Three reasons it was crazy for Donald Trump to attack Scott Walker

[Formerly Once-Ler]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2587492

MILWAUKEE — Everyone knows Milwaukee County is not Donald Trump country; southeastern Wisconsin Republicans are expected to go heavily for Ted Cruz in Tuesday's GOP primary. But in case there was any confusion, the Milwaukee County Republican Party's "Wisconsin Decides 2016" event Friday night was a three-hour lesson in why Trump is having problems in the Badger State.

Cruz and John Kasich appeared at the event. Trump sent Sarah Palin as his surrogate. Kasich was introduced by former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who managed to get pretty worked up on behalf of a candidate who is a distant third in a three-man race. Cruz was introduced by Gov. Scott Walker, who won ovation after ovation before even mentioning Cruz's name. And Palin? There was no one to introduce her. County GOP chairman David Karst dutifully did the job, after explaining that the Trump campaign had asked him to.

The audience sat on its hands when Palin spoke. Taking in the scene, it was hard to remember how popular she was with Republicans eight years ago, when she was the GOP vice presidential candidate, and even four years, when some thought she might run herself. On Thursday, Palin stuck mostly to a script touting Trump's positions on trade, illegal immigration, and military strength. The room was extraordinarily quiet.

Of course, it was a non-Trump crowd in a non-Trump part of the state. The audience wasn't going to enthusiastically receive Trump, or his surrogates, under any circumstances. And then Walker's reception shed some light on why Trump is having difficulty here. Specifically, it showed why Trump was ill-advised — crazy, actually — to attack Wisconsin's Republican governor. For three reasons:

1) State Republicans respect Walker tremendously. At enormous political, and sometimes personal, risk, Walker's Act 10 budget reform broke the back of the hugely powerful Democratic public-sector unions in Wisconsin. In the process, Walker became the target of the entire Democratic power structure — organized labor, office holders (up to the president himself) activist groups, big donors. They threw everything they had at Walker, first in the original Act 10 fight, then in the recall, then in Walker's re-election fight. Walker earned accolades from Republicans not only in Wisconsin but nationwide. Today, he has an 84 percent approval rating among Wisconsin GOP voters. Trump had nothing to gain by coming to the state and dumping on Walker, even after Walker endorsed Ted Cruz.

2) Wisconsin Republicans take criticism of Walker personally. They don't just respect Walker. They take pride in themselves for helping him win. They sent him money, made phone calls for him, knocked on doors for him, defended him to their Democratic friends, and stuck with Walker when he was under fire. They've all been through the Long March together, and now they are enjoying Act 10's success. When they praise Walker's achievement, they're praising themselves, too. So when Trump attacked Walker, they saw it as an attack on themselves.

3) Badger Exceptionalism. Many Wisconsinites are fond of heaping praise on their state, and themselves, for being "different" from other states. In their view, Wisconsinites are more civil, more serious, and better informed than other Americans, and the state's politics is conducted on a higher plane. (This self-regard obviously does not extend to Wisconsin Democrats, who seemed to go insane during the Act 10 fight.) Charlie Sykes, the conservative radio host who is leading #NeverTrump forces here, told Fox Business recently that Wisconsin voters would provide "the firewall of rationality in this Republican madness." "I frankly do not think that Donald Trump is going to win in Wisconsin, because his brand of what you call 'gutter politics' may play elsewhere, but Wisconsin is different," Sykes explained. "And that is kind of the point I'm trying to make here, is that Wisconsin has a different political culture, our culture is different but also our politics are different here."

So in attacking Walker, Trump was wrong not just on the substance of Walker's achievement, but also wrong on the psychology of Wisconsin's Republicans. It's the kind of mistake that is hard to recover from.

I'm going to be damn proud of my state when we stop Trump from getting a majority of delegates.

Go Cruz!!

[mountaineer]

I have a great deal of respect for Scott Walker and the way he fought off the baseless attacks of the left. This article didn't explain how Trump attacked him and I haven't been online much in the past few days, but I tracked this down:

Donald Trump was merciless Wednesday in his portrayal of how poorly Wisconsin has fared under its Republican governor, Scott Walker.

China and Mexico have siphoned jobs away, the state’s fiscal condition has deteriorated amid soaring debt, and immigrants in the country illegally are burdening Wisconsin taxpayers, Trump glumly informed a St. Norbert College audience outside Green Bay.

“Wisconsin’s not doing well,” he said.

It was an unlikely approach for Trump to take just as Marquette Law School was releasing a poll that found 80% of likely voters in Wisconsin’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday approve of Walker’s job performance.
 
“Seems an odd strategy,” Marquette pollster Charles Franklin said.

Trump’s unconventional effort, including some well-worn Democratic attack lines on Walker, underscored the uphill battle he faces to win Wisconsin in his drive to get the 1,237 delegates he needs to capture the Republican presidential nomination without a brutal fight in July at the party’s national convention in Cleveland. ...

For good measure, Trump hurled a few personal insults Walker’s way, poking fun at his motorcycle jackets and rides on a Harley-Davidson.

“The bikers love Trump,” he said. “I’m not a huge biker, I have to be honest with you, OK? I always liked the limo better.”   ...

More at the L.A. Times
 

[kevindavis007]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2587492

I'm going to be damn proud of my state when we stop Trump from getting a majority of delegates.

Go Cruz!!

I'm thinking about moving to Wisconsin..

[NavyCanDo]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2587492

I'm going to be damn proud of my state when we stop Trump from getting a majority of delegates.

Go Cruz!!

Counting on your state permanently derailing the Trump Train, and being a Jeopardy question some day, - " This state gave a seemingly unstoppable Populist candidate a smashing defeat, and was the begining of the end for his campaign."

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Trump supporters aren't intelligent enough to understand the gravite of Walker's victories, or the backbone and spine he showed standing up the unions. They are children distracted by shiny objects and simple slogans.

[Bill Cipher]

Trump supporters aren't intelligent enough to understand the gravite of Walker's victories, or the backbone and spine he showed standing up the unions. They are children distracted by shiny objects and simple slogans.

[Sanguine]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2587492

I'm going to be damn proud of my state when we stop Trump from getting a majority of delegates.

Go Cruz!!

As well you should be!

[Sanguine]

I've noted before, I'd love to see a Cruz/Walker ticket.

[mountaineer]

I've noted before, I'd love to see a Cruz/Walker ticket.

Ditto.

[kevindavis007]

Trump supporters aren't intelligent enough to understand the gravite of Walker's victories, or the backbone and spine he showed standing up the unions. They are children distracted by shiny objects and simple slogans.

Walker had everything thrown at him and he still won.

[Lando Lincoln]

I am livid over this. My wife fielded a call from a family member this morning. He was gleeful how Trump bashed Walker. This from a guy, an atheist, who said, "Sweet Jesus, there is a God" on a FB post when Justice Scalia passed. He says he and his like-minded public Union friends are crossing over to vote for Trump. Real world, real example. Real.

The last 5 years, Wisconsin has been the Normandy of conservative governance vs. liberal governance.  The Republicans there have held against Pickett's Charge. The passage of Right to Work. The passage of voter ID law. Act 10 for measures to balance the budget. Reduction of property taxes, state taxes, business taxes. The massive protests and shut down of Madison. The flight of Democratic legislators out of the state to hold up a call in the Legislature. And... And... The costly recall vote of Governor Walker and other republicans. The Governor and most others held.

Instead of respect from Trump, instead of praise from Trump, instead of admiration from Trump, instead of support from Trump...he criticizes. Imagine being a State Rep down ticket this cycle. At the epicenter. Reprehensible, disgusting.  Sick.

Real world folks. I am seething.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Walker had everything thrown at him and he still won.

First governor in the United States to survive a recall election, correct?

[Lando Lincoln]

See my post at #10.

I challenge someone, anyone to rationalize why that is okay.

[sinkspur]

See my post at #10.

I challenge someone, anyone to rationalize why that is okay.

  It's not OK, and, if you'll notice, none of the Trump supporters here have defended him on this.  I suspect, like Walker did on his recall and re-election,  Cruz will beat the polls by five or six points and blow Trump out by 15. 

Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the end of Trump.  He's got an hour of free throne-sniffing from Greta tonight and then from another symp, Hannity, on Monday. No hard questions from them, for sure.  It takes the MSM and liberal guys to expose the truth of Donald Trump's profound ignorance.

It's being driven home to you, Lando, that we can no longer just sit back and let this political rube have his way.  He must be stopped.

#NeverTrump.  Ever.

[Lando Lincoln]

  It's not OK, and, if you'll notice, none of the Trump supporters here have defended him on this.  I suspect, like Walker did on his recall and re-election,  Cruz will beat the polls by five or six points and blow Trump out by 15. 

Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the end of Trump.  He's got an hour of free throne-sniffing from Greta tonight and then from another symp, Hannity, on Monday. No hard questions from them, for sure.  It takes the MSM and liberal guys to expose the truth of Donald Trump's profound ignorance.

It's being driven home to you, Lando, that we can no longer just sit back and let this political rube have his way.  He must be stopped.

#NeverTrump.  Ever.

I am not so myopic I don't see. This has revealed, to me, the calculus of a "what's in it for me" candidate. I will freely expose him. Pointedly, perhaps. With logic, facts and rationale, certainly.

[Free Vulcan]

I am livid over this. My wife fielded a call from a family member this morning. He was gleeful how Trump bashed Walker. This from a guy, an atheist, who said, "Sweet Jesus, there is a God" on a FB post when Justice Scalia passed. He says he and his like-minded public Union friends are crossing over to vote for Trump. Real world, real example. Real.

The last 5 years, Wisconsin has been the Normandy of conservative governance vs. liberal governance.  The Republicans there have held against Pickett's Charge. The passage of Right to Work. The passage of voter ID law. Act 10 for measures to balance the budget. Reduction of property taxes, state taxes, business taxes. The massive protests and shut down of Madison. The flight of Democratic legislators out of the state to hold up a call in the Legislature. And... And... The costly recall vote of Governor Walker and other republicans. The Governor and most others held.

Instead of respect from Trump, instead of praise from Trump, instead of admiration from Trump, instead of support from Trump...he criticizes. Imagine being a State Rep down ticket this cycle. At the epicenter. Reprehensible, disgusting.  Sick.

Real world folks. I am seething.

Trump is just used to rolling over people with his Twitter feed, problem is many have tried to roll over Walker and failed miserably.

Walker has done so many things that count for good governance, and Trump has simply pooh-pooh'ed all that, while running on the GOP ticket. The contrast Trump has forced by attacking Walker and criticizing his policies have more or less divorced him from any average principle based Republican and what they stand for.

Trump is now down to the bully strongman routine to get votes. He's pretty much walked away from everything else conservative in Wisconsin. I hope it comes back to bite him hard.

[Free Vulcan]

  It's not OK, and, if you'll notice, none of the Trump supporters here have defended him on this.  I suspect, like Walker did on his recall and re-election,  Cruz will beat the polls by five or six points and blow Trump out by 15. 

Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the end of Trump.  He's got an hour of free throne-sniffing from Greta tonight and then from another symp, Hannity, on Monday. No hard questions from them, for sure.  It takes the MSM and liberal guys to expose the truth of Donald Trump's profound ignorance.

It's being driven home to you, Lando, that we can no longer just sit back and let this political rube have his way.  He must be stopped.

#NeverTrump.  Ever.

This was pretty much the last straw for me. Walker has WON IT and DONE IT. Big, large, Trump style. He stood up to the liberal thugs and got all the kind of things done that conservatives have wanted to see done for years. For real done, and got big media attention for it.

I can't hardly think of anyone who's picked up the flag and carried it more than Walker these last few years. And Trump has trashed all that, thinking he was just going to roll over Walker and make all he's done insignificant with a Twitter post.

Hope he gets his a** handed to him Tuesday.