Just minutes after Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders were declared the decisive winners of the New Hampshire primaries, tucked inside Chamberlin Hall, Gov. Scott Walker challenged an over-capacity crowd of College Republicans to help bring about a conservative victory in the 2016 presidential election.
Walker was an early favorite for the GOP’s nomination, but was forced to drop out in October amid plummeting poll numbers. Walker’s Midwestern blandness became a liability while Trump gave Iowans helicopter rides. Trump attacked Walker’s policies throughout the campaign.
“Wisconsin is doing terribly … They’re borrowing money like crazy. They projected a $1 billion surplus, and it turns out to be a deficit of $2.2 billion. The schools are a disaster,” Trump said in July.
Although embarrassed nationally, Walker remains committed to a Republican victory in November which he says looks increasingly likely amid Hillary Clinton’s inability to connect with voters and earn their trust.
“I’ll give Bernie credit,” Walker said. “The one thing you’ll hear me give him credit for is I believe he actually believes in what he’s saying. And while I think most of what he’s saying is fundamentally wrong I just give him credit for believing in it.”
“People like Hillary Clinton and for sure Bernie Sanders believe, or at least they say they believe in Hillary’s case, that government should tell you what to do,” Walker said. “They say the government should regulate you, litigate you, tax you,” alluding to Democratic initiatives to increase taxes on the wealthy and regulate Wall Street and carbon emissions.
“We believe just the opposite,” Walker said. “We believe in doing things that say, you know as long as you don’t hurt the health or the safety of your neighbor go ahead and knock yourself out.”
According to Walker, an ideal government allows citizens to easily start businesses, keep their incomes and concealed carry weapons.
“We’re the true progressives,” Walker concluded, before calling for conservatives in the audience to spread his message of true progressivism throughout the campus.
“I can say it until I’m blue in the face, but the real way we get back voters is through you,” Walker said.
