Oh, you don’t say!
In all seriousness, many conservatives will be taking a serious look at Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) in 2016. He’s effective, he’s conservative, and he knows how to put together winning coalitions. His most recent electoral romp, however, is an absolute game-changer -- and why wouldn’t it be?
He’s now won an impressive number of state-wide elections since 2010. Arguably, he’s the most despised Republican governor in America (on the Left). So what’s not to like?
But, dear reader, will he make the leap? Asked recently if he had once and for all quelled those rumors, he told Salem radio host Hugh Hewitt the following (via Truth Revolt):
“Oh, absolutely not. I mean, it’s one of those where I very much believe that our next president should be a governor. And I think you look at the mess in Washington, and you realize we need leaders from outside of our nation’s capital, and we need people who have been successful. And I think with what I’ve had to go through in the last four years, both politically, but also in terms of the policies, certainly I feel that there’s a reason God put me in a spot to do the things that we’ve done and take on the kind of challenges we’ve done. And it’s certainly something I’m going to take seriously, and really look at it closely over the next month or two.”
His response tells us three things: First, he’s seriously considering running for president, but perhaps more importantly, he wants everyone to know it. In other words, he's eager to put out feelers and test the waters. Second, he’s outright implying, if not downright suggesting, that candidates like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul are probably unqualified to be president. The nation needs a governor to take the reins in 2016, you see, not an untested Washington legislator. And finally, his response is a subtle reminder that, not unlike Mike Huckabee and Rick Perry, he’s a devout and serious Christian.
Why does this matter? Well, if you’re a Republican primary voter who’s undecided and wants an experienced, electable, and accomplished man of faith to win the nomination, who better to support than the Republican governor of Wisconsin?
That, if anything, seems to be the message Walker himself is attempting to convey.