Podcast 317

Scary Scott Walker. A year away from the first 2016 presidential primary and more than a year from the start of the 2016 presidential campaign, the so called mainstream media – which really doesn’t reflect mainstream America – is terrified of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. This week, the Washington Post conducted an ‘investigation’ of Walker’s college years. The paper discovered the future governor didn’t like French class, campaigned for class president, wore a suit on campus and was kinda geeky. The big mystery? Why did Scott Walker leave college in his senior year? Was it because he did not have enough credits to graduate anyway? Did something happen? Funny, do you remember any big investigation of why Apple’s founder and muse Steve Jobs dropped out of Stanford? What about Bill Gates. What deep dark secret drove these men? Will we ever know? How can any man or woman without a college degree become president of the United States of America? Let’s see, William McKinley withdrew, William Henry Harrison withdrew, Harry Truman withdrew, and gosh so did Scott Walker! Should the president have a college degree? While the smartest man ever to hold the office – Barack Obama – has a degree and spent a fair amount of his formative years enfolded in the warm embrace of academia, some might submit he has not been helped by those smarts on the policy front, since his presidency is pretty much a disaster, even with all those degrees on the wall. Oddly enough, Governor Walker is in good company. Abe Lincoln dropped out after a year and taught himself well enough to get a law degree, Andrew Jackson was homeschooled and became an attorney with no formal education, Coco Chanel never went to college, advertising maestro David Olgilvy was kicked out of Oxford, Henry Ford did not attend college, nor did John D. Rockefeller. Michael Dell, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were all drop outs. Is college a good thing? Absolutely. It refines, teaches people to write well, exposes them to other cultures and ideas they might not have experienced otherwise, and gives them training to become officers, teachers, managers, scientists. That these are good things is not argued. That such an experience is necessary to be the President of the US is. Scott Walker terrifies the democrat AND moderate republican because he has won 2 elections, one recall election, and a bruising fight with the most potent force in American politics; Unions. Specifically, unions representing public workers. The mighty left wing Wurlitzer is just getting warmed up as it ‘investigates’ Walker, asks whether someone who does not have a college degree can actually be president, and lionizes the ‘legendary’ capabilities of union sponsored political pressure groups that opposed Walker (and lost … 3 times.) Will the Governor surprise everyone in 2016? We Shall See. Sponsored by Complete Basement Systems. 

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Podcast 242 – Governor Scott Walker

Governor Scott Walker. The Wisconsin Governor joins the Bob Davis Podcasts. We caught up with Walker, campaigning in Somerset, Wisconsin in the finals days of the 2014 campaign. Supporters talk about why they believe in Walker, and the differences between Minnesota and Wisconsin politics. As the final days of the race tick by, a new poll shows Walker leading by 7 points. For most of the race, it has been a see-saw with little more than a point separating Walker, or his opponent Mary Burke from the lead. So far, the race has been too close to call. With the President, First Lady and former President Bill Clinton campaigning for Burke, and the Unions pouring cash into attack TV ads and ground game, this will be one of the most interesting races to watch on Election night 2014. Not only is the race important for Wisconsinites, this is probably the one gubernatorial race in the United States that commands national attention. Most of the focus of Election 2014 coverage has been the US Senate. With Republicans sure to add to its majority in the House of Representatives, the story line has been that the party will manage to pick up 6+ seats in the Senate races, to regain control of the US Senate. The Bob Davis Podcast hasn’t talked a lot about local races, so this is a departure. What makes it interesting is the similarities between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the clear differences. Both states have a large number of rural counties that vote republican, with a few urban centers that vote democrat. Scott Walker and Republicans in the state Assembly have been able to overcome a disadvantage Minnesota Republicans so far haven’t quite figured out how to do. Walker’s supporters — some of them former Minnesota residents now living in Western Wisconsin — offer a glimpse into how politics in the two states differ. At first blush, its passion combined with a candidate that offer hope and a chance to win. How does Walker do it? Perhaps it is his willingness to take big risks to reap big rewards. Another factor may be grassroots support and organization, that generates votes and contributions consistently. In states with seeming democrat locks, due to large urban populations, the focus needs to be on smaller, medium sized cities, and counties where town government, school boards, and county governments suffer at the hands of a progressive government that must tax and regulate to meet altruistic obligations and to cover the costs of union pay and benefits. Western Wisconsin, in particular, is home to many small and medium sized businesses that serve Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota (The Twin Cities Metro). Although it might be sacrilege to suggest it, the Gopher state might take some lessons — at least politically — from the Badger state. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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