Posted on 06/07/2012 4:40:59 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Mitt Romney's statement last night was more interesting than the normal formulaic election night press releases of the genre. Here it is:
“I congratulate Scott Walker on his victory in Wisconsin. Governor Walker has demonstrated over the past year what sound fiscal policies can do to turn an economy around, and I believe that in November voters across the country will demonstrate that they want the same in Washington, D.C. Tonight’s results will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin. Governor Walker has shown that citizens and taxpayers can fight back – and prevail – against the runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses. Tonight voters said ‘no’ to the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday, and ‘yes’ to fiscal responsibility and a new direction. I look forward to working with Governor Walker to help build a better, brighter future for all Americans.”
Romney goes out of his way to associate his agenda with Walker's (the second sentence), and to identify himself personally with Walker (the last sentence). And he poses the choice at the presidential level as comparable with or analogous to the choice in Wisconsin: "the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday" vs. "fiscal responsibility and a new direction."
The Romney camp has been uncertain as to whether to associate its man with, or distance him from, the sometimes controversial and divisive, Tea Party-infused, anti-establishment Republicanism of 2010. Walker's victory—and his ability to increase his margin from 2010—might well have tipped the balance in the Romney camp toward running at the head of a phalanx of bold conservative reformers, who have after all been pretty successful at governing, rather than running away from them. Or, to put it differently: The Romney camp may conclude that Scott Walker, his message and his spirit, are not part of the problem but rather part of the solution to Romney's electoral task (especially with working-class voters, including private-sector union members). After all, if Romney could hold 94 percent of Walker's vote from last night in November, he'd win Wisconsin, and the presidency.
So I'd expect to see more of the spirit of Scott Walker—and of Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Susana Martinez, Bob McDonnell, Mitch Daniels, or, if you want to go back a bit, Tim Pawlenty and Jeb Bush—in Romney's message over the next weeks. I'd expect to see Romney calling attention to successful Republican governance at the state level. I'd expect him to show up more with such figures in swing states.
And I'd expect one of them to be on the ticket. I could still make a case for a reformist senator (Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio, Kelly Ayotte, or perhaps Rob Portman) or congressman (Paul Ryan). But given that Team Romney would like to run against Washington, I think they'll be inclined to pick a governor. And given Romney's insistence on his VP being ready to be president, they'd presumably prefer a governor who's got some national experience or at least two terms as governor plus national exposure. So I suspect we may be heading toward a Romney-Daniels ticket...or, possibly, Romney-Bush or Romney-Pawlenty. Or could Romney just decide not to over-think things and pick the governor who most clearly embodies Scott Walker's combination of policy and political success—Scott Walker?
Scott Walker as VP. Now there’s a thought.
What’s his experience level? (And wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to the good people of WI if he accepted the slot, after everything they just did for him?)
One more thing about Romney’s statement: he chose to name names (of sorts). He called out the “union bosses”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is already more confrontational than anything McCain did in 2008.
The Walker win has put the GOP-E on high alert.
We just took a shot across their bow, and they know it.
The Wisconsin win was not just about unions. It was about big government, or rather, the rejection of it. That’s not a positive for team Romney who keeps consistently making moves like they are not going to repeal Obamacare.
I hope there’s another Walker-win-esque moment before here and November, because we need to keep hammering the establishment over the head that we aren’t going to accept their big government either.
Whoever Romney picks will be a conciliatory pantywaist who knows how to look tough for the cameras just like the Mittster himself.
Sorry, but I don’t buy it.
Sure its more confrontational than Saruman’s run for president in 2008, but Saruman was so overtly non-confrontational that it barely registers.(Except with Bill Cunningham. Saruman loves attacking tea party hobbits)
It wasn’t all that long ago that Romney was pandering to the unions:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2011/07/06/mitt_runnin_against_the_tea_party
So if you think you’ve been vigilant these four years of Obama? Hah! You’re gonna have to put that into overdrive should Romney get elected. He’ll have one of his surrogates stab us in the back while he himself goes on national TV and smiles about it.
The defeat of Obama does not and will not mean that the era of big government is over. It will just be masked differently, and at the direction of a republican.
If we’re not careful, big government will get blamed on conservatives.
Prior to the recall election, wasn’t Romney absent from the State of Wisconsin?
>>(And wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to the good people of WI if he accepted the slot, after everything they just did for him?)<<
Let’s be honest here. They didn’t do anything but vote. They can vote in a lady who is just as good. If it were me, after what Walker did in the state, I would be proud to share him with the country.
He is more than a governor now, he is a symbol.
The Tea Party will keep pushing Romney to the right (where the country is going to save itself). Will he heed the message out of Wisconsin?
You make some good points. And I know if I were one of those WI voters I would be more than proud to have a VP Walker in the WH, knowing that I helped put him there.
And as you say, there are plenty of good people in WI who can step in and fill his shoes.
But I was just wondering out loud of a lot of people would disagree with me and you on this issue and be angry and feel like he let them down. It is possible.
Such bravery, aligning himself with Walker AFTER the win, not before.
Oh yeah, that’s what we need: the spirit of TPaw and Jeb.
Calling out the union bosses was smart.
It would be nice to see a war start between union membership and union bosses.
The Republicans need to start exposing the way the union bosses make use of their members for money and power....not unlike the black leadership and the blacks they keep in victim mode.
How does that even translate to the heroic battle he won in the war we are waging for the very future of our country?
We've seen how Walker listens to the voters (we're drowning in debt), proceeds intellengently and stands firm in the face of opposition.
It's what the country is clamoring for -- his confidence, direction and resolve.
Yes, we will. And if he knows what's good for him, he will let us. That's the key difference between Romney and Obama.
Romney may not share our ideology, but he doesn't share Obama's either.
You don’t sound very confident.
Hey hot shot with the inappropriate language...
One question.
Who will your hero Scott Walker support and vote for, for President of the United States?
Ron Paul?
Virgil Goode?
Sarah Palin as a write-in?
Not exactly...he will support and vote for Mitt Romney.
Do not think you’re bluffing??
You’re trying to personally prove something to the more civilized by raining down F bombs, eh?
All I can say is, maybe someday when you get older and more mature...and I say this even if you’re 50 because of your actions...you’ll decide what this forum is for and what it isn’t for.
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