Tomorrow, ten Republican candidates will stand on a stage in Cleveland, Ohio for the inaugural debate of the 2016 cycle.
Personally, I’m preparing myself for a lot of nonsense in the hours leading up to the main event. So far, our slate of candidates has not held back on lobbing personal and political attacks; the national limelight isn’t likely to temper either the candidates’ desire to throw punches, or voters’ expectations that those punches will be thrown.
I’ve written quite a bit about how candidates are changing tactics both online and in the field in an effort to make themselves more approachable and “human” to voters; some candidates naturally come across as approachable, while others have needed a little help getting started.
Scott Walker is (I believe, you may disagree) one of those lucky few gifted with the ability to connect with a broad sample of American voters. His latest social media blip takes that approachability to the next level with a simple request that almost completely divorces itself from politics, and forces his competitors into the yet undiscovered world of—brace yourselves—personal relationships.
Scott Walker wants to know which candidate each of them admire the most—and why.
Take a look at his own response:
My Debate Question to GOP Candidates
The first GOP debate is tomorrow night in Cleveland, OH. I’m posing one question to all the other Republican candidates before the #GOPDebate.
Posted by Scott Walker on Wednesday, August 5, 2015
For me, it’s Dr. Ben Carson. He performed the first successful surgery on conjoined twins.
Walker immediately fielded criticism in the comments on his Facebook page about his answer—what does this have to do with politics? The answer to that is both nothing, and everything.
Posing a question like this is good politics; his answer to it is great politics. If someone takes this question and uses it as a springboard for an attack, that person will look like a jerk; if they answer it appropriately, they’ll be playing Walker’s game. Plus, it’s unlikely he’ll be upstaged because he’s already cornered the gold standard of answers—I stand with the guy who saves babies!
Scott Walker is solidifying his position in this race as the strong leader and perennial decent guy. It’s not a tactic that would work for everyone, but it may just work for him.
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