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Friday, March 29, 2024
scott walker

Gov. Scott Walker thanks his family, campaign staff and God for their support throughout his campaign as he announces the end of his presidential bid Monday at the Edgewater hotel. 

Walker bows out of 2016 presidential campaign

Gov. Scott Walker announced Monday that he is ending his once-promising presidential bid after registering below 1 percent in a CNN poll and a lackluster performance at last week’s GOP debate at the Reagan Library.

The exit is a staggering fall for Walker, who burst into the national consciousness in 2011 by controversially stripping public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights. He continued to impress GOP insiders by cutting property taxes, opening thousands of acres of state forests for logging and slashing the UW System’s budget, all while winning two additional state elections.

Following Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Walker is the second candidate to drop out of the crowded Republican field which has been dominated by “outsider candidates” like Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina who have crowded out traditional candidates. Walker said he hopes his withdrawal will prompt others to follow suit.

“Today I believe that I am being called to clear the field so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field,” Walker said.

Walker also called for more substantive discourse within the party, comparing President Ronald Reagan’s trademark optimism to a debate that he claims has “drifted into personal attacks.”

“In the end I think the voters want to be for something and not against someone,” said Walker in a subtle attack on Trump. “Instead of talking about how bad things are we want to hear how we can make them better for everyone.”

Walker thanked his family and campaign staff for their support throughout the campaign but said, “Most of all I want to thank God.”

Some pundits, including current GOP leader Donald Trump, have stated that Walker’s demise is due to a slew of unpopular policies he enacted in Wisconsin. “When the folks of Iowa found out the true facts on the job you’ve done in Wisconsin … he was No. 1 and now he’s No. 6 or seven in the polls,” asserted Trump during Wednesday’s debate.

Walker’s support in Wisconsin has similarly cratered, as shown by a May Public Policy Poll which found only 43 percent approval following his cuts to the UW System and his signing of right-to-work into law.

College Republicans chair Anthony Birch denied that Walker’s early exit is an indication that his policies in Wisconsin have failed or are unpopular.

“The referendum on Walker’s policies were his winning three times in four years in a purple state. That’s the referendum,” Birch said.

After the press conference, giddy protesters swarmed the exit of the Edgewater hotel singing “This Land Is Your Land” as Walker and his backers left the area. One protester was Don Johnson, a former Madison Area Technical College teacher proudly wearing a Bernie Sanders T-shirt, who held a sign that read “Hey Scotty, the Koch brothers want a refund?”

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“This guy is corrupt,” Johnson said. “He’s basically a tool of the billionaires. Everything he’s done has hurt the ordinary people. I think he got what he deserved.”

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