Over at the Badger Blog Alliance, there's some speculation State Senator Mike Ellis might take a crack at running for governor. And Marc Eisen, the editor of the Isthmus, recently wrote that State Senator Ellis should consider running.
None of this talk should surprise anyone. Back in 2000, Mike Ellis stepped down as State Senate Minority Leader to "test the political waters for a gubernatorial bid." It was that resignation that gave us eventual Majority Leader Mary Panzer, and we all saw how well that worked out.
But before someone floats Ellis' name for governor again, the question should be asked, what, are you kidding? After all, what possible leadership or policy credentials could Mike Ellis bring to the race for the Republican nomination?
This is the same Mike Ellis who gladly sacrificed having a majority in the state senate in a quixotic crusade to stop the building of Miller Park. This is the same Mike Ellis who is opposed to TABOR. This is the same Mike Ellis who supports campaign finance reform. None of which is going to score him any points with the Republican Party rank-and-file who will be voting on their nominee fifteen months from now.
Marc Eisen claims, "Many disaffected Democrats and Republicans view 2006 with dread." Supposedly these "disaffected" types would form the core support for an Ellis candidacy.
But contrary to Marc's thesis, many more Republicans can't wait for 2006 to get here. The GOP has two credible candidates, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Congressman Mark Green, both of whom would well represent the party's values as well as present a real challenge to the incumbent, Democrat Governor Jim Doyle. We should know a bit more about the relative strengths of the two candidates as the latest campaign finance report cycle comes to an end.
As for a possibility of an even split between Walker and Green allowing Ellis to slip through, I would encourage Ellis' boosters to take a real hard look at who will be voting in the Republican Primary. An even split still puts Ellis a distant third, possibly fourth if Chuckles the Clown enters the race.
So aside from the virtues (faults) a Marc Eisen can ascribe to Ellis, "He is a Republican that Democrats could like -– a spellbinding speaker and big-picture thinker with a dollop of humor, not to mention a glint of crazy-ass unpredictability", there is no case that can be made for Mike Ellis - Governor.
Thank Goodness.
