From hero to zero*

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

This was mentioned here the other day, Scott Walker ending his campaign in a rather anti-climactic fashion. Lots of reasons have been cited around the media for his failure, despite a certain number of conservative-leaning voters apparently seeing real presidential material in him. Despite FOX allegedly arranging the requirements for the debate to favor Walker, he still somehow managed to succumb to mediocrity in no time, and snatch defeat from the jaws of... well, what initially looked like a good run. And it wasn't so long ago that he made that "awesome speech" in Des Moines (according to the GOP base, anyway), and people believed he had a real shot at the presidency.

On the other hand, a curious overview of Walker's major gaffes for the last few months shows an insecure, inexperienced, shy, and overall, "un-presidential" guy who still obviously has a lot to learn about running a campaign. I mean, I'm sure he's a good guy with his political principles and convictions, but yeah. Basically, he managed to turn himself into a walking gaffe, not knowing when to take a stance and when to refrain from doing so, thus hurting his campaign beyond repair, and aggravating both donors and the base. Curiously, as one columnist argued, the end of Walker's bid might be putting the presumed power of super-PACs in question. Or his case could just be an exception. That yet remains to be seen.

Anyway; what's your take on Scott Walker's fiasco? Why did he fail? And what could other candidates learn from that? And which of his rivals is going to benefit the most from his dropping out? (You know, they're now going to circle what remains of his staff like sharks, and try to bite pieces off of it). And... I know it's too early for that but... would he do considerably better if he runs in 2020?

* title is taken from a MSNBC article on the subject

Ps. "Molotov"!? WTFLOL?!

Comments

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

From what I am hearing, his problem is that he wasn't convincing enough. People tend to prefer confident candidates, especially when they try to picture them in the Oval office.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

My take? He wasn't nutty enough. Just look at their front-runner. Now that's some presidential material! Would be fitting if he became the clown-in-chief of America.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

I really liked Walker. He was going to be my guy, barring any major changes. This is disappointing, but not really surprising, given how the campaign has developed.

1.) Walker is a quiet, workmanlike politician. He greatest virtue, preferring action and accomplishment over rhetoric and photo-ops, proved to be his greatest weakness. The presidential campaign stopped being about ideas and previous record and started to be all about personality and "energy." While Walker has quite a bit of the former he has very little of either of the latter. We aren't a country who elects a [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] anymore. More's the pity.

2.) I don't think "Wisconsin Nice" translates to "presidential" in a presidential campaign. It translates to boring. In field of more than a dozen serious candidates and a half dozen more fringe actors, there just wasn't enough oxygen in the room for a candidate who wasn't willing to set himself on fire. The few times he tried, it made him look ridiculous, compounding his problem.

3.) Walker misjudged the zeitgeist. He thought his record of standing up to the teacher's unions in Wisconsin and winning would be a stronger foundation on which to build a campaign. Turns out, nobody cares. The rest of his platform couldn't make itself heard over the din of the Donald et al. The speech he made in Iowa that rocketed him to the lead in the Spring was a stump speech he had given many times, it was the speech he carried Wisconsin with three times. But that was all he had. It was a one hit wonder moment. And his debate performances were laughable.

4.) Walker and his team made a lot of tactical and money management blunders. He took the positive press and poll numbers from the Spring as a potential jumping off point to an early, insurmountable lead. He ramped up his campaign too quickly, spent too much money on things that didn't matter and then was sluggish and unresponsive when the situation cried out for nimbleness.

I could go on, but it is too depressing.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Are there chances that Walker could be picked as running VP?

calvin_coolidge has a LJ blog? Wow.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Oooh imagine all those future gaffes. He could be the GOP's Joe Biden!

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

I guess. But I kind of doubt it. VP candidates are often chosen to be the "fire-breathers" in the race, allowing the main guy a chance to look "reasoned" and "serious."

I'd rather see him run for the Senate, myself.

Silent Cal was someone's sock puppet from back in the day. They'd always pop up with a one or two word zinger. Funny stuff.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

"In field of more than a dozen serious candidates and a half dozen more fringe actors, there just wasn't enough oxygen in the room for a candidate who wasn't willing to set himself on fire."

-- Dailyquoted, even if just for the poetry of it.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Look, I'm sure there are plenty of good bureaucrats of integrity in politics. But people don't need a clerk to lead the nation, there already are enough of those around, even if some do their job "just fine". No, people need an eloquent figurehead who could inspire them - because that's what a president is. A speaker for the establishment that runs the system.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Walker wasn't a bureaucrat, though. He really smashed a long standing, deeply entrenched and lavishly funded system that was bleeding Wisconsin dry. In the face of withering criticism, legislative abdication, mass protest and threats of violence. That isn't a clerk's job. And it isn't accomplished without inspiring a majority, indeed and increasing majority of his state's population (a traditionally very Democratic state, to boot!) to vote for him and support the policies.

But, I agree, as a presidential candidate he wasn't inspiring. More's the pity.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Yeah, okay, he busted a union. I got that the first dozen times he repeated the boast. Apart from that what else has he got under his belt? Sounds like a one-trick pony. You can't run for a whole campaign only on that one achievement.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

It is one more achievement than Barack Obama ran on, so I don't think that assertion is supported by history.

The union thing is just a McGuffin, really. How Walker acted calm and determined during the controversy, how he managed the legislature, how he rallied support in a state that had been very much a Democratic stronghold for several cycles, how he was steadfast and unapologetic when he was recalled, how he never backed down but never stooped the the level of his opponents who, frankly, used some pretty scurrilous and thuggish tactics, how he won, despite local and national media nay saying, all that endeared him to me much more than the union busting.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

I don't know, is destroying an organization more of an achievement than actually running one? Probably depends on your inclinations, I suppose - whether they're destructive or constructive ones.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

I don't think "Wisconsin Nice" translates to "presidential" in a presidential campaign. It translates to boring.

I don't think Paul Ryan would've won, but I think he'd be in the top 5 or 6 now - he wouldn't have your other 3 points working against him. Maybe the wrong Wisconsinite got out of the way for his friend.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

In field of more than a dozen serious candidates and a half dozen more fringe actors, there just wasn't enough oxygen in the room for a candidate who wasn't willing to set himself on fire.

This is really the most salient point. The first time in decades the Republicans have put forth a serious candidate, and serious isn't selling.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

It is early. I still think someone serious is going to end up at the top of the ticket once the pack thins out. The Trump bubble is bursting, IMO. As soon as the spot light focuses on Carson and Fiorina, despite their many excellent qualities, people will see they aren't top of the ticket candidates. I hope sideshows like Graham, Gilmore and Pataki (!!) take Walker and Perry's example to heart and GTFO.

Dont' care for Cruz. Tough time thinking we need a third Bush. Christie isn't electable. Jindal has zero appeal, apparently. That leaves, who? Kasich? Rubio?

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I'm finding myself defaulting to Rubio right now, but I don't like it. His type of politics is one I absolutely loathe.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

I'm more of a hawk than you, so I think I'm more in his corner right now. I'd have been happier if he stuck to his guns on immigration, a la JEB! It seems like Rubio is a lot of people's second choice. That bodes well for him. Not sure what that means for the general. He would eviscerate Clinton in any debate, not that it would matter much.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

A ham sandwich could eviscerate Clinton in any debate, but as you say, it wouldn't matter much.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Pretty much

[oportet.livejournal.com]

He didn't stand out. Even his gaffes are boring. This is going to sound stupid - but he needed a scandal - a current one. Nothing too extreme. Maybe take a few hundred thousand out of the campaign donations and spend it all on foot massages. Maybe get caught urinating on a Trump sign. Something that would get everyone to say 'hey look at this crazy asshole, what is he about?' but stop just short of a felony.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Gee, politics is real art, isn't it?

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Dammit, I always preferred dancing girls and nose-candy to drunken foot massages.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

As a member of the Australian Education Union, this makes me happy.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

His campaign ran out of money (http://www.wsj.com/articles/scott-walker-to-drop-out-of-presidential-race-1442868289), nothing particularly unusual or news worthy aside from the thinning field.

Still sucks, seeing as he was my top pick.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Isn't it kind of curious how Walker seems to have been the first pick of a large majority of our conservative denizens here - and yet he failed miserably after getting a infinitesimal approval rating. It reminds me of the Ron Paul internet wonder which in reality didn't materialize.