Richard Ellis/ZUMA
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will announce at 6 p.m. Monday that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The move is surprising—Walker was, until recently, a favorite among major Republican donors—but not unforeseeable. In the past two months, Walker’s support in the Iowa caucuses, the first voting contest of the race, has plummeted, from first in the polls to seventh. His campaign has already racked up six figures in debt to campaign vendors. And he clocked the least amount of time out of the 11 Republicans who shared the stage in the latest GOP presidential debate.
Immediately after the announcement, Liz Mair, a digital strategist for Walker’s bid who was fired for tweeting negatively about Iowa, began spouting her thoughts about why Walker’s campaign failed to attract enough money and momentum to keep it afloat. For example, “Hiring people who spent a lot to build out a massive operation that would not be sustainable unless financing remained amazing forever.” Here’s a selection:
1. Scott Walker could, I think, have been a competent President. However, like almost all Rs, for awhile now, he hasn’t been my 1st choice.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
2. Walker did a number of things wrong in this race. This is the beginning of what will be a lengthy list.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Things he got wrong: Misunderstanding the GOP base, its priorities and stances. Pandering. Flip-flopping.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Hiring staff who did not know him well and did not understand his record or his reputation across all segments in Wisconsin.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Allowing certain staff (ahem) to marginalize and cut off people in Walker’s orbit who had got him to the governorship and kept him there.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Becoming so invested in winning, no matter what it took, that he lost sight of his real identity as a political leader.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Hiring people who spent a lot to build out a massive operation that would not be sustainable unless financing remained amazing forever.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Treating Iowa as locked down, boasting early of the ability to win even in states like Nevada where winning always looked improbable.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Not training himself out of tics incl instinctively answering “yes” and “absolutely” to things, comparing lots of things to union fight.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Not educating himself fast enough on issues outside governor’s remit. Educating himself on some things by talking to the wrong people.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) September 21, 2015
Read the rest here.