Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Monday withdrew from the Republican presidential primary, saying he was doing so in order to diminish the chances that Donald Trump will get the nomination.
Instead of focusing on his own failure to generate support for his candidacy, Walker suggested that his withdrawal was a selfless act designed to save the Republican Party — and the nation — from Trump.
[lz_ndn video=29726802]
“The Bible is full of stories about people who are called to be leaders in unusual ways,” Walker said during remarks in Madison, Wisconsin.
“Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive, conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With this in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately.
“I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing do that same, so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current frontrunner.”
Related: GOP Showdown: Winners and Losers
Walker’s fall has been precipitous. After he led for months in Iowa, his numbers declined steadily as business mogul Donald Trump entered the race and stole any thunder Walker might have generated.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, meanwhile, snatched conservative and moderate support that might have gone to the Wisconsin governor. On April 1, Walker topped former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as the front-runner, 17.3 percent to 17 percent. Now he’s at just 1.8 percent on the RealClearPolitics average.
Walker’s performances in the two debates so far also failed to distinguish him from the pack and generate passion among his supporters.
This post first appeared in PoliZette.
Join the Discussion
Comments are currently closed.