Scott Walker Would Be the Most Conservative GOP Candidate Since Goldwater

Mother Jones ^ | February 11, 2015 | Kevin Drum

[Cincinatus' Wife]

For those of us who are sort of fascinated by the rise of Scott Walker as a Republican presidential contender, here's an interesting chart from Jason McDaniel, a political science professor at San Francisco State University. It shows the relative conservative-ness of GOP presidential nominees in the past six contested elections, and it demonstrates what an outlier Walker would be if he won next year's primary: he'd be the first candidate since Ronald Reagan who's more conservative than the average of the Republican field.

And by McDaniel's measure, he'd actually be the most conservative recent nominee, period—even more right-wing than Reagan:

Walker is well to the right end of the conservative spectrum, residing in the ideological neighborhood of Ted Cruz and Rand Paul....It is not a stretch to argue that if nominated, Walker would be the most conservative Republican nominee since Barry Goldwater in 1964.

....In contrast, Jeb Bush’s ideological position closely resembles previous Republican nominees. Bush most closely resembles John McCain in 2008....In Scott Walker versus Jeb Bush, party elites and primary voters are presented with clearly contrasting visions of the future direction of the Republican party....If the recent history of Republican nomination contests is any guide, the party is likely to decide that Scott Walker is too ideologically extreme to be the Republican nominee in 2016.

Of course, the fact that this chart seems surprising is one of Walker's big strengths. He may be as conservative as, say, Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, but he doesn't seem as conservative. He doesn't have Cruz's bombast and he doesn't go around hinting that we should go back to the gold standard, like Rand Paul. In practice, that may put him closer to the center of the field than his actual positions warrant.

Still, McDaniel's data is worth taking note of. If Walker remains hardnosed in his views, it may be hard to hide this from the voters. Eventually he's going to say something that will cause the Jeb Bushes and Chris Christies to pounce, and that might expose him as too much of an ideologue to win the mainstream Republican vote. It all depends on how well he learns to dog whistle and tap dance at the same time. But then, that's true of everyone running for president, isn't it?

[AuH2ORepublican]

Did I really need to include a sarcasm tag when I referred to “rock-ribbed Republican Wisconsin, the Texas of the Midwest”? (If my sarcasm wasn’t apparent, the fact that I then pointed out that Wisconsin has voted the same as New York in every presidential election since 1972 should have cleared that up.)

So, you’re correct, WI has been a “progressive” state for years, particularly with respect to labor issues. Walker’s accomplishments while taking on the unions are nothing short of remarkable.

[Lumper20]

Ted Cruz would not get 5% of the vote. WALKER CAN WIN.

[Lumper20]

Another Cruz libertarian.

[Lumper20]

True. Walker is the most electable of the conservative leaning.

[Lumper20]

Good post. True.

[Yosemitest]

No.
PRO-AMNESTY WALKER WILL LOSE!

[Yosemitest]

In case you haven't read it, be sure YOU READ Comment #120 from your PRO-AMNESTY Scott Walker.

[Lumper20]

Cruz cannot get 5% of the electorate. He was a loser at even CPAC. Cruz is the guy that libertarian conservatives who throw away votes on unelectable candidates vote for and that puts Dems in office in States like VA.Those in VA who voted for the Libertarian were too stupid to see it was a Soros pal who gave the Libertarian the money to run to steal get their vote. Talk about stupid folks that cost a seat in tight elections it is libertarians.

[bert]

please define amnesty for us

[Lumper20]

I have read enough of your comments to know it is a waste of time. What did you do in the Air Force? I only ask as we had air force helicopter pilots support us. Those guys had flown everything and the crews were damn good. One pilot got the Medal of Honor for late Nov 68. It was some amazing flying to rescue a recon team on a river bank under fire.

[Lumper20]

I agree.

[Lumper20]

Cruz blames others all the time. He Is UNELECTABLE GIVE IT UP.

[Lumper20]

Go back to your Cruz site.

[Lumper20]

You are becoming a troll with all these posts.I am through replying to or responding to anything you write.

[NELSON111]

>>>You think Walker will win, being PRO AMNESTY? Dream on!

I think someone skipped a dose of medication...

[NELSON111]

>>>elected leaders should make it easier for people to enter the country and become legal citizens in the first place.

That is ABSOLUTELY true. The immigration system is a nightmare...and HARD BROKE. That's one reason so many of them come in ILLEGALLY. If you think the only thing that needs to be fixed about the immigration system is enforcing the laws on the books...you are delusional and unrealistic.

[Yosemitest]

It's CRUZ OR LOSE ! ! !
Cruz is an honest man, unlike those who BUSSED IN as many supporters as they could to try to MANIPULATE THE zSTRAW VOTE.
Libertarian? What that got to do with the MOXT CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE we've got?
Cruz is the one that DemocRATS and ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICANS are trying to destroy FIRST.
He's the one that they're SCARED OF.

[Yosemitest]

You don't know what AMNESTY means's to conservatives?
Really?

[Yosemitest]

"What did you do in the Air Force?"

26 Plus years Air Traffic Control, mostly as Supervisor/Crew Chief, and a little as Tower Chief Controller.
I've worked at some of the busiest airports in the Air Force for several years.
I've also got 5 years experience with the FAA as an air traffic controller, after I retired from the USAF.
I've worked with, and assisted, many of the best fighter pilots/"Supervisors of Flying" in the military, as well as U-2 Pilots, in handling emergency situations with pilots/aircraft in trouble.

Helicopter pilots? My cousin retired from the Army from flying many different type helicopters, and later was killed because of a rotator failure in a "Flying Crane".

I don't consider doing all I can to fight for our FREEDOM and our LIBERTY... a "waste of time".
If you want to DILUTE or LOSE your FREEDOM and LIBERTY, as well as any WEALTH you have, paying taxes to support a bunch of LAW BREAKING ILLEGAL ALIENS to become CITIZENS, who will vote to restrict what freedoms you have left, that you, ... and that's called SOCIALISM.
I will have NONE of it.
There are laws in this country and they should be ENFORCED.
It's like a burglar breaking into your home, and then demanding you let them live there.
They have NO RIGHT to do that.
They should be PUNISHED, and that includes the ILLEGAL ALIEN IN THE OVAL OFFICE !

[Yosemitest]

You can NOT defend Walker's PRO-AMNESTY position as I quoted from Scott Walker in Comment #120,
so you try to divert form Scott Walker's position by "giving up" ?
Defend him, or admit you are wrong.