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Local winners, losers downplay Reaganomics issueHappy Earlacrat Anthony Earl agreed with a campaign signby a supporter In Serb Hall on Milwaukee’s south Tuesday night. Earl defeated Terry Kohler to winbelieved dissatisfactioncelebrates victory with Reaganomics was a factor In his victory. However — — ^ At. ... flAaft • A 1. mm m • • .Impact.Reaganthroughout the northern tier of theBy DENNIS A. SHOOK Staff WriterHow much did the policies of the Republican administration of President Reagan affect the outcome of Tuesday’s elections?Not much, said winners and losers of both parties shortly after election results became final.The Republicans, who lost all but the 22nd Assembly District race, and victorious Democrats both saw the economic climate as part of the problem.However, they tended to downplay President Reagan as a focal point of voter anger. They cited instead more parochial issues and personalities.In elections to the U.S. Senate andHouse, where Reaganomics and issues of high unemployment, inflation, and interest rates would seem paramount, the lack of Reagan as the key issue stands out most.“The problem is, you can’t go back and run the experiment again to see which factors were most important,’’ said re-elected Democrat Rep. Les Aspin. “You can always say that the economy was important, but I don’t know if it wascritical.’’Aspin noted his election margin was better than last time, when he ran against Kathryn Canary. Tbat year — 1980 — was the year of Reagan’s coattails, and yet Aspin won. He does not know if his larger margin this time reflects the bloom disappearing from the rosy Republican future or the difference inopposition.* .* *His opponent, Peter Jansson, blamed Congress rather than President Reagan for his convincing loss.“The economic recovery was delayed and confused by the (opposition of) Congress** to certain Reagan economic programs.“The tax cut was insufficient andthe economic recovery delayed,”Jansson said.If the elections were held a month later, there would be a great difference in the races because the recovery would be more evident.”The Republican with the Herculean political task of trying tounseat long-time incumbent U.S. Senator William Proxmire, D-Wis., also did not blame the president directly.Senate Republican candidate Scott McCallum said, “Wisconsin was not a referendum on Reaganomics. It just was not an issue.”He also said the Democrats pet issue of unemployment, the usually fatal bane of the GOP, was “a factor, but not the key” to his defeat.It appears Reagan may have had an effect statewide, but I will not attribute what happened to that, ’ ’ hesaid.McCallum believes he did well as a Republican in this off, mid-ferm election for the party in power.“We ran the best race against Proxmire that’s been run in the past 18 years,” he said. “We feel very upbeat about it.”Proxmire said Wednesday the principal effect Reagan had on his race was the opposite stands they had on holding down military spending and development of nuclear weapons. Proxmire said he stressedboth issues in his campaign.* * *On the economic issues of theReagan administration, Proxmire said “all Democratic candidates earned some (voter) support, from the high unemployment rates. He said recent inflation and interest rates improvement did not impact strongly enough on the average voter to help the GOP. The voters, he said on a TV speech, “are saying to turn away from (Reaganomics) and try something new — or start something new.”However, Proxmire noted he has won all six of his senate races despite the national political climates.Democratic gubernatorial victor Tony Earl believes Reagan policies were a strong issue in his race. He told those gathered in Madison Tuesday night, “This is a victory against Republicans nationwide.”Yet, after wishing his mother a “Happy Birthday” and briefly denouncing the GOP, Earl spoke of the victory as being “a commitment toWisconsin’s progressive tradition.” Earl called it a victory for such views on “education of the young, equality for women, dignity and security for senior citizens, equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, or religion, and for protection of the environment....” Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Kohler was not so sure if Reagan was partly to blame for his defeat. Kohler said he would “have to look at the (voter) exit polls” before deciding.” “But it was a clear sweep for the Democrats”U.S., Kohler said.“The major issues were jobs and economic development and taxes, and I felt I was on the right side of those issues,” Kohler said.Kohler discounted the election being a referendum on Reagan’s policies.“It’s a Carter recession, not a Reagan recession,” Kohler said. He cited Reagan’s success in decreasing inflation and the interest rates and said “the only minus was unemployment.”Cloyd Porter and Mary Wagner,both incumbents joined by reapportionment in the 22nd Assemby District, agreed that Reagan’s policies had almost nothing to do with the unusual GOP Porter victory in this otherwise Democratic election.“The more local the race is, the less things lil^e that come into play,” Wagner said. She said reapportionment has changed her district’s partisanship to the GOP, but did not see the Reagan influence there as being the prime motivator.She said the two candidates wereboth popular local figures wno were “equally pitted.”Porter agreed that local issues, such as the drinking age and county assessment, were influential.I don’t think any of the national politics were involved in the race at all,” he said. “It was just the integrity of the candidates and just simple popularity.”Matthew Flynn, chairman of the state Democratic party, said, “These elections were referenda on Reagan’s economic policies, not to take anything awa y from the individual candidates.”He said the Democratic Party philosophy of putting everybody to work was effective in a state with unemployment over 12 percent.As for Reagan’s cuts in the inflation and interest rates, Flynn said people were unimpressed.“To use a metaphor, there’s no trick to cutting inflation, just like when the body’s dead, there’s no trick to lowering high blood pressure.”* * *Paul Raddatz, chairman of the Kenosha County Democratic Party, said, “personally, I think people have just had enough of Reaganomics.”He said, “Talk to the senior citizens and unemployed workers...I just think the Democratic programs have a lot more meaning and humanity.”Eric Olson, chairman of the county GOP, said, “The mid-term election party in power always loses. If Reagan is to be repudiated, it will be in the 1984 presidential elections.” “Many Republicans are in office because of Reagan. Before they blame him, they ought to thank him.J. Michael Borden, state GOP chairman, said the election could not be considered a loss because the party in power during serious problems for the country usually loses 40 percent of its seats. Clearly, he said, that has not happened this year.Reaganomics may not be the right way to go, but it’s better than the old way,” Borden said. There really hasn’t been a Democratic alternative plan, and that was a horrendous mistake.”
Newspaper Details
Kenosha News Courier
Kenosha, Wisconsin, US
Wed, Nov 03, 1982
Page 36
Full Page
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WI, USA 18 Jan 2022
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