On Charlie Sykes blog, he posted an excerpt from an interview with Governor Scott Walker:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told radio host Charlie Sykes on Friday that he is bewildered by the way things have gone since Ryan was picked.
I thought [picking Ryan] was a signal that this guy [Romney] was getting serious, he’s getting bold; it’s not necessarily even a frustration over the way Paul Ryan’s been used but rather in the larger context. I just haven’t seen that kind of passion I know Paul has transferred over to our nominee, and I think it’s a little bit of pushback from the folks in the national campaign. But I think for him to win, he’s gotta [do] that.
Walker added, They not only need to use [Ryan] out on the trail more effectively, they need to have more of him rub off on Mitt because I think Mitt thinks that way but he’s gotta be able to articulate that. … I think too many people are restraining him from telling [his vision].
I was actually a bit surprised that Walker spoke of this publicly. Although it has been quite obvious that Romney does not have the passion of Ryan, or a discernible plan for the economy, isn't Walker doing harm to the Romney campaign by pointing out those flaws in the Republican presidential candidate?
It is common wisdom that voters do not elect the candidate for vice president, they elect the candidate for president.
But when the presidential candidate continues to waffle, and is running away from his own past record, and then is overshadowed by the vice presidential candidate, as the one on the ticket who has the visions — I think that voters will be reluctant to vote for such a perceived weak presidential candidate.
But regardless of the reasons, Ryan IS overshadowing Romney. His approach, performance, and confidence all seem to be superior. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Ryan was the candidate and Romney his running mate. Regardless of what happens with this election, it seems increasingly clear that his shot at first chair may not be too far in the future.
Walker should be the number one cheerleader for Romney, and if he has doubts about how the campaign is being run, he should convey those in private to Ryan and/or Romney or both. I think that these comments are a way for Walker to hedge his bet on the coming election --- and that if Romney does lose in Wisconsin, he can say that it is not because the citizens of Wisconsin are repudiating Ryan's message, which is in essence Walker's message, but rather that Romney did not embrace that message as closely as he should have.
Not everything is a Koch/ALEC/1%-er/TeaGOP/puppetmaster conspiracy in the making.
As for conspiracy, I would say it is only a conspiracy of One !! Being Scott Walker.
In the now infamous video, Mitt admitted that his campaign is specifically targeting the independent middle that tend to be moderate in ideological terms. If Jesse Ventura proved anything in Minnesota, it's that the independent middle tend to be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Mitt's problem is that he keeps on trying to pull the base while trying to also appeal to those independent moderates. Often, this has resulted in mixed messages coming from the campaign, which the media has exploited as constituting 'flip-flops.' Funny how when Obama has a change of heart on an issue though, the media refers to it as 'an evolving view,' isn't it? In any case, Walker's message appears to be clear - focus on core conservative fiscal values. After all, that's why Wisconsin elected Walker twice in one term! Instead of focusing their message, Mitt and the campaign are always playing into attacks from Obama and left, doing damage control. Hoffa believes that Walker's point is don't allow the left to dictate how the campaign is run, as Mitt has allowed to occur, but rather stay strong on principle and message as Ryan has consistently displayed.
Hoffa would agree if only Ryan was truly "as hard core right-wing" as you perceive him to be. In reality, Ryan is more establishment than anything. The hard core right-wing would constitute guys like Jim DeMint, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, etc. It's true though that Romney is in fact an establishment moderate and that the Party is pushing him to sell himself as being more right than he truly is. You're also right in that they don't need to do that in order to pull the base, as the base is so anti-Obama, the Party could be running McCain again and still pull all the base in this election. Walker suggests that the last couple of years have changed things though for the independent middle, feeling that if Romney wants to pull those voters, as he needs to in order to beat Obama, that Romney needs to really push a strong fiscal conservative message, as that's what got Walker to where he is today. Frankly, Hoffa thinks that Walker is right. If Romney wanted to push a more liberal social message, Hoffa thinks that would be fine and would actually help him to pick up many of the independent middle, but he needs to stay conservative on his fiscal message in order to keep the base and the middle.
I think Walker's survival of the recall process is a repudiation of the recall process rather than a blanket endorsement of his policies and actions. And if the state, overall, isn't in better shape by the end of his term, he's just as vulnerable as any other elected official to the whims of a dissatisfied electorate. There are people in middle who are frightened by the state the economy and a ticket that, at this point, swings to hard in the direction of self sufficiency in the face of a situation way out of their control is enough to cause even those in that category who are fiscal conservatives to give pause to a decision to vote in that direction. You can't be an effective leader, obviously, if you can't get elected. Romney has a better chance of doing so w/o Ryan's plan around his neck - unless there truly are people on the right that are so idealistic that they'd go so far as not to vote for Romney with a moderate running mate and effectively hand the election to Obama. If that's the case, we're screwed either way we go.
I think you're over-thinking it, Dave.
I believe that is very insightful JH. And it's given both sides of the road fits over the years.
Hoffa concurs - Ryan was not the smart choice, but it was the bold choice, just as Palin was. And if Palin had performed a little better for McCain, things may have been a bit different today. Hoffa also concurs that Ryan was more useful in Congress than he could ever hope of being as VP, however, there are others in Congress, just as effective, that will step up to fill the void - Hoffa has no doubt of this. "I think Walker's survival of the recall process is a repudiation of the recall process rather than a blanket endorsement of his policies and actions." Hoffa's going to have to really disagree with you on this one! While Hoffa wouldn't necessarily call it a 'blanket' endorsement, he also doesn't buy the media/poll notion that it was more about voting against recalls. You honestly believe that people who stand adamantly opposed to Walker and his policies voted for him in the recall just because they opposed recalls - COME ON!!! Sorry, but Hoffa just doesn't buy that. "And if the state, overall, isn't in better shape by the end of his term, he's just as vulnerable as any other elected official to the whims of a dissatisfied electorate." Ordinarily, yes. However, Obama's current performance in the polls, despite his dismal record, may be proving that the rules of the game have changed. As for the remainder of your premise, Hoffa sees where you're coming from but doesn't see it as absolute as you appear to. Definitely a good one to watch though!
Just calling it like Hoffa sees it ;-)
2014 is going to be more about results. It'll be a real election. I don't think it ever pays to be overly confident that a candidate has a "mandate". Scott Walker's not going to be given extra credit for surviving a recall effort. They'll be back, just as loud and belligerent and as fired up as they were for the recall process. The Republican party in this state better be ready for a battle of equal magnitude, sans the benefit being the target of an unnecessary and unpopular recall effort affords.
Brainwashing is indeed effective! Hoffa only hopes that a majority of the nation proves to be smarter than the susceptible non-thinking lemming types. Hoffa would like to believe that the recall here was more a reflection of that reality - people actually thinking, as opposed to a purely emotional reaction to a temper tantrum. If Hoffa is wrong, then as a nation, we really are screwed! BTW - If you haven't heard, Jesse Ventura has committed to running for President in 2016 as an independent if his supporters are able to get him ballot access in all 50 states and in DC.
I agree that Ryan is not as conservative as the media and Republicans try to portray him. There are many issues I did not agree with him on, which I thought were not conservative enough. I would much prefer that he remain as my representative rather than the VP. If it weren't for the media's constant hammering on Romney about his wealth, I think that his being a RINO would be very appealing to both liberals and conservatives. He is by far more in the center than Obama will ever be. As far as a Republican being critical of his own party, wouldn't it be nice to see the same honesty with the Democrats. How can we have a POTUS who neither the media or his party will point out his faults (if he has any). It is like the savior Obama has returned for this campaign. As far as a VP overshadowing a presidential candidate, that is why they keep Biden tied up in the background with silver tape over his mouth. Rand Paul 2016.
BTW - Did you know that Jesse Ventura is running in 2016?
Every boxer has the perfect fight plan, until he gets hit in the jaw ..... Voters talk about wanting conservatives until they get hit in the jaw with what that actually means --- ie. the Great Recession !! Voters may talk one way, and especially like to think they want the center -- but in reality, they will re-elect Obama, and maybe even want him to go a little further Left. After 47% of Americans can't all be wrong :-)
There is no term that is more irritating than Great Recession. And worse yet when they try to compare it to the Depression. There were no soup lines, no conservation corp, nobody was stuffing newspaper in their shoes to plug holes, people weren't putting their children in orphanages....... In fact instead they were standing in line to get iphones, electronic games, sports & concert tickets, shoes, toys and gadgets for Christmas..... As far as I can remember 47% is not the majority. You may be right that Obama will be re-elected because he keeps promising everything for free. A promise that can not be sustained. And things that he could possibly do as a lame duck will come back and blind side them (us) in time.
http://www.thedailysheeple.com/un-small-arms-treaty-passes-while-media-sleeps_092012