海角大神

As Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum rally voters in this state before Tuesday鈥檚 primary, their talking points hit many familiar themes 鈥� jobs, the economy, and health care. But one subject is more muted on the stump, even though it鈥檚 the issue voters in Wisconsin currently care most about: The recall election of Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

The Republican majority in the Wisconsin Legislature pushed through Governor Walker鈥檚 legislation weakening public sector unions more than a year ago, an agenda that brought more than 100,000 demonstrators to the state capital last winter. Polls show voters in the state are evenly split on whether or not Walker should be recalled from office.

While Tuesday鈥檚 voting will decide which Republican presidential candidate will receive the majority of Wisconsin鈥檚 42 delegates, and collective media spending by both campaigns is into the millions of dollars, most voters here say the recall, set for June 5, is more on their minds.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the real issue. It directly affects the politics in Wisconsin and will either help us or hurt us,鈥� says Vicki, a Waukesha native who declined to give her last name.

John Hasse of Waukesha, who is retired, says he may not agree with Walker on certain issues, but finds the current recall effort 鈥渁 waste of money and time.鈥�

鈥淭hat weighs more heavily on my mind than the primary, frankly,鈥� he says.

For Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum, too close of an association with Walker could potentially backfire. Polls show 26 percent of Wisconsin households in 2010 included a union member, higher than the US average of 17 percent. That year Walker received 18 percent of his votes from union households.

鈥淭o forthrightly stand beside Scott Walker is probably a no-lose for either鈥� presidential candidate, says John McAdams, a political scientist at Marquette University in Milwaukee, who adds that supporting Walker 鈥減robably doesn鈥檛 mean it will win them a lot of votes鈥� either.

The strategy for both presidential candidates is to separate the man from his policies. For example, both have endorsed Walker鈥檚 policies but neither has shared a public stage with the governor himself nor has asked for his endorsement. This is in contrast to other high-ranking Republicans in this state, including US Rep. Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, and US Sen. Ron Johnson, both of whom are endorsing Romney.

Last week, Romney told supporters he agreed with Walker鈥檚 鈥渆ffort to rein in the excess that have permeated the public-sector union and government negotiations over the years.鈥�

Santorum framed Walker鈥檚 recall fight as similar to the uphill battles his campaign faced since the start of primary season. 鈥淭here is no compromise with these folks. The governor did what he had to do. No matter what he was going to do 鈥� the other side goes nuclear,鈥� Santorum said.

Having the recall dominate voters' minds in Wisconsin means potentially draining resources from get-out-the-vote efforts for the national candidates. Romney state chairman Ted Kanavas, a former Wisconsin state senator, says that for every Republican activist working for a Romney win there are about 30 involved in the Walker campaign. Romney鈥檚 campaign has one office open in the state; 21 are open for Walker.

鈥淧eople are not focused on the presidential [primary],鈥� Mr. Kanavas told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last week. 鈥淭hey are totally focused on the recall.鈥�

In an effort to appeal to Wisconsin Republicans who support Walker鈥檚 efforts to curb union power, Romney is attacking Santorum鈥檚 voting record as a US senator, saying he voted against 鈥渞ight to work鈥� legislation in Pennsylvania.

Santorum responded last week, saying his record in voting with AFL-CIO聽positions was 13 percent. 鈥淐alling Rick Santorum a big labor guy is like calling Mitt Romney a conservative,鈥� he said.

But firing up the anti-union rhetoric could alienate voters in the general election, says Charles Franklin, polling director at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee.

鈥淓ven if the GOP primary is skeptical of unions, that may not be the case possibly here in November,鈥� Mr. Franklin says.

Efforts to curb union power have stalled in many Midwest states, particularly Ohio, where voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum that rescinded legislation that curbed union powers, including limitations on collective bargaining, signed into law by Republican Gov. John Kasich. Using the union issue in the Wisconsin primary, Franklin says, could create a liability the Obama campaign will use to its advantage in Wisconsin 鈥渁nd other swing states in the fall where primary-winning positions may not be winning issues.鈥�

For his part, Walker has yet to endorse either candidate, telling the Associated Press last week he 鈥渃an鈥檛 afford to be focused on anything鈥� but his own reelection.

A more compelling reason may be making sure he doesn鈥檛 sabotage his own fundraising efforts, says Georgia聽Duerst-Lahti, a political scientist at Beloit College in Beloit, Wis.

鈥淲alker says he needs to stay above the fray, but it also keeps his options more open to the kind of funding he needs down the line,鈥� Ms. Duerst-Lahti says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to need every Republican he can get when it gets down to the actual election.鈥�