Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) believes there’s only one way to beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if she decides to run for president: by nominating a governor to head the 2016 GOP ticket.
“I think if we’re going to take on Hillary Clinton in the next election, we need somebody who’s as far removed from Washington,” Walker said at an event in New York City, as quoted by Capital New York. “Because Hillary Clinton wasn’t just secretary of state, wasn’t just a U.S. senator, wasn’t just the first lady. She’s been a product of Washington for decades.”
“And we need to have the most compelling message, and if we’re going to beat somebody like Hillary Clinton, we’ve got to have somebody from outside of Washington, who’s got a proven record of reform,” he continued. “And frankly, to me, that could be any one of the 30 Republican governors.”
The remark echoes comments Walker made Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” where he said that both nominees to the GOP ticket should be former or current governors. When asked about Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) chances of ending up at the White House, Walker praised the congressman while simultaneously denying that he would be the best presidential nominee.
Walker clarified Monday that he “didn’t vote people off” and framed the answer he gave to “This Week” as a response to an assumed Clinton candidacy. But as Capital New York points out, Walker’s prescription for the GOP’s electoral ailments closely resembles himself — and he did not refute questions aimed at his own presidential aspirations.
