[lbo-talk] WI recall FWIW

[James Leveque]

Listening to Doug's show this weekend, it really looks like the DNC
was reluctant to fight this one. Obama never went out to Wisconsin,
and even with the loss, the state looks like an uphill battle for
Romney so President Kill-List isn't all that damaged by it. Looking at
the recall, what also happened in San Diego and San Jose (under
Democratic governership, no less), and the last couple of years of
Obama's education reform, which in many ways works as a cover to
destroy teacher's unions - I'm wondering if the Democrats are looking
to a post-labor-union period. I ran across a chart on opensecrets.org
that showed that unions' contributions to the Dems made up only about
a third - which isn't nothing, but it has been getting smaller over
the years relative to business/finance, and the DNC has done nothing
to stop that trend. Given the importance of unions, at least as
on-the-ground organisers for Dem elections, is it conceivable that the
party can operate either materially (money and manpower) or
ideologically ('Of course we're progressive! Look how the unions
support us!') without any organized labor? Because it really looks
like the Dems are starting to see themselves a post-union party.

James