former Gov. Tommy Thompson would defeat Feingold if he ran for the Senate seat that is open in 2010. In the poll, Thompson garnered 43 percent of the votes, while just over 39 percent said they would vote for Feingold. Thompson has not declared his candidacy, either. But clearly Feingold could be ripe for a challenge.
Meanwhile, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, already has two Republicans planning races for her 2nd Congressional District seat - Chad Lee of Mount Horeb and Madison's Peter Theron, who ran against Baldwin in 2008. While Baldwin's re-election is a pretty safe bet in a predominantly liberal district, stranger things have happened.
Particularly in an election year likely to show some sort of Republican resurgence.
But as usually happens when one party takes complete control of the legislative and executive branches, the minority party suddenly starts to look a little more attractive to voters. Nationally, the Democratic Party is likely to lose congressional seats in the 2010 election, and President Barack Obama's popularity numbers are down significantly from when he took office.
In Wisconsin, the same trend is starting to be seen. A couple of recent polls should provide some hope for the state GOP in the 2010 elections and beyond.
The latest Badger Poll shows that only 30 percent of respondents now identify themselves as Democrats. That's more than the 28 percent who call themselves Republicans, but the 2-percent margin has significantly narrowed from the 15-point advantage Democrats showed in the poll just weeks after the November 2008 election.
You may have noticed that the percentages for Democrats and Republicans add up to only 58. That's because 41 percent of respondents said they favored neither major party. Interesting, indeed.
Meanwhile, a University of Wisconsin-Madison survey released last week, nearly 60 percent of respondents said the state is headed in the wrong direction. More of those surveyed disapprove of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle (47 percent) than approve (44 percent) of his leadership.
Doyle's lieutenant governor, Barbara Lawton, trailed significantly in the UW's 2010 gubernatorial poll. She garnered only 16 percent of those polled, while Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett received 38 percent. Barrett hasn't declared his candidacy yet, and 46 percent of those polled said they don't know who they'd vote for.
Also, a poll released Monday showed Sen. Russ Feingold may not be safe in the U.S. Senate seat he's held since 1992. A UW Department of Political Science and Wisconsin Policy Research Institute poll showed former Gov. Tommy Thompson would defeat Feingold if he ran for the Senate seat that is open in 2010. In the poll, Thompson garnered 43 percent of the votes, while just over 39 percent said they would vote for Feingold. Thompson has not declared his candidacy, either. But clearly Feingold could be ripe for a challenge.
Meanwhile, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, already has two Republicans planning races for her 2nd Congressional District seat - Chad Lee of Mount Horeb and Madison's Peter Theron, who ran against Baldwin in 2008. While Baldwin's re-election is a pretty safe bet in a predominantly liberal district, stranger things have happened.
Particularly in an election year likely to show some sort of Republican resurgence.
