What if the wrong people vote?

An attempt to turn out a bigger spring vote in Madison, callled "Spring Out the Vote," didn't spring out many extra voters.

The non-partisan effort was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and others who believe a bigger turnout is good for democracy.

However ...

Jim Pugh, a spokesman for the state's big business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, says that's not so bad.

The Cap Times reports:

WMC has become a major player in state elections due largely to its bare-knuckle advocacy of business issues, ranging from tax breaks to loosening environmental regulations.

"Issue-specific, candidate-specific messages are much more effective than the generic, League of Women Voters get-out-the-vote effort," Pugh said.

He added that generic messages may "turn out the wrong people."

It should come as no surprise that when you do a non-partisan get-out-the-vote drive in Dane County, a lot of liberals and Democrats might turn out. Worse yet, if you do it in Milwaukee it may turn out minorities, too, who vote for Dems in huge numbers.

For WMC, those are all "the wrong people." Story