Walker banking on experience, results to win over Iowa GOP caucusgoers

AMANA - Scott Walker has been behind before.

Four years ago, he said Sunday afternoon in Amana, his poll numbers were so bad he was referred to as 'Dead Man Walker.”

Once again his poll numbers are headed in the wrong direction. Recent polls show that Walker, who once led the race for support in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses as the first choice of 18 percent of Republicans, now is at 3 percent in the polls behind Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Marco Rubio

Those numbers don't seem to worry either the second-term Wisconsin governor or the 50 or so people who gathered at Serena's Coffee Café to talk about his plans to win the Iowa caucuses, the GOP presidential nomination and the 2016 election.

The numbers Walker stressed were visits to 33 of Iowa's 99 counties and campaign chairs in all 99 counties.

'That's the key to winning the caucuses … person-to-person contact,” he said, 'We're going to be really organized all the way down to the precinct level.”

That doesn't seem to be working for him, according to the Iowa Democratic Party.

The inherent flaw with that strategy is that after peaking in Iowa polls early in the year, the more time Walker has spent in Iowa, the worse his Iowa poll numbers have become, spokesman Sam Lau said.

'Walker's fundamental problem in Iowa is the more Iowans learn about his failed economic policies, divisive leadership, and special interest favoritism, the less Iowans like him,” Lau said.

Those Iowans apparently weren't in Amana Sunday. His audience was convinced that he has the right ideas and a proven track record that make his the best candidate to turn the country around.

'He has results,” added Diane Poch of Riverside. 'Despite the unions, despite the threats, he still did what he said he was going to do. He didn't back down and that's the kind of president we need.”

Joel McElroy, a Cedar Rapids factory worker from Belle Plaine, was impressed by how Walker stood up to union special interests and Democrats in Wisconsin.

'He's a winner,” added Ray Waters of Des Moines, referring to Walker winning three elections - including a recall election - in four years. 'He came in and did the job.”

Walker said he understands why voters have made their top three choices people who have no experience in elected office. If they're looking for someone to build New York City skyscrapers, do brain surgery or run a technology company, he's not their guy.

However, if they want a candidate 'who shares their sense of urgency, who truly is a Washington outsider, but has taken on that machine before and won … we're in the best position to make that case,” Walker said.

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