The Great Whitebread Hope
by digby
You’ll recall that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker recently shared his vast foreign policy experience as “commander in chief” of the Wisconsin National Guard:
“You know, the interesting thing with that is, as a governor, not only do I and the other governors, the commanders in chief of our National Guard at the state level, which is a distinct honor and privilege … as a part of that, my adjutant general that I have in the Wisconsin National Guard is also my chief homeland security adviser. And on a fairly frequent basis he, along with members of the FBI, gives me and I presume other governors security threat assessments. So we go and get classified information—important confidential information—about threats not only to our state but typically within our region and across the country. Without violating the terms of any of those specifically, I just gotta tell you that for my children and others like them, I see on an ongoing basis legitimate concerns about the threat to national security, state by state and across this country. And it’s one of the reasons why I’ve said repeatedly, one of the most important things we need out of our leaders in Washington, particularly our commander in chief, is leadership.”
I feel safer already. Here he is this morning, doin’ some of that leadin’:
RADDATZ: OK, but as you’ve seen on our show today, there are enormous foreign policy challenges going ahead, which the next president will inherit. One of your potential rivals for the GOP nomination, Senator Marco Rubio, said a governor with eyes on the presidency could acquire a global strategic vision, but that taking a trip to some foreign city for two days does not make you Henry Kissinger. I think you met with Henry Kissinger yesterday. But what would you say in response to Governor Rubio?
WALKER: I did actually have the honor —
RADDATZ: Senator Rubio, sorry.
WALKER: No, no, Marco is a great guy. I think the senator has got great vision. I look at actually this weekend got to see not only Henry Kissinger, but former Secretary of State George Shultz, (inaudible), and even Madeleine Albright, who I think very highly of on foreign affairs. Governors don’t just take trips. As a governor, I’ve had risk assessments given to me by the FBI and my adjutant general about threats not only in my state, but around the country. That is one of the reasons why I’m so worried about the future, not just of our country, our world.
RADDATZ: Let’s talk about some specific, and you talk about leadership and you talk about big, bold, fresh ideas. What is your big, bold, fresh idea in Syria?
WALKER: Well, I think – I go back to the red line.
RADDATZ: Let’s not go back. Let’s go forward. What is your big, bold idea in Syria?
WALKER: I think aggressively, we need to take the fight to ISIS and any other radical Islamic terrorist in and around the world, because it’s not a matter of when they attempt an attack on American soil, or not if I should say, it’s when, and we need leadership that says clearly, not only amongst the United States but amongst our allies, that we’re willing to take appropriate action. I think it should be surgical.
RADDATZ: You don’t think 2,000 air strikes is taking it to ISIS in Syria and Iraq?
WALKER: I think we need to have an aggressive strategy anywhere around the world. I think it’s a mistake to –
(CROSSTALK)
RADDATZ: But what does that mean? I don’t know what aggressive strategy means. If we’re bombing and we’ve done 2,000 air strikes, what does an aggressive strategy mean in foreign policy?
WALKER: I think anywhere and everywhere, we have to be – go beyond just aggressive air strikes. We have to look at other surgical methods. And ultimately, we have to be prepared to put boots on the ground if that’s what it takes, because I think, you know–
RADDATZ: Boots on the ground in Syria? U.S. boots on the ground in Syria?
WALKER: I don’t think that is an immediate plan, but I think anywhere in the world–
RADDATZ: But you would not rule that out.WALKER: I wouldn’t rule anything out. I think when you have the lives of Americans at stake and our freedom loving allies anywhere in the world, we have to be prepared to do things that don’t allow those measures, those attacks, those abuses to come to our shores.
Honestly, I think this guy is the most overrated politician in the GOP field. The fact that Iowa likes him doesn’t mean a lot since it shares the same media market. And while it’s true that he managed to win elections in GOP sweep years and avoid a recall it doesn’t attest to any special political skill on his part. After all, he was unpopular enough that they tried torecall him! He’s just not that impressive.
As I have written before, I think he’s the latest iteration of the Great Midwestern Hope syndrome, which reflects a common desire among certain members of the political establishment for a Republican “reformer” in the LaFollette mold who can modernize the GOP image and bring in all those alleged moderates who just want someone who can “get things done.” The problem is that the likes of Tommy Thompson, Tim Pawlenty and yes, Scott Walker, are plodding bureaucrats with the national appeal of doorstops. The political class may know who they are but nobody else does. And when the rest of the country gets a look at them it inevitably says, “are you kidding?”
Obviously, I could be wrong. I really have no idea who’s going to break through in the crowded GOP field. But if it’s Walker, I seriously doubt the Democrats will have much trouble dispatching him.