Clearly, Walker is floating some trial spin on his lack of a college degree in preparation for a presidential run.
“I say I’m like the majority of people in America. I’m someone who went to college, had the opportunity in my senior year to go and take a job full-time, which was not the only reason I went to college, but one of the biggest reasons was to get a job. And the American Red Cross offered me a job my senior year, and I took it, thinking someday, maybe, I’d go back. But a few years later, I met my wonderful wife, Tonette, a year after that, we had Matthew, the year after that, we had Alex. And now like a lot of folks in America, you know, your family and your job take the time away from you from finishing it up. But I don’t think anybody — and I’ve got a master’s degree in taking on the big-government special interests, and I think that is worth more than anything else that anybody can point to.”
Walker’s lack of a college degree is a problem for his presidential aspirations. No president since Harry Truman has been elected to that office sans degree. Having a college degree has become a standard expectation for the office. One could argue that this expectation is unjust. We all know brilliant people who do not have a college degree and have been around plenty of Dr. Dullards. A college degree is generally a decent indicator that someone at least has a moderate amount of intelligence and the sticktoitiveness to finish a degree, but it is not a perfect indicator. Still, we have come to expect that our presidents will have achieved some tertiary education.
Overall, Walker’s response to the question should be pretty simple. He should say, “like most Americans, I didn’t complete a college degree and I wish I had, but I have a built a record of success and experience that has prepared me for higher office.” Reasonable people would respect a response like that and judge him on his record. I believe that is the message he is trying to send, but his clumsy claim to have a “master’s degree in taking on big-government special interests” is distracting. He’d be better off just leaving that part out.
Well-stated
I’d hope that Walker’s lack of a college degree could be pivoted into a national conversation on the value versus the price of higher education.
College costs have increased massively beyond the rate of inflation and as Ron Paul stated, no longer can a student work their way through most colleges without taking on massive debt. The system has now fallen apart and thus colleges are churning massive debtors every year without job prospects to pay the debt back.
And predictably, Obama now says we need 100% taxpayer subsidized “Universal Community College” just as the left will claim the healthcare system is so screwed we need “universal healthcare”
The fact the government heavily subsidizes healthcare, housing and higher ed, and all three continually have rising costs in excess of inflation is not a coincidence.
Carter and Obama had degrees and they are the 2 of the 3 worst presidents in American history. Buchanan being the worst. (the guy who let the country fall apart has to be down as worst.)
Better put Ronnie Raygun and GWB on that list of awful, but degreed, presidents.
Baldy,
Reagan is definitely in the top 10. Maybe top 7.
I really like James Polk as President, the personification of manifest destiny in action. If Reagan is better than Polk, then Reagan cracks top 7. However, because manifest destiny was the greatest thing to ever happen to the free world, have to put Reagan at the 8th greatest. Although argument can be made, that Reagan breaking the backs of those godless, liberal, atheist communists (and freeing the Eastern bloc from the government bondage still craved by modern day liberalism) is a good selling point to make Reagan #7.
You could sell me either way between 7th and 8th greatest president.
Kevin:
American Imperialism and the expansion of slavery. That sure is a proud legacy of manifest destiny.
An Ronnie Rayguns exploits into Central America, distaste for the environment, and bald faced lies (welfare Cadillacs) surely enthrone him at or near the bottom. .
Which is germane to Walker’s lack of a degree……..how?
“The fact the government heavily subsidizes healthcare, housing and higher ed, and all three continually have rising costs in excess of inflation is not a coincidence.”
Heavily subsidizes them compared to whom, exactly? Last I checked, government health insurance, both here and abroad, costs less than private.
Baldy,
I am not surprised you denounce manifest destiny. Without Manifest Destiny, we might be speaking German and flying a red and white flag with a disgusting symbol today.
Human freedom thrives in the world because of America, depsite any minor warts you may want to point out. It sure beats the killing and human rights record of liberalism in practice under Lenin, Stalin, Chairman Mao, Castro, Mugabe, Hugo Chavez, Hitler etc.
Kevin:
That is quite a bit of revisionist history you are proclaiming. Making the connection between Polk and Hitler is an untenable position.
If you look at the world without manifest destiny, and the freedom it spawned and strengthened, the world without it, looks very bleak through the lens of history.
Does the North even win the civil war without manifest destiny as strong public policy?
Kevin:
I think you are grossly over stating what MD was, and the overall effects it had on history. It was not fully supported by politicians at the time, was never a policy but rather a philosophy. And to give MD credit for winning the civil war is absurd. One position of MD was to allow the expansion of slavery into new states.
Baldy,
So this means Reagan should be 7th greatest President on my list then?
Kevin:
No, I’d put him down with Harding, A. Johnson and GWB. Maybe on a par with Grant.
I’m curious what this circle jerk has to do with Scott Walker’s higher education?