Posted on 02/23/2015 11:21:35 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
It appears that Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin believes he can shrug his way into being the Republican nominee for president. Journalists are quickly learning that if you ask Walker to comment on any of the issues that are riling up the fundamentalists, birthers or other right wingnuts these days, Walker will be respond with his impression of a popular emoticon: ¯\(ツ)/¯.
On the question of where he stands on the theory of evolution, Walker replied, “That's a question politicians shouldn't be involved in one way or another. I am going to leave that up to you.”
On the question of how he plans to handle ISIS: “That’s certainly something I will answer in the United States in the future.”
When asked if he thinks President Obama is a Christian: “I don’t know,” and “I’ve never actually talked about it or I haven’t read about that.”
Or if he thinks Obama loves America, which is a “debate” going on in conservative circles right now: “I’ve never asked the President so I don’t really know what his opinions are on that one way or another.”
Someone should ask Walker if he agrees when liberals say the sky is blue, just to see him tap dance around that one, too.
This entire situation is so comical that it’s hard to imagine it’s doing anything but hurting Walker’s chances. Yet there is actually a method to his madness. While Democratic-leaning voters can be driven to distraction by politicians who refuse to take a side on contentious issues like this, the dodge-and-weave actually plays right into the hands of Republican voters, both of the Tea Party variety and the people who don’t care for all that culture war nonsense and just want lower taxes on rich people.
Both stripes of Republican voters will likely take Walker’s shruggie act as an indication that he secretly views things the way they do. For the rightwing ideologues, hearing Walker punt on issues like ISIS or whether or not Obama is a secret Muslim feeds right into their paranoid narratives about how the evil liberal media is suppressing rightwing truths. “He secretly agrees with us,” the narrative goes, “but he can’t say so out loud without being crucified by the liberal media.”
For those Republicans who don’t actually buy the birther narratives about Obama or who don’t reject the theory of evolution, however, the signal sent by Walker’s dunno posturing is a little different. To them, it’s: “He’s not an imbecile, but he has to play to the rubes in order to win Iowa.”
That’s why there’s an excellent chance that Walker’s little dance will work. Tea Party types get to have their victimization narrative flattered and elites get to have their sense that they’re bamboozling the rubes played to. Just as importantly, Walker’s refusal to take a stand on any of this makes it easier for him to appear sensible and moderate to the public at large if he does win the nomination. If he was foolish enough to actually go on the record agreeing with some of the more outlandish ideas that fringe right puts forward, those quotes could catch the public’s imagination in the way that Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” or Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments did.
But nothing is hard to quote. And though “I don’t know” may induce snickers, it doesn’t stir outrage. Perhaps we’re heading towards an era when Republican candidates communicate primarily through subtle nods designed to mean whatever you need to believe they mean.
Amanda Marcotte is a freelance journalist who writes frequently about liberal politics, the religious right and reproductive health care. She's a prolific Twitter villain who can be followed @amandamarcotte.
I respectfully disagree. That would be too combative, it sounds too desperate.
He's doing it just right. Just shrug it off. On to the next question please, I'm busy.
The time to give a response like the one you suggest is if the atmosphere is heated, like in a presidential debate on national television. That's when you act like it's worth responding to.
The MSM praised in print how well Bill Clinton could lie.
Walker is going to give them fits.
I agree.
And it could be that he thinks they are irrelevant questions...as he has already explained.
I like Walker.
Cruz/Walker
Walker/Cruz
I don’t have an account. Does anyone here have one?
He mentions that in the recall debate.
Very slyly.
: )
They hate it that they can’t pin him down.
Marcotte is a dishonest piece of filth.
I’ve posted this a few times already today. It looks appropriate to post it again on this thread.
Ancient military strategist Sun Tzu wrote,
“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate.”
It looks like the ‘uneducated’ Governor Walker is a lot better educated than his opponents in the press, and it is beginning to sink in that he may be directing their fates
Since OZERO won’t be running again, What anyone thinks about him is irrelevant to the next election. Mostly, what any candidate believes about another is always irrelevant.
He’s shrugging because those are stupid questions, you lickspittle.
iirc, right after the 2014 election there was an article or three on the GOP’s winning strategy. Which was called something like “Go Quiet” (I can’t remember the exact term.)
Walker seems to be playing a variation of that, not allowing himself to be sucked into “gotcha” questions. Which aren’t designed to elicit substantive responses but rather material that can then be used to bludgeon him politically.
Very smart move at this point. And the writer of this, being an arrogant and elitest Lib, doesn’t consider that a lot of us don’t see this as validation of our positions (one way or another) but rather a politically savvy move that has the added benefit of scaring and annoying Liberals. And is therefore worthy of respect.
This is a yeast infection, posing as a journalist. She cannot even get a job, so she freelances and writes about the evil right and reproductive rights.
Sorry, but her criticism has equal validity to a fly complaining about a swatter.
PS: I use the term “her” without knowing or wanting to verify gender.
I like it!!
bkmk
...Yeah...bailing out of college was a good move.....
mind like a steel trap....and not like a bowl of jello.
I just don’t get where the idiots think that what a 2016 candidate thinks whether Obama is a muslim or loves this country has anything to do with any important issues.
As far as ISIS, I would think more information would be needed about who is backing them, financing them, harboring them, etc., would be needed before making a statement that would be repeated and mocked (if new info came out) for the next two years.
Look what they did to Romney about Russia? “The eighties are calling,...” they forgot about that now.
He is also shrugging because, if the is one thing Obama has taught us, all those blanks on your political positions are a plus!
People will project whatever it is that the like into those blanks and you won’t have to be put up with being called a flip-flopper when you change them to match the audience.
He doesn’t have to say, and he should not. Where ever possible, he should let his actions speak for him.
At least he doesn’t have a long list of abstentions and absences like our President.
The Left is going to do everything they can to take Walker out. By making him appear "extreme" they will make him unacceptable to big money backers and stop grass roots support before the voters get a good look at him. They want to define him as unelectable.
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