-

[Example]

-

[Landslide Lyndon]

Not surprising. Walker is a total tool for plutocrats like the Kochs.

[IceSpear]

This is a BFD. This instantly makes Jeb's financial advantage (which was supposed to be his ace in the hole) moot.

Walker's chances just skyrocketed.

[Vega]

Anybody could have seen this coming from a mile away. The three of them have always been close.

[Lief 🗽]

RIP Bush.

[RogueBeaver]

Except the Kochs have previously told him that they will not financially back anyone in the primaries.

[© tweed]

RIP Bush.

no, all this has the potential to do is make the financial playing field competitive (and thus a harder path than Bush 2000, or Romney 2012, to the nomination -- the latter was so distrusted he may well have lost lost if ANY remotely financially viable candidate had stepped up).

Bush has East Coast finance locked up.

[IceSpear]

RIP Bush.

no, all this has the potential to do is make the financial playing field competitive (and thus a harder path than Bush 2000, or Romney 2012, to the nomination -- the latter was so distrusted he may well have lost lost if ANY remotely financially viable candidate had stepped up).

Bush has East Coast finance locked up.

Exactly. Jeb was in trouble even with his enormous fundraising advantage. In a competitive financial playing field? He's in DEEP trouble.

[© tweed]

Except the Kochs have previously told him that they will not financially back anyone in the primaries.

but what about XYZ Corporation, PO Box 2412, Chimayo, NM with its $20M donation to Walking to the Future Super PAC?

[© tweed]

RIP Bush.

no, all this has the potential to do is make the financial playing field competitive (and thus a harder path than Bush 2000, or Romney 2012, to the nomination -- the latter was so distrusted he may well have lost lost if ANY remotely financially viable candidate had stepped up).

Bush has East Coast finance locked up.

Exactly. Jeb was in trouble even with his enormous fundraising advantage. In a competitive financial playing field? He's in DEEP trouble.

I think he's in better position re: relations with the average Republican than Romney was.  is he in "DEEP" trouble?  depends what you mean, but if Walker can raise half or 60% of the money he can, Jeb will have a real fight, though remain a small favorite.

the Cruz/Rand Paul types scare off the big money.  they're too crazy to control.  Walker has the nice combo of a good record of "givin' them liberals Hell!" + sober-seeming enough to listen to his financiers.  

that's the candidate I thought Chris Christie would be, but he's had a bad 18 months or so.

[IceSpear]

RIP Bush.

no, all this has the potential to do is make the financial playing field competitive (and thus a harder path than Bush 2000, or Romney 2012, to the nomination -- the latter was so distrusted he may well have lost lost if ANY remotely financially viable candidate had stepped up).

Bush has East Coast finance locked up.

Exactly. Jeb was in trouble even with his enormous fundraising advantage. In a competitive financial playing field? He's in DEEP trouble.

I think he's in better position re: relations with the average Republican than Romney was.  is he in "DEEP" trouble?  depends what you mean, but if Walker can raise half or 60% of the money he can, Jeb will have a real fight, though remain a small favorite.

the Cruz/Rand Paul types scare off the big money.  they're too crazy to control.  Walker has the nice combo of a good record of "givin' them liberals Hell!" + sober-seeming enough to listen to his financiers.  

that's the candidate I thought Chris Christie would be, but he's had a bad 18 months or so.

Why do you say that? He seems to be in a pretty similar position to Romney in 2011, except the field is now much stronger, and if this is true, could be competitive in fundraising as well.

- Common Core/immigration reform vs. Obamneycare
- Loved by the donors, tepid reception from the rank and file
- Fierce opposition from the Tea Party

[Landslide Lyndon]

Walker's first foray into presidential campaigning hasn't been exactly flawless. Let's see first if he is ready for primetime or Pawlenty Redux.

[© tweed]

it'd take some effort to make an empirical argument, it's more an instinct.  Romney, first of all, was a retread with a poor electoral record.  he was obviously a liar and a used-car salesman; the rank and file were trying to find anyone to hold the bag (remember Herman Cain's two weeks of fame)?

Bush isn't that bad.  he has the good name, the real connections.  he isn't seen as a fraud.  problem is he will be attacked by the right by actual good candidates -- anybody with prospects held out of 2012 because they knew beating Obama was a longshot, while a theoretically open race will attract prospects like bugs to a light (though Hillary's unprecedented pseudo-incumbency throws a wrench in that, in practicality).

[© tweed]

Walker's first foray into presidential campaigning hasn't been exactly flawless. Let's see first if he is ready for primetime or Pawlenty Redux.

Walker got hit and hit hard (2011-12) and survived.  he's viable.

[IceSpear]

Walker's first foray into presidential campaigning hasn't been exactly flawless. Let's see first if he is ready for primetime or Pawlenty Redux.

He's already far stronger than Pawlenty ever was. Pawlentymania was mainly driven by the media, he never really had much support from the voters. Walkermania is solely a grassroots phenomenon.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Walker's first foray into presidential campaigning hasn't been exactly flawless. Let's see first if he is ready for primetime or Pawlenty Redux.

He's already far stronger than Pawlenty ever was. Pawlentymania was mainly driven by the media, he never really had much support from the voters. Walkermania is solely a grassroots phenomenon.

Yeah but Walkermania seems to have receded too after Paul and Cruz entered the fray.

[Gallium]

RIP Bush.

no, all this has the potential to do is make the financial playing field competitive (and thus a harder path than Bush 2000, or Romney 2012, to the nomination -- the latter was so distrusted he may well have lost lost if ANY remotely financially viable candidate had stepped up).

Bush has East Coast finance locked up.

Exactly. Jeb was in trouble even with his enormous fundraising advantage. In a competitive financial playing field? He's in DEEP trouble.

I think he's in better position re: relations with the average Republican than Romney was.  is he in "DEEP" trouble?  depends what you mean, but if Walker can raise half or 60% of the money he can, Jeb will have a real fight, though remain a small favorite.

the Cruz/Rand Paul types scare off the big money.  they're too crazy to control.  Walker has the nice combo of a good record of "givin' them liberals Hell!" + sober-seeming enough to listen to his financiers.  

that's the candidate I thought Chris Christie would be, but he's had a bad 18 months or so.

I don't think any of those are scaring off big money. Cruz raised $30 million in a week, and so far seems to have the strongest small donor support. Rubio has apparently got commitments for $40 million dollars, and is very likely to be Sheldon Adelson's horse in this race, which is a BFD. Walker may not explicitly get PAC money from the Kochs, but he will get donations from their wide network who will now fall in line. All of these candidates will raise as much money as Romney did in 2012. Jeb will still raise more, but the difference between having $100 million or $200 million going into the four early states is negligible; and they will all have the money to stick around till the end.

And I don't see Jeb as being stronger than Romney was. He's polling worse, there's no electability argument he can use like Romney did when he's doing no better (if not worse) than anyone else against Hillary, and there's serious Bush fatigue among primary voters that extends beyond the standard tea party hate for the establishment guy.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Glorious news! I'm hoping he'll be able to put this away early and turn his focus to Clinton.

[ElectionsGuy]

This does not raise Walker's chances as some (more like most) are saying. You people are so obsessed with hating the Kochs you equivalent support for Walker as him winning the nomination. Its part of the money buys everything mentality the left has been using as part of their campaign against money in politics (except when its their money, its ok).

Congrats Governor Walker on the GOP nomination. He truly is proof that so long as you wax poetic to the TP, discredit the idea that not having a college degree is nothing really in the path to success, and falsely portray Wisconsin's economic "revival" you can make it to the top.

Ugh, this reeks of snobbery and elitism.

[IceSpear]

This does not raise Walker's chances as some (more like most) are saying.

Are you serious? Fundraising ability is an extremely important aspect of winning elections. The Kochs are prepared to spend ungodly sums of money, so their backing is far more important than that of a generic big donor.

[Sumner 1868]

Makes sense, as they've bought three elections for him already.

[Matty]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

stop living in denial

[Sumner 1868]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

stop living in denial

Actually, I live in Washington, and you apparently live in California.

[Mr. Illini]

Divide and conquer is coming to Washington, just like it came to Madison.

[King]

You people are so obsessed with hating the Kochs you equivalent support for Walker as him winning the nomination. 

If they were backing Rubio, I'd agree that Koch money wouldn't be enough to flip voters, but Walker already has grassroots infrastructure and polling leads. All he needs is money and apparently now he's got it.