Scott Walker won for a simple reason: He did what he promised to do as a candidate and it worked.
Walker’s 2010 campaign focused broadly on fiscal responsibility and balancing the state’s budget. One of the first things Walker did as governor, long since forgotten, was to return some $800 million in federal money designated for high-speed rail in Wisconsin. His argument was not complicated: The state doesn’t need it, and taxpayers cannot afford it. He was right on both accounts and his decision to return the money, even as Obama administration officials sought to force it on the state, sent a message that Walker was serious about doing business in a different way. The messy fight over high-speed rail in California, and the ever-increasing cost projections, suggest he was wise to avoid the headache.
