Whatever happened to Scott Walker?
He was my early favorite, a fighter who had been remarkably successful in a blue state. Yes, he’s a low-key Midwestern-nice kind of guy, but I thought he’d pick up the pace when he started campaigning for president.
But Scott Walker really hasn’t come across well so far. The term “lackluster” keeps appearing to describe his performance in the first debate. He seems to have a lower energy level than most of the others, and that’s part of it.
But Ben Carson is very laid-back, and he did quite well in the first debate. Walker didn’t just seem low-key; he seemed neither articulate nor sharp about what he was saying, too much of which sounded more like slogans and prepared sound bites than especially thoughtful commentary.
Walker’s youth could be an asset, but he almost looks too young, even though he’s not; he’s 47, and one of the most experienced candidates on the stage. But somehow his experience hasn’t yet translated into force and command. The other word besides “lackluster” that keeps coming to mind is “callow,” which means “immature and inexperienced” and is exactly the opposite of what Walker actually is. But it’s how he’s come across so far, unfortunately for him.
He’s getting lost in the shuffle. In addition, he’s flubbed some policy points he tried to make. One was his seemingly back and forth stance on illegal immigration and especially birthright citizenship, and the other was his muddled statement about abortion to save the life of the mother (see this). Still another was his recent declaration that seemed to be making the extreme statement of advocating a wall on the Canadian border but may have merely been a poorly-worded attempt to say we need to talk about tightening security there as well as Mexico.
Unlike Fiorina, Walker benefits from CNN’s rules for the next debate, which weight older polls more heavily than I think they should be. At some point, however, he going to have to become more clear in his message and more forceful in his delivery, or he’ll find himself out of the running. A campaign is a marathon, and appealing on a national level is different than on a state level.
This may not be fair, but Walker comes across to me as not very bright.
I love boring. I’m sick of charisma. I want someone who promises to go to work and not be all that noticeable for four years.
I know that’s never happening. I just say it every four years.
Mr. Frank Says:
August 31st, 2015 at 3:44 pm
This may not be fair, but Walker comes across to me as not very bright.
He speaks very highly of you!
I agree, Walker is one of my choices as well. And I base my choice on his experiences; not on some sort of “oh, I just like the guy” syndrome.
But, he has come across as “lackluster.” However, I’ve sort of thought that was because all the attention seems to be focusing on trump.
But, as with any election it is too soon to tell; so, I am hoping for some sort of “comeback.”
This is not a policy election. It is a gonad election.
he has now marginalized himself with his own ideas
Scott Walker: Building a US-Canada border wall is ‘a legitimate issue’
Roy Lofquist has reduced himself to a pair of nuts, and all other men too…
Your slip is showing sir…
You never know whether someone will translate well to the national stage when they get the opportunity. (Jindel)
Ben Carson may be somewhat a surprise as he’s low key, but he manages to be thoughtful without shooting himself in foot.
Not sure why Walker’s statement about the northern border is a gaffe. The Canadians have been pretty lax about who they let into their own country and unsavory characters would certainly have no problem crossing into ours from there.
Politically, it would have probably been better received, if he had said something along the lines of: “The priority at this time is to the south. Later, we may want to look closely at the north.” On the other hand, since he has been identified as dangerous to the Democrats, they and their media accomplices will spin anything he says negatively.
With respect to abortion; there is no statement that is acceptable across the board.
He was/is my man. I wish he had more traction at this point; but, the truth is that the only people really getting positive vibes are those who are political neophytes;i.e., The Trumpet, Dr Carson, and Carly Fiorina. I still don’t believe that any of those three will be President.
I guess Roy L. has written off Carly Fiorina as well as Hillary and Warren.
Give him a chance. It’s still very early. When Trump runs out of gas, Walker will have his chance. Even if he doesn’t get the nomination this time, he’s young and he’ll have another shot or two.
Artfldgr,
“gonads – an organ that produces gametes; a testis or ovary.”
Another words – this election is not cerebral, it is visceral.
Oldflyer,
The only person I have written off is Harold Stassen, mainly because he’s dead. The latest poll (swag – scientific wild ass guess) shows Trump, Carson and Fiorina with 56% in Iowa. Trump is all over the lot, Carson doesn’t have any policy positions that anybody remembers and Fiorina is a straight talking feisty assassin.
By any sort of conventional analysis (numbers, not ideology) 2016 is a Republican year. By the same token, 2008 and 2012 were Democrat years. It would take extraordinary circumstances or an extraordinary candidate to break the cycle.
This happened in 1980 (Iran hostages and the misery index) and 1992 (Ross Perot). Any untoward events in this cycle would most likely adversely affect the incumbent party. As for Clinton and Warren, they aint exactly pinup material.
This we can agree upon. Walker seemed a nearly sure thing. And he came out of the gates well. Then he just went to work on his campaign, all but, in my eyes, pulling a minor McCain. One other thing you missed was one of his apparatchik GOP insider hires who was known to wrongly and horribly attack legitimate conservatives. I don’t know how that story ended up, but I know that if Walker changed that, it wasn’t freely. From me, just on that, he got a serious drubbing. And, then, the rest of what you discuss.
I honestly wonder if some of these guys are even honestly in the race to win. I swear he, and some of the others, are purposefully crippling their runs. Then again, perhaps they thought they could just get away with this stuff. It makes me wonder what they did as governors and congressmen? I think the media is helping to hide rino activity… at least until a nominee has been chosen, then rain down on them.
It’s too bad. I would like to have liked Walker, and to have had a broader more conservative group. Really, there are only a few, and I’m really not sure even they are actually conservative.
It seems that he, like all the others except Trump….seem unable to think and speak frankly because their answers are allegedly carefully scripted by their handlers perception of the what the polls and/or donors want to see/hear ….paralyzed with the fear of saying THE WRONG THING….they appear to be fighting not to win, but just not to lose……Like the survivor show…. try to be the last person standing.
Sad. Walker should know better, having been through what he has, here in Wisconsin.
Those I’ve spoken with who have spent time with him seem to think him a “quick study” with a youngish very nimble and able staff.
Let’s hope we see nationally, a repeat of what happened here in Wi…….during Walkers re-election and subsequent recall, a sea of “I Stand with Scott Walker” signs began to appear like invasive water lilies seemingly doubling every day but not really noticed until they dominated the landscape(pond)…..the “Recall” crowd were speechless….apoplectic…beating their Birkenstocks on the table….
It was a beautiful thing to behold….; )
Its too early to write off Walker, Fiorina, Cruz, and perhaps Rubio. Trump mania, a creation of the msm, is sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. I will agree that Walker has faultered as of late, but this campaign hasn’t even reached the first turn of the race. Walker needs to stick with what worked 3 times in 4 years in Wisconsin. And, if he’s listening to the ‘experts’ that advised the previous failed campaigns of gop presidential candidates, he needs to show them the door.
The debate points listed in the main OP, don’t actually matter.
1. What are they going to do about the Leftist alliance in the US.
2. What are they going to do about the Islamic Jihad allies of the Leftist alliance in the US.
All these little nitpicking details about specific policies, won’t ever matter in the future.
Let’s hope we see nationally, a repeat of what happened here in Wi…….during Walkers re-election and subsequent recall, a sea of “I Stand with Scott Walker” signs began to appear like invasive water lilies seemingly doubling every day but not really noticed until they dominated the landscape(pond)…..the “Recall” crowd were speechless….apoplectic…beating their Birkenstocks on the table….
It was a beautiful thing to behold….; )
You ever hear what the Leftist lawyer unions and police unions did to those Walker supporters.
It is amazing. Walker, Jindal, and Fiorina are candidates who, when I listen to their speeches, are saying everything I want to hear.
Yes, Walker is not charismatic and the MSM is examining his every word for gaffes or negative critiques. But he has a good record of accomplishments as governor. That’s very important, IMO.
Jindal’s appearance is apparently off putting. Listen to him on the radio and you will be impressed.
Carly is the best of the three in her personal presentation. She looks professional, thoughtful, and able to turn gotcha questions into points for herself. Impressive and yet people are harping away on her speech after 9/11.
I greatly admire Ben Carson. He is a man of character and intelligence. I think he could do a credible job as President because he is smart enough to know that he will need good people around him to help him manage. (Just the opposite of Obama) Many people are drawn to his low key style and his open Christianity. These people are just the opposite of the people who are drawn to Trump.
I watched thirty minutes of a Trump speech on CNN last night. It reminded me of many dinners I have had with narcissistic people on cruise ships. He went on and on about this and that, but mostly about how successful he is. It was not a political speech, it was a stream of consciousness about how he sees himself. There was not one iota of political correctness in the speech, which was good. But there was not one iota of policy substance in the speech, which was bad, at least for me. Yet, there are people who are mesmerized by him. I admit I like the way he is giving the middle finger to the progs, and that may be what mesmerizes many people. I wish more of the other GOP candidates would emulate him on that score.
Well, it’s early. Anything can happen and probably will in the next six months.
Regarding Walker, I think Clayton Bigsby in his first paragraph above, has the right of it. I too sense Walker (and others) acting as though ‘walking on eggs’. People want an unapologetic attitude of “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”. When Walker first spoke that way, he shot up in popularity. People want that because they rightly sense that its way past time for action not further debate with the left and brain dead liberals.
I’m doubtful however that Walker has a “fire in the belly” about the most immediate problems facing this nation; illegal immigration, the leftist networks and the Islamic threat of infiltration… both hard and soft.
It seems that he, like all the others except Trump….seem unable to think and speak frankly because their answers are allegedly carefully scripted by their handlers perception of the what the polls and/or donors want to see/hear ….paralyzed with the fear of saying THE WRONG THING….they appear to be fighting not to win, but just not to lose……Like the survivor show…. try to be the last person standing.
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Have you seen any of Fiorina’s Q&A sessions? You can’t script those, and they tend to make her look sharp. She’s saying things (for instance, no path to citizensip for illegals) that aren’t coming from handlers.
@ ymarsakar,
“You ever hear what the Leftist lawyer unions and police unions did to those Walker supporters?”
Oh yeah, and I believe it was recently thrown out…and of course the left claims it’s because the Wisconsin Justices are his cronies…..
Those responsible need to be pursued and prosecuted….
@junior,
I’ve only seen snippets but I like her and want her in the next debates….I hope they all start to expose more of themselves so we can begin to get a handle on whose really got the right stuff….not just the right fluff…..
junior:
One of the things that impressed me most about Fiorina was the second video here, which was from 2010.
Neo,
those were good ….love that the one was sponsored by the LA County Democratic Party……
He needs to do more personal appearances.
Clayton Bigsby:
Yes, that video was used against her in California. That’s what made what she said very brave and, as far as I can tell, sincere.
And yet Trump supporters keep insisting that she’s weak in immigration…
The latest bar seems to be the fact that she thinks that a wall is impracticle in some locations. At least one of the supporters of Mr. Pro-Kelo over at AoSHQ keeps bringing up the fact that she stated that during her interview by the Ace team. They’ll hang her for the slightest mote, whilr ignoring Trump’s numerous beams (to badly mangle an old analogy)…
neo,
hahaha…yeah, thats why I loved it….hope SHE decides to run it THIS time….it’s like a Visa commercial….
“Cost to produce a negative ad to dog Fiorina about her stand on immigration ?
….$100,000”.
“That your same dog turns around and bites you in ass 5 years later ?
….PRICELESS…!”
Walker needs to ditch all the political operatives and write his own speeches and answer questions honestly without weighing political considerations. His image has been an honest nice guy. He’s blowing it. Then again, what’s that saying about nice guys finishing last?
Walker, considering Canada border fence Sunday, now against it
Scott Walker on Sunday said he was considering a fence on the border with Canada: “Some people have asked us about that in New Hampshire. They raised some very legitimate concerns, including some law enforcement folks that brought that up to me at one of our town hall meetings about a week and a half ago. So that is a legitimate issue for us to look at,” Walker said about building a wall along the Canada-U.S. border. Note the key phrase: “That is a legitimate issue for us to look at.” Now Walker said he was misunderstood, and he wasn’t
Jimmy J. Says: August 31st, 2015 at 7:58 pm
It is amazing. Walker, Jindal, and Fiorina are candidates who, when I listen to their speeches, are saying everything I want to hear.
So you want a border fence with canada and not mexico?
and you dont question how self serving it is to promise things you know the people want and lie as to whether they are going to get it… didnt you learn anything from “if you like your doctor you can keep them”
Carly has wrecked every place she worked and was clever enough to bail to avoid scrutiny…
walker is a nut job with people around him who moderate that… or do you really think terrorism from canada is the big issue of the day? and if we need to erect a wall for mexico, we have to be liberally equal and do it to canada too?
what about walker on global warming? you think he would counter the bs end of the world crap that obama just told the people of alaska?
“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron.”
– H.L. Mencken, the Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920
Clearly voter sentiment at this time, according to many polls, is in favor of a non-career politician. Goodness knows we are not well served by the current group of careerists. That may change, but for now it i s refreshing to hear the kinds of honest answers we hear from, yes, Donald Trump, substance aside. I think Scott Walker has become hostage to handlers who, as they do with all career politicians, tell candidates what they can and can’t say, which poll-tested answers/comments are safe, etc. I think many people are tired of these blah, blah, blah career politicians and Scott Walker sounds increasingly like one. When he adopted 3 positions on 1 issue in 7 days, he lost me.
Carly has wrecked every place she worked and was clever enough to bail to avoid scrutiny…
—————–
So when you’re forced out by the board, that’s “bailing”? You have some odd word definitions.
Further, if one accepts that Fiorina damages every organization that she’s a part of, then why *wouldn’t* we want her in charge of the federal government? Reducing the government’s power, and getting a lot of federal employees laid off sounds like a dream come true!
:p
Well, dgr, I get that you have been willing to buy the slight gaffe when Walker answered a question about a possible northern border fence at a New Hampshire campaign event as being the kiss of death for him. He’s not your cup of tea.
I also get that you don’t like Fiorina because….. she’s a woman.
But Walker on global warming? Are you referring to this headline? “Scott Walker Appointee Suggests Volcanoes Might Be Real Cause Of Global Warming.” What is wrong with that? It is a theory, just like the theory of Anthropogenic (Human burning of fossil fuels) Global Warming. If volcanoes are the real cause of the warming trend we have seen in the last 110 years, (And no one knows for sure, do they?) it can’t be blamed on human activity with the attendant call to ban the use of fossil fuels.
See here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/09/scott-walker-climate-change_n_7036766.html
or here:
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2015/jun/25/scott-walker/scott-walker-says-barack-obama-told-coast-guard-gl/
Or maybe you agree with this:
http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/07/22/religious-groups-want-action-global-warming/30500365/
I still like Walker, but I also like others, as noted in my comment. Whether other citizens agree with me will be determined over the next year. If one of my faves doesn’t get the nomination, I’m still going to support the nominee. That’s the way I roll.
Artfldgr:
There are two possible interpretations of what Walker said. I had read the original and saw the preceding question, and—as I wrote in my post—his statement “seemed to be making the extreme statement of advocating a wall on the Canadian border but may have merely been a poorly-worded attempt to say we need to talk about tightening security there as well as Mexico. ”
I actually think he meant the latter. But it was a poor segue, and I can understand why people might have thought he meant the former.
I’ve been paying attention to other things. The next debate? Then maybe I’ll notice this stuff again.
The media got Walker in a trap with that talk about border against Canada. I know, some people think it’s a legitimate debate point, but it was designed as a trap. Don’t answer media questions. At least not before you slam them with some offensive questions of your own to check their creds and intent.
I think the political and bureaucratic class get a lot of influence when they condition and moderate the candidates. Look at how rigid Sarah Palin and Bush becomes on speeches and interviews, compared to how they normally are.
Trump looks genuine to many people mostly due to the contrast. Trump doesn’t have controllers, whereas even Walker probably gets his campaign orders from nefarious advisers, GOP “honchos”, and “aides” with questionable family and business connections to the Chamber of Congress.
The whole system is corrupt. Just being in DC will corrupt you, because of the people around you.
https://ymarsakar.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/blast-from-the-past-palin-and-joe-plumber/
For a link to Neo’s post about the Gibson Palin interview, to support my point.