GOP hopefuls gather to woo Iowa social conservatives

Washington Examiner ^ | Sean Higgins

[Cincinatus' Wife]

DES MOINES, IOWA — Nine Republican presidential hopefuls will share a stage Saturday here in the hopes of winning the backing of the state's socially conservative GOP activists, whose support can be crucial to winning the state's presidential caucus, the first major event in the presidential primary.....

Notably absent are New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, both of whom were invited.

"The event will have a definite religious cast to it," said Don Racheter, chief operating officer of the Public Interest Institute, an Iowa nonprofit free-market group. The coalition evolved from the state branch of the now-defunct Christian Coalition and was formerly known as the Iowa Christian Alliance.....

"Everyone is trying to score what Scott Walker got at that event," said David Hogberg, senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research and a University of Iowa Ph.D graduate.

Iowa tends to favor the candidates with the strongest socially conservative support, observers note. That is not because the number of those voters is necessarily that large, but because they tend to be highly dedicated and the caucus process rewards that dedication. Unlike a primary, which is a simple vote tally, the Iowa caucus involves groups in each precinct debating among themselves who to support until they reach a decision. Persistence pays off, big time.....

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Scott Walker talks about his trust in God and his walk with Christ [:45 intro] at Christian Businessman Luncheon in 2009 [25:00]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

March 9, 2015 - Sarah Posner: Evangelicals Looking for Walker to “Do Nothing” in 2016 Election

"When speaking to religious audiences, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker likes to remind people that he goes to church and knows his Bible. These reminders frequently come as Walker seeks to distinguish himself from political opponents in Wisconsin—the ones, he claims, who’ve sent his family death threats and harassed his kids on Facebook; the “literally thousands of protesters outside our family home” in Wauwatosa. Some of these protesters have, according to Walker, driven past the house and given him the finger as he and his family raked leaves on a Sunday afternoon after church and before the Packers game.

Speaking in 2012 to a teleconference with activists from Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition, Walker said his faith has enabled him to rise above the “vitriol, and the constant, ongoing hatred” during the recall election he faced in the wake of his anti-union legislation, which has crippled the state’s once-iconic labor movement. Along with the unmistakable contrast of his church-going family with the profane and progressive activists, Walker cited two Bible verses. He didn’t recite them, but for anyone who knows their Bible—as Walker, the son of a Baptist pastor, does—the meaning was clear. The verses that helped him withstand the hatred were Romans 16:20 (“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you”) and Isaiah 54:17 (“no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”)

Should he run for president, Walker may very well turn out to be the 2016 cycle’s evangelical favorite—not because he ticks off a laundry list of culture war talking points, pledges fealty to a “Christian nation,” or because he’s made a show of praying publicly to curry political favor. Although by no means universal, some conservative evangelicals—those who eschew the fever swamps of talk radio, yet share the same political stances of the religious right—are weary of the old style of campaigning. They’re turned off by the culture war red meat, the dutiful but insincere orations of piety.

Emphasizing that ours is a “Christian nation” and pushing “hot button issues” as a style of campaigning has been detrimental to evangelicals, said Mary Jo Sharp, who teaches apologetics at Houston Baptist University and analyzes political campaigns as part of a class she teaches there. “It’s very difficult to hear” that kind of rhetoric, she said. “Christians are not supposed to be the dividers.”

Over the course of his political career in Wisconsin, Walker “hasn’t presented as any kind of culture warrior,” said Hunter Baker, Associate Professor of Political Science at Union University, a Southern Baptist school in Jackson, Tennessee. “One of the worst things that ever happened with conservative Christians,” said Baker, was that they “give in to a tribal impulse,” by questioning “are we getting the respect we perceive we once had, are we losing ground, we need to mobilize, we need to increase our force.” That, he added, “is a losing strategy. It gives people the sense you’re working from resentment.”....................................

[iowamark]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

April 23, 2015: Reagan Biographer Firm Signs on for Communications, Strategy for Scott Walker Super PAC

"As he’s become the 2016 GOP presidential campaign’s clear frontrunner—before even announcing a candidacy—Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s 2016 team just made a huge pickup, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

Shirley & Banister Public Affairs will be handling strategic communications for Walker’s Super PAC, the Unintimidated PAC, and providing historical context that will prove crucial for the campaign. Since the firm’s two partners—Craig Shirley and Diana Banister—are extraordinarily connected among major players in the conservative movement, they’ll be filling a key gap in Walker’s growing team of influential staffers.

“One of the hallmarks of SBPA is we only work with people with whom we agree and we not only agree with Governor Walker, we admire him,” Shirley said in an emailed statement to Breitbart News. “He is a conservative, he is honest, ethical, tough and principled. We are proud of our new association with Governor Walker.”

The firm has been active in the conservative movement since 1984, helped Reagan’s re-election, has represented groups like the National Rifle Association, Tea Party Patriots, the Club For Growth, and more. Instead of focusing on mainstream media efforts, Shirley & Banister focuses much of its resources on new media like conservative online media, talk radio and other grassroots-centered materials–yet another sign that Walker doesn’t care about the Washington establishment way of doing things.

It’s worth noting that communicating in the new media world is much different than working with dinosaur-era old media, and it takes a certain kind of savvy to do it. Many other campaigns are working on doing the same thing, trying to bridge gaps into the conservative movement and media............

[iowamark]

I don’t know of a live video feed but I am sure that there will be one and that the speeches will appear on the internet.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Airing LIVE Saturday, Apr 25 6:00pm EDT on C-SPAN.org

[Cincinatus' Wife]

April 24, 2015: Scott Walker commits to campaigning in Iowa past the caucus

"Cedar Rapids, Iowa — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told about 200 Republicans here Friday that if he runs for president, he will campaign in Iowa up until November 2016, and not just through the crucial caucuses in the early part of the year.

"We wouldn't be here just for the caucus we'd be back here for the full haul," he said.

Walker said winning the Midwest will be crucial for Republicans....

In appeal to Iowans, Walker says path to presidency runs through Midwest

"CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (CNN) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker appeared to offer some insight Friday into his election strategy for his likely presidential run, a decision he’ll announce “sometime later in June” after the Wisconsin legislature passes a budget.

Speaking to a packed room in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Republican finished his stump speech with an appeal looking straight past the GOP nominating process and into the general election.

“If we were to get in, we wouldn’t be here just for the caucus, we’d be here for the full haul, all the way through November 2016,” he said. “Because I think it’s important that if a Republican is going to win the presidency, the path to win the presidency comes through the Midwest.”

He named his home state of Wisconsin, along with Iowa, Michigan and Ohio as potential pick-up states for Republicans in a general election. “And we’re even going to include Pennsylvania, ’cause they’re part of the Big 10.”

[don-o]

It’s a fine line - serious Christians will not be pandered to. For me, I would prefer to hear how a man’s inner life influences his understanding of “promote the general Welfare” (from the Preamble) than a testimony of his specific belief and practice and the slings and arrows he has endured.

[1010RD]

He must win Florida. After that PA and OH would get him there. The combintions exist, but Republicans start out at a disadvantage. He won’t win IL unless Dems stay home.

http://www.270towin.com/

Every FReeper needs to familiarize themselves with the EC and that website. It’s the road to ruin or victory.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Florida is going to be critical.

They’ve shortened from one month to 2 weeks the proportional split. Then Florida with winner take all has the numbers to propel someone (the GOP-e hopes Bush) to an insurmountable lead.

They hope the base will split the delegates in the first state primaries and then Florida, alone, will put wind at Bush’s back.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

April 25, 2015: NYT: Scott Walker Runs on Faith as Iowa Nears

"...Meadowbrook did not escape the political convulsions touched off during Mr. Walker’s first term as governor. In a speech to the congregation during its annual meeting in 2013, Mr. Mackett pleaded for an end to the “turmoil” caused by “slander” and “name calling” among members divided by politics.

He declined to elaborate in an interview. But Lee Heyward, who succeeded Mr. Mackett as head pastor, said, “John and Meadowbrook were going through a really tumultuous time during that whole season of Act 10,” referring to the law Mr. Walker signed in 2011 that stripped Wisconsin’s public employees of most bargaining rights.

The church has many members who are teachers, Mr. Heyward said, and they vociferously opposed the governor. “There were people in the church that wanted John to come out and speak against Governor Walker and his policies,” Mr. Heyward said. There were also supporters of the governor who wanted to hear their pastor defend him. Mr. Mackett refused to introduce politics into his sermons. Some people on both sides left Meadowbrook.

Mr. Walker said that when tens of thousands of protesters filled the State Capitol during the debate over Act 10, “my faith helped me stay calm and focus on the issue instead of matching anger with anger.”

On Friday, as he began a two-day visit to Iowa, Mr. Walker indulged in the venerable political tradition of playing up his ties to the state with the nation’s first nominating contest. In his case, the ties are genuine, dating to his grade-school years, when his father was a pastor in rural Plainfield. He remembered a tire rolling off his grandparents’ car in Dubuque, and visiting a Happy Chef restaurant.

In recalling the crucible of his political narrative, his fight against unions, Mr. Walker thanked Iowans for their moral support. “So many of you just prayed for us,” he said.

It is a line he hopes will convince evangelical voters that they speak a common language."

[jjotto]

Just to be clear, there is no ‘winner’ in the Iowa caucuses. During the caucus meeting, there is a non-binding presidential preference vote. The winner of that vote wins no delegates or other real advantage.

Delegates to the next level are selected, but they are prohibited from being bound to a candidate. Many locations have attendees that cast a straw vote and leave before any other business is conducted.

While it’s said that Santorum ‘won’ in 2012 by narrowly defeating Romney, it was in fact Ron Paul supporters that ended up in control of Iowa’s delegates to the national convention.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Just to be clear, there is no ‘winner’ in the Iowa caucuses.

It still has impact.

[nascarnation]

Yes when Hillary finished 3rd in Jan 2008 behind Baraq and Rielle Huneter’s boyfriend, it was very big news as I remember it.

[jjotto]

Oh yeah! MSM headlines are priceless, and donors will be more open to candidates that do well in Iowa. And Iowa can give real insight, like Michele Bachmann and Chris Dodd virtually living in Iowa for months but garnering negligible support for president.

[1010RD]

Walker is very wise. There are a lot of voters in PA and OH who will hear his message, see what he’s done and cross over. Of all the candidates he’s the most Reaganesque.

If you look at the 2012 actual results, it will actually very hard for Dems to repeat it. MI, CO, IA, WI, VA and FL are all in play right now.

Hillary! will be very hard to beat. She’s got a lot of money, a reputation for revenge and reward, she’s corrupted and corruptible, a friend to our enemies, a lot of political markers and a country full of dumb voters.

Foreign governments have most certainly interfered in our elections since at least Clinton and likely before. Obama for certain had a lot of foreign help.

We will need a very effective GOTV campaign. We will need a GOP Congress and a GOP on the side of the nominee 100%. Walker bridges that gap. Who do you see as the best VP for him?