Meet Mary Burke, the Woman Who Could Beat Scott Walker

[DonViejo]

Eleanor Clift

She’s a political novice—and that may be what it takes to knock off Wisconsin’s governor, of whose jobs plan she says: ‘I’ve seen eighth-graders’ term papers that are more thoughtful.’

Republicans call her “Millionaire Mary,” but Mary Burke has plenty of assets aside from her wealth to make her a strong contender to derail the reelection of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, along with his dreams of the presidency. Polls show the former Trek Bicycle executive either tied with Walker or trailing by just a few percentage points, while the Republican governor, who weathered a recall election in 2012, looks headed for a closer race than anyone expected.

“Because of the divided electorate, this is going to be really close,” Burke told The Daily Beast. In the seven months since she announced her candidacy, the Democrat has put nearly 30,000 miles on her Ford Escape traveling the state. “It’s a good race of contrasts,” she says, citing her private sector business experience and her support for issues of particular interest to women, including access to abortion clinics.

“The things he has done with women’s choice issues puts Wisconsin right there with Mississippi,” she said over an iced tea Tuesday afternoon. Burke, who was in Washington for an Emily’s List dinner that night, has the pro-choice group’s endorsement, and it is making a big push to elect more Democratic women as governors.

“We only have one,” Burke marvels. “Who would have thought, with all the progress that’s been made,” that New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan would be the only Democratic woman serving as governor. (Republicans have three.) Wendy Davis, the courageous state legislator running for governor in Texas, has been in the media spotlight, but she’s got a tough uphill race in a red state, while Burke, with a blend of private sector and public service, is ideally cast to give Walker a serious challenge.

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/01/meet-mary-burke-the-woman-who-could-beat-scott-walker.html

[upaloopa]

1. If they don't get rid of Walker this time it will

be hard to have empathy for them.
He now has a track record no more believing in lies.

[AleksS]

2. It's a hard battle for her though.

Unfortunately Walker has the most fanatical following I've ever seen, and our media is like something you'd find south of the Mason-Dixie line.

She has to convince people that voted for Walker twice now that they made a mistake, and no one wants to admit that.

Spend some time up here if you get the chance. You'd see that Walker would have to choke a baby on live TV to sway some of these voters. The gymnastics they go through mentally to convince themselves that up is down, black is white, war is peace, etc. are mind boggling.

[Sunlei]

3. Contrast Mary Burke with Scott Walker, it's easy to see why republicans are so scared of losing.

[Scuba]

4. Meet Mary Burke, the woman who is going to get her ass handed to her by Walker in Nov.

Walker's supporters will show up and vote for him in exactly the same numbers they did the last two times.

Burke, on the other hand, has done exactly nothing to motivate a single voter who sat out instead of voting for Tom Barrett. I will hold my nose and vote for her, but she will lose.

If the Dem leadership here wanted to win, they would have pushed a much more progressive candidate (think Tammy Baldwin). Blue dogs like Barrett and Burke lose to real Republicans every time.