FiveThirtyEight: NYT Wrong. Don't Dismiss Walker: Electoral Record is Impressive

[JRP1994]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/scott-walkers-electoral-record-is-just-as-impressive-as-it-looks/

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

52% in a wave year is not impressive. He didn't even match Obama's 2012 percentage in the state.

[pbrower2a]

Basically he does better than Mitt Romney. Part of the difference may be that Mitt Romney is a below-average candidate for the Presidency due to personal flaws (namely, pathological narcissism, something difficult to quantify).

Walker certainly knows how to throw red meat to the usual constituencies of Movement Conservatism -- people who trust guns, the Bible, and corporate power than formal education or well-meaning 'government bureaucrats'. But most current right-wingers know that -- and the more that they make liberals gnash their teeth, the happier their constituents get. Oh, they don't like having Young Earth Creationism taught as unqualified truth? Maybe they can go to

If I were young enough to do so, a Walker Presidency would encourage me to emigrate. A Walker America would be the sort of place in which I would find plenty to shake my fist at.

[PresidentTRUMP]

If your not impressed that walker has won 3 elections in a democratic state in four years, your a hater lol. Simple as that.

52% of the vote in Wisconsin for a Republican that is despised by democrats is VERY impressive!

[Xing]

If your not impressed that walker has won 3 elections in a democratic state in four years, your a hater lol. Simple as that.

Really? We've devolved into this logic? "If you disagree, you're a hater!" is what people usually say when they have no defense of their own position, and are out of ideas.

Mr. Enten's analysis doesn't factor in quality of opponents, or the idea that in some years, it's just good to have an R next to your name, no matter how conservative you are.

If you're going to use Mr. Enten's analysis as evidence that Walker is "battle-tested," you can't ignore the last part, where he argues that Bush still has Walker beat in terms of electability. A gubernatorial race, however "high-profile," is not at all the same as a national race.

[RogueBeaver]

How electable is Jeb in a Bubba/Dubya referendum again?

[Stockdale for Veep]

If WI wasn't on a midterm cycle he would be at best a one term governor, it's as simple as that. I also think that if the union bill was put to a referendum like in Ohio, it would've been voted down. There were Obama voters that didn't vote in the recall because they were against the idea of a recall.

[pbrower2a]

I'm impressed with his electoral success, but I hate his inhuman agenda.

[IceSpear]

As I said before, 2010/2014 weren't really impressive since a ham sandwich with an (R) after its name would've won in most places in those years. The recall was much more impressive because it was high turnout and focused solely on him, rather than a nationwide political climate.

[ElectionsGuy]

52% in a wave year is not impressive. He didn't even match Obama's 2012 percentage in the state.

Wisconsin leans Democratic. A Republican getting 52% is about as 'impressive' as a Democrat getting 54%

[Lief 🗽]

People still take 538 seriously?! LOL

[RFayette]

All Walker has to do is show he's more electable than Jeb.

Not much of a challenge.

[RFayette]

How electable is Jeb in a Bubba/Dubya referendum again?

Yup.  Relative electability is what counts. 

If you want "bang for your buck" (electability times conservatism), you get a horrible outcome with Jeb, but a pretty dang good one with Walker

[Blair]

Oh damn, looks like we're all haters

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

As I said before, 2010/2014 weren't really impressive since a ham sandwich with an (R) after its name would've won in most places in those years. The recall was much more impressive because it was high turnout and focused solely on him, rather than a nationwide political climate.

I can't help but wonder how the recall would have gone if the D candidate had been someone other than Barrett.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

The fact that Harry Enten's name is on this piece is cause enough not to read it. He has the most shallow and worst analysis I've seen on the site and I'm surprised Silver hired him.

[Mr. Reactionary]

There were Obama voters that didn't vote in the recall because they were against the idea of a recall.

Are these voters also against the idea of challenging an incumbent in a subsequent election? 

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Walker isn't underestimated, but he is polarizing compared to Marco Rubio or Jeb, because of the teacher's union being stronger against him, and Jeb and Rubio's appeal towards hispanics.  I think that the electorate will turn to Hillary as the reasonable alternative to Walker.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I absolutely agree with this article.  Walker is a dangerous man and needs to be prevented from winning the presidency at all costs.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

The unhinged nature of his opposition has been a massive boon to Walker compared to Rubio or Jeb. He's had an early taste of Presidential-level scrutiny, faced far-tougher battles, and shown he can keep his cool under pressure.