The big problem with Walker is whether or not he is going to have an operation that will successfully control the narrative, fend off the leftist activist press, and put his opponent on the defensive.
No, this is not answered by “look at how he is driving the unions crazy in Wisconsin”. Bunch of middle-aged factory workers that are a throw-back to the 70s Democrats are not the same as the 24/7/365 media machine that the left of today has that can run attacks from multiple vectors almost at will. Where narratives can be launched from Tumblr, amplified on Reddit, spread through Twitter/Facebook/HuffPo, echoed on MSNBC and the NY Times, and then solidified on the Daily Show, and then given “royal assent” on NPR.
All without his Dem opponent ever having to say anything.
THAT is a sample of the machine he is going to have to combat. Not with a sly smile and a warm shrug either.
Other than talk radio here in WI Walker has already had to fight that on a State wide scale. These narratives have already been started on a national level and picked up by the Wisconsin press throughout the Act 10 battle (which became a nation wide call to arms by the left) and any other legislative controversy the left wanted to drum up.
The reason he has driven the left crazy so far is exactly because all of the usual narratives that they’ve thrown at him haven’t stuck. Hell the Koch brothers smear attempts were used on Walker well before they were even used on Romney in 2012.
Walker’s strength has been speaking past the media both local and national and directly to the people truly concerned about the direction of the country. The people of this purplish State rewarded him with 3 elections to the office of governor. One of those a recall when the left was out for blood.
Yet the establishment think that he isn’t ready for prime time?
As a State resident there are things that can rightfully be griped about in regards to Walker. The biggest for me is he is too trusting of people close to him and appoints to positions which has lead to some bad press (like the first John Doe - which he asked for personally).
So from what I can tell the “establishment” has these as our prime time players:
Jeb Bush...or Jeb Bush.
No thanks.
And how is any other candidate going to fare better with the left's PR machines? Oh Bush will in the beginning or at least look like he is. Like Romney, they'll let him get in then destroy him with some backroom 47% comment. What needs to happen is that we learn to run against these people not from them.