Iowa Republicans are getting to know Gov. Scott Walker, and based on early polls, it appears that they like him. Many voters there appear enthralled with the story of Walker, the conservative folk hero, and seem prepared to overlook potential shortcomings.
While it's unclear precisely what caused Walker to surge in the Iowa polls earlier this year and then stay there, the people who turned out to his rallies last weekend suggested that the image the governor's going for in this race is sinking in. At a Harley Davidson dealership in Carroll, Iowa, James Hedeen said he started paying attention to Walker after Wisconsin's 2011 collective bargaining battle.
"I've watched as he's gone along and the stands that he took, took guts," Hedeen said.
When Walker calls himself a fighter in his stump speech and draws repeated comparisons to Ronald Reagan, it clicks with Hedeen. He knows Walker has been a polarizing figure in Wisconsin, and he said he's ok with that.
"It takes a polarizing figure right now in order to turn the truck, you know?" he said. "It's not going to take some mediocrity — some guy that's going to stand on the fence and say 'ok, let's play this game and then let's play this game.' It's going to take somebody that's going to stand up and say, 'Look, we've got to go this direction.'"
At the same Harley dealership, Theresa Hildreth said Walker is spot on, exactly what the country needs.
Walker supporter Theresa Hildreth said she likes him because he seems relatable. Shawn Johnson.
"What I like the most about the governor is I can relate to him," Hildreth said. "He's like me. He's not above me. He doesn't talk to me like I'm below him."
Hildreth is sold on Walker: He rides a Harley. She rides a Harley. Walker shops at Kohl's. She shops at Kohl's. And Hildreth learned this week that Walker has no college degree. She likes that, too.
"That impressed me because I went to college, too, but I don't have a college degree. I don't have a college diploma. But I feel like I've been successful in what I want to do with my life," she said. "So, like I said, he's common folk. I think he's going to go a long ways. I think a lot of people can relate to him. I can relate to him."
Read more:
http://www.apg-wi.com/sawyer_county_record/news/state/iowa-conservatives-see-plenty-to-like-in-scott-walker/article_512f2a5c-3208-11e5-ba02-8b54da714903.html
