How Walker Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Donald

There has never been a presidential candidate less qualified to take office than Donald Trump. His absence of relevant experience and knowledge alone should cause voters to reject him. His bombast, childish behavior, and lack of self-control should rule him out. His attempts to divide Americans over racial, ethnic, religious, and gender lines are a clear danger to our country.

Facing Trump is one of the smartest, most qualified presidential candidates that has ever blessed America. Only the most cynically partisan hack could believe that a six-times-bankrupt, three-times-married, know-nothing, Putin-loving, David Duke-hero, reality-show star could be a better president than Secretary Clinton. One such partisan hack is Wisconsin's own Scott Walker.

But it hasn't always been this way. Over the course of five months, Walker has gone from the anybody-but-Trump camp to become just another Trump apologist. How did Walker transition from strongly opposing Trump to being one of his top advocates? Let's explore.

The first indication that Walker was not Trump's biggest fan came when he abandoned his train-wreck of a presidential campaign. Never mentioning Trump by name, Walker stated that he "is being called (by God) to lead by helping to clear the field in this race" and that he wants "a positive, conservative alternative to the current front runner."

Feeling increasingly desperate to stop Trump, Walker endorsed Trump's last realistic rival, Ted Cruz, just a week before Wisconsin's early April primary. This endorsement, together with overwhelming Cruz support from extreme-right radio, gave Trump his last major loss on the way to the nomination.

At the May Wisconsin state GOP convention, Walker gave a thirty minute speech. During that time, he stressed the importance of re-electing Ron Johnson and retaining Ribble's congressional seat. He emphasized the need to add to the GOP majorities in the State Assembly and Senate. But he did not mention then-likely presidential nominee Donald Trump a single time.

In early June, Walker still had not come to fully accept his party's presumptive nominee. After Trump's racist comments about a US judge, Walker wistfully stated "I think for a lot of us, not just Republicans in general, we want to see what he’s going to do between now and the time the convention comes. The sad fact is -- it’s just sad in American that we have such poor choices right now."

In early July, Walker entered into the acceptance phase of his grief when he tweeted: "Last August, I said I'd support the GOP nominee. It's now clear who the RNC delegates will vote to nominate. And he is better than she is." He still had difficulty saying Trump's name, but at least he started to accept the grim reality of Don the Con heading the GOP ticket.

Walker was given a chance to extol the virtues of his party's nominee during a not-prime-time speaking slot at July's Republican National Convention Fear-fest. However, most of his time was devoted to bashing Hillary and to his boasting about taking-on the "big government union bosses^TM" in Wisconsin. During his ten minute speech, he uttered Trump's name a mere five times.

Walker realized what Ted Cruz (who was widely booed by delegates) did not. Snubbing Trump at the national convention would be the end of his still-simmering national ambitions. His speech only gave the bare minimum homage to Trump required to avoid the permanent anger of the racist wing of the party. It is no wonder that Chachi was given a better time-slot than Walker.

However, at least Walker was finally able to utter the name "Donald Trump" without choking. But he still wasn't fully on board. After the convention, Trump traveled to Green Bay to rally his supporters. Walker and the rest of the state GOP nabobs scrambled to find something else to do that day.

But Walker has since come to terms with Trump. He has fully endorsed the orange Cheeto. He is totally on board the crazy-train. At the mid-August Trump rally in West Bend, Walker not only showed-up, but he actually introduced Trump. Walker enthusiastically said, "There are two names that will be on the ballot on November 8. One is Hillary Clinton, the other is Donald Trump. ...(unintelligible rant on Hilary)... There is only one person who's got a track record in the private sector...to truly take-on Washington, and put power in the hands of the American people. To make America great again. That man is the next President of the United States, Donald Trump."

It has taken him a while to arrive here, but Scott Walker has wholeheartedly endorsed the most unqualified presidential candidate in history, just because he has an "R" after his name. He has placed the Republican Party, and his own political future in that party, over our country. 

With his recent enthusiastic and self-serving Trump support, Scott Walker owns all that is Trump. He owns all of the hate and fear stoked by Trump. He owns every outrageous racist, xenophobic, and sexist comment uttered by Trump. He owns all of Trump's fascist tendencies. He owns it all. 

by Paul C. Adair