Polls show Wisconsin is split over recall election and Walker

BROOKFIELD – Gov. Scott Walker is preparing for a recall election that he calls a “waste” of resources, and a new poll shows a majority of Wisconsinites agree with him.

Rasmussen, a conservative-leaning pollster released a survey Wednesday that indicated 54 percent of voters are against the recall. The telephone poll of 500 likely voters was conducted Monday just days after a Public Policy Polling survey conducted February 22-26 that found the state divided 49 percent-49 percent on the recall.

"I think that number might even be higher if people knew the full impact, “ Walker said at a bill signing in Brookfield. “This will cost the taxpayers of the state $9 million, just for the gubernatorial and Lt. governor recalls -- I think most people look at that and say $9 million can go a long way toward programs for children, seniors and others in our state.”

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin dismissed the Rasmussen poll. “This is not consistent with any other poll out there,” said Graeme Zielinski, the Democratic party spokesman. “It's not worth the paper it's printed on. But, it doesn't matter if people oppose the recalls if they support or oppose Scott Walker himself -- faced with that question people are going to oppose him."

Another new poll -- this one from Public Policy Polling, which skews left, shows Walker in a dead heat with virtually every potential democratic candidate. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.27 percentage points.

"He knows he'll lose to any one of them,” said Zielinski. “All the polling shows that he's an unpopular governor, that we've seen 6 months of job loss, corruption and we've had this debate already, a million people affixed their signatures to see him out. we're going to have a recall election, he's going to lose.”

Walker said he is confident he can beat any challenger. “Our real opponent is the big money from out of state,” he said. “They're going to dominate this race and it's real clear, i don't care who the name is on the ballot, the choice for people is very simple. You reported on it very well on Illinois, the choice is simple, do we want to go back to the days of double digit tax increases, deficits and record job loss or build on the foundation of last year."