In less than a month, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) has gone from the hot Republican presidential candidate to seeing a wedding bump his New Hampshire speech to a smaller room.
Reid Epstein of The Wall Street Journal tweeted:
Scott Walker, getting no favors from NHGOP. His speech tonight moved into far smaller room b/c wedding taking over main venue.
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— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) April 18, 2015
The candidate that is taking Walker’s place among Republicans is Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
The Boston Globe reported that Rubio was given a prime speaking slot at the First-In-The Nation Republican Leadership Summit, “Rubio, given a prime dinner speaking slot, stressed his family’s humble roots as Cuban immigrants, who were “never rich and they were never famous,” but, a few decades removed from poverty, they owned a home and retired.” Rubio has also raised $40 million in the days after he officially launched his campaign.
New Hampshire Republicans are giving Rubio the plum speaking slots while moving Walker to a smaller room. It is easy to see what is happening. The bloom has fallen off of the Scott Walker rose. The Republican Party is moving on to their new golden boy.
Walker will still be a force in Iowa. He may even be favored depending on how Mike Huckabee fares. Even though recent a recent poll showed Walker leading in New Hampshire, it’s clear that the party establishment is pushing other candidates.
The Granite State is currently being flooded with Republican presidential candidates. All told, at least 21 potential GOP candidates are in the state this weekend. When a candidate has their speech bumped for a wedding, it’s a sign that his campaign is being minimized. After several high-profile gaffes, Walker has been hiding from the media, and it looks like the New Hampshire Republican Party is sending the message that a new flavor of the week has replaced Scott Walker.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association