Gov. Scott Walker refuses to let the media dictate the conversation.
“There has been much discussion about a media double standard where Republicans are covered differently than Democrats, asked to weigh in on issues the Democrats don’t face,” the potential GOP presidential candidate wrote Wednesday in an op-ed for USA Today. “As a result, when we refuse to take the media’s bait, we suffer.”
The Wisconsin Republican’s commentary comes on the heels of comments made by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who questioned whether President Obama “loves America” during a private dinner featuring Walker. Since then, the media has been all over Walker — and other potential 2016ers — looking for them to respond to Giuliani’s comments.
Instead, Walker insists it is more important to keep focus on “what matters to the people” in order to earn their respect.
“I felt it this week when I was asked to weigh in on what other people said and did and what others’ beliefs are. If you are looking for answers to those questions, ask those people,” he wrote, adding, “I will always choose to focus on what matters to the American people, not what matters to the media.”
Walker is currently leading a slew of 2016 polls, including a recent Public Policy Polling national survey, which shows him pulling away from the crowded Republican presidential field.
“You should ask the president what he thinks about America,” Walker told the Associated Press on Saturday.
