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The vanilla power of Republican Scott Walker
The Los Angeles Times ^ | February 2, 2015 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 02/03/2015 11:52:20 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor in America, not because it is the best (that would be coffee) but because it is the least objectionable. Put another way, vanilla is the most acceptable to the most people; it's not many people's favorite, but nobody hates it..

And that's why Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is the vanilla candidate.

A new Des Moines Register poll has Walker in first place — narrowly — among likely Republican caucus-goers. With Mitt Romney included in the poll, he was the respondents' first choice with 15 percentage points. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was second with 14 percentage points and Romney with 13. With Romney out, Walker's lead rose to 16 percentage points and Paul's to 15. First place in a tightly packed field is better than any of the alternatives, but it's not that big a deal this far out.

The big deal is the vanilla factor. According to Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register, 51% of caucus-goers want an “anti-establishment candidate without a lot of ties to Washington or Wall Street who would change the way things are done and challenge conventional thinking.” Meanwhile, 43% prefer a more establishment figure “with executive experience who understands business and how to execute ideas.”

Walker is in the golden spot. He can, like Bill Murray in the movie “Groundhog Day” listening to Andie MacDowell explain the perfect man, reply “that's me” to almost everything Republicans want....

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Iowa; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: 2015; 2016election; amnesty; bush; cruz; election2016; gop; randpaul; scottwalker; tedcruz; walker; wisconsin
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To: SubMareener

True. OTOH, Obama has almost nothing but speeches yet he has been transformative. At the top level maybe you really do want an articulate ideologue to sell the big ideas. Jay Nordlinger made an interesting point yesterday that you rarely hear liberals emphasize executive experience the way conservatives do. What they want is transformation and what they value most in a president is the “vision thing”. Given the times, maybe conservatives should have similar priorities. Think about what you like most about Ronald Reagan. He was a governor and a good executive but that’s not what made Reagan a great president. It was the fact that he was an effective visionary. To me that’s what Cruz potentially has over Walker, at least from what I’ve seen so far.


41 posted on 02/04/2015 2:36:16 AM PST by Yardstick
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To: SubMareener

Has she piloted a black helicopter or done interrogations in a FEMA concentration camp, ‘cause that’s the stuff that’d take her husband off my list. You wouldn’t have a link proving that CFR stuff or do you expect us to take your word for it? And she’s not a vice president at Goldman, she’s a regional manager. Big difference. I’ve been both a regional manager and a vice president, and I assure you, the two jobs were not the same.


42 posted on 02/04/2015 2:37:01 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: onyx

Great guy. Love him. But 80% of millennials cannot even name one of their own senators.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/poll-millennials-state-senators-114867.html

I’m sorry. This is war and we have to win with the army we have.


43 posted on 02/04/2015 2:50:15 AM PST by Royal Wulff
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To: Royal Wulff; onyx

Most millennials don’t know who Joe Biden is. But you think they’re aware of Scott Walker? +


44 posted on 02/04/2015 2:58:12 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: SubMareener
Cruz gives a good speech, but Walker has actually delivered a conservative agenda in a Blue State.

Bingo!

I love Ted, but don't think it's quite his time yet. Plus, senators should not be presidents.

45 posted on 02/04/2015 2:59:10 AM PST by KevinB (Barack Obama: Our first black, gay, Kenyan, Socialist, Muslim president!)
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To: onyx
Dick Morris: Scott Walker could win

Damn, it looks like Walker can't win.

46 posted on 02/04/2015 3:02:22 AM PST by KevinB (Barack Obama: Our first black, gay, Kenyan, Socialist, Muslim president!)
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To: KevinB

So the one-term congressman who historians say was the greatest president of all shouldn’t have run, in your opinion?


47 posted on 02/04/2015 3:19:39 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: KevinB

The curse of little Dickie


48 posted on 02/04/2015 3:21:59 AM PST by HotKat (Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often and for the same reason. Mark Twain)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor in America, not because it is the best but because it is the least objectionable.”

Nonsense! What about all those ice cream toppings? And what flavor do they go best on? Vanilla.

Vanilla is America’s favorite because of *what you can do with it.* It has nothing to do with being less liked than any other flavor.


49 posted on 02/04/2015 3:31:38 AM PST by PastorBooks
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To: SubMareener

Bingo!!!


50 posted on 02/04/2015 3:44:21 AM PST by Ann Archy (ABORTION....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: VRWC For Truth

OMG......Who do you want to run?? Who would be PURE enough for you....JESUS is NOT running, so who do you want that would have HALF a chance to beat Hillary and the Dem. DESTROY machine? Remember, Jesus is NOT running.


51 posted on 02/04/2015 3:47:04 AM PST by Ann Archy (ABORTION....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I like Walker, but he looks a bit too cozy with the Ryan/McConnell/Boehner GOPe posers. So by extension Chamber of Cronies approved. That means more of the same/do-nothing/lets-not-rock-the-boat vanilla agenda.

His recent ambiguous comments regarding amnesty for illegals makes one wonder if he is being honest. A country without borders is not a country. The unpatriotic chamber of cronies want to manipulate the market rate for labor wages by ignoring the rules. They don't care if the country suffers as long as profits are great.

After eight years of Barry, and assorted libs before him, can the country afford pale pastels? Is it not time for bold colors?

Its time for bold, its time for Ted Cruz.

52 posted on 02/04/2015 3:47:36 AM PST by Moorings
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Most millennials don’t know who Joe Biden is. But you think they’re aware of Scott Walker?

At this point, that is not a bad thing. Cruz will be tagged as the one who "shut the government down and wanted to default on our debt." He will be forced to play defense way too much. We can see through this; but it will enrapture the lofo.

Walker, otoh, being an unknown, does not have to waste time with all that. I do hope he can sharpen his position on the illegals. (Has anyone proposed a cutoff of privileges and benefits issued to illegals? Driver license, for instance...The fedgov has ways to compel the states by withholding $$. Of course, that would immediately go to our corrupt judiciary.)

Bottom line, we are in a very, very deep hole. We did not get there in 6 years and getting out will not be quick and easy.

If the election were today and Cruz and Walker were both on the ballot, I cannot say who I would vote for. What I hope to see is a fuller vision from Walker and Cruz showing wider appeal than what he does now. His time may yet be down the road a bit. Broadening his appeal is why I am tending to want Ted to stay in the Senate. With the current majority, he can get things done and then bring a record of accomplishment to the table.

53 posted on 02/04/2015 3:49:58 AM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory and He will NOT be mocked! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever!)
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To: CptnObvious

Hey Newbie.....what the hell is wrong with calling someone Vanilla?? It’s not offensive at all since it IS the most POPULAR order in the ice cream dept. Maybe you are CptnOblivious.


54 posted on 02/04/2015 3:50:38 AM PST by Ann Archy (ABORTION....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: KevinB
I love Ted, but don't think it's quite his time yet.

You read my mind.

55 posted on 02/04/2015 3:51:07 AM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory and He will NOT be mocked! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
So the one-term congressman who historians say was the greatest president of all shouldn’t have run, in your opinion?

It's an odds thing. There are exceptions to every rule. Ted was attorney general in Texas and there's a certain executive aspect to that job. Ted may well have the talent and I would be happy to support him. At this point, though, Walker is my first choice.

56 posted on 02/04/2015 3:57:44 AM PST by KevinB (Barack Obama: Our first black, gay, Kenyan, Socialist, Muslim president!)
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To: Ann Archy; VRWC For Truth
JESUS is NOT running

OMG, you want SATAN to run. Satan is not pure, and acceptable to many people, so you want Satan to run./Sarc

See, your tired little hyperbole of "Jesus is not running" is getting really old and lame, as lame as the satan comment above. Nobody here is stupid enough to think that there is someone like God Himself going to run.

We want to best conservative possible. That means not just having conservative values, but the ability to communicate those values in plain language, the ability to argue and provide reasoning for those values, and the courage and boldness to defend and and act on those values, even if that is unpopular with the limp-wristed GOPe crowd.

Aiming for less conservative, vanilla candidate means conservatives get nothing.

57 posted on 02/04/2015 4:06:45 AM PST by Moorings
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To: Moorings; Ann Archy; VRWC For Truth

We want to best conservative possible = We want the best conservative possible.


58 posted on 02/04/2015 4:08:41 AM PST by Moorings
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To: aquila48
My first choice is still Cruz, but I would not be unhappy with Walker.

Hear! Hear!

59 posted on 02/04/2015 4:10:04 AM PST by USS Alaska (Exterminate the terrorist savages, everywhere.)
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To: KevinB
Ted was attorney general in Texas and there's a certain executive aspect to that job. Ted may well have the talent and I would be happy to support him.

Cruz was Solicitor-General in Texas, appointed by the Attorney-General, Greg Abbott,

As such, Cruz served as the state's trial attorney -- arguing cases before the Supreme Court, etc. In this role, he was extraordinarily successful -- but there is little about it that has an "executive aspect".

The fact of the matter is that talent and character are where you find them. If a man is talented and successful at what he does and is of good character, it makes no difference whether he was an executive, a legislator or a businessman.

60 posted on 02/04/2015 4:23:31 AM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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