James Antle of the Daily Caller wonders whether high-profile positive radio publicity could propel Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to success in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
In the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) straw poll, Walker saw his support triple from 7 percent last year to a little over 21 percent Saturday. The governor vaulted from fifth place to a close second behind Paul, who had a better organization and is in synch with the younger conservatives who dominate the conference.
Walker was the biggest beneficiary of the Iowa Freedom Summit, an early cattle call for Republican 2016 aspirants. There he bucked the perception that he was too boring a speaker to compete for president in the television and Internet era, where coverage is ubiquitous and charisma is king.
It can’t hurt that Walker has another secret weapon: Rush Limbaugh, the biggest name in conservative talk radio, has been touting him even before that breakthrough speech.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican Party has a genuine star,” Limbaugh said on his radio program the day after Walker a second term in November. In case you missed the point, the transcript ran on Limbaugh’s website under the headline “Scott Walker Superstar.”
Rush raved about Walker’s Iowa speech, praising its “pedal-to-the-metal, wall-to-wall conservatism.” …
… While Limbaugh hasn’t formally endorsed anybody, he does seem to be rallying early. National Journal tracked how often Rush has mentioned Walker on his show: 200 times just over the last week of January and the first week of February alone.
National Journal’s headline? “Scott Walker Is Winning The Rush Limbaugh Primary.” Meanwhile, The Hill described Jeb Bush as having a conservative media problem.
How much this would help in the general election if Walker was the nominee remains to be seen. But it can’t hurt in the Republican primaries and seems to have helped raise Walker’s profile.
