Scott Walker would like religious right leaders to think of him as their best friend. The Wisconsin governor also like the American public to think that he’s a pretty moderate guy. How to solve this contradiction? If you’re Walker, you just tell different people different things. In officially announcing his presidential nomination, Walker did just that by exploiting two sides of the marriage equality issue.
In an interview with ABC News, Walker pointedly portrayed himself as a compassionate conservative. (Where have we heard that one before?) How can we tell? He’s okay with a gay couple in his family (well, his wife’s side of the family).
“I love them, so I support them,” Walker said of his wife Tonette’s cousin and her partner. “Love’s gonna be the focus of everything we do with our family and our close friends.”
In a move that has all the spontaneity of an onstage kiss by Madonna, Walker’s wife and his two sons have been making it clear that they disagree with Scott’s position on marriage equality. In a pre-announcement interview in the Washington Post, Tonette told the paper that the family was divided by the Supreme Court decision making marriage a right.
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“Our sons were disappointed… I was torn. I have children who are very passionate [in favor of same-sex marriage], and Scott was on his side very passionate.”
Walker’s wife and sons were right at Walker’s side for his presidential announcement, intentionally sending the message that, hey, don’t worry about all that rhetoric. Deep down, Scott is okay with the marriage thing.
Except, of course, he’s not. Walker blasted the Supreme Court decision as “a grave mistake” and called for a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality.
Just to prove where his heart lies, Walker, the son of a Baptist preacher, kicked off his campaign by sending a letter to religious right activists proclaiming himself one of them and his campaign as “God’s plan.” In the letter, Walker put his opposition to marriage equality front and center.
“Our conservative values were handed a big blow with the recent Supreme Court ruling,” Walker wrote. “Five unelected judges took it upon themselves to take that responsibility away from the states and redefine the institution of marriage. In 2006, I voted to amend my state constitution to protect the institution of marriage because I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. To protect this right, I support an amendment to the United States Constitution to reaffirm the ability of the states to continue to define marriage.”
Walker, who has earned a reputation as the Wisconsin Weasel, has long changed messages to suit what his audience wants to hear. Interestingly, the person calling Walker out on marriage equality is Rick Santorum, who is alleging that Walker is suspect because of his wife’s support for it.
Part of that accusation is based on desperation. Santorum’s polls look more like the age of an elementary school student, while Walker is widely considered among the top tier of Republican presidential wannabes.
At the other end of the spectrum are the deep pocket types on Wall Street, who absolutely take Walker at his word. As a result, they aren’t contributing to his campaign, because they’re convinced he’s a hard-liner on social issues.
Walker wouldn’t be the first candidate to run a campaign that convinced people that what he was saying wasn’t what he would really do. But Walker’s track record is very clear, and Walker likes to boast about it (to the right audience). His wife isn’t running for president, and neither are his sons. He is. And if his family hasn’t changed his opinion up to now, why should we be betting that they will? After all, the stakes are really high, and the odds are obviously against us.
Giancarlo85
He is a lot like Mitt Romney. Always lying and giving different stories. In reality, another nasty conservative running in a field of what? 20 bigots? There isn’t even one that is the slightest appealing. A whole lot of right wing shit.
Ladbrook
Such insanity. This man’s position is roughly similar to those who ran for president in the late 60’s as being against the Voting Rights Act and vowing to repeal it.
It’s starting to look more and more like 2016 will be another round of Bushes and Clintons. I’m so sick of royal families. Wake me up when it’s over.
jason smeds
His eyes are so strange. Sort of squinty and crooked.
Bob LaBlah
Whether they are democrat or republican I can’t think of ONE politician running for president whom I can’t see (behind closed doors of course) calling us just how they see us, “those fags”. I mean it. I don’t believe ANY of them in their “support” of us. But they know we are NOW (thanks to Obama) a voting block that has to be dealt with. They also know we are on both sides of the fence…..the “conservative” gays who flock to the suburbs with their marriages, children and high paying jobs and income and until gay pride month more or less stay clear of them and their “shit”……….on the other hand there are the ne’er do wells (two jobs that both pay no more than enough to get there and home along with multiple roommates and partying every weekend, race be damned) left in the city who can be convinced thru the right bullshit that this particular politico is on their side (generally a democrat).
The only two out there that I think are able to pull it off are Martin Omalley of Md (d) and George Pataki (r) of NY. I can go with either but if they were in an election faced of against each other I would have to go with Omalley. Pataki would be a close second because I think he was a good governor whose only problem was that egotistical ass down in NYC, Giuliani. But rest assured if Pataki stated to take off in the poles that old fart Giuliani ass will be resurrected to shoot him down. Or they would leave it up to Trump, who just might launch a third party attempt and become the John Anderson (1980 spoiler between Reagan and Carter) or Ross Perot (1992 spoiler who was HELLBENT on Bush not getting a second term and he succeeded in Clinton’s win).
This clown car driver featured in the article make me laugh long and hard because the only thing he amounts to is a “northern” white southerner in his actions and words. He is more popular with white southern republicans than northern republicans, who still aren’t that chummy with Bubbah and this crew from the south. How’s that for white unity? I hope we will have a President Omalley or Pataki but I am damn sure we will not have to suffer four years of a trying to pass herself off as important on the domestic or world stage. There is no way the public could be that stupid as to elect her as president. At least I hope not.
Berkleyguy
This should come as no surprise. He has not had a day that he DIDN’T speak out of both sides of his mouth.
NateOcean
Not worth the effort to write a thoughtful comment about this guy’s inadequacies as a candidate, he’s just such a fucking asshole.
NoCagada
He probably has a Santorum in his panties
jwtraveler
News Quiz: Quick–Name a Republican politician who is NOT running for president!
Giancarlo85
@Bob LaBlah: It’s funny you still have no clue what you’re talking about. Then again you’re the guy that voted for that criminal asshole Ronald Reagan.
BlueDude
Please, just be sure to VOTE: Dem, if you’re Gay; Rep if you’re an A-hole, because, if the Rethugs get in office, y’all can kiss any form of LGBT Equality good-bye, not to mention all the other disasters they’ll bring about!
Curty
He’s a douche bag. Nothing really moderate about him. Big business, against unions and glbt equality. He fought tooth and nail against marriage equality, he tried to roll back domestic partnership benefits. He’s just a jerk. I don’t trust Hilary but none of the gop contenders are no where near worthy of support for glbt people.
Kangol
This man is a walking danger, and not just for LGBTIQ people, but for workers of all kinds who aren’t already rich. I hope Trump just keeps dragging them all down, including him, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Chris Christie, and all the others the mainstream media are so fond of.
1EqualityUSA
He would have scalia cloned 4 times over.
russellhm
Has the United States ever elected a member of the Baptist Church as our president? Yes, 4 times: Warren Harding, Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton (Southern Baptist)
Todd Hamilton
Never heard of him
Jared MacBride
@Todd Hamilton: You’re lucky.
Desert Boy
Isn’t this the guy who dropped out of high school?
Bauhaus
@Desert Boy:
A high school dropout is more evolved and has better reasoning skills than this dimwitted twerp. Actually, the fuckwit did attend college, he didn’t finish. The dutiful sons must be mortified by their moronic, asswipe father.
William Meyer
passingthru
@Bob LaBlah: Very much off topic. Besides that, what a bunch of horse sh#t!
tusgold
Only in the GOP can you almost get kicked out of office and then become a candidate for POTUS