Wednesday, February 04, 2015

SCOTT WALKER HAS HIS SCRIPT MEMORIZED

Here's Scott Walker in a "tele-town hall" on Monday, as reported by the Des Moines Register (emphasis added):
During a question-and-answer session, a Des Moines man mentioned that when Mitt Romney officially bowed out of any 2016 speculation on Friday, the 2012 nominee said it's time for fresh leadership in the Republican party.

"What do you think he meant by that and is that you?" the caller asked Walker....

"I thanked him specifically for pointing that out," Walker said. "I think, you know, there's others -- my friend Sen. (Marco) Rubio is about the same age and so in terms of fresh faces I guess he and I would be in a similar vein," Walker said....

"If we're going to if defeat someone like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the fall of 2016," Walker told the listening Iowans, "I just believe if we're taking on a name from the past, then we can't have another name from the past. We need a name for the future."

But the key isn't just a fresh face, Walker said, it's someone who can offer "big bold ideas and we need the courage to act on them," Walker said.
And here's Scott Walker the day before, being interviewed by Martha Raddatz on ABC's This Week:
RADDATZ: Mitt Romney dropping out this week said, "I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders who may not be as well known may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee." Is he talking about you?

WALKER: I think there's a whole number of people. I mean, folks like my friend Marco Rubio. I think fit that bill as well, but I think what he's heard is what I've heard across the country, is that people want new, fresh leadership with big, bold ideas, and the courage to act on it. And if we're going to take on a name from the past, which is likely to be former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, I think for the party we need a name from the future.
Yes, Walker clearly has these bullet points committed to memory, so he can recite them even in seemingly casual conversation.

And there's more. Here's Walker on Monday:
"I see a president who seems to feels success should be measured by how many people are dependent on the government," Walker said.
Now here's Walker in a National Republican Governors' Association speech last fall:
"I believe (Obama) measures success in government by how many people are dependent on the government, on how many people are on Medicaid, on how many people are on food stamps," the Republican presidential nominee wanna-be proclaimed. "I personally believe we should measure success in government by just the opposite, by how many people are no longer dependent on government."
And Walker in his book Unintimidated:
"Washington measures success by how many people are dependent on government. I measure by how many people are no longer dependent."
Well, that's not exactly an original sentiment on the right. But Walker likes working other people's material into his script. In Monday's call, there was this:
Under Obama, government assistance has become less of a safety net and more of "a hammock," he said.
That, of course, is a cover version of a song Paul Ryan recorded but no longer plays in concert.

Oh, and there was this, in Walker's now-legendary Iowa Freedom Summit speech:
"There's a reason we take a day off to celebrate the 4th of July and not the 15th of April," he said, almost yelling as his voice grew hoarse. "Because in America we value our independence from the government, not our dependence on it."
That's awfully similar to something Ronald Reagan said about Walter Mondale during the 1984 presidential campaign:
He sees an America in which every day is tax day, April 15th. But we see an America in which every day is Independence Day, July 4th.
(Reagan fans usually reduce that to "Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July. Democrats believe every day is April 15.")

The key to beating Walker is going to be to knock him off script. Because he clearly likes scripts.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, OK, you've convinced me, Walker is absolutely and definitely the very best candidate for the presidency and I will vote for him.

Er, waddya mean, I'm not allowed to vote 'cos I'm a Brit - you're still a Crown colony, aren't you?

Anyway, I haven't seen so many wise words on this blog for ages!

Victor said...

duff,
I imagine, like Jindal and Christie, that Gov. Scott Wanker will be crossing the pond to share his limited knowledge.

Will you go and cheer this twit on?

Anonymous said...

I am utterly unsurprised that duff is most impressed by the politician who can best recite talking points when his string is pulled.

Ten Bears said...

The barbarians are always impressed by someone who can talk and pull his pud at the same time. It's like... magic.

Whatever happened to "I am not a crook?" Nowadays it's a badge of honor, if not qualification. Walker has As good a chance of going to jail as garnering the nomination. Yes, Eugene Debs ran for the presidency while a political prisoner, but somehow I just don't see how any of the fresh faces would appeal to that population.

Dark Avenger said...

Duff is so far behind the times, he thinks Karl Marx is a line of German toys.

Philo Vaihinger said...

Everyone who can tries this "new generation, new ideas" shtick.

Obama did it against Hillary in a more subtle way, insisting we had to get past the struggles and conflicts of the Boomer generation.

Then he went all in for Hillarycare.

Low information voters love that stuff and will get a positive vibe for a candidate whose actual record, views, and aspirations would make them puke or run away screaming.

mlbxxxxxx said...

I imagine Walker not only likes scripts, he needs them. I noted one interview with him that tried to get him to get specific about his foreign policy, it was kind of sad. I'm sensing a trend for some media types to be a little more aggressive with questions lately. Hope that continues. Walker, in particular, needs very aggressive questioning.

Four Bs said...

Martha Raddatz clearly was incapable of knocking Walker off his script.

Anonymous said...

I noted one interview with him that tried to get him to get specific about his foreign policy, it was kind of sad.

If that's truly the case he could be 2016's iteration of Rick Perry. He could also be 2016's iteration of GWB - who needed the bullet points but was very adept at the "aw shucks" attitude it takes to get reporters to ignore the fact that his answers were nonsensical.

Walker doesn't strike me as being as "man you want to have a beer with" as W was, but then I didn't want to have a beer with W so I may not be the best judge of such things.