Walker came across as a waffler to the base and a zealot to the big donors, exactly the opposite of the “unite all factions” reputation with which he began the race. And Donald Trump stole a big chunk of the working-class white electorate that was crucial to Walker’s prospects.
.. The resulting “enemies list” was used to go after Republicans who had signed the document, including a highly regarded judge who was ousted from office solely on the basis of his signature, and a young Republican personally appointed by Walker to the Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin who subsequently had his appointment revoked. (This American Life covered the story here.)
Scott Walker Debate Prep
Mr. Walker has also been honing his speaking style. His advisers said he ranked third in the number of words uttered at the August debate, but spoke for relatively little time because he was rushing. He plans to address that, and to “punch” his words more, they said.
This, while also hoping that his allergies do not act up and make him sound overly nasal on television, which some Republicans have noticed.
“You’ll see a more aggressive Walker — passionate, determined, but speaking at an even pace, slowing down and emphasizing points correctly,” Mr. Goeas said.
Walker and the Refusal to Rule Anything Out
Walker didn’t explicitly endorse doing that, but he thought it was crucially important not to rule it out, because for him there is apparently no course of action so unwise or unnecessary that it should be rejected immediately. This later tripped him up when he was asked if he favored a “full-blown re-invasion of Iraq and Syria,” which he also refused to rule out. I have said before that Walker doesn’t want to rule things out because he hasn’t given much thought to the positions he has taken as a candidate, and that’s probably a main reason why he doesn’t know how to articulate or defend those positions very well.
.. Walker has to do this because he isn’t prepared to be a national candidate and doesn’t know how to cope with the scrutiny that goes with running for president.
Scott Walker and Jeb Bush Have a Rough Night
Megyn Kelly’s question, “Are you too extreme?” gave Walker the opportunity to reveal a more nuanced, thoughtful, compassionate side. Such a self-revelation might have inspired party leaders to think, “Here’s our best back-up plan if Jeb Bush fizzles.” They now have to worry whether Walker might actually be a less-articulate and self-disciplined version of Ted Cruz.
.. Extremely disquieting: Doesn’t a Jeb Bush nomination inevitably reframe the 2016 election as a referendum on George W. Bush’s legacy, Iraq and all? (I should mention: I worked as a speechwriter in the administration of Jeb Bush’s brother; my wife has donated to Walker’s SuperPAC.)