Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul may be the Republican Party’s current conservative heroes, but if Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has anything to say about it, none of their names would be on the 2016 presidential ballot.
Walker explained his hesitations to ABC’s Jonathan Karl for "This Week" when the journalist asked him who would be his ideal candidate.
“I think it’s got to be an outsider. I think both the presidential and the vice presidential nominee should either be a former or current governor, people who have done successful things in their states, who have taken on big reforms, who are ready to move America forward.”
When asked specifically about the "big three" in Congress -- Cruz, Paul and Rubio -- Walker reiterated his point,
“All good guys, but … it’s got to be somebody who’s viewed as being exceptionally removed from Washington,” the Wisconsin governor said.
When the interviewer noted the historically low congressional approval ratings at nine percent, Walker quipped that “just family” must have voted and shared Americans’ frustration, even agreeing that the government shutdown was a mistake by Republicans.
As for his own White House ambitions, Walker remained mum. But, he did reveal one entity he’d like to lead. He noted that while his criteria would omit his good friend, Representative Paul Ryan, he still admires him.
“I love Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan, if he had a fan club, I’d be the president of that.”
Watch the governor's full comments below. Do you think Walker's criteria suggests he's preparing himself for a White House run in 2016?