Politics: The GOP?s Land of Big Ideas

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Politics The GOP's Land of Big Ideas Wisconsin is the home of bold GOP thinking and Republican superstars. Will Romney ever call it home? By John Dickerson Posted Wednesday, Jun 06, 2012, at 03:02 AM ET Republican anti-tax activist Grover Norquist sees a Wisconsin business opportunity for Mitt Romney now that Governor Scott Walker has survived. Walker built a network of campaign offices across the state. Romney should mount a friendly takeover. "The smart move for the Romney campaign would be to take over those same staff and don't let them shut down," says Norquist. "In Wisconsin they have the best turnout operation in history. They've been exercising all year. They're excited and they're cheerful." Can Mitt Romney compete in the battleground state of Wisconsin? The political calculus is complicated. Republicans may have built a state-of-the-art machine for identifying and persuading voters, and they've had chances to repeatedly test it, but no Republican presidential candidate has won in Wisconsin since 1984. Walker's campaign offices might work for Romney, but his voters won't necessarily transfer in the general election. Exit polls on Tuesday showed Obama beating Romney by 11 points (though the margin may be as much as half as big once absentee ballots are factored in). From an ideological perspective, though, Romney should rush to Wisconsin and plant the flag. It is the home of two GOP superstars—Scott Walker and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan—known for their boldness and perseverance. Romney says that he will be just as bold. If he ran loud and proud in Wisconsin it would send a message that he's going to govern in the same audaciously conservative mold as the state ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Hey, Mayor Bloomberg: If Drinking 17 Ounces of Soda Is Bad, Why's Eating 68 Hot Dogs Good? Yglesias: Is Airbnb Illegal? The Secret To Outsmarting Hugo Chavez	Advertisement
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