January 24, 2015

"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) delivered a fiery speech in Iowa on Saturday, wowing the conservative crowd with a passionate argument for small government and his own lengthy resume."

The Hill reports.

AP says: "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is holding up his 'go big and go bold' attitude as something Republicans need to emulate in Washington."

National Journal:
He paced the stage here without notes and without a jacket, in blue shirtsleeves and a red tie, joking that the mass of squatting photographers would struggle to keep up as he moved about... As he bled past the allotted 20 minutes, Walker almost didn't seem to want to leave the stage, as he tacked on applause line after applause line to the end of his speech. "In America, we value our independence from the government and not our dependence on it," he said. "We need leaders who will stand with our allies against radical Islamic terrorists," he said to some of the day's biggest applause.


AND: Here's what Byron York said about Walker — this morning, before the speech:
Scott Walker doesn't have to be great on the stump to do well. As a lot of Republicans see it, the Wisconsin governor is the most accomplished candidate in the race. Who can match his achievement staring down the mighty public-sector unions and then winning a recall and re-election in a blue state? For Republicans, those are simply huge victories. Now, as the campaign begins, Walker's record means GOP voters will cut him a little slack in the charisma and oratory department. It's fair to say that Walker does not electrify a crowd. But his GOP cred as the man who took on the unions and the armies of the left means he can win over an audience even if he can't speak like Ted Cruz.
But Walker apparently did electrify the crowd.

36 comments:

lemondog said...

Live
Iowa Freedom Summit

Fiery, eh... well good for him.

"Be Bold and Mighty Forces Will Come To Your Aid" Basil King.

Scott Walker Iowa video.

Achilles said...

He has been through the gauntlet already to some extent. But he must know that the wealthy elite and their media pawns will come for him.

Mitt has more experience destroying republicans in primaries, specifically republicans like walker, than he has fighting democrats. Watch for the media, Jeb, and Mitt to team up on Walker early.

Hagar said...

Well, that is new. I have not seen anything about Walker acting "fiery" before. Maybe there is something to his candidacy after all.

(Not normally in favor of stemwinding speechifiers, but these are not normal times.)

Ann Althouse said...

He's got to stop saying "on behalf of Tonette and I."

"Me" is not a bad word.

Jim Gust said...

He will be President. This is how you get there.

Hagar said...

"Tonette and I" gives him equal billing.

n.n said...

In America, we value our right to become self-sufficient individuals who exercise self-moderating, responsible behavior in order to form a more perfect union. Americans place their faith in God, rather than the barbarian's faith in gods and the collective's faith in mortal gods. Americans acknowledge two moral axioms: individual dignity and intrinsic value, or they did, once. Today, the State denigrates the former and [selectively] debases the latter.

Michael K said...

This is filling a significant hole in his resume'. I realize that resume's are passé after Obama but they will come back. Maybe after the nuke goes off in NY harbor.

JackWayne said...

Right now I am in favor of a Walker/Perry ticket. I might even give money to that.

David said...

For a moment I thought AP said "go big and go bald." That would have been a bad start.

Gahrie said...

Bolton/Ernst in 2016!

Sebastian said...

Step 1. Good start. Jeb's turn.

Curious George said...

garage must have offed himself after the Packers implsion because this is like the 4th Walker post and nothing.

Sebastian said...

"He's got to stop saying "on behalf of Tonette and I.""

Depends. A common error that may reinforce his everyman persona and endear him to Middle America. Irritating, yes, but losing the UW law professor vote is worth the risk.

wildswan said...

There's nothing I'd like better than to see Walker succeed. If Madison can send Occupy to Wall Street, why not Walker to occupy the White House. And he's got a great slogan - I Stand with Walker.
And Rubio for VP

Ann Althouse said...

"Depends. A common error that may reinforce his everyman persona and endear him to Middle America. Irritating, yes, but losing the UW law professor vote is worth the risk."

It's worse to say I when it should be me than to say me when it should be I.

You don't sound like the common person — as with "It's me" — you sound like someone straining to sound correct and failing.

If you wouldn't say "Give it to I," don't say "Give it to Tonette and I."

Marty Keller said...

Also, lose the lame formation "going forward." Still, the content is strong and compelling; the verbiage will catch up as he gathers momentum.

Marc in Eugene said...

That was my introduction to SW's oratory, but I could only bring myself to listen to perhaps ten minutes of the 22 or 23 total; skipped forward four or five times. He said the right words, from my point of view, or many of them, and I didn't doubt his earnestness. If it comes to it, I'd have four or more years to get used to the accent and speech patterns.

Too early to have decided about supporting his candidacy locally or by contributions, of course. And I must confess that a smudge of the mud slung by the Garage Mahals has stuck, at least in the sense that if he undertakes a serious attempt at the White House I'm going to feel obliged to go back and actually pay attention to all of the putative political evil, if only to be able conscientiously dismiss it.

An 'anti-Obama', certainly; whether he's an antidote and remedy, don't know.

Sebastian said...

"It's worse to say I when it should be me than to say me when it should be I.

You don't sound like the common person — as with "It's me" — you sound like someone straining to sound correct and failing.

If you wouldn't say "Give it to I," don't say "Give it to Tonette and I.""

True! But I don't think most Americans will hear it the same way.

Does good, correct speech matter anymore? (Did it ever matter?) Romney's mostly complete, grammatically proper sentences without Obamian fillers didn't get him that far, did it? Off the cuff, Cruz speaks better than anyone in politics; won't do him any good as a presidential candidate.

m stone said...

AA: "It's worse to say I when it should be me than to say me when it should be I."

Sorry, Ann, that's downright silly, the democrat lingo equivalent of parsing.

For the record, Walker did use "I" correctly once when it was the subject of the action.

Nice to see a pol bring his spouse into the story so much.

(Now our blogress will respond and ask "don't you know sarcasm when you see it?")

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Tonette sounds like a Black chick's name. Given the level of knowledge of the average LIV this might work decisively in Walker's favor. I'm a political junkie but I've never seen a photo of Walker's wife. If someone told me she was a Sister I would have no reason to doubt it.

Troubled Voter said...

Althouse's inability to apply her "cruel neutrality" to Scott Walker demonstrates that her "cruel neutrality" schtick is just a schtick when it's convenient and will lead to severe disappointment and pouting on her part in the upcoming election (a la election night 2012).

John Lawton said...

Me stand with Scott Walker!

Hagar said...

Tonette is a fairly common name from the most southern part of Norway. probably picked up from the Dutch in the 17th century.

The Godfather said...

Not bad. He didn't forget any of his talking points, as some Governors have been known to do. But he's not there yet, by any means. He had a couple of good shots at Obama, but he won't be running against Obama. How will he do attacking Granny Clinton or Granny Warren or (God save us!) Grampa Biden or Grampa Moonbeam? How will he do when the press discovers that Walker put his cat on the roof of his car, or dropped out of college in the wake of a rape allegation against some buddy of his, or whatever the accusation will be? The Dems will be vicious but the GOPers won't be a walk in the park either.

I'm rooting for him (but I've rooted for a lot of losers in my day).

chickelit said...

If you wouldn't say "Give it to I," don't say "Give it to Tonette and I."

It's all a matter of degree. I've heard Germans confuse Ich, mich und mir.

Big Mike said...

There's a line in "Arsenic and Old Lace" about a theater critic writing his review on the way to the show. I think Byron York got caught doing much the same.

bbkingfish said...

Go, Scott, go!

a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...

I got into a discussion with a poli sci graduate, handle of gwjd, on McCardle. I echoed the WSJ wish that he would push for a right to work law in WI. Gwjd pointed out that that would be making a fight with the unions to include private sector that the Republican legislators would be put in jeopardy over. Politics is in part about recognizing fights you can win and those you can't; so I am impressed with him.

Anonymous said...

It concerns me when guys like the author of this piece are praising Republicans. Makes me think we are looking at a John McCain candidacy. One the media loves until he becomes the candidate.

If you read this guys other stuff, like on dark money, you'll realize he doesn't even know Democrats exist. Only Republicans benefit from dark money.

A guy like that doesn't like Scott Walker.

So why is he praising him here?

Beta Rube said...

Drudge has Walker's picture front and center. Is this a tacit endorsement?

MaxedOutMama said...

I watched his speech on Youtube. He did get them fired up.

Interestingly, what most sparked the stomping whooping enthusiasm was the reference to Obama not going to Paris for the free speech march and the declaration that we needed a leader to stand with the free world. Thus proving that these people are not as provincial as the NYT would think and possibly sparking an Althousian contemplation of Churchill.

That was his biggest draw. His reiterated insistence that actually living up to your promises and trying to govern as an opportunity conservative was successful even in "blue" territory - clearly a slam at Mitt and Bush - and the "executive overreach" and voter ID played strongly.

Bush and Romney don't have the ability to spark belief in this crowd at all, which is why they were not there. Voter turnout will be important in the next election, and someone who can't say something that these people will believe will not be able to generate turnout in the next.

Now if Walker teams up with Rubio or Cruz the team might have a chance.

MaxedOutMama said...

"We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us;
His present and your pains we thank you for:
When we have match'd our rackets to these balls,
We will, in France, by God's grace, play a set
Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard."

Time for the Mitt & Jeb crowd to worry a bit. The base is not with them.

Humperdink said...

"Yes me can."

Anonymous said...

garage must have offed himself after the Packers implsion because this is like the 4th Walker post and nothing.

You (and your many sockpuppets) threaten him with violence and call him nasty disgusting names when he does post in an attempt to drive him away from this blog, and yet you keep count of how long it has been since he last made a comment?

No doubt about it - you're one sick puppy, no matter what name you log in under.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

You mad, hoe?