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Friday, January 30, 2015

Scott Walker Round-Up

Bouie further observed that there is a vigorous debate among political analysts as to whether Republicans can win in the White House in 2016 (though probably not in 2020 and certainly not in 2024) by simply expanding their current base of primarily white voters, many of whom failed to turn out at the polls in 2012. “Which brings us back to Scott Walker,” Bouie wrote.

“Unlike Mitt Romney—who was merely adopted by the world of racially polarized politics—Walker was born in it and molded by it,” he added.

Quoting former The New Republic editorialist Alec MacGillis, Bouie asserted that Milwaukee – where Walker served as a county executive – is home to “profound racial equality, political segregation, [and] a parallel-universe news media.”

And
So Now Celebrating Hard Work Is Racist

Sounds rather egalitarian, doesn’t it? Aside from Walker’s mention of voter-identification laws—which was a blip in the overall speech, somewhat overshadowed, to be honest, by the section in which the governor described labor protestors threatening to “gut” his wife “like a deer”—you might be somewhat baffled as to how this speech, praising equal opportunity, could be racially charged. The subtext, as Bouie explained to me in a rather interesting Twitter exchange, is this: “The suggestion that there are people who celebrate dependence and refuse to work hard is racially polarizing.” 
For Bouie, skin color—and black skin color, to be explicit—immediately pops to mind.
Really? Is it? I guess it depends on where you’re coming from. When I hear that suggestion, I don’t reflexively view it in racial terms. There are plenty of white people on welfare or government assistance, after all, who are not living the most responsible lives. There are also many poor people, of all shades of the rainbow, who are disadvantaged out of misfortune or hard luck. To say that we have individual opportunity doesn’t negate that. But for Bouie, skin color—and black skin color, to be explicit—immediately pops to mind.

He’s not alone, either. His Slate article links, quotes, and praises a rather sensational hit piece that ran on Walker last year, accusing him of “toxic racial politics.” Written by Alex MacGillis in The New Republic, it was called, somewhat amazingly, “The Unelectable Whiteness of Scott Walker.”

“Wait,” you might be thinking. “That’s kind of a racially polarizing headline to be approvingly citing in a piece bemoaning racial polarization!” Yes, my friend, it is.
Still, he had a good week, even for a filthy racist.
Scott Walker has had a pretty good week, and the results of this survey shouldn't change it. Walker has once again won the first, second and consensus choice survey questions in the Hot Air Primary Survey, increasing his leads in each category. In fact at the end of Tuesday night, Walker had a full 50% of the first choice vote and nearly 85% of the consensus, figures which dipped Wednesday evening as strong Mitt Romney supporters flooded the zone.

First choice top three are Walker, Ted Cruz, and Romney. No one else breaks 5%. 
Well good news, Romney is no longer in play.
After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I've decided it is best to give other leaders in the Party the opportunity to become our next nominee.
Let me give you some of my thinking. First, I am convinced that with the help of the people on this call, we could win the nomination. Our finance calls made it clear that we would have enough funding to be more than competitive. With few exceptions, our field political leadership is ready and enthusiastic about a new race. And the reaction of Republican voters across the country was both surprising and heartening. I know that early poll numbers move up and down a great deal during a campaign, but we would have no doubt started in a strong position. One poll out just today shows me gaining support and leading the next closest contender by nearly two to one. I also am leading in all of the four early states. So I am convinced that we could win the nomination, but fully realize it would have been difficult test and a hard fight.
So that's good. I mean.. Oh.. Mitt.. why? So disappointing.




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