Scott Walker “SoTC” Speech: Long on Political Theatrics, Short on Substance
For a Scott Walker speech, it was par for the course: a high level of theatrics and good use of props but lacking on any real substance.
His speech today was clearly meant to be given as an official candidate for Governor, but the delay in the stimulus bill and the resulting delay in the State budget pushed his official announcement as a candidate for Governor off track. But, you have a speech written as a candidate, so no matter how off-topic or overly partisan it sounds to be taking shots at the current Governor or talking about how you wish to enact policies that are well beyond the scope of the County Executive of Milwaukee, you roll with what you have written.
A minor stumble, but nothing major for soon to be Gubnetorial candidate Scott Walker, who consistently sees his current position as nothing more than a stepping stone to the next.
Couple things REALLY stand out when reading this post:
1) and I’m going backwards – “who consistently sees his current position as nothing more than a stepping stone to the next.” A politician using one position to obtain a larger position, what a novel concept. How does a person become a manager/director/VP in a company? They take positions that will give them enough experience to go to the next level. For anyone to slam Scott Walker for using the County Exec position to make a run at Gov, will have to extend the same ridicule on every Senator, Congressman, hell every politician above Richfield’s school board
2) What’s wrong with taking shots at the Gov? First off, we’re in a 5 billion dollar hole and second, if what you’re saying is true (which I believe it is) and he is politicking for the Gov’s office, that’s the M.O. for every person running for an office….
3) “…a high level of theatrics and good use of props but lacking on any real substance.” Ooooh that’s a juicy one. This looks and sounds vaguely familiar… http://www.flickr.com/photos/troeth/2807238073/
Sean is right. While everything you say in the post is true, the fact is this behavior is no different from 90% of other politicians, many of whom you’d be lauding if the letter after their name were the right one.
I know you must lay around at night obsessing about Walker but seriously is this the best you could come up with today?
I guess if a politician wants to move up in their respective environment it’s certainly normal behavior however I believe there’s a presumption that while seeking a higher office one should be responsible to the position they currently hold and the responsibilities that come with that position. In that case Walker has been an abject failure to the point even a large percent of his hired administrators laugh and shake their heads at his bone headed and simply incompetent attempt at leadership for this faltering county. Quite simply this is a synopsis of the seven years of Walker’s failed leadership. First you have a continually shrinking work force in every department combined with the top heavy work force both in age and seniority. The resulting core of baby boomer aged work force with the highest benefit levels leaves managers with the impossible task of getting the work done with insufficient staff. This same aged work force has more medical issues (Family Medical leave issues), workmans comp issues etc. With the inability to attract, retain and re-tool the work force, the county is invariably headed for disaster. Again it’s a leaders responsibility to plan and re-tool the future needs of your work force and take appropiate actions to see to the county’s future needs. Instead of any serious planning for future county needs, Walker’s only response is to privatize all the jobs and eliminate county government. Well the big problem with that is that it will never fly with the County Board of Supervisors. So instead of taking a realistic approach to the County’s immediate and future needs, Scott Walker instead would rather tie everything up with partisan gridlock and essentially let the county fail under his watch. If anyone thinks these are the qualities that would make a good governor I would like to know what their smoking and what their perception of reality is! The truth will be told and sometime in the near future history will judge Scott Walker as the most incompetent and worst county Executive Milwaukee will ever have. The saddest part of all of this is that it will be your children and grandchildren whom will suffer the most from this dark period in the County’s history.