Some of the interview recounts the story covered in Walker's book ("Unintimidated"), and there's substance on immigration and health care, but let me highlight the most abstract and forward-looking part, summarizing "the message that we’ve got to get out to people":
... that the Left, they want you under their thumb. They want to control you. They want to control your lives. They want you to be dependent on the government. We should say we’re the ones, not only for the poor, but for young people coming out of college, for working class families, for immigrants, for others out there. We should say we are the ones who empower the American Dream.That's a nice combination of staunch conservatism with empathy and caring, which is, I think, what the GOP should want in its next presidential candidate. Walker has absorbed and processed the "income inequality" theme that the Democratic Party has chosen to push.
We’re the ones who say you can do and be anything you want, but it’s because we empower you with the ability and the platform to do that. Then it’s up to you to make that happen. The other side tells you they want to help you, but in the end they want to keep you limited in how far you can grow.
We want to make sure everyone’s a part of the recovery. We’re not going to leave anybody behind, but we’re going to do it by empowering people to control their own lives and destiny.
Walker goes on — prompted by a question — to analyze why Mitt Romney lost in 2012. Romney's people "mis-served" him by misremembering how Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in 1980. Reagan did not focus solely on the bad economy. He was, in fact, "much more aspirational," and he stood for a coherent set of principles — "limited government, you know, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense" — that appeared clear to Walker when, as a teenager, he voted for Reagan and that is still memorable today. It was a whole package, you understood what it meant and "You knew... a Reagan presidency was going to be better for you."
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Great.
But he still needs to fix the bald spot or work on his camera angles.
"We’re the ones who say you can do and be anything you want, but it’s because we stay the hell out of your way." FIFY, Scott.
eh, seems like another immigrationist..
The takeaway for WI Democrats, in the analysis of the Romney loss: You can't just be the NotScott candidate -- you have to campaign for something else, something aspirational.
Will Democrats listen? Doubt it.
He's going to have a tough time in debates trying to explain why all his bold risk-taking and standing-upness hasn't resulted in anywhere near the number of jobs he promised.
But hey, Reagan.
Reagan didn't have the headwinds of a lapdog media, and wasn't mocked by political opponents at every opportunity when he reached out to those who weren't already under the Republican tent. And leading up to the 1980 elections I recall a collective 'Boy, we all screwed up electing this guy!' from everyone. Blue collar, white collar, the media. The next candidate won't have that advantage...
"Reagan didn't have the headwinds of a lapdog media, and wasn't mocked by political opponents at every opportunity "
Nonsense. Don't you remember "amiable dunce?" He was scary, too. Reagan was very good at reaching over the heads of the hostile media; better than Romney was.
Nixon was elected because of the 1968 Democrat convention and in 1972 because the McGovern party scared voters.
Bush I was Reagan III. Bush II was the not Clinton and Gore was weird.
Obama was the black president. All he impeachment talk is nonsense.
In 2016, we will see if the American public retains any intelligence or if they have become government drones. If the USSR couldn't create the "New Soviet Man" there is hope.
I like the governor's view and used to agree with it.
Unfortunately, too many young and/or vulnerable have been herded by liberals into thinking they are unable to accomplish anything. That is the crime of modern liberalism.
"He's going to have a tough time in debates trying to explain why all his bold risk-taking and standing-upness hasn't resulted in anywhere near the number of jobs he promised."
Revisit the old debate he did with Barrett in the recall election. He's got a debate style and he stood up to Barrett's bullying really well. He's earnest, fact-based, and unflappable. He seems really sincere and can't be baited into getting emotional. Barrett wanted to rattle him, to get him to lose his cool, and he never came anywhere near it.
"Farmer said...
He's going to have a tough time in debates trying to explain why all his bold risk-taking and standing-upness hasn't resulted in anywhere near the number of jobs he promised."
He could just blame it on Bush. But he isn't black. So I guess that's off the table.
He'll deflect and blame Doyle, and then drone on with his packaged Frank Luntz talking points.
That's funny, I thought blaming your predecessor was a packaged Obama talking point.
Political Reality 101: The only people that care about jobs numbers are those without jobs and partisans.
I'm sold on what Walker is saying. You simply cannot get away from government programs trying to "help" you.
I'm a pizza driver. It's a great job if you don't want to work in an office and follow rules... until you get your hours cut because the franchise can't afford to pay health insurance for everyone. I have health insurance, damnit, I don't need it from my job. Doesn't matter, the franchise has to offer it. I want to work, I want to pay my own way. I don't want food stamps or Medicaid or all that nonsense.
Why is it becoming harder to work than it is to take benefits?
What's happening is that the lower reaches of society, instead of being more free, are becoming more rule-bound than ever before. To be poor is to be regimented into government programs, whether you want them or not. Freedom now means being middle class or above.
To me, being free is more important than being plugged into the benefits machine. Leave me alone.
The media hated Reagan. Election night in 1984 was hilarious- watching Dan Rather loose his mind while the map turned red is a treasured memory of mine.
Well for any sane person outside of Dane County, being on the wrong side of garage mahal, is a good thing.
So Walker formed his political identity when he was 12 years old? Wonder if there is anything Walker has changed his mind about since that time. I'm thinking, probably not.
> So Walker formed his political identity when he was 12 years old?
If he was spouting left-wing pablum, you'd be ranting about the wisdom of children, or kindergarten teachers.
http://www.amazon.com/Really-Need-Know-Learned-Kindergarten/dp/034546639X
For the record, according to a new solvancy map, Wisconsin is
#17, MN is #35 and IL is #48.
Via Drudge:
George Mason University's Mercatus Center released a working paper Thursday ranking the solvency of the 50 states by a number of factors--from "liquidity and budgetary balance" to "reliance on debt to finance current and long-term expenditures and ability to pay for essential services." They further subdivided the category of solvency generally into cash solvency, budget solvency, long-run solvency, and service-level solvency.
"For the record, according to a new solvancy map, Wisconsin is
#17, MN is #35 and IL is #48."
Works for me, though we clearly have room for further improvement.
--He's going to have a tough time in debates trying to explain why all his bold risk-taking and standing-upness hasn't resulted in anywhere near the number of jobs he promised.--
Not really.
Blue state blues.
LOL.
The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however no guarantee is made or implied with respect to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness.
What sources? What is the criteria? They won't say.
But a new report from the non-partisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance shows the state has actually just been borrowing more money.
The two-year, $70 billion state budget signed in July authorizes an additional $2.05 billion in borrowing, with $1.64 billion of it paid for with general fund revenues. That continues a borrowing trend that has tripled since 1999 under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Under Walker’s 2013-15 budget, debt service will climb even higher, claiming 5.26% of general fund dollars in 2014 and 4.88% in 2015, according to WISTAX. The state’s historical debt level target has been 4%. Link
I find it interesting that Walker claims to have voted for Reagan yet was barely 17 when he was reelected.
What a stupid lie, but except for people his age, most people wouldn't catch the lie.
I really am amazed at the way he handled that entire recall thing. I think most of us who don't reside in Wisconsin probably couldn't really feel the chaos and the vitriol that he underwent by his detractors who looked more like someting out of The Gangs of New York movie than civil servents. I'm not sure if many other modern politicians could have held up under that sort of month after month barrage. He did so with quiet and steadfast dignity. Good for him. I would only ask one thing of the Governor whom I have deep respect for...next time he and his "good friend Paul Ryan" get together to talk Packer football, maybe he can explain to Ryan how the base feels about this budget, and about Ryan's push to be "comprehensive" on immigration reform.
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