Gov. Scott Walker expected to spend 2018 campaigning for Republicans as the newly elected President of the United States, or at a minimum jet-setting the country as a cabinet member. That didn’t work out. Nothing if not an ambitious politician, Gov. Walker fell back on running for a third term as governor.
And heading into this week’s GOP convention only one word is on all Republican lips: PANIC!
Walker stumbles into his convention on the biggest losing streak of his career…
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January 16: Despite being massively outspent, Democrat Patty Schachtner wins a special election 54.6-44.2 in a district Walker won 58-42 in 2014, a swing of 26 points.
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April 3: Judge Rebecca Dallet crushes Walker’s team and $3 million in GOP spending, winning an open State Supreme Court race 56-44 – a 17-point flip from Walker’s 2014 re-election. Dallet even won the key Green Bay market 52-48, a swing of 25 points from Walker’s 2014 margin of 60-39.
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April 11: Speaker Paul Ryan announces he is retiring. Republicans panic again. Top candidates pass on the race. Longtime Ryan ally and conservative commentator Charlie Sykes called it “a huge blow for Republicans.”
With clear signs that Wisconsin is feeling Walker fatigue after three gubernatorial campaigns and 25 years in office…
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Walker trails generic and non-generic Democrats in public polling.
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Walker made Morning Consult’s infamous “Bottom Ten” list of governors with an underwater approval rating of 43-50.
Walker issued a “wake up call” after the January special elections, then doubled down on it following a double-digit loss in the April Supreme Court race. Seeing no results, he’s hoping his wealthy donors’ money can serve as a panic-eraser.
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The Republican Governors Association reserved $5 million in ads.
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Walker raced to get two campaign ads on the air within weeks of the spring loss.
Here’s what Walker should do at his convention to turn things around:
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Answer why Wisconsin’s job and business growth trails most states.
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Answer why taxpayers should pay for his $4.5 billion Foxconn boondoggle rather than fund infrastructure like schools and roads.
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Answer for his massive cuts to health care, public classrooms and the UW, and for his failure to take on Big Pharma donors to address the opioid crisis.
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Answer for crumbling roads that are 2nd worst in the nation.
But he won’t do any of those things. Instead he’ll be too busy telling Republican convention goers not to panic.
While Walker deals with mounting GOP concerns, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is putting fired up members and neighbors to work building the grassroots campaign that’s already delivered wins and will send Walker packing in November.
