Scott Walker Invokes Ghost of Lincoln to Justify Brokered Convention

Remember, Abraham Lincoln won in Chicago in 1860 because of an open convention. He was not the front-runner when he came in. In fact, he wasn’t even near the front until several ballots in. That gives us hope. Our first Republican president, and arguably one of our best, was someone who came in through an open process.

— Gov. Scott Walker (R), quoted by the Washington Post.

Walker’s Campaign Shortest in Decades

70

Number of days Scott Walker was a candidate for president. “The complete and utter collapse of Scott Walker’s presidential bid appears to bring to an end the shortest presidential campaign since at least 2000,” the Washington Post reports. “Walker’s bid began with his announcement July 13 before a fancy backdrop and in front of an energetic crowd in Waukesha, Wis. It ended in Wisconsin on Monday, in front of a drab background and with only a few reporters listening in. From start to end, the campaign lasted 70 days — a shorter campaign than even Rick Perry’s, since Perry started earlier. … Looking back at major candidate campaigns since 2000, 70 days appears to be the shortest, by at least a week. Jim Gilmore’s 2008 bid lasted 79 days. Tim Pawlenty hung on for 83 days in 2012.”

Walker Would Consider Walling Off the Canadian Border

Some people have asked us about that in New Hampshire. They raised some very legitimate concerns, including some law enforcement folks that brought that up to me at one of our town hall meetings about a week and a half ago. So that is a legitimate issue for us to look at.

— Gov. Scott Walker, saying it’s “legitimate” to discuss building a wall separating the United States from Canada, CNN reports.

Obama Attacks Walker in Wisconsin

You still love him. He’s still a member of your family. Right? But you’ve got to correct him. You don’t want to put him in charge of stuff.

— President Obama, likening Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and the “bus full” of Republican candidates to an “Uncle Harry” at Thanksgiving dinner who says something that makes no sense, during a visit to his state, the New York Times reports.

Walker Leads in Iowa

18%

Scott Walker’s lead over the GOP presidential pack in Iowa, followed by Donald Trump at 10%, Ben Carson at 10%, Rand Paul at 9%, Ted Cruz at 9%, Jeb Bush at 8%, Marco Rubio at 7% and Mike Huckabee at 5%, a new Quinnipiac poll in Iowa finds. Said pollster Peter Brown: “Those who thought the Republican race in the Iowa caucuses might begin to clarify itself better think again. As even more candidates toss their hats into the ring, the race has gotten even more muddled.”