Fall Horror Show or a Remarkable Comeback?

By Rolf Lindgren

The clock is ticking. By July 11, we’ll know who the Wisconsin candidates are
for Governor. Many are grimacing at the prospect of a fall dual between Democrat
Jim Doyle and Republican Mark Green.

The Republicans nominated Mark Green, the former Assembly Republican Caucus
Director. Of all the people who live in Wisconsin, and in the wake of the Caucus
Scandal, the Republicans chose the former leader of an organization deemed
criminal to lead them.

Green is an ardent supporter of Bush’s failed war in Iraq; a war only 22% of
Wisconsinites agree with, according to a recent Strategic Vision poll. Green
supports Bush’s program to eavesdrop without warrants on innocent Americans; a
program called “illegal” by Senator Russ Feingold. If Green were elected, he’d
be little more than a puppet of the borrow-and-spend Republicans in Washington,
DC.

The Democrats aren’t much better. Jim Doyle’s reputation for selling government
to the highest bidder is becoming legendary. The Adelman Travel scandal is the
tip of the iceberg in the minds of many. The Kewaunee Nuclear Power plant
scandal is looming.

And lest we forget, Doyle was our Attorney General for twelve years. During that
time, he was unable to uncover the Caucus Scandal. Hmmm?

With choices like these, you won’t have to go to the movies to see a horror
show. The horror show will be beamed right into your own home, courtesy of
negative Doyle and Green campaign ads. Doyle and Green are hoping you’ll
overlook their annoying two-way partisan bickering, and vote for the “lesser of
two evils”.

But there’s hope on the horizon. Libertarian Ed Thompson could still collect
2000 signatures by July 11 to get on the ballot. If so, Ed has a remarkable
chance to be elected Governor of Wisconsin.

Remarkable, because a new documentary movie about the life of Ed Thompson has
been released on DVD. The movie, called ‘A Remarkable Man’, documents Ed’s
famous legal victory over the nickel poker police, as well as his 2002 run for
Governor. The movie is receiving rave reviews from conservative, libertarian,
and liberal bloggers alike. Even Bill Christofferson, Doyle’s 2002 Campaign
Manager, stated on his blog June 12, that the ”Movie explains Ed Thompson
mystique”. The release of ‘A Remarkable Man’ could lead to a blockbuster
three-way battle for Governor between Ed Thompson, Mark Green and Jim Doyle, if
it inspires an Ed Thompson comeback. Instead hypocrisy, real issues facing
Wisconsin could be debated.

First among the issues is campaign finance and election reform, which the public
has been clamoring for since the Caucus Scandal broke in 2001. With Democrats
and Republicans occupying power, nothing has been done. Doyle and Green have
zero credibility when it comes campaign reform. That’s why Wisconsin needs Ed
Thompson to carry the campaign reform banner in the fall elections.

Because Ed holds reasonable and moderate Libertarian views, he reaches out to
both the left and right. Liberals like his stand against the anti-gay marriage
amendment and prison building, and his support of re-legalized medical
marijuana.

Conservatives like his calls for lower taxes, the right of conceal carry,
vouchers for private schools, and the free market in general.

After the 2002 election, polls showed that Ed Thompson had an approval rating of
39% among Wisconsin voters. In a three-way race, you can win with 34% of the
vote. Jesse Ventura won Minnesota with 38% of the vote. If Ed Thompson can win
the Libertarian primary against Roy Leyendecker in September, Ed can win in
November 2006.

Corruption in government has continued unabated since 2002. If Ed Thompson
doesn’t enter the race for Governor, expect corruption to continue unabated
until 2010, at least.

Rolf Lindgren is the Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin.