Swift resignation of Scott Walker aide raises questions of campaign viability

[G_j]

Last edited Thu Mar 19, 2015, 06:43 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/18/scott-walker-aide-liz-mair-resigns-24-hours

In a whirlwind 24 hours that saw him hire and then quickly lose a well-respected digital strategist, the Wisconsin governor and presidential contender Scott Walker went out of his way to appease Iowa Republicans – and in doing so may have damaged his role as a darling of the conservative media.

On Monday, Walker announced the hiring of Liz Mair, who worked for his recall campaign as well as for Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential run. And by Tuesday evening, Mair had resigned.

The outspoken Republican operative had come under a concentrated attack from both Democrats and conservatives for her past criticism of the Iowa caucus process and ethanol on Twitter, as well as her advocacy for gay marriage and immigration. Democrats leaked her derogatory comments on Iowa to the Des Moines Register, which accused her of using the state as “a punching bag”.

Meanwhile, on the right, Matt Boyle, a reporter for the website Breitbart.com, went after Mair’s divergences from conservative orthodoxy and also raised questions about the GOP operative’s loyalty to the United States as a dual citizen of both the US and the United Kingdom.

But the coup de grâce came on Tuesday afternoon, when the New York Times reported that Jeff Kaufman, chair of the Republican party of Iowa, had called on Walker to fire Mair.

..more..

[JaneyVee]

1. Only in Republican circles could one...

Be the digital strategist for McCain's stone age 2008 digital campaign and failed Rick Perry 2012 campaign and still be considered a "well respected digital strategist".

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

2. So she doesnt hate gay people so she had to go...got it

[riversedge]

3. "looking like yet another pandering politician to fellow conservatives"...

yup. love it!!

...........No political operative or staffing decision can determine the fate of an entire campaign, but this kerfuffle may prove to deeply damage Walker. His entire brand has been built around his willingness to pick hard fights without blinking – even his campaign biography is titled “Unintimidated”. But giving in to Kaufmann’s criticism undermines that strength and risks his looking like yet another pandering politician to fellow conservatives.

[lpbk2713]

4. The joke's on them.

People like this never really have opinions per se. They just say what sounds good
for the moment. Twenty minutes later it could be something entirely different.

[Spazito]

5. She had appeared on some shows on MSNBC as a republican strategist...

I found her refreshingly straight forward and someone who didn't spew talking points and, instead, would discuss the issue, whatever it might be, with intelligence. She also wasn't timid about criticizing her own party so I'm not surprised she is gone. Intelligent, independent women still need not apply it seems.

[malaise]

6. Delish

better than chocolate

[G_j]

9. Yes..nt

[riderinthestorm]

7. Oh my! K&R and lots of lols...nt

[riversedge]

8. “If Walker can’t stand up to Iowans, how will he stand up to the the Islamic State?"

Winner of the best tweet of the day


“If Walker can’t stand up to Iowans, how will he stand up to the the Islamic State?" http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/18/scott-walker-aide-liz-mair-resigns-24-hoursup … #wipolitics #uniteblue #p2