What, exactly, are Wisconsin’s unionista protesters trying to accomplish?

So a big bunch of unionista protesters converged on a Milwaukee choice school to protest Governor Walker reading a Dr. Seuss book to a roomful of young children. Here’s how the story led in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Police have lead on Messmer vandalism; one protester arrested

What? At a school?

Gov. Scott Walker read “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss to a group of second- and third-graders seated on a colorful rug in Messmer Preparatory Catholic School library Friday afternoon.

Awwwww.

Meanwhile, protesters outside wished the governor would go, well, anywhere else as they chanted “Shame!” and “Recall Walker.”

What? For reading to children?

One person was arrested on accusations of battery during the protest Friday, according to Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz, and Milwaukee police also had their first lead on who vandalized eight door locks at the school before Walker’s visit.

What?

Note to all you protesters: that’s not good press. Also, see the MacIver Institute video, below.

I’m sure the protesters would justify protesting Governor Walker at an elementary school because, y’know, he’s so very evil, and the things he’s doing are so very awful, and oppressive, and wrong, that any possible squeamishness anybody might have about protesting at an elementary school, or the State Fair, or a Special Olympics event simply has to be ignored in favor of the greater good.

But, sheesh. A big angry protest outside an elementary school? While the Governor is inside reading Dr. Seuss to a roomful of unbearably cute children?

Really?

Here’s my question: who’s benefitting the most from the constant protests? The Walker-hating protesters? Or Walker? What does the general public living outside the political bubble think?

Is this strategy – of protesting Walker wherever he goes, no matter how distasteful it might be – smart? Is it slowly eating away at Walker’s re-electability, or is it slowly eating away at the public’s patience for the protesters?

Were I a unionista strategist, I’d hope the constant protests are leaving a thin film of distaste behind, and that people are associating that distaste with Governor Walker, whether or not they’re making any conscious correlation.

Governor Walker, protests. Governor Walker! Protesters! Like burgers and fries, I’d hope the public was slowly, subconsciously beginning to equate the two. And there must be a reason people are always protesting him, right? Even if the general public – who doesn’t live and breathe the latest issue or scandal, no matter how big those of us inside the bubble think it is – isn’t sure why?

On the other hand, were I a unionista strategist, I’d worry that people will associate that thin film of distaste with the protesters. The constant drumbeat – protesting Special Olympics, protesting at a state park, protests at State Fair, protests at an elementary school, vandalism, battery, anger, hippies – could easily work against the protesters.

I tend to believe the latter, but I’m not exactly objective. Plus, I live inside the media/political bubble. So I can’t really say.

Instead, I’ll just ask this: who’s gathering the better collection of propaganda material from all this? Which side can make more hay, with more new material for their TV ads, should a recall election come to pass?

Here’s the video, like I promised. Hat tip to Charlie Sykes.

Note: I get the imagery of reading Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” to a roomful of schoolkids, but for my money, “Hop on Pop” and “If I Ran the Circus” are way more fun.