Get Ready for Scott Walker… and the Ruthless Politics of Walkerism

The Nation ^ | July 29, 2015 | John Nichols

[Cincinatus' Wife]

John Nichols

John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, has written the Beat since 1999. His posts have been circulated internationally, quoted in numerous books and mentioned in debates on the floor of Congress.

Nichols writes about politics for The Nation magazine as its Washington correspondent. He is a contributing writer for The Progressive and In These Times and the associate editor of the Capital Times, the daily newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and dozens of other newspapers.

Nichols is a frequent guest on radio and television programs as a commentator on politics and media issues. He was featured in Robert Greenwald’s documentary, “Outfoxed,” and in the documentaries Joan Sekler’s “Unprecedented,” Matt Kohn’s “Call It Democracy” and Robert Pappas’s “Orwell Rolls in his Grave.” The keynote speaker at the 2004 Congress of the International Federation of Journalists in Athens, Nichols has been a featured presenter at conventions, conferences and public forums on media issues sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Consumers International, the Future of Music Coalition, the AFL-CIO, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Newspaper Guild [CWA] and dozens of other organizations.

Nichols is the author of The Genius of Impeachment (The New Press); a critically acclaimed analysis of the Florida recount fight of 2000, Jews for Buchanan (The New Press); and a best-selling biography of Vice President Dick Cheney, Dick: The Man Who is President (The New Press), which has recently been published in French and Arabic. He edited Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books), of which historian Howard Zinn said: “At exactly the time when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift–a collection of writings, speeches, poems, and songs from throughout American history–that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country.”

With Robert W. McChesney, Nichols has co-authored the books It’s the Media, Stupid! (Seven Stories), Our Media, Not Theirs (Seven Stories), Tragedy and Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy (The New Press), The Death and Life of American Journalism (Nation Books) and, most recently, Uprising: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest, from Madison to Wall Street (Nation Books). McChesney and Nichols are the co-founders of Free Press, the nation’s media-reform network, which organized the 2003 and 2005 National Conferences on Media Reform.

Of Nichols, author Gore Vidal says: “Of all the giant slayers now afoot in the great American desert, John Nichols’s sword is the sharpest.”

[Patton@Bastogne]

.

Scott Walker has spent a lifetime preparing for this presidential campaign ...

and that's the "good news" ?


Conservatives are fine, and Walker's decent ...

but it kinda sounds like he's a Wisconsin version of "ambition at any cost" Hillary Clinton ...


.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The 2011 Wisconsin protests were a series of demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States beginning in February involving at its zenith as many as 100,000 protesters opposing the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also called the "Wisconsin Budget Repair bill." Subsequently, anti-tax activists and other conservatives, including Tea Party advocates, launched small pockets of counter protests.

The protests centered on the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, with satellite protests also occurring at other municipalities throughout the state. Demonstrations took place at various college campuses, including the University of Wisconsin–Madison[11] and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. After the collective bargaining bill was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on June 14, the number of protesters declined to about 1,000 within a couple days.

The protests were a major driving force for recall elections of state senators in 2011 and 2012, the failed recall of Governor Scott Walker in 2012 and a contentious Wisconsin Supreme Court election in 2011........"

[sitetest]

So... leftist vermin doesn’t care for him.

What’s not to like?

[huldah1776]

If Walker could “divide and conquer” the cancerous tumor of the federal employee union, especially at the VA, I would vote for him.

[Patton@Bastogne]

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Great pictures ...

what about the thought about Scott Walker's "consuming political ambition" that he's desperately wanted to be POTUS all his life ?

frankly, if true, that puts Scott Walker in the same "political victory at any cost" company as Hillary Clinton ... and "not" Ronald Reagan or George Washington ...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Put on your thinking cap.

You’re responding to a rabid socialist’s political talking points.

[bray]

Quit reading when he mentioned the Koch brothers. The ultimate villains of the left.

Pray America is waking

[hoosiermama]

Hit or hit piece?

[MrEdd]

Great pictures indeed. Of the effort the teachers union put in to keep right to work from unshackling their captives.

The pictures remind those of us who actually were paying attention why Walker represents conservatism actually being applied.

[Valin]

“Scott Walker has spent a lifetime preparing for this presidential campaign, and everything about his record says that he will do whatever it takes to win.”

And the point is.....?
It’s just to bad he is a cheeshead. :-)

[MrEdd]

If you had made it to the end you would have seen the author of this diatribe praised by Gore Vidal.

Who is really surprised that the homosexual left doesn’t want Walker?

[denydenydeny]

Yeah, I always take my political advice from The Nation.

[Lakeshark]

Good grief, no one running for the presidency doesn't have political ambition.

What makes you an expert on what he "thinks" btw? I know you're not a lefty, but you're stepping dangerously close to making one of their ugly arguments by putting out he's consumed by wanting to be POTUS or comparing him to Hitlery.

Honestly, if Cruz doesn't catch fire and Walker does, all of us here should be glad to back someone who has such a wonderful record of achievement. The guy is amazing, the left hates him with a passion, more than any other candidate they fear him because he never backed down and cowered when they came after him. He stayed the course with his conservative principles and had ice water in his veins as he took them out.

Those pictures you demean were them coming after him, and yes what they did was unprecedented and very real, what happened there when he won is something to be proud of, not demean.

I personally prefer Cruz, but think about it, we don't have to demean another candidates accomplishments hoping it will help our guy. Too much of that around here.

[Reeses]

Or perhaps it’s the fight against Walkerism that will finally awaken us.

The fight awakens the suburban swing voters. Walker induces the left to display their red colors which frightens moderate Democrat voters. The only way Walker can win the Reagan Democrats is if he inspires the left to go bonkers in public again, and they will. It's Walker's special talent.

[Senator_Blutarski]

...but it kinda sounds like he's a Wisconsin version of "ambition at any cost" Hillary Clinton ...

It's a hit piece. What do you expect it to sound like?

Those of us who are exposed to the Wisconsin media read articles like this on a daily basis. The media has a hit piece every day. When they think they have something juicy, they run variations on the theme for weeks.

The media is left wing and they HATE Scott Walker. They lie, cheat and steal to try to make him look bad.

Every time I read one of these pieces I smile and think "Walker must be doing something right to get these attacks."

[TomGuy]

Ruthless politics

LOL

It is amazing how many adjectives with negative overtones these commentators and pundits use to describe the GOP wannabes.

[Riflema]

"the most politically savvy and comfortably cynical contender for the presidency since Richard Nixon"

Come now, aren't we overlooking some pretty slick dems?

The whole piece is strangely obsessed with Nixon... maybe a man-crush on Bob Woodward?

[John O]

He sounds like a great guy. has all the liberals panty knotted at him.

He’s currently my favorite as he is the ONLY one who has beaten the unions at their own game and has the savvy to manipulate the media, instead of letting the media manipulate him.

(Ted Cruz is my second and a Walker/Cruz ticket, or even a Cruz/Walker ticket would be ideal)

[johniegrad]

It's an interesting article exposing the concerns of the left.

in view of the last eight years, where so much damage has been done fueled by emotionalism and impulsivity, I like the idea of a doggedly determined tactician who is quietly relentless in a conservative agenda.

His particular attraction is his success in the face of adversity. And don't be fooled, this is not simply a Wisconsin phenomena. He became twice as focused when he faced national opposition to state policies.

I'm sick of candidates screaming innuendos at each other and creating ineffectual dramas.

Our country is in need of someone who has a chance of being effective.