What still gives a lot of Republican leaders pause about Scott Walker is, well, Scott Walker. The Wisconsin dynamo is good, but the knock on him is that he knows it. He has a reputation as a one-man band, serving these past four years as his own chief speechwriter, chief policy aide, chief fundraiser, and chief political analyst. He is known to listen to a few trusted Wisconsin gurus—like consultant R.J. Johnson—but for the most part is anti-team effort....It sounds like there are a lot of consultants looking for jobs who have Ms. Strassel's ear.
Even Ronald Reagan, as savvy and principled as they came, knew the value of surrounding himself with advisers who knew things he didn’t. Republicans remain concerned by how unprepared, or unwilling, Mr. Walker seems to be to switch up to a presidential-run mentality, noting that he relied in this crucial re-election on an ad hoc campaign group, rather than using it to ramp up a pre-presidential team. His tendency to insularity also makes them worry what personnel choices he will make if and when he gets around to it.
This issue of personnel and advisers matters since it goes to the heart of Mr. Walker’s greatest challenge: Proving he can rise to the stature of a national presidential figure, and be something more than a statewide politician. As governors go he’s the anti-Chris Christie. The New Jersey governor is big on talk, less on policy. Mr. Walker is big on substance . . . and Midwestern flat.
November 15, 2014
Criticizing Scott Walker as too much of a one-man show.
It's Kimberley Strassel in the Wall Street Journal — channeling "Republican leaders" — in a piece subtitled "He went into the midterm just one name on a presidential short list, but came out the buzz":
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Scott Walker is nice enough, but I am not sure he can be President of all the people. A university education would have probably helped.
That sounds like Peggy Noonan's angle on Obama that he is the loneliest man since Nixon.
So is Scott Walker a Midwestern flat man who has no friends that he listens to for advice? Maybe they have all fled to Illinois to avoid him.
But by being of flat affect Walker could also become that rare omnibus candidate who appeals to all of the USA's regions of voters that apres Obama will be seeking authenticity.
Liberals don't like 'one man shows' because it goes against the group-think echo chamber of go along to get along. His independence and common sense is exactly what this country needs. He is today's version of the iconic "Marlboro Man" and Mark Twain. Before anyone goes all hissy fit on Marlboro cigarettes, don't be hypocritical given the liberals attempts to dumb down American voters with legalized marijuana smoking. At Walker's age he was undoubtedly helped by avoiding the propaganda agenda from most colleges especially on the the coasts.
If only Reagan had used a team of experts to process feedback and further hone his message during those G.E. days, he might have made something of himself.
I think there's a practical reason why Walker didn't have too many advisors -- in a world where it's easy for your enemies to start yet another John Doe probe, keeping your team small and free of potential competing agendas is pretty important. There's an expectation that Walker has to personally answer for every move anyone around him might make. And a lot of people who might have helped Walker likely stayed away because of the potential risk involved. Why get in the crosshairs of John Chisholm?
It is not about "advisers," but about running a team - and you do need a team.
(Notice the anarchy under the present administration.)
Here is an example of why Walker does not need an army of advisers. I bet if Walker were president and he needed an Ebola czar, he'd select someone like Dr. Ben Carson, a skilled and experienced doctor unlike Obama who probably took advice from Slow Joe Biden and selected Biden's old asst Ron Klain. If you are smart and practical and can cut thru the BS, you don't need an army of advisers.
I don't see why an army of advisers is needed to run a state. That's why Althouse's closing sentence cracked me up so much. Wouldn't it be terrible if all those Republican Consultants in NYC and DC suddenly were lacking work because Walker didn't need them?
They'd probably tell Walker not to accept the big tax increase that Republicans in the Legislature here have embraced.
"MadisonMan said...
They'd probably tell Walker not to accept the big tax increase that Republicans in the Legislature here have embraced."
What are you talking about?
Please, just no more academics from Harvard. Or senators, Elizabeth Warren, I’m talking about you. Senators have small staffs, small budgets and get to pick and choose their media time. Governors have huge bureaucracies, large budgets and media scrutiny everyday. Walker will need a team, but at least he’d how to do it. Warren has zero administrative experience and would be a complete disaster. People seem to forget; Warren’s first campaign sucked pretty bad, only not as bad as Marsha Coakley.
What are you talking about?
Link.
I conflated Gottlieb with Grothman -- who isn't even in the Legislature any more (well - not the WI one) -- so this might not go anywhere. (Now I've had my coffee so I'm thinking more clearly).
Wouldn't it be refreshing to hear someone in State Govt say "We're over budget, so we're slashing the workforce"
But no -- note that the thing this member of the Republican Administration does is ask for a tax hike! Not a spending cut, not a shrink in the size of government -- a tax cut. Maybe the Governor can prevail upon him to think actually like a Republican.
Evidently I still need more coffee. Sigh.
Does this mean he picks out his shirts by himself? Because that can be trouble.
Wait....I wasn't following that closely so correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't part of the John Doe investigation over collusion with outsiders? An allegation that he was coordinating with conservative groups in ways that overstepped the WI election laws?
And now that he's been cleared of that, the complaint is that he's too insular? Sheesh, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I for one applaud Walker's restraint in not hiring some big 'grownassman' Washington-based national campaign team.
Scott Walker is nice enough, but I am not sure he can be President of all the people. A university education would have probably helped.
Yah, Obama has one of them 'university educations', and he's barely President of 30% of the people.
Governor Walker has real executive experience, and has sided with all of the taxpayers against greedy special-interest groups who are organized against them.
He'll do all right.
Where were these 'insularity' articles about Barack Obama back in, say, about 2004? Because at that point he was a blank-fucking slate but rising star in the Democrat ranks.
@Grackle says:
"A university education would have probably helped."
Don't follow the pseudonyms here - is that dripping with sarcasm, or is he/she serious?
Grackle is being sarcastic. But the media will run with the meme that Walker is an uncredentialed boob.
Maybe the Governor can prevail upon him to think actually like a Republican.
The money has to come from somewhere to fill the huge deficits they created. But I'm sure this is Jim Doyle's fault too.
Educated? Like President Lincoln?
A university education would have probably helped.
Why? Do we need someone with PoliSci or English or whatever degree in office?
At some point, the American public will recognize the phonybaloneyness of some college degrees, and the Higher Education scam/balloon will go poof.
All things being equal, I'd prefer to vote for someone with, say, an Engineering Degree as President over someone with a degree in English Lit or Poli Sci. All things aren't equal.
garage mahal said...
Maybe the Governor can prevail upon him to think actually like a Republican.
The money has to come from somewhere to fill the huge deficits they created. But I'm sure this is Jim Doyle's fault too.
LOL Since Doyle left 3.6 Billion, twice what we are facing, and a raided transportation budget, he didn't help. But Walker will balance this budget, without raising taxes, just like he has so far at the state level, and every year when he Milwaukee County Executive. So if the taxes go up on your doublw wide garage, it won't be because of Walker or the state, but your local comrades.
garage mahal said...
Maybe the Governor can prevail upon him to think actually like a Republican.
The money has to come from somewhere to fill the huge deficits they created. But I'm sure this is Jim Doyle's fault too.
LOL Since Doyle left 3.6 Billion, twice what we are facing, and a raided transportation budget, he didn't help. But Walker will balance this budget, without raising taxes, just like he has so far at the state level, and every year when he Milwaukee County Executive. So if the taxes go up on your doublw wide garage, it won't be because of Walker or the state, but your local comrades.
Strassel takes Walker to task for not having an A-team of pros running his campaign. In so saying Strassel reveals that Republicans are every bit as full of the Weenie-Nerd Smart Set of which, on the Democratic side, Jonathan Gruber is prime example number one. People who think they know a lot more than everyone else - and know how to fool them as well. Also embedded in Strassel's piece is the contempt for flyover country that has led to the underestimation of Walker all along. I have no idea if he can get to the presidency, probably not given the many hurdles involved, but it all makes me hope he does just to annoy the coastal-weenie-set.
It sounds like there are a lot of consultants looking for jobs who have Ms. Strassel's ear.
I think you got it in one guess, Professor. I also think Jon Burack, just above, has another part of the puzzle.
so the GOP establishment is complaining because they wouldn't be able to control him? Or what exactly....?
If Scott Walker ran as Flatman, the guy who says flatly that the states can run schools (no Dept. Education), fix roads (no dept Transportation) protect free speech (no Federal speech codes) even supply free lunch (no Federal school lunch codes) and prosecute rape in the universities (no to government administrators under the bed taking notes on sex)
If Scott Walker overall just ran on the idea that states these days would generally be better at setting priorities for citizens instead of 10,000 Jonathan Grubers - well then he'd get my vote. Which he has anyway.
I stand withe the Flatman from Flyover land. Say no to the Gruberites, the Democrats
So if the taxes go up on your doublw wide garage, it won't be because of Walker or the state, but your local comrades.
If this DOT proposal is a trial balloon it isn't going very well. Less than two weeks after the election we find out energy rates are going up, and all sorts of new "fees" will be needed to fill gaping holes. Sooner or later people will figure out these people are nothing more than grifters.
"Lack of a university education" is simply pre-mockery of how the elites will "other" Walker. Althouse has already commenced the othering of Ted Cruz.
I see garage has come out of hiding from all the Gruber threads.
Brave Sir Knight garage.
Every time garage posts, I must click to make sure it's him posting and not his pale imitator. And that annoys me.
Anyway, curious george, if there's such a healthy budget, why is Walker's Transportation floating a huge tax increase trial balloon?
Will Walker have binders full of smart women like Romney. Or could he borrow them like Burke did her plans?
So many unknowns.
"Criticizing Scott Walker as too much of a one-man show."
They said the same thing to Ron Jeremy when he broke into porn by blowing himself.
Jim Doyle Jim Doyle Jim Doyle Jim Doyle Jim Doyle
Since you brought him up.
"By a 2-1 vote, only two days after the election, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission began a series of approvals that are letting every one of Wisconsin's electric and natural gas companies nearly double the service fees they charge their customers. Humorously, it was the two Walker appointees that supported the massive fee hikes and the only votes in opposition has been a commissioner appointed by former Democratic Governor, Jim Doyle."
http://www.uppitywis.org/blogarticle/walker-appointees-psc-wait-until-after-election-nearly-double-el
"It is not about "advisers," but about running a team - and you do need a team."
At the presidential level, the "team" can actually consist of Constitutional officers who know what they are doing. It is not necessary to have a "team" of postgraduate twerps running everything from the White House, as Obama has done.
Reagan had a cabinet that worked with a few exceptions like Bell, who defied his plan to close the Dept of Ed and Watt, who was pretty much a fool.
I'm sure a President Walker could find such people. There was a book a few years ago called The Wise Man about the men who helped Democrat presidents run the country successfully. I doubt Obama has ever heard of it.
I wonder of Walker even wants to run next time. He has had a fill of campaigning and his campaigns have been very local.
There are like 1,000 people employed either in the White House or in the Exec Office Building. I believe they all report up through the Executive Branch of the fed govt. What do they do and do we really really need them?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
That darned Barack Obama promising energy prices will necessarily skyrocket!
I know, Leftist trolls, let's blame Scott Walker for it.
That will work.
So Walker wins elections, but doesn't do it in the way they approve? Hmmmmm...didn't Mary Burke have a staff of advisers, consultants, etc? How'd that work out for her?
I think the GOP establishment's fear is that Walker has demonstrated he does not need them to win elections.
Grackle said...
Scott Walker is nice enough, but I am not sure he can be President of all the people. A university education would have probably helped.
Grackle said...
"Lack of a university education" is simply pre-mockery of how the elites will "other" Walker. Althouse has already commenced the othering of Ted Cruz.
The above comments are not by me. Apparently someone else has respect for this bird and has also taken it as a pseudonym. The real grackle, me, spells the name with all lower case. I've been posting comments on this blog since at least 2009 but this is the first time I've ever seen another grackle.
I notice Walker's people at DOT waited a week after having their Transportation Budget Carve-Out Amendment pass before bringing up all the new taxes and fees.
An extra 2.5% tax for new car sales, from `I have not raised taxes' Walker.
Extra gas tax, registration fees ... but somehow that $111 property tax cut makes all these extra taxes invisible.
It's almost like Strassel thinks Walker thinks he's a better speechwriter than his speechwriters, a better chief of staff than his chief of staff, a better campaign manager than his campaign manager...
That's not simple projection. That's IMAX, baybee... the one difference is, what Walker did, WORKED.
The idea that he might not listen to advisers like a Rove or Kissinger or a Jarrett sounds like a plus to me...
What Republican Presidential campaign experts in, oh, the last eight or ten years have struck anyone as particuarly competent or principled?
If Walker
Anyone who knows Wisconsin knows the only surefire way Walker loses to Burke is if he turns the campaign into the pre-Presidential warm up that Strassel is upset he didn't run...which tells you everything you need to know about Ms. Strassel.
Jimmy Carter was a noo-clear engineer. He gave us a recession and the Ayatollah Khomeini.
Bill Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar. He gave us the disaster in Somalia, missile tech to the Chinese, impeachment for perjury and Newt Gingrich's welfare reform plan...
Barack Obama was a Ivy League sooper genius. He gave us the disaster of Obamacare, a deficit measurable in astrophysical terms, quantitive easing to destroy the dollar, the lowest workforce participation since Carter, the Caliphate, the rise of Vladimir Putin as a world power, the importation of exotic new diseases into America, and Michelle's food tips.
Maybe a college degree should be a DISqualification for President...
I'm not that excited about a Walker run, but I'd change my mind if he proposed closing the Dept of Education.
If Walker seems isolated I wouldn't wonder if that is an effect of brave Republicans running to distance themselves from him during the recall and election?
Why does the DOT need more money? Obama says Repubs are against infrastructure spending.
I have a hard time believing the new car tax will pass.
I suggest he wear a PC sexy shirt of some kind.
Walker is not the only midwestern governor who might run .
Pence has experience in Congress and as a governor.
Before entering politics, Pence built a resume covering a wide array of professions. His background includes working as an admissions counselor at his alma mater, Hanover College, as well as an attorney and a talk show host.[2]
An analysis of Republican governors by Nate Silver of the New York Times in April 2013 ranked Pence as the 2nd most conservative governor in the country.[3]
Pence will come up for re-election for the first time in November of 2016. He has not yet stated whether he intends to seek another term in the governorship. There is speculation that Pence will run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.[4]
This is what comes of actually having a "bench" in politics.
Jindal did poorly in a speech and that took him down but he might appear again. I think the Democrats have run a pretty successful scorched earth campaign against Perry, at least until 2020.
From what I have seen of Pence, he is well spoken and was even a radio talk show guy, sort of like Reagan.
Obama has two more years to wreck the country and I think the Democrats will be hiding out in 2016.
Here in RI, we had a candidate for gov who didn't get into the race until September, spent a grand total of $36 on the race (yes, thirty-six dollars), and got 66,000 votes, or 22%. Consult that!
Maybe the Governor can prevail upon him to think actually like a Republican.
Maybe he should act like a progressive Democrat. Minnesota has a surplus, we have a deficit.
So let’s review. Wisconsin cut education, cut healthcare, cut wages for state employees, cut services for the needy, increased taxes on the poor, and cut taxes for the rich. And after all that cutting, Wisconsin’s budget deficit is now in the billions, and Wisconsin trails Minnesota in job growth, unemployment, and wages. All this while Minnesota balanced its budget, increased spending on those services that Wisconsin cut, significantly reduced the tax burden for the middle class on two separate occasions, and is now looking at a $1.5 billion budget surplus for 2015. It’s no contest, it’s not even close.
garage mahal said...
Maybe the Governor can prevail upon him to think actually like a Republican.
Maybe he should act like a progressive Democrat. Minnesota has a surplus, we have a deficit.
So let’s review. Wisconsin cut education, cut healthcare, cut wages for state employees, cut services for the needy, increased taxes on the poor, and cut taxes for the rich. And after all that cutting, Wisconsin’s budget deficit is now in the billions, and Wisconsin trails Minnesota in job growth, unemployment, and wages. All this while Minnesota balanced its budget, increased spending on those services that Wisconsin cut, significantly reduced the tax burden for the middle class on two separate occasions, and is now looking at a $1.5 billion budget surplus for 2015. It’s no contest, it’s not even close.
LOL, you clearly don't understand State budgeting. WI has a surplus in the latest budget dumbass. After providing a billion in tax relief.
MN is the 4th worst tax state in the nation:
Income tax topping out 9.85% versus WI 7.65%
Sales tax 6.875% versus WI 5%
MN, let's be like them! Moron.
Who to believe the LFB, or a partisan hack?
garage mahal said...
Who to believe the LFB, or a partisan hack?
Right. You got nothing. Got it.
The LFB says 1.8 billion deficit going into the next budget. I believe them, not a habitual liar like you.
LFB? Who or what is an LSD? I didn't see any attribution on that quote, I assumed garage made it up. You see garage, when you do a quote like that, it is usual to provide attribution. A link would suffice and then I could probably figure out who LSB is.
I mean, surely you don't think anymore that you have any kind of store of credibility where somebody here is going to take your word for something? You understand that you have to cite everything now, don't you?
Unknown, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau is the Wisconsin agency that reports the fiscal numbers for the state, scores budgets, and performs as the non partisan aides to the legislative branch.
Think of it as like the CBO.
Ignorance of a subject is no reason to walk around like an asshat. Actually try next time unless you want to show yourself as both lazy and stuoid.
"garage mahal said...
The LFB says 1.8 billion deficit going into the next budget. I believe them, not a habitual liar like you."
You are such a moron. It's your interpretation of what the LFB says that's the problem.
We have a 1.8 billion structural deficit in the next budget shortbus. That looks at revenues for the next two years versus current obligations; if nothing changes.
It has absolutely nothing to do with where we are at in the current budget. We actually ran at a surplus, after cutting taxes by a billion dollars, paying off MN, repaying the transportation fund that Doyle raided.
So in direct comparison with MN we did better. We also had a surplus, but didn't have to raise taxes like they did to gt it. We cut them. Its easy to balance budgets if you ass rape the taxpayers.
This should clear things up but if not, you're outta luck. Blogger doesn't allow for crayons and pictures.
" Mark said...
I notice Walker's people at DOT waited a week after having their Transportation Budget Carve-Out Amendment pass before bringing up all the new taxes and fees.
An extra 2.5% tax for new car sales, from `I have not raised taxes' Walker.
Extra gas tax, registration fees ... but somehow that $111 property tax cut makes all these extra taxes invisible."
Uh, you think it might be because they had to wait to see if he won the election?
Do you understand that their budget proposal is just that, a proposal? That it isn't reality?
Walker supporter's say that the State has over a billion dollars in surplus money and yet the GOP is still proposing to raise our taxes and fees.
IF what George et al is saying is true, then the Republicans are a bunch of greedy assholes who want more and more of our money even tho they already have a huge stockpile they are already sitting on.
Michael K:
"...I think the Democrats will be hiding out in 2016."
No way. As soon as Obama's magical pen wreaks permanent havoc on our immigration system and our demographics, the Democrats will begin a "War on Brown People"(tm) campaign against the Repubs, especially conservatives and the Tea Parties.
Included in the new EOs will be driver's licenses for all, and the new AG will force state DMVs to register them all as Democrats under Motor Voter. They'll be enthusiastically assisted by the media, RINOs, Hollywood, the cultural elites and all of "academia".
Soon anyone against outright instant citizenship, including voting rights and all the freebies, will be tarred as Hispanists(tm) and accused of Hispanophobia(tm).
This kind of campaign works; it would be the only reason Democrats ever get elected, if Republicans weren't so good at snatching defeat from the jaws of certain victory.
Curious, I know that their proposed budget is what Walkers appointees at the DOT have asked for.
Knowing how these things go, I am well aware the details of this were determined well over a week before it was published ... But those details were told to stay under wraps until after the election.
Especially with that transportation amendment on the ballot. No way that would have passed if people saw new taxes coming down the pipe.
And here people complain about Gruber ....
"madisonfella said...
Walker supporter's say that the State has over a billion dollars in surplus money and yet the GOP is still proposing to raise our taxes and fees."
The GOP has proposed nothing you moron. A department made a budget proposal.
"madisonfella said...IF what George et al is saying is true, then the Republicans are a bunch of greedy assholes who want more and more of our money even tho they already have a huge stockpile they are already sitting on."
LOL What?
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