University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee has predicted that
contrary to popular belief, Gov. Scott Walker, not Paul Ryan, will be likely Republican nominee Mitt
Romney’s pick for a vice presidential candidate, as reported by the Wisconsin State Journal. Although it feels sacrilegious to argue with a
man whose name seems to be lifted directly from the Old Testament, I have to disagree with Mordecai.
Professor Lee said on the night of the Republican primary, “I do not think Paul Ryan will be Mitt
Romney’s selection for vice president … I think the more likely scenario is he will pick Scott Walker.” It’s
been said that Walker has become a national symbol for the Republican Party, bridging the gap between
social and fiscal conservatives. Lee added that if Walker loses the recall election this fall, he will become
the “martyr hero of the Republicans,” but that does not necessarily make him the logical choice for a
VP candidate.
A year ago, no political prognosticator in a serious state of mind would have
considered Walker as a possible candidate for vice president. Walker’s political r?sum? makes him a symbol of all things conservative, but one
year in the national spotlight does not constitute the necessary experience to play the role of back-up president of the United States.
The thought of Walker kicking back with his feet on the desk in the White House is deeply
concerning – it makes me seriously consider the possibility of moving to Canada.
In the words Mordecai Lee said to TMJ4, “… Scott Walker is the perfect Sarah Palin without her liabilities.” But
Sarah Palin is nothing but an amalgamation of liabilities. If
Sarah Palin is pure liability, and Scott Walker is Sarah Palin without her liabilities, then Scott Walker is
nothing and therefore cannot be a VP candidate. Luckily, it’s doubtful that Walker ever
made it through a symbolic logic class, so he’s been spared the existential meltdown of realizing that he
is pure nothingness.
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, is a very reasonable choice for Mitt Romney’s VP candidate. Romney has taken considerable
flak among his GOP cohorts for things like his much-needed Massachusetts health care reform. Ryan, however, has presented
the most coherent and lucid alternative to President Barack Obama’s economic policy, which includes tax breaks for the wealthy and privatization of Social Security and Medicare.
Simply put, Romney needs a respected and experienced rising star in the Republican Party like
Ryan in the upcoming election. Ryan will draw the middle-of-the-road fiscal
conservative vote and add a sense of political legitimacy to a platform that would otherwise be resting
on the good ole’ socially conservative values of Mitt
Romney. It’s hard to tell who would be the looks and who would be the brains between Romney and Ryan since both look like they ought to be drinking a scotch on the
set of Mad Men.
The Economist referred to Ryan as a wonk, but they correctly consider him a “likeable, hardworking,
detail-oriented, Midwestern wonk” who presents a serious conservative challenge for Obama. If Romneys’ temples’ gray hair is any indication of the wisdom that comes
with age and experience, he’ll pick Ryan as a running mate.
Charles Godfrey ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in math and physics
The Wisconsin State Journal reported that University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee said Tuesday that Gov. Scott Walker
would be the perfect vice presidential candidate for Mitt Romney to run with, and I
refuse to disagree with anyone named Mordecai.
But seriously, Scott Walker is basically Rick Santorum without the college degree,
and Romney desperately needs a Tea Party fan favorite. As Mordecai explained it to TMJ4, “Scott
Walker is the perfect Sarah Palin without the liabilities,” what else do you need
to know, Mitt? Walker is Sarah Palin in the sense that he has gained a national
conservative cult status for his union-busting, but he dominates her in the ability to
form sentences.
Walker is everything Romney is not. Where Romney actually improved his state’s
healthcare system, Scott the “martyr hero of the Republicans” did his
part to focus on the important parts of healthcare. Walker held up his conservative
mantle by cutting Badger Care Plus funding, implementing abstinence-only teaching
in high schools and making it harder for women to get an abortion.
More importantly, Walker has demonstrated he just doesn’t give a damn about
what anyone opposed to him thinks. Remember this is a guy who, at a time when
he was working on refusing lawful citizens’ access to the state’s Capitol, was happily
taking calls from his biggest fans, the Koch brothers. That’s the kind of power player
Romney needs on his team, and he needed it yesterday. Romney definitely could use the Koch-backed Americans For Prosperity, which the Wisconsin State Journal reports
is pouring $700,000 into Wisconsin to defend Walker in the recall.
The question here is why Walker is a
better pick than Ryan. It’s simple really: Scott Walker is a badass. The man
removed collective bargaining that had existed for fifty years and acted like it was
no big thing. You need Walker desperately Mitt. Sure, you’ve done a great job of having third-party ads eviscerate
your opponents, but if your going to rally the troops for the bring down Obama push,
you need a man who can stand in front of the camera without any concern for truth
or accuracy and tell your base exactly what they want to hear.
Paul Ryan isn’t the guy for you Mitt. You don’t want a better-looking VP candidate
then you; that’s why Obama won with Biden and McCain lost with Palin. Ryan
is two Twitter pictures away from Weinergate. What you want is a Scott Walker.
Face the facts, Mitt. People think you’re a rich, out of touch, Harvard-educated white
guy. What you need is a high-school graduate who the average conservative loves, who has beaten Democrats handily for the past year and who knows how to get up in front
of the media and tell them just how right he is.
Don’t take my word for it though, Mitt. According to Wisconsin Reporter, Scott just told the Christian Broadcast
Network, “God’s got a plan for us …. even beyond serving as governor of this state.”
God’s looking at you on this one Mitt, and so am I. Choose Walker.
John Waters ([email protected]) is junior majoring in journalism.
