Scott Walker: GOP can't win referendum on Obama

[technical support]

June 10, 2012 12:39 PMPrintText
Scott Walker: GOP can't win referendum on Obama
ByLeigh Ann Caldwell.Play CBS News Video(CBS News) Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who survived last week's recall election, said presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney won't beat President Obama unless he offers "bold" ideas.

"I don't think we win if it's just about a referendum on Barack Obama," Walker said on "Face the Nation." "I think people like [Wisconsin Rep.] Paul Ryan and others hope that he goes big and bold." Walker said.

Walker also offered advice for Romney, saying that "Governor Romney has a shot if the 'R' doesn't stand for Republican, but reformer," Walker said.

However, the Wisconsin governor disagreed with a recent statement made by presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney that Wisconsin voters opposed to "big government" reject the hiring of more teachers, police officers and firefighters.

"I know in my state our reform allowed us to protect firefighters, police officers and teachers; that's not what I think when I think of big government," said Walker on "Face the Nation."

Walker was responding to a statement Romney made on Friday, in which the GOP presidential challenger said President Obama "wants to add more to government. He wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin?"
Romney's statement came after the president - responding to the rise in the nation's unemployment figures for May - said that public sector workers were particularly hit hard due to job losses from state budget cuts compared to job gains seen in the private sector.

"I think in the end a big issue is that the private sector still needs more help. The answer is not more big government," Walker said.

"The president and his allies believe success in government is defined by how many people are dependent on government programs," Walker said. Republicans "believe that success [is] just the opposite. How many fewer people are dependent on government programs because they have a job in the private sector where they can control their own freedom?"

The Republican governor had faced a recall election after cutting some public sector workers' pensions and eliminating collective bargaining rights for most public workers' unions.

After a contentious and expensive campaign, Walker defeated his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

When host Bob Schieffer pressed Walker about Romney's statement, asking if he agreed with the former Mass. governor about the message of the Wisconsin recall results, he replied, "Well, I think it's slightly different. In our case what they wanted [was] people to take on the tough issues."

[wan]

scott walker is right

[mondale84]

scott walker is right

Obvious troll is obvious.

[Vasall des Midas]

...and arguably, that is exactly the lesson to take from the Wisconsin recall.

[True Federalist]

scott walker is right

Obvious troll is obvious.

But for once an obvious troll is also right.  Romney has misread the message of the Wisconsin recall if he thinks that it was that voters want to cut the numbers of government employees.  No, it's that the voters think public employee unions only add to the expense of government without improving the quality of its service.  If Romney wants to be bold and follow through on the apparent lesson of Wisconsin, have him propose that Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Act be repealed and thus end collective bargaining for Federal employees.

[cope1989]

Romney's #1 goal this entire election has been to attempt to make the election a referendum on Obama. He wants to position himself as the alternative to Obama without offering any new ideas of his own. This is probably the result of polling that shows a majority of voters stating that Obama doesn't deserve to be reelected while Obama still beats Romney in head to head polling.

The problem is that elections are rarely simple referendums. Each candidate has to offer a vision in order to get their supporters fired up. Romney has yet to offer a vision, and that's why he's losing.

[technical support]

if the GOP was not such a bunch of whining dolts, we would have raised taxes in 2009, invested heavily in infrastructure, education, and small businesses with that money, and the recovery would have been much more robust.

[Jayhawker]

I think what he meant was, Romney can't just make this election all about Barack Obama. He needs to provide an alternative plan for our nation and sell it to voters. It'll still be about Obama, though.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Romney is hosed if the election becomes about a flip-flopping Mormon who was 47th in job growth as governor, and a vulture capitalist at Bain, and got where he was because of is daddy.

[technical support]

Romney is hosed if the election becomes about a flip-flopping Mormon who was 47th in job growth as governor, and a vulture capitalist at Bain, and got where he was because of is daddy.

You right about that.

[I Can't Get That Sound You Make, Out Of My Head]

The problem with offering an alternative vision is that it'll probably put egg on the Republican faces.

[kingthlayer]

I thought Romney has put out alternative ideas, and they have already been panned as boilerplate Republican ones.

[Yank2133]

Walker isn't saying anything new, this was evident from the start.

Romney actually has to be a legit alternative to Obama, simply not being Obama and spouting off hollow GOP talking points isn't going to get the job done.

[pbrower2a]

The sorts of people who thought that Barack Obama would be a dreadful President largely still believe so. Those who thought that he would be good are satisfied. He hasn't won by winning over people who would be disappointed in 2012. can you say near rerun?

He wins in 2012 barring an economic meltdown, a huge scandal, or a military/diplomatic debacle. It won;t be enough for Mitt Romney to win on "I am not Obama" barring some calamity for which time is running out. 

[WhyteRain]

The sorts of people who thought that Barack Obama would be a dreadful President largely still believe so.

In 2008, that was a very small number of Americans and didn't include even his putative "opponent", Sen. McCain.  Most of that number feel thoroughly vindicated.

Those who thought that he would be good are satisfied.

In 2008, that was a majority of Americans.  I don't get the sense that most are satisfied anymore.

He hasn't won by winning over people who would be disappointed in 2012. can you say near rerun?

I'm not sure what this even means.  I guess you mean if people are already dissatisfied, then his winning won't make them any sadder?

He wins in 2012 barring an economic meltdown, a huge scandal, or a military/diplomatic debacle.

We've already had all of those -- and all of which are currently ongoing, but the MSM has done a superb job of keeping the sheep asleep.  A somnambulant electorate is really Obama's only hope now that ACORN's thumb is off the scale.

It won;t be enough for Mitt Romney to win on "I am not Obama" barring some calamity for which time is running out.  

Romney is another tax collector for the welfare-warfare state, but at this point "I am not Obama!" is the slogan of most Democratic Party candidates.  (Notice how every Republican wants Sarah's endorsement, but Obama's sitting by the phone ... waiting for someone to ask him for his?)