Today, we commemorate the third anniversary of Scott Walker’s announcement that he would be running for president… which kicked off 71 days of campaign gaffes before Walker ultimately limped out of the race.
“Scott Walker has always put his own ambitions over the needs of Wisconsin’s families. That has never been better illustrated than during his ill-fated presidential campaign, during which he criss-crossed the country making gaffe after gaffe while ignoring his responsibilities at home. Wisconsinites don’t need four more years of a career politician like Scott Walker. Wisconsin needs a governor who will focus on the needs of everyday Wisconsinites, like investing in schools, fixing the roads, and lowering the cost of healthcare.” — TJ Helmstetter, DPW spokesperson for 2018 gov race
Here are just some of the notable events that came out of Walker’s ill-advised and ill-fated presidential run:
- Immediately after making his announcement, Walker spent the first week of his campaign caught up in a national controversy on gay Boy Scout leaders, stirring condemnation from the ladies on The View, and failing to answer questions on whether being gay is a choice. Not a good start.
- Walker then took three stances in seven days on whether children born in America (citizens!) to immigrant parents should be deported.
- He called for building a border wall — with Canada!
- He claimed he wasn’t a career politician, despite having been in elected office for more than 20 years.
- Even Megyn Kelly wondered whether his views on abortion — that it should be illegal even when the mother’s life is at risk — are too far out-of-the-mainstream.
- In the months leading up to the official announcement, Walker had already embarrassed himself in London, dodged a question on evolution, and likened protesting teachers to members of ISIS.
And here’s what prominent onlookers had to say once Walker limped out of the race:
- “One of the fastest flameouts in recent political memory” — John Dickerson of CBS News
- “This is one of the most precipitous falls in presidential campaign history.” — Charles Franklin of Marquette University
- “Walker was not a candidate prepared to deal with national policy in the context of a presidential campaign. […] His deficiencies were brutally exposed once the GOP debates began.”- conservative commentator Byron York
- “Even his fellow conservatives acknowledge Walker’s political stock in his home state has been weakened” – Wisconsin State Journal
- “Walker returns home badly damaged by his ill-starred foray onto the national stage.” – The Atlantic
Additional reading:
- The Atlantic: How Scott Walker’s Hubris Killed His Campaign
- Politico: 7 gaffes that helped doom Scott Walker
- NPR: 9 Puzzling Scott Walker Moments That Led To His Downfall
