Letter: Wisconsin Dems should have stayed

The results of the Wisconsin recall election should prompt the Democrats to re-evaluate their tactics ["Polls show the middle ground is growing," Opinion, June 13]. Their dispute with Gov. Scott Walker was over matters of legislation.

Instead of leaving the state to try to prevent a vote on collective bargaining, Democrats would have been more effective if they had stated their opposition forcefully in the legislative debate, voted against it, and then worked to defeat Walker and those who voted for his proposals in the next regular election.

Their actions -- initiating a recall election over a matter of legislation, not incompetence or corruption; occupying the Capitol; and personally demonizing Walker and his allies -- were ineffective.

The people elected Walker and a Republican legislature to do a job for a fixed term within a constitutional structure. Enough people were offended by the tactics employed by the Democrats in Wisconsin that the issue became those tactics, not policies themselves.

Richard P. DeBragga, Bellport