I think your first concern about DC being a different game is a fair one and I do think that one of Walker’s weaknesses is loyalty where none was deserved, but if there was one thing learned here over the last 4 years its that were constantly at war with the left and they cannot be redeemed.
What many in the rest of the country view as too nice and trusting is simply staying the course and letting your actions and results speak for themselves. If it was just about staying alive in a blue State Wisconsin wouldn’t have had any of the massive changes for the better during his tenure and Walker wouldn’t have actually had Republicans (in our case though Conservatives) expand their control in both houses of State government, and the WSSC swing over to the conservative side.
I appreciate your comments. People like Reince Priebus and other local party officials seem too eager to compromise and don't care for we TEA party-types. I might add that during the 2010 campaign, Walker declared his preference for Lt. Governor and it was not the conservative, who eventually won, Rebecca Kleefisch.