SCOTT WALKER SHOWS PROMISE HEADING INTO 2016

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Best-Positioned Rival to Jeb Bush May Not Be the Best Known

Scott Walker Shows Promise Heading Into 2016

By Nate Cohn

JAN. 12, 2015

Jeb Bush had a good month. He struck first in the invisible primary — the behind-the-scenes competition for the support of donors, officials and operatives. And for all of the talk about the depth of the Republican field, the opposition to Mr. Bush remains unclear and underwhelming.

That is in part because many of the high-profile potential Republican contenders — like Ted Cruz, Chris Christie and Rand Paul — are factional and flawed candidates with tough routes to the party’s nomination.

Nonetheless, there will be demand for an alternative to Mr. Bush, even from within the so-called Republican establishment. Since Friday, attention has focused on Mitt Romney, who said in a meeting of top advisers and donors that he was considering a third run.

But the more compelling challenger may be Scott Walker, the battle-hardened governor of Wisconsin. He has made moves toward running, and on paper, he’s the type of candidate who should deeply concern Mr. Bush.

Unlike the flawed but better-known conservatives, Mr. Walker has the potential to have broad appeal throughout the Republican Party. Mr. Walker, born in Colorado Springs, is an evangelical Christian who defeated public employee unions in a high-profile battle over collective bargaining rights and who made big budget cuts in a state that has voted for Democrats in seven consecutive presidential elections.

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Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, is a conservative favorite and could also attract significant support from the party establishment. Credit John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal, via Associated Press

He then survived a recall election and won re-election last November. He promises to have substantial appeal among the conservative activists who dominate the party’s caucuses and seem likely to make up the core opposition to Mr. Bush.

Yet unlike most conservative heroes, Mr. Walker has the record, résumé and temperament of a candidate who could attract significant support from the establishment. Indiana’s governor, Mike Pence, may be the only other candidate with a similar profile, but he is not as well known and has taken fewer steps toward running. Last week, CNN reported that Mr. Walker had brought on Rick Wiley, an experienced Republican operative, who would be the campaign manager if Mr. Walker were to run.

Mr. Walker is not without weaknesses. He would not enter with well-established networks of personal support rivaling those of Mr. Bush, Mr. Romney or Mr. Christie. He did not graduate from college — he left Marquette after receiving a job offer his senior year. He has come under investigation in a fund-raising case, although he has not been charged.

There is no way to know whether Mr. Walker will have the appeal and discipline necessary to win a presidential primary. But he has won three contested elections in a blue state, even while running and governing as a conservative.

He naturally speaks the language of cultural conservatives, frequently invoking faith and God, which is crucial in the Iowa caucuses. In 2012, evangelical Christians represented 57 percent of Iowa caucus-goers, according to entrance polls. It is not at all obvious that Mr. Walker’s Midwestern persona, which may strike some as lacking sizzle, is a negative on the prairies of Iowa.

In the end, Mr. Walker will have to capitalize on his opportunity, and prove as compelling on the campaign trail and in debates as he is on paper. If he does, he would be a far more serious contender for the presidential nomination than many of the candidates who have received substantially more news media attention over the last few years.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 13th, 2015 at 2:29 am and is filed under Election 2016, GOP, Governor Scott Walker. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.