Scott Walker Refuses to Hypothesize as His Campaign Tanks

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R), touted earlier this year as an expected front-runner in the presidential race, continues to flail in his campaign effort.   Politico recently called Mr. Walker "the biggest loser of the summer."

what eye thynk:  He loves promoting himself as "not a career politician," which is laughably false.  He first ran for public office (unsuccessfully) as a young college drop-out, and has since spent 22 of his 47 years either running for or serving in political office.  When you spend nearly half your life in politics, how can you deny your "career politician" status?

His problems persist when it comes to the issues; one day he seems to take a firm position only to take two different and equally firm positions the next day.  As one Iowa Republican offered, "(Mr. Walker has) been on all three sides of every two-sided issue," adding that he "can't seem to find his way on any given issue with a handheld GPS." 

His latest gambit, perhaps to save himself from fumbling yet again, is to refuse to take any position at all.  He recently declined to answer questions on what he would do to aid (or not) with Europe's growing war refugee crisis.  Talking to reporters in New Hampshire he said, "I'm not president today, and I can't be president today.  Everybody wants to talk about hypotheticals; there is no such thing as a hypothetical."

The obvious head-shaking response to that is "What else is there to a political campaign but hypotheticals?"  Anyone running for political office is expected to offer their opinions, their plans, their "hypothetical" solutions for the issues of the day.  Without hypotheticals, on what should voters base their choice?  On how nicely you wear a suit and tie? 

Maybe he expects voters to support him based on his record as Wisconsin's governor (or what he says is his record as Wisconsin's governor).  Unfortunately, Mr. Walker has only a passing acquaintance with the factual record of his time as the badger state's lead executive as witnessed by his latest campaign video.  A wise voter considering using Wisconsin as a measurement of the candidate's readiness for national office should be cautioned to look beyond hyperbole (and conveniently twisted truths).

All in all, once seen as the Koch brothers' golden boy, recent polls show him dropping down to the middle of the Republican pack, with some polls seeing him slip to single digits.  As an indicator of presidential viability, I'd say Wisconsin will have him back full-time before Christmas.  Poor Wisconsin.