Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker provided a template for Republicans looking ahead to the presidential race with his victory in Tuesday’s recall election: big money, powerful organization and enormous enthusiasm among his base. Can Mitt Romney match that in November?
Both sides will examine the results for clues as to whether Wisconsin, which hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984, but has been fiercely competitive in two of the last three elections, will again become a true battleground. If it does become as competitive as it was in 2000 and 2004, the electoral map will become far more challenging for President Obama.

In defeating Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett(D) Walker dealt a sizable blow to Wisconsin Democrats, progressives and the ranks of organized labor, who together threw everything they could into the effort to send the governor home before his term was half over. Whether he significantly damaged the president, who kept his distance from the contest, is less clear.
Romney was quick to seize on the results and claim broader implications. In a statement issued by his campaign, he said, “Tonight’s results will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin. Gov. Walker has shown that citizens and taxpayers can fight back — and prevail — against the runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses.”
Obama had no comment on the outcome.
Romney can hope to replicate Walker’s model in two areas. The first is money. Walker raised more than $30 million for his recall campaign, with some from large donations that exceeded the normal limits because of the laws governing recall elections. Barrett raised $4 million. Romney won’t raise significantly more than Obama. But he can count on Republican Super PACs to give him an overall advantage.
Obama began the campaign more than a year ago amid assumptions that he would easily raise more than his Republican opponent. But Obama advisers worry that they will be heavily outspent by GOP Super PACs. Other than the state of the economy, that potential funding disparity is the campaign’s biggest concern. Money may not decide the election in the end, but Romney and the Republicans currently appear to have the edge there.
Walker’s victory was a party victory. The Republican Governors Association spent more than $9 million in his behalf. The Republican National Committee, led by Reince Priebus, a former Wisconsin GOP chair, and the state Republican Party combined for a total effort in mobilizing voters. All that paid dividends in defining Barrett and building an organization that proved superior to what many Democrats considered a fine get-out-the-vote operation of their own that was run by their party and the unions.
Democrats were divided over the wisdom of going ahead with the recall, although given the determination by their rank-and-file in Wisconsin, there was no way to stop it from happening. Obama campaign officials worried that it would take resources and energy away from the presidential race. The Democratic National Committee drew criticism for not backing Barrett more aggressively. Had the outcome been closer, the president would have faced criticism for not campaigning in behalf of Barrett.