MANASSAS — Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker descended on Prince William County, Va., today, speaking at a barbecue at the local Republican headquarters and touting his conservative record as governor of Wisconsin.
Walker asserted that his leadership in Wisconsin was not only an asset in the Republican presidential primary, but a boon in the general election. “Independents worry about the same thing as our base does — leadership,” Walker said. “Building a grassroots movement is the key to winning the election.”
“Occupy Wall Street didn’t start on Wall Street, it started on my street,” he said, harkening back to the early days of 2011, and his eventual successful challenge to the state’s public sector unions.
Walker highlighted some of his proudest political moments, and criticized both President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Walker endorsed strengthening the military and heightening engagement with the Islamic State. Without getting into specifics, aside from his reiteration of his support for a buildup plan, he said he would support “at minimum” the plan espoused by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
An outer suburb of Washington, D.C., Prince William County, Virginia is a Republican-leaning swing district and considered a bellwether of the state’s general election .
As local official Pete Candland stressed: “Everyone north of here is going to vote blue; everyone south of here is going to vote red.” He continued: “However Prince William County votes, Virginia votes.”
Walker’ state chair, and speculated 2017 Virginia gubernatorial candidate, Mark Obenshain bemoaned that he “grew up in a Virginia where we used to win elections.” Walker was the man to lead a comeback, Obenshain speculated.
Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, R-Va., was also in attendance, but an aide to her office stressed she was not endorsing Walker at this time.
Interestingly, insurgents supporting rival Republican candidate Ohio Gov. John Kasich were circulating literature before the event.
