The ranting 2022 version of Sen. Ron Johnson has created a mess of his own making
In prior election cycles, I was a fan of Sen. Ron Johnson. He came to office in 2010 as a plain-speaking, pro-market, budget-conscious business leader. Unfortunately, today a lot of people no longer recognize him.
At a time when so many Wisconsinites are hungry for a sane counter to Washington’s left turn, Johnson is firmly isolating himself, spouting fringe ideas and neglecting to advance a positive vision.
Two of Johnson’s favorite attention-seeking ploys seem to be touting medically unfounded COVID treatments and disproven suspicions about the 2020 election. His December remarks on using Listerine to protect against COVID actually prompted the company to issue a statement disavowing this suggestion.
Regarding the 2020 election, even though courts, recounts, nonpartisan reviews, legislative audits, and a report by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty have confirmed that Joe Biden won the state, he will not let it go. While certain reforms to the election process merit consideration, Johnson simply calls for the elimination of the bi-partisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. He then singles out Milwaukee, saying, “This is one of these big Democrat strongholds that just can’t seem to get their votes counted until they know exactly how many votes they need.”
Why does he say such things? He seems eager and willing to alienate a lot of Wisconsinites merely to ingratiate himself with the former president, at a time when even former Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are making statements to separate themselves and the party from the cult of personality.
With suburban voters, business interests, and moderates everywhere, Johnson’s strategy is likely to cost Republicans votes up and down the ballot for years to come. This is a shame, because Wisconsin has a lot of pent-up demand for a rational conservative vision.
Last week, Johnson made headlines for saying he would not do anything to try to persuade Oshkosh Corp. to manufacture U.S. Postal Service trucks in Wisconsin. Most Wisconsinites are disappointed that our state will lose out on these good paying jobs — and all of Johnson’s major Democratic opponents jumped on him for his comments. If Johnson wanted to advance free market principles (a worthy cause), why not at least remind voters that two of those opponents work for the very state government whose job is partly to make Wisconsin more attractive for manufacturing?
Similarly, Johnson drew ire with comments regarding the childcare provisions in the Democrats’ “Build Back Better” bill. He said, “Frankly, I’ve never thought it was society's responsibility to take care of other people's children." Surely, he knows that for more than 80 years Republicans and Democrats have collaborated on numerous programs to support early childhood development. A fair, conservative critique of the Biden proposals would be that they direct tax dollars to childcare programs that are under strict federal control, rather than providing funding to parents to allow them to make their own choices, as some Republicans have proposed. The ideal of caring for children has never been at issue.
One problem with Johnson is that he speaks with a detached callousness about things that matter to all voters, such as jobs and childcare, while showing zealous passion for fringe ideas that appeal to a loud and fevered few. I believe Wisconsin deserves better than his outrage-of-the-week stunts. Johnson’s outlandish statements generate eyebrow raising and/or fist pumping, but what do they accomplish to improve the economy, homeland security, or the fabric of our state and country? Nothing.
Wisconsinites deserve better than his conspiracy and conspiracy-adjacent pronouncements. For example, I can say with absolute clarity that Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Ramthun and his followers are wrong when they say they have discovered proof that the 2020 election was stolen, and that Wisconsin’s electoral votes can be taken back. Will Ron Johnson be so clear?
His record says he will not. That’s the clearest indication that 2010 Ron Johnson is but a faint memory. Wisconsin deserves rational conservatives who can work effectively for a better future, not fringe rhetorical flamethrowers mired in arguments over the validity of the last election. By his words and his deeds, the 2022 version of Ron Johnson is failing the conservative cause and our state.
David Irwin is a Republican businessman from Elm Grove.