Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Walker: A Candidate At A Crossroads?

Charlie Sykes, Scott Walker's unofficial campaign spokesperson, proudly announced that James Klauser has now endorsed Walker for the Republican candidate for governor.

At first, I thought it no big deal.

But as I was going through the comment thread on Syke's post, something caught my eye. There was a comment by a Calvin, who is the rabid right winger Calvin Freiburger, who wrote:
James Klauser, aka Tommy's brain, is no conservative! He has always been a RINO since his days with Tommy. They never met a project too big to cut. Scott will have a decision to make in the coming months; whether he is on the side of the Tea-baggers or the Republican establishment. These are mutually exclusive positions and if you believe they aren't then you are not a Real Conservative!
That is when I realized that Walker is quickly approaching a crossroads in his perpetual campaign for governor.

On one hand, he could follow the path of his mentors, George W. Bush and TOMMY! Thompson. He could follow through with a path that he already has been following, as I pointed out here and here. The similarities include:
  • Feeding the public a repeated line that had not even a kernel of truth to it, in order to cover up their inadequacies,
  • Cronyism,
  • Gross hypocrisy,
  • Ignoring the needs of the people in favor of hanging out with fellow elitists,
  • Gross mismanagement.
  • Hiring incompetents (see Cronyism), and
  • Failure to follow through with almost all promises.
On the other hand, he could follow the path of those that call themselves the "True Conservatives." These are the teabaggers, the birthers, racists and other general assorted nuts that aren't as much into conservatism as they are into feeding into reckless and paranoid rumors. He has already tied himself into this crowd as well, having attended a local tea party this past summer.

Walker might think he's going to unite the two sides, but that isn't a very savvy thing to believe. One only has to look back to the last few months and the race for Congress in New York. Doug Hoffman, the ultraconservative candidate forced out the Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, who in turn endorsed the Democratic candidate. The Democrat, Bill Owens, went on to win while the right were busy attacking each other.

If Walker wants to have a chance at winning, he will have to pick one side or the other, because the two just don't play, much less work, well together. Combine the need to be a referee for the two sides, as well as the damage control he will need to due when his 2010 budget actually kicks in and people are being hurt by the lack of services, like snow plowing or mental health services, as well as his own bumblings that he has a propensity for, and you have the perfect storm for Walker.

On second thought, I hope Walker does carry on as he is. That will make it all the easier for a responsible candidate, like Tom Barrett, gets into office in 2010.

17 comments:

  1. While I agree that Klauser is a RINO, as is Thomnpson, it pretty much dooms Neumann. And Barrett is no Thompson- he is very far left of Thompson.

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  2. Calvin, or more appropriately "The Mike Plaisted of the Right", really called himself a teabagger?

    Funny stuff.

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  3. Sorry to disappoint you, but whoever it is commenting on Sykes' blog isn't me. I know it's shocking that more than one person named "Calvin" with right-of-center political views reside in the state of Wisconsin, but there ya go.

    ATV! Long time no see!

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  4. Calvin--Then why even acknowledge the speculation?
    Feeling a bit guilty???

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  5. *snort* Guilty about what? Clumsily-worded and off-the-mark though Sykes-Calvin's comment might have been, I don't think there's anything particularly scandalous about them.

    No, I just thought this Great Moment in Liberal Fact-Checking was too funny not to point out.

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  6. Funny thing about that, Calvin, is that is not what you wrote on your post about my post. Must be the usual right wing denial/hypocrisy defense mechanism.

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  7. Hey Cal, you still a bat-shit crazy winger?

    If I had to choose which of you is farther out in outer space, it'd have to be a coin flip.

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  8. What's inconsistent between this comment and my post?

    Look Cappy, I understand it must be embarrassing to have made such a lazy, rookie assumption, and you're probably trying to save face. If you really need to believe that Sykes' commenter was me, have at it.

    Meanwhile, I'm happy to have set the record straight (on my blog and in the comments, regardless of whether or not you fess up), and I'm laughing my head off to see such a blatant display of the Left's disregard for facts & accuracy.

    So long!

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  9. Oh, the craziest ATV :)

    You still a dishonest, time-wasting hypocrite?

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  10. Calvin,

    You weren't at all disdainful of the Calvin commenter on Sykes' site when you wrote your post.

    Secondly, considering that I have never, ever seen another Calvin commenting anywhere in local blogs, much less anything affiliated with TMJ or JSOnline, I find it highly doubtful that there is another Calvin with the same ideology and the same writing style.

    That said, I also am aware that there is a sockpuppet running around the Cheddarsphere lately, but he or she appears to be targeting liberals, hence my skepticism.

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  11. Utterly delusional. No wonder you're a liberal.

    It's not "skepticism" that's driving you; it's damage control.

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  12. "Bat shit crazy" seems to be an understatement when describing you. Have you ever received help?

    I have no damage to control. You are simply projecting.

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  13. Just once on the blogosphere, I'd like to meet a liberal with a modicum of sanity and/or a conscience. Just once. That would be nice.

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  14. Would you even recognize sanity, conscience or even integrity if you saw it? I'd doubt it.

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  15. Well you'd know if you weren't such a pansy when it comes to allowing dissenting comments on your blog, wouldn't you?

    Did you ever sit and contemplate who Jesus would have tortured?

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  16. *yawn* Sorry, Tosa, but I don't have any obligation to indulge commenters who waste my time by ignoring what I actually write and instead attribute to me straw-man positions (the grounds for your original banning).

    But hey, in the spirit of the season, maybe I should let you start commenting again - sort of a probation to see if you've matured any (I doubt it, but 'tis the season of miracles...). We'll see who's the "pansy."

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  17. I don't know, I got tired of Owen "Debunked by Snopes.com Once a Month" Robinson's boilerplate conservative hackery pretty quickly, and I don't see much original thought on your site. But maybe once I'm bored of Capper's boilerplate liberal hackery I'll give it a shot.

    I met your Mr. Horowitz once at an event for President Bush. Interesting fellow. Lots of worms eating into his brain.

    Thing is about your site, and your attitude in general, is that there's a lot of anger. Capper's pretty angry too, but I get where it's coming from - the privilege he's enjoyed as a public union employee is rapidly coming to an end because the costs are finally outstripping the available revenue. Your case though...strange. I don't get the source of the anger you display.

    Anyway let me know if you decide on an interesting topic.

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