Wisconsin Senate candidate Tommy Thompson on Saturday praised Mitt Romney’s debate performance last week and predicted that a Romney presidency would break the logjam of partisan gridlock in Washington.
Mr. Thompson, a former four-term Wisconsin governor who is locked in a tight race against Democrat Tammy Baldwin, said Mr. Romney could expect a honeymoon — even if Republicans fall short of their goal of taking control of the U.S. Senate.
“After this election, which is going to be so vitriolic and vicious, both political parties, I believe, are going to come together with the idea that they’ve got to do better,” Mr. Thompson said in an appearance on Fox News.
“There’s a feeling of good will for whoever the president is, I think that’s going to carry.”
Mr. Thompson, 70, who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush, said Mr. Romney clearly exceeded expectations in the debate last week with President Obama.
“We were hoping for a single, and we got a grand slam,” Mr. Thompson said.
In the Real Clear Politics average of the latest polls in Wisconsin, Mr. Thompson is trailing by about 3 points — 46 percent to 49 percent — behind Ms. Baldwin for the seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Herb Kohl.
In the latest Rasmussen presidential poll in the state, Mr. Obama leads Mr. Romney 51 percent to 49 percent.
