Wisconsin voters always like a good political fight, but this year they don't have a ringside seat. In the presidential race, neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump has appeared in the state for more than a month, and local airwaves have been relatively free of political advertising.
Despite a Marquette Law School Poll released Wednesday showing that the race is a statistical tossup among likely voters, this is a contest defined by disappointment. Gov. Scott Walker had hoped that he — and certainly not Trump — would be leading the Republican ticket, and Clinton has been unable to whip up the same voter enthusiasm that helped President Obama easily win the state in 2008 and 2012.
"I think a lot of people are embarrassed by both of them," said Jennifer Winter, 54, a tattoo artist in West Bend. "You've got Hillary lying about her e-mails, and Trump saying we'll just go over to some country and bomb them."
While next week's first presidential debate could change voter attitudes and make Wisconsin, with 10 electoral votes, a battleground in the remaining weeks of the campaign, for now it's a quiet symbol of bipartisan dissatisfaction with the choices.
The poll shows considerable buyer's remorse. Two-thirds of those supporting Trump say they wish there was another candidate, while half of Clinton's supporters wish Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — who won the Wisconsin primary — was their nominee.
"As we get close to the election, if it's a very close election, there'll be more pressure to come home to your party, rather than risk your party losing because you either didn't vote or voted for a third party," said Charles Franklin, who directs the Marquette Poll.
The poll showed 44 percent of likely Wisconsin voters supporting Clinton and 42 percent backing Trump. Among all registered voters, Clinton led 43 percent to 38 percent.
Paul Maslin, a Democratic strategist, said the state is coming down from eight years of political adrenaline, starting with Obama's popularity and a historic recall campaign against Walker. "Wisconsin is really no different from the rest of the country, with essentially two unpopular people running," he said.
