Posted on 09/01/2015 12:42:55 PM PDT by conservativejoy
Ed Morrissey asks what happened to Scott Walker:
Of all the curiosities of the 2016 Republican presidential race — and there have been plenty — the quietest may also be the most difficult to answer. Over the last two months, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has gone from leading the field to barely making the debate cut.
Walker’s decline isn’t really all that puzzling. He was treated as a “top tier” candidate months before he announced his campaign, and during that time expectations continued to be raised despite Walker’s obvious lack of preparation on national and international issues. Once he started campaigning in earnest, the actual candidate did not compare well with the imagined version of Walker that so many of his fans had created from what little they knew about him from his tenure in Madison. He failed to live up to a version of himself that never existed, and the reality of Walker turned out not to be very interesting.
In other words, nothing “happened” to Walker. His weaknesses as a national candidate were there for all to see, but most Republicans preferred not to see them until Walker made them impossible to ignore. Many of his fans assumed that Walker’s poor grasp of foreign policy issues would be remedied over time, but instead he has just adopted the most hard-line positions he could find with no sign that he has thought seriously about any of them. It is often said that he has been hurt most by Trump’s presence in the race, but that is mostly because he has responded to Trump’s challenge in the most ham-fisted and clumsy way possible.
It’s September 1st. As far as all candidates go, it’s silly to pretend the die is cast. This is the preseason. Many things will change before the primaries even start. The media seems to have a vested interest to declare the nomination over today.
I have held the belief, from the time that Walker’s meteoric fondness among the voters began, that he would be much better to remain in his home state as governor, further forging the template of reform at the state level, for future governors.
I have held the belief, from the time that Walker’s meteoric fondness among the voters began, that he would be much better to remain in his home state as governor, further forging the template of reform at the state level, for future governors.
Maybe Walker will have to layoff George Will’s wife to save money.
All I know is if Mitt gets in the GOPe will croak.
Bingo we have a winner!
Walker is a regional candidate who inspires all the excitement of a flea circus. He doesn’t know what he thinks about the major issues from one day to the next and he has no vision for America. This is why he is fading to black.
“Many things change before the primaries start.”
Yes, they do. Apparently Walker’s position on any given issue is subject to change, sometimes as often as three times a week.
Walker had unprecedented success. A once rising superstar who doesn’t know how to build on his successes.
He flip flopped a couple of times in a week on a major issue
He’s not alone in that. He has a lot of catching up to do to the poll leader. If he keeps flip flopping maybe he can catch up.
It's Trump or Cruz or no one it seems at this point.
Walker is a GOPe carved and costumed marionette. That is all.
Really, Walker faded as Trump took all the oxygen.
He'd be doing better if he were.
No, he's a local guy, who's not ready for the big time.
There's nothing really wrong in that.
Reflect for a minute about people who claim to want to return power to the states, but demand that all political talent move up to Washington DC.
Isn't there something inconsistent in that?
Squishy on immigration = buh bye.
Walker wasn’t ready for prime time and some of us here knew that. He’d have been better off waiting.
That said, if the Republican Party is silly enough to nominate Donald Trump for President, the party — if it still exists — is going to need every conservative it can scrape up in 2020.
You know you are lying, yet you continue to besmirch a man who has done nothing but walk the walk. Why?
Are you a union member or a Democrat?
I didn’t write the article. For the umpteenth time, the only association I have ever had with a union is supervising union employees. I was not a union member, but management.
I have supported Cruz since he announced and have never voted for a Democrat for any office in my life.
Why is it so inconceivable to you that a lot of people are just not impressed with Walker? His performance from the debate onward has really exposed his mediocrity and lack of conviction on key issues.
Walker is the 2016 version of the 2012 Rick Perry - a successful governor that is simply OVER HIS HEAD running for the presidency.
Running for President is an order of magnitude harder than being governor. Many governors are up to the task...many others are not...Walker is not.
Wow. Some coincidence Walker’s biggest supporter on here also supported Perry.
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