The Journal Sentinel may be on to something.
First, it noted that Mark Neumann seems to be pulling his punches of late in the Republican primary for governor, after earlier going aggressively after rival Scott Walker.
Neumann insists that's not because he's giving up. But Walker, by all accounts, has a big lead, and if Neumann is to have any hope of winning a month from now he will need to be on the attack.
Sunday's JS story on a Neumann-Walker debate reinforces the idea that Walker is already looking beyond Neumann to the general election race against Tom Barrett.
It doesn't have to be that way, but Neumann -- maybe responding to criticism from some Repubs when he went negative earlier -- is now running hokey upbeat commercials that will not beat Walker. To win, he needs people now leaning Walker's way to change their minds. And his spot speaking to a group of fawning, head-nodding admirers in a very clean barn just won't get it.
No wonder Walker and his campaign have moved on to the general. Walker people are letting it be known that their goal is beat Neumann 60-40 in the primary.
Campaigns are always in the business of dampening expectations, so you know the Walker forces are low-balling it. If they're telling some reporters they hope for 60%, they clearly expect to win by at least 2-1 or maybe even 3-1.
It's not too late for Neumann to change that dynamic. But with only four weeks to the Sept. 14 primary, it soon will be.