Generally, I keep my powder dry as we ramp up to big endorsement challenges. And this year might be as good a year as any to keep mum.
But I’m not. Among a small short-list of GOP candidates I’d like to see running for the Presidency – Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, maybe Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio – the top of my list is Scott Walker. I’m a Walker guy, and I have been since he survived his recall.
The biggest concern people have had so far about Walker is that “he’s not charismatic enough” – yet another thing that has made me long for the days before television screwed up American politics.
But there is ground for hope that worries about Walker’s charisma may be exaggerated.
First & foremost, I’m a Walker guy, too. He’s the Democrats’ Kryptonite. They keep throwing things at him. He keeps winning. His list of accomplishments is lengthy & impressive.
In most years, I’d be thrilled with a frontrunner like Gov. Jindal or Sen. Rubio. This isn’t most years.
Finally, I’ve been a big John Kasich fan since he negotiated the budgets that gave us 5 straight surpluses as Chairman of the House Budget Committee.
Yesterday, I dropped him out of my top tier of candidates because he supports Common Core. That’s as close to a total deal-breaker with me as I’ve got.
Why is Walker successful? I think it is his low key positive approach. Non-partisons don’t like an agree ranter. By Governor Walker being a mature adult, it makes the left look like juvenile idiots. Who wants Madison wackos to take control of Wisconsin?
Compare/contrast him with ranters on the left. The left is obsessed with conspiracy theories. Walker comes across as a reformer and intellectual compared to the lunatics who have been opposing him.
I’m all for him and I hope he taps someone like Suzanna Martinez for vp. The left would blow it’s lid. I’ve loved her since her 2012 RNC speech
Outside of Christie, I doubt you could go too far wrong with any of the typically-mentioned candidates.
Let’s remember to step back from the Imperial Presidency, and the notion that he or she is the daddy/mommy who will fix everything for us.