August 8, 2013

10 things Scott Walker should do to position himself to run for President in 2016.

A list, from "Right Turn" at WaPo. Excerpts:
3. Establish himself as the candidate that bridges the gap between the tea party and mainstream Republicans. He’s taken on the left, but not tilted at windmills....

8. Steel himself for the national MSM. Unlike New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has been in the New York media market, and Beltway lawmakers who engage the press every day, Walker has had comparatively little experience in the national limelight. He will need a top-flight communications team....

33 comments:

Jane the Actuary said...

Run for President? Is the electorate really willing to elect someone who is not only a non-Ivy-Leaguer, but didn't even graduate college? Doubt it.

chickelit said...

With all due respect, I think Presidential politics in 2016 are less important than the mid-terms of 2014. Entrenched politicians of both parties are facing challenges from newcomers. Scott Walker is an important voice for Wisconsin, but I'm not convinced that his job is done yet or at least far enough along for him to consider moving on.

Anonymous said...

He will need a top-flight communications team....to spiel the same bromide that the north eastern elites are used to.

Matt Sablan said...

Meh. -Any- Republican needs to recalibrate when they go national. Any friendly media will suddenly turn on them, viciously, as happened with McCain (and to a lesser extent, Romney.) The fact that Walker only has the harsh media reactions to his recall will help to inoculate him against the sudden realization that hit McCain that "They don't really like me."

David said...

Right, Jane, because such a large percentage of the electorate are Ivy League college grads. And those that are not have seen just how wonderful this group has been at governing.

Non-Ivy grads who did ok: Washington and Lincoln in the old days.

More recently: Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon (ok at getting elected, at least), Reagan.

I would say that Truman, Eisenhower and Reagan might well qualify as the three most effective presidents since the New Deal.

Just imagine how great they could have been if they had gone to Yale.

garage mahal said...

11. Figure out a way to get ahead of Rick Perry into 7th place among Republican primary voters.

madAsHell said...

1. non-Ivy League
2. never graduated from college

....these are negatives???

Our Ivy League credentialed president routinely fails geography, and map reading.

Ann Althouse said...

I agree that SW needs to develop a great story around the never-finished-college issue. It's not a bug, it's a feature... but why?

Pick a story, develop it, learn it, stick to it.

damikesc said...

Jane, I actually think one can make a valid argument that we've let Ivy Leaguers run the country for decades now and they've, to be generous, screwed the pooch badly. It's time to let somebody else try their hand.

As far as Walker, a top notch team will be needed because the press is going to crucify him. They hate that a non-college grad neutered the public unions of WI.

I agree that SW needs to develop a great story around the never-finished-college issue. It's not a bug, it's a feature... but why?

It wouldn't be that hard.

"I don't feel the need to carry the highest credentials. I allow my work to speak for myself. We have allowed the smartest people in the world free reign to run amok for over 20 years now.

Are things better? For a few people, things are grand, but for the vast majority of people, things are worse on almost any possible measure. Poverty is higher. Income is lower. Work is less stable.

I don't think we can afford any more Ivy League graduates to run things. Brilliance is a damned expensive trait."

donald said...

I have donated to Walker and he would be myfirst choice stupid fat turd.

His unflappability when faced with the infantile Wisconsite left is what it's all about. He's an adult which will be a great improvement over the current president.

All the way from Senoia, Ga (Woodbury for Walking Dead fans). There's a lot more where I came from.

SteveR said...

Fortunately for republicans, SW or whomever, HRC is a very known commodity and lacks the sex appeal which allowed Obama to win twice. Unfortunately they have to do better than McCain or Mitt. But I think Garage is right, Walker's a long way from the top. I don't know if a good story is enough.

Alex said...

Considering Jindal owns degrees from both Harvard & Oxford, it will be tough for SW to run against that.

Ivy League - all your base are belong to US!

MadisonMan said...

I allow my work to speak for myself.

This would not work juxtaposed against what the Media would portray.

MadisonMan said...

By the way -- I'm picturing (in my head) a comely young lass (Republican) singing Waiting for my Dearie to a thought-bubble of SW as I read this article, and it makes it much more entertaining.

Link

All he must be is a man and alive, indeed.

The Godfather said...

No. 10 -- money -- is the bigee. He's not going to be the natural first choice of most Republican primary voters and caucus attendees. He's going to have to stay in while Paul, Cruz, Christie, et al., suck up all the oxygen (and press attention) in the race. He could be the natural second choice of a lot of Republican voters after their favorite fair-haired boy (whoever that might be) has stumbled or been eliminated. But only if he's still in the race.

ALP said...

I recently spent a couple of years in a bachelor's program with young adults half my age. You'd be surprised at the libertarian leanings of many of them - it sure surprised me, especially since we are in Seattle.

I came away with a strong impression that, if Republicans can really distance themselves from the socially conservative types - find a true "South Park Conservative" (socially liberal but fiscally conservative) - Democrats would get trounced. No, scratch that - more like a bloodbath. Many, many college age young adults would vote Republican - but I think they would lie about it to save face.

Carol said...

Take a hard line on immigration, because no one else is doing it.

Oh wait, their went the corporate donations.

chickelit said...

I agree that SW needs to develop a great story around the never-finished-college issue. It's not a bug, it's a feature... but why?

Pick a story, develop it, learn it, stick to it.


The story could be that "it got too overpriced and didn't look worth it -- and look what I did without it."

The story will resonate with males and the newer waves of unskilled immigrants. Females and anyone who reads the NYT will scoff at it as they continue to argue that $40k debt in exchange for a BS in Womyn's Studies should be the norm and even subsidized.

Carl said...

Ooo, advice from an Establishment Republican campaign consultant! Better take notes on that, Scott. You know how well those people did for Presidents Romney, McCain, and in Bush Senior's second term.

victoria said...

You know what he needs, a huge dose of charisma. That you can't learn or find, either you have it or you don't. That is one reason why Jindal will never get elected. He has the charisma of a New England Boiled dinner.

Watching Walker, I think he is of the same ilk. Anyone dispute that?

Vicki from Pasadena

Carl said...

Picking a politician for his charisma is like picking your girlfriend for her cup size.

Anonymous said...

Carl said...
Picking a politician for his charisma is like picking your girlfriend for her cup size.

Worse, much worse. You can change your girl friends, they can change cup sizes. But a politician can wreck your life, he can send you to jail if you refuse to pay him protection money that he calls taxes, he can scapegoat you and accuse you of causing a riot in a foreign land to cover up his own incompetence.

Hagar said...

Scott Walker is much too gentle a person.

I think a successful Republican nominee in 2016 is going to have to be very brash and forceful and certainly is going to have to think of some way of campaigning that is very different from anything done before, since he/she is going to have to massively defeat his/her own establishment before taking on the Democrats.

Hagar said...

I think it was Mark Twain who said: "Speak the truth - it will astonish your friends and confound your enemies!"

victoria said...

Carl, you made my case. That's how some men choose their dates and many people pick their elected officials.



Vicki

Big Mike said...

Someday Jennifer Rubin will actually be introduced to a real Republican. It may throw her into a fainting spell.

cubanbob said...

A non Ivey? Could not possibly be any worse than any Ivey leaguer we have had as president since whenever. A big plus there. No charisma? Double plus.

grackle said...

If he runs(which I wish he wouldn't - for his sake) he'll suffer the same fate that any conservative candidate suffers when they run for President: defeat by the MSM. The MSM controls the Presidential elections. From the debates to the daily coverage the game is fixed. They fixed the last election and they'll fix the next one. I don't see any end to it.

My money goes to the gubernatorials and the congressionals. Love, Rand, Cruz and Walker – these are some of the politicians I donate to. The MSM has less influence on the gubernatorials and the congressionals. Rubio used to get some of my money but he proved to be fatally flawed.

The GOP often calls. Yeah, in the past I gave a bit of dough to them too. But no more. To individual candidates only, never again to the turncoat GOP establishment – who are forever going along to get along. As a matter of fact the GOP establishment is about to help the Dems pass immigration reform and promote Obamacare.

Carl said...

I'm not arguing, Vicks. Voters are stupid. Really stupid. You have only to look at who they routinely pick to see that. Maybe you all have daddy issues. Help me Obi-Wan President Stupendous, you're my only hope. Gah.

That's why I'm a small-government guy. Giving the rest of you clowns power over my life (through the stupid government you'll stupidly choose) gives me the willies. Like asking my teenager to drive me to work. The unlicensed one. While stoned. Maybe blindfolded.

machine said...

Haha....yes, being uneducated is a "feature" in the GOP...

cubanbob said...

Machine has a point. Being uneducated in bad economic and social ideas and philosophies is a virtue, not a vice. Enough of charisma, give me quiet, boring competence instead.

Opus One Media said...

I like his position at the back of the pack, the long shot of shots,...and President of what?

mariner said...

damikesc,

It wouldn't be that hard.

"I don't feel the need to carry the highest credentials. I allow my work to speak for myself. We have allowed the smartest people in the world free reign to run amok for over 20 years now.

Are things better? For a few people, things are grand, but for the vast majority of people, things are worse on almost any possible measure. Poverty is higher. Income is lower. Work is less stable.

I don't think we can afford any more Ivy League graduates to run things. Brilliance is a damned expensive trait."

Brilliant (and it hasn't cost us a thing)!

If you support Walker I hope you forward this to his office.