November 9, 2014

Scott Walker all but declares that he's seeking the presidency.

After watching "Meet the Press" this morning, I said "I'm waiting for the transcript, but I'll just say... he all but announced that he's running for President." Now, I've got the transcript, so let me show you (boldface added):
CHUCK TODD: I've got to ask you about 2016. You made a pledge in October that you were going to serve all four years. Does that pledge still hold?

SCOTT WALKER: I said my plan was for four years. I've got a plan to keep going for the next four years. But, you know, certainly I care deeply about not only my state, but my country. We'll see what the future holds.
Walker won't let the word "pledge" be pinned on him. It was a "plan," not a "pledge." He's not going to be breaking anything he promised. And look how he didn't get distracted into hemming about whether he'd pledged. He substituted his word, but advanced immediately to the message that he cares not only about Wisconsin, but about his country. 

Todd's next tack is to ask him if he defers to (fellow Wisconsinite) Paul Ryan:
SCOTT WALKER: I love Paul Ryan. I've said many times before I'd be the president of Paul Ryan fan club. But I do think if we're going to beat Hillary Clinton in this next election, we've got to have a message that says, "Hillary Clinton is all about Washington." I think in many ways, she was the big loser on Tuesday because she embodies everything that's wrong with Washington.
And Paul Ryan is a creature of Washington. He can't embody the argument that must be made against that which Hillary embodies.
We offer a fresh approach. Any of us, now 31 governors across the country have the executive experience from outside of Washington to provide a much better alternative to the old, tired, top-down approach you see out of Washington D.C. We need something fresh, organic, from the bottom up. And that's what you get in the states.
I love that fresh-and-organic line, which he used on Election Day in his victory speech (blogged here).
CHUCK TODD: You're not deferring to Paul Ryan, then? It sounds like you believe a governor, not a member of Congress should be the Republican nominee?
Good follow-up by Todd.
SCOTT WALKER: Paul Ryan may be the only exception to that rule. But overall, I think governors make much better presidents than members of Congress.
That showed perfect respect for Ryan while making a pretty clear pitch — within the bounds of modesty — for himself.
CHUCK TODD: Governor Scott Walker, again, third election in four years. We'll see if you run again in two. Thanks for coming on Meet the Press.

SCOTT WALKER: Thanks Chuck. Go Packers.
(And that Packer game kicks off just as I write this.)

45 comments:

Popville said...

Go Packers! And where do I get a genuine Walker in 2016 bumper sticker?

J Lee said...

It helps to be the governor of a state with an NFL team that has a national following, I suppose.

rhhardin said...

The Plan of Allegiance starts the school day.

Sebastian said...

Well done, Governor Walker.

He's got a shot.

rhhardin said...

A man, a pledge, a caegdel : Panama.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

I heard that as "Paul Rand may be the only exception to that rule." A little bit of a Paul Ryan Rand Paul Freudian slip?

Titus said...

Watch Anthony Bourdoin Mass! Now on CNN

Wince said...

SCOTT WALKER: I said my plan was for four years. I've got a plan to keep going for the next four years. But, you know, certainly I care deeply about not only my state, but my country. We'll see what the future holds.

ALTHOUSE: Walker won't let the word "pledge" be pinned on him. It was a "plan," not a "pledge."


And Althouse's gloves are in an "I-have-an-evil-plan position". Hmmm.

"I have worked ten years on this plan. It is a very precise and a complicated plan."

Titus said...

He is in Ptown! Ptown-an american treasure.

Laslo Spatula said...

I would love to hang out with Scott Walker a bit, have a beer, do some blow and bang a few hookers and talk about Iran.

Laslo Spatula said...

I am indeed curious about Scott Walker's choice in hookers. Is he after the fake businesswoman call girl with the faux Chanel jacket and scarf or is her after a little bit of K-Mart America? This would help me better understand his character.

campy said...

He's got to get himself to night school and get that sheepskin if he wants to be prez.

Joe Schmoe said...

I like Walker using the term 'fresh' in this context. I'm tired of hearing politicians talk about their 'new' ideas while they decry their opponents' ideas as 'tired' and 'old'.

Let's face it; neither side is trotting out anything new. The fight over taxes is millenia old, as is the push-and-pull of the collective state versus individual liberty. Tactics may change, but the end goals are the same.

Reagan never pioneered anything new, but his approach was a breath of fresh air after a couple of decades' of expanding federal government and Soviet appeasement.

Michael K said...

Nobody expects any politician to rule out a presidential run. Sherman hated politicians and his brother was a Senator. He was also determined not to undermine Grant.

Romney doesn't rule it out but that doesn't mean he is running. Any but a fool would wait to see what happens. Ask Perry or Jindal how fast things can change.

Laslo Spatula said...

The Presidential Debates are a joke. I'd rather have the Debate of the Presidential Candidates' Hookers. Who tips? Who says a kind word? Who plays S&M games and wants to be called 'Poppa'? I am especially interested in Joe Biden's hooker: I think she must have a tough job: "It's OK, Joe, it happens to ALL Vice-Presidents..."

Drago said...

Hard to believe Chuck Todd didn't ask Walker about his plans for establishing a "full blown dictatorship" (garage term) in WI.

garage hardest hit!

LOL

I also didn't hear any questions about all these Walker "plagiarism" issues garage is going on and on and on...about.

Gee, it's almost like garage is a wind-up abject moron that doesn't know what he's talking about.

Laslo Spatula said...

In politics, interns are just hookers where someone else footed the bill.

Drago said...

Laslo Spatula: "I'd rather have the Debate of the Presidential Candidates' Hookers."

From your lips to the Bravo Network executives ears.

Ann Althouse said...

Packers are running up the score.

Laslo Spatula said...

The old joke is that Washington DC is Hollywood for homely people. Does this apply to Washington DC hookers? Is a Washington DC hooker who is a '9' only a '5' in Los Angeles? Also -- Harry Reid's hooker: the saddest girl in DC? Does she get paid extra for looking like Barbara Boxer?

See: the obvious joke there would've been to say 'Nancy Pelosi' instead of 'Barbara Boxer' but that's me: I like to give it a twist.

garage mahal said...

Plans can change in the few days after an election. Like his jobs promise. That changed to a goal. Fresh and organic.

AmPowerBlog said...

Here's the YouTube video of the same segment: "Scott Walker Hints at WH Run: 'Governors Make Much Better Presidents'."

Anonymous said...

I'm keeping my eye on Walker, but so far, he seems to mush mouth for me. The kind of guy who, when challenged about someone like Sarah Palin, would take the Tim Pawlenty line, "Well, I wouldn't do it like that."

Need someone who comes off as kind and gentle like Ben Carson, but is able to verbally give it to the media like Chris Christie.

Ronald Reagan type charisma where the line, "There you go again." can take off and not look like conspiratorial garbage, but a genuine complaint.

Paul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul said...

IF Governor Scott Walker says he wants to be president, I say GO FOR IT!

Yea, I'd pick him over Hillary or Kerry or Biden or Christie or just about anyone now.

And I'm a Texican who, you would think, put Governor Perry at the top of the list, right?

But it's Walker all the way!

Original Mike said...

All good Badgers wish him well.

Mark Daniels said...

Yes, it appears that Walker is a definite.

But there could be an internecine blood-letting among Wisconsin Republicans. I'd have to give the advantage to Ryan, simply because he's more known nationally.

Here in Ohio, we also have two high-profile Republicans considering a presidential run: Governor John Kasich and Senator Rob Portman. Both are champs at raising money and have their own set of cash cows to turn to. This could also cause problems among Republicans in this state.

traditionalguy said...

Ryan will be Chairman of a House Committee . And if he will take Appropriations he will have enough power to fulfill his ambitions.

Walker has a good shot.If he choses. Scott from SC as VP. it will avoid the whiteness problem and add southern support.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...

Yet again, everyone is focused on WHO is going to run, when what really matters is WHAT policies will be on offer. Almost never any talk about that.

WHAT policies will be on offer with Hillary?

Would they be good for the nation? HAVE they been?

Gabriel said...

there could be an internecine blood-letting

Internecine means "fight to mutual extermination". It doesn't mean "fight within the group".

The root is not "inter", it's "internecare", which means "slaughter".

chickelit said...

@Mark Daniels: Don't mind the etymological pedantry. "Internecine" has the meaning you intended. Words evolve.

Whirred Whacks said...


Meanwhile you could do
The Crossword Puzzle from Hell

chickelit said...

Whether or not Scott Walker runs and wins in 2016, it would be good to see him in those 7-person primary debates. He definitely can think on his feet and lacks that Charlie Crist charisma which is anathema to integrity these days.

Anthony said...

In other news, Jerry Brown didn't rule out a fourth (fifth?) presidential run after being elected to his fourth term as Governor of California.

Revenant said...

I can't think of any particular reason I'd want to vote for him.

bgates said...

I've said many times before I'd be the president
-Scott Walker

richard mcenroe said...

Someone tell Garage the John Doe investigations just ended, admitting their rationale was "legally indfensible" IN WRITING. To the court.

100% loss to the Dems, the left, assuming there's a difference, and their union grifters.

Achilles said...

richard mcenroe said...

"100% loss to the Dems, the left, assuming there's a difference, and their union grifters."

Did anyone get disbarred? Will there be censures? What actual penalties are there?

They don't care. They have no shame. This action was 100% successful. It cut into political donations. Burke had far more money during the campaign than Walker. Whether or not it was right has nothing to do with how these people make decisions.

Until we treat them as they treat us nothing will change.

gadfly said...

Us Hoosiers are all in for a Scott Walker presidential run because we need Mike Pence to quit dreaming and to start governating.

Remember that Bobby Knight often questioned motives with his straight-forward question:
"Who's your Daddy?"

Always watch out for low-flying chairs.

paminwi said...

Traditional guy: Ryan wants Ways and Means Chairmanship this time.

And garage: "plans can change a few days after an election" - you mean like Mary Burke having to decide where the dickens she will go snowboarding this winter?

MadisonMan said...

I would think that any Republican Politician when they're on a show will say as little as possible so as not to allow future articles along the lines of But You Promised Not To Run!!!

BrianE said...

Congressman=President=Never

OK, an exception would have been John Kasich when he was congressman, but come to think of it, he didn't run until he had been elected governor.

What little I saw of Walker was impressive.

He does need to work on that charisma thing.

Brando said...

Sounds more like he's keeping his options open, just in case. He'll probably in the next few months talk to some donors and get a sense of whether he'll be able to raise enough to make an expensive, two-year run (he'd need in the tens of millions just to start).

With Paul Ryan out, I'm thinking the "establishment" pick (and likely nominee, as every GOP nominee since Goldwater had establishment cred) is going to be Kasich. But Walker may want to be in the running in case Kasich bows out or has some scandal.

richard mcenroe said...

Having amnesty slut Paul Ryan in charge of Ways and Means would not be good.

Lydia said...

In other news, Jerry Brown didn't rule out a fourth (fifth?) presidential run after being elected to his fourth term as Governor of California.

Actually, Jerry Brown would probably be a better choice for the Dems. Mostly because he's a governor, and hasn’t been tainted by close association with the Obama administration. But also because he's much, much easier to take than Hillary. And, though old as the hills, way more organic and fresh.