Even the gutless have their admirers.
Scott Walker—you remember him as a Tea Party darling and Wisconsin governor who was defeated in 2018 and then rallied his party to strip the new governor of all his powers—yes that Scott Walker.
Seems Walker felt in a tweeting mode yesterday, and let this one fly.
Oh yes, Scott, bold indeed, but let's follow the sequence here.
1. There's a peaceful but noisy protest blocking his path.
2. Trump sends lapdog Billy Barr out to reconnoiter.
3. "Looks dangerous," Billy says. "We need troops."
4. Tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbang devices follow. The protesters retreat and Trump sashays through.
This sequence, to Scott Walker, is guts. This sequence, to me, is tone-deaf cowardice, and I'm not alone. (Read the responses, like this tweet from "Sane English":
A man got scared.
He went and hid.
When people laughed,
Here's what he did.
He tear gassed folks
Then walked around
And held a Bible upside down.
In truth, it's hard to imagine any other president NOT wading into the fray, not approaching that crowd and trying to listen or engage. It's the job of the president to lead a country—not to lead only the wing nuts and whack jobs whose basic allegiance rests with Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.
I can easily imagine both Bushes, Clinton, Obama, and probably Reagan trying to reach some rapprochement with the people. Maybe they would have failed, but they would have left the protesters with hope. After all, the marchers were not looters or vandals—they were people protesting a criminal act...until they were routed by their own military. Note: Historically autocrats like Saddam Hussein and Muammar al-Qaddafi have enlisted the aid of their own soldiers to suppress the citizens. It's usually a prelude to the end of their leadership, and sadly of their country. No one would be surprised if this act presaged the same end.
As for Scott Walker, he never distinguished himself in any notable fashion except becoming the first incumbent governor in the history of the United States to win a recall election. He beat the rap the same way Trump avoided removal from office. Maybe someday they can get together over a soft drink and discuss their narrow escapes and their mutual admiration, but until then former politician Walker might be better served to reassess his impeached hero's actions on Monday, and maybe gain a better handle on what constitutes bravery and courage and what illustrates cowardice and stupidity.
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