WaPo | Walker loyalists say the first priority should be to help the
governor rebalance himself as a candidate. That, they say, will require
some tough love from his campaign advisers and more discipline in
developing answers to questions about issues that are not central to
Walker’s core message.
While a few of Walker’s campaign staffers
have worked with him before, many are newcomers. Two of Walker’s former
top political advisers, Keith Gilkes and Stephan Thompson, are now in
charge of the pro-Walker super PAC that is legally separated from the
campaign.
The campaign is led by Rick Wiley, a former Republican
National Committee political director who grew up in the Midwest and has
worked in Wisconsin before. Wiley is frequently on the trail with
Walker, and several top supporters say he acts too much like a buddy and
not enough like a chief operating officer.
“Every candidate
needs somebody that can checkmate them in private, like a Karl Rove and
‘W,’ ” one top donor said, referring to George W. Bush’s longtime
political adviser. “Is there some concern about senior experience around
the governor, actual presidential experience? Yes, no question.”
Wiley,
through a campaign spokeswoman, declined to respond to the comments. A
spokeswoman said that while the campaign manager did spend the first
full week of Walker’s campaign on the road and has made a few trips
since then, he is usually at work in Madison.
Despite the falling
poll numbers, Walker supporters are optimistic his campaign can still
rebound — particularly if he performs well at the Sept. 16 debate at the
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
“All campaigns go through
cycles, and nobody has ridden all the way to victory,” said Gregory W.
Slayton, a major Walker fundraiser who lives in New Hampshire. “There
isn’t a candidate out there who hasn’t had really serious issues or
challenges.”
