Neither Republican gubernatorial candidate was ready to declare himself the winner of yesterday's debate at Marquette University but both Scott Walker and Mark Neumann think they gave voters a good idea of where they stand on the issues.
The hour-long discussion, moderated by Mike Gousha and including panels of voters from across the state, was more of a freewheeling discussion than a debate.
This much we know for sure:
- Scott Walker, the current Milwaukee County Executive, has established himself as the experienced candidate, a proven administrator with a track record of being tough when it comes to spending.
Neumann, on the other hand, is playing up his role as a relative political outsider, despite a two-term stint in the House of Representatives. He leaned heavily on his background in business (repeatedly mentioning his 26 years as a business owner) and making subtle jabs at Walker's status as a career politician.
"There's nothing dishonorable about that," Neumann said afterward.
- Both candidates spent a majority of their time focusing on economic issues, specifically jobs, taxes and Wisconsin's unfriendly business climate.
Neumann proposed a plan that would allow state residents to not pay their 2011 property tax bill, in exchange for making monthly payments in 2012. Walker scoffed at that notion, which he previously called a "fraud."
"It's a shift from whether you pay in December or you pay in January," Walker said.
Walker was brief in making his point, but said before anything can be done in terms of tax cuts, spending must be reigned in. - Both candidates, when asked point-blank, reaffirmed earlier commitments to new jobs.
- Walker and Neumann also said they both remain committed to stopping the proposed high-speed rail link between Milwaukee and Madison.
Both candidates were firm in their commitment to stopping construction of the train, which would use $820 million in federal stimulus funds but require as much as $10 million annually to operate.
- Walker noted the absence of the Democratic candidate, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who declined an invitation to participate.
"Anyone can stand outside and throw rocks, but it takes a true leader to talk about their vision and take questions from voters," Walker said.
From my seat, I thought that Walker did a fine job letting Neumann make his points from the "outsider's perspective" and then offering his "realistic" take.
I was disappointed that, despite the presence of voters from outlying areas of the state, not one question had to do with Wisconsin's agriculture industry or the current plight of state farmers. It may not be an important issue here in Milwaukee, but if things keep getting worse ... we'll feel the effects at the grocery store.
Two weeks before the primary, I still think it's going to be a Walker-Barrett showdown come November, but Neumann could very well be closing the gap and might be in position to pull off a surprise come Sept. 14.
