Walker to Drop Out (Updated with Official Statement)

 

WalkerFrom the New York Times:

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has concluded he no longer has a path to the Republican presidential nomination and plans to drop out of the 2016 campaign, according to three Republicans familiar with his decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Mr. Walker called a news conference in Madison at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

UPDATE: Excerpts from Gov. Walker’s official statement, which was emailed this afternoon.

As a kid, I was drawn to Ronald Reagan because he was a Republican and a conservative. But most of all, I admired him because of his eternal optimism in the American people.

That thought came into my head when we were all standing at the Reagan Library last Wednesday. President Reagan was good for America because he was an optimist.

Sadly, the debate taking place in the Republican party today is not focused on that optimistic view of America. Instead, it has drifted into personal attacks.

In the end, I believe that voters want to be for something and not against someone. Instead of talking about how bad things are, we want to hear about how we can make them better for everyone…

To refocus the debate will require leadership. While I was sitting in church yesterday, the pastor’s words reminded me that the Bible is full of stories about people who were called to be leaders in unusual ways.

Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With that in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately.

I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current frontrunner. This is fundamentally important to the future of the party and – ultimately – to the future of our country.

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  1. Dave_L Inactive
    Dave_L
    @Dave-L

    Any guesses where Brad Dayspring will end up?

    • #1
  2. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Wow.

    • #2
  3. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Well crap.

    • #3
  4. Mike Rapkoch Member
    Mike Rapkoch
    @MikeRapkoch

    Unfortunately, I’m not surprised. I never felt Walker was going to breakthrough.

    • #4
  5. Gloating Inactive
    Gloating
    @Gloating

    He did what needed to be done in Wisconsin. Sorry to see him drop out . He knows how to deal with unions and union thugs. Keep up the good fight Scott.

    • #5
  6. 1967mustangman Inactive
    1967mustangman
    @1967mustangman

    In a 6 person field he might have made it.

    • #6
  7. 1967mustangman Inactive
    1967mustangman
    @1967mustangman

    I would love to see him as Secretary of Labor.

    • #7
  8. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    I am really sad about this. He was the candidate I most enjoyed following.

    This is where we Republicans are not a very smart party in how we help and encourage our candidates.

    • #8
  9. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    Wow. Was he short of money or something? He had a bad run of late, but this seems a surprise.

    • #9
  10. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    I hope he becomes powerful in the next administration – dealing with federal unions and labor in general would be perfect.

    • #10
  11. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Horrible news. Right now the best case scenario is Rubio/Walker.

    • #11
  12. Austin Murrey Inactive
    Austin Murrey
    @AustinMurrey

    I’m already seeing the attempt to blame this on Trump or crazy conservative voters.

    A candidate’s job is to pitch himself to the constituency electing him: Walker has failed to do so, or apparently to assuage donors to continue to back him in the face of media environment like Jeb, Cruz and Rubio have.

    Trump may be sucking oxygen up from the media environment but Walker has only his own efforts to blame. Walker’s also led the polls in only 5 of the last 92 polls dating back to November of last year according to Real Clear Politics, the last one in early May. For reference that’s one more than Huckabee who’s led 4, the last one in early February.

    • #12
  13. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    Told ya.

    Next up: Jindal, Graham, Gilmore, Huckabee, Santorum. All gone in between 60-90 days.

    • #13
  14. Austin Murrey Inactive
    Austin Murrey
    @AustinMurrey

    Douglas: Huckabee

    We can only hope.

    • #14
  15. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Douglas:Told ya.

    Next up: Jindal, Graham, Gilmore, Huckabee, Santorum. All gone in between 60-90 days.

    These are not the ones that need to go the most. Christie and Kasich, please.

    • #15
  16. Tuck Inactive
    Tuck
    @Tuck

    WAAAH!

    • #16
  17. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    iWe:

    Douglas:Told ya.

    Next up: Jindal, Graham, Gilmore, Huckabee, Santorum. All gone in between 60-90 days.

    These are not the ones that need to go the most. Christie and Kasich, please.

    Christie will probably go with that bunch, but it’s getting down to funding now, and Kasich has some big money backing him. It won’t help him, but the money will keep him in. I think Kasich stays in longer than Rubio, as Rubio and Bush are fighting for the same funding sources. And I’d bet on Bush in that one.

    • #17
  18. Jager Coolidge
    Jager
    @Jager

    Douglas:Told ya.

    Next up: Jindal, Graham, Gilmore, Huckabee, Santorum. All gone in between 60-90 days.

    Does this mean that Pataki will stay around to break through?

    • #18
  19. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Douglas:

    Christie will probably go with that bunch, but it’s getting down to funding now, and Kasich has some big money backing him. It won’t help him, but the money will keep him in. I think Kasich stays in longer than Rubio, as Rubio and Bush are fighting for the same funding sources. And I’d bet on Bush in that one.

    Money is not everything. If it was, Bush would have trounced the field already.

    • #19
  20. livingthehighlife Inactive
    livingthehighlife
    @livingthehighlife

    Wow!  Never saw this coming so quickly.

    Maybe his heart really wasn’t in it after all.

    • #20
  21. FightinInPhilly Coolidge
    FightinInPhilly
    @FightinInPhilly

    G*&^$##$   !!!

    ^&#$#))  !!!

    ^##&#@D  !!!

    • #21
  22. Tom Meyer, Ed. Member
    Tom Meyer, Ed.
    @tommeyer

    [expletive]

    • #22
  23. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    Jager:

    Douglas:Told ya.

    Next up: Jindal, Graham, Gilmore, Huckabee, Santorum. All gone in between 60-90 days.

    Does this mean that Pataki will stay around to break through?

    No, it means he’s so insignificant that I forgot him.

    iWe:

    Douglas:

    Christie will probably go with that bunch, but it’s getting down to funding now, and Kasich has some big money backing him. It won’t help him, but the money will keep him in. I think Kasich stays in longer than Rubio, as Rubio and Bush are fighting for the same funding sources. And I’d bet on Bush in that one.

    Money is not everything. If it was, Bush would have trounced the field already.

    Money is everything if your campaign has no grassroots support. And Bush has plenty of money, enough to hang around a long long time.

    • #23
  24. The Cloaked Gaijin Member
    The Cloaked Gaijin
    @TheCloakedGaijin

    These Wisconsin-Minnesota Republican governors give up too easily.

    2016 — Walker

    2012 — Pawlenty

    2008 — Tommy Thompson

    What happened to the good old days?

    Governor Harold Stassen 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1964, 1968, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992

    • #24
  25. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Did Walker do anything in this election season to make us think he would go the distance?

    • #25
  26. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    I do still want trump to drop out. This may not be his fault, but he brings nothing good to the table and its time for us to start having a grown up conversation. Having Walker out of the race is almost as damaging as having trump in it.

    Considering the fact that one year ago were were all saying “this is the most impressive field republicans have ever had, and [we’ll] be thrilled no matter how it pans out,” I think that has been proven incorrect, and yes, we would be right to complain about trump and about stupid Republican voters.

    • #26
  27. PsychLynne Inactive
    PsychLynne
    @PsychLynne

    Well, this is terrible news.  Yes, Walker’s campaign does not appear to have been run as well as it could have been

    Austin Murrey:A candidate’s job is to pitch himself to the constituency electing him: Walker has failed to do so, or apparently to assuage donors to continue

    So now we’ve lost him and Rick Perry, two experienced governors with records behind them and demonstrated conservative leadership.

    What is it we want again?  And our actions getting us any closer to it?

    I hope he succeeds in the next administration, as does Perry.  If Michael Barone is right, and there is a significant re-alignment going on in American politics, at present, we appear to be paying a pretty steep price.

    • #27
  28. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Ryan M: I do still want trump to drop out. This may not be his fault, but he brings nothing good to the table and its time for us to start having a grown up conversation. Having Walker out of the race is almost as damaging as having trump in it. Considering the fact that one year ago were were all saying “this is the most impressive field republicans have ever had, and [we’ll] be thrilled no matter how it pans out,” I think that has been proven incorrect, and yes, we would be right to complain about trump and about stupid Republican voters.

    Walker’s performance over the two debates was poor – he never told us why we need to vote for him. Rubio may not have the record Walker does, but he sure paints a great picture of what a Rubio presidency would be.

    • #28
  29. Tuck Inactive
    Tuck
    @Tuck

    PsychLynne: …So now we’ve lost him and Rick Perry, two experienced governors with records behind them and demonstrated conservative leadership….

    Thus demonstrating yet again that the Republican party is not a Conservative party.

    • #29
  30. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    @Jamie, I agree. I hope Walker throws his support (and money) behind Rubio and sets his sights on the VP.

    • #30
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