Media Reports Analyze, Evaluate Why Walker’s Candidacy Faltered

Even before Gov. Scott Walker announced on Monday that he was ending his pursuit of the Republican nomination for president, media pundits and political watchers sought to diagnose why he was apparently stumbling as a candidate.

His announcement just confirmed their speculations that Walker wasn’t clicking with those he was meeting on the campaign trail nor was he thriving amid the gauntlet of round-the-clock media scrutiny.

Here’s a cross-section of media articles that sought to explain why Walker’s candidacy ultimately ended so quickly:

• USA Today columnist Jill Lawrence said that it was Walker’s stance and response to a series of issues that ultimately cost him his early lead in the presidential race. (Read more)
• Politico reports that Walker reportedly told his campaign staff that “finances just aren’t there” for him to continue the campaign. (Read more)
• Another Politico story blames Republican rival Donald Trump, but also suggests that Walker basically tried and failed to be his own campaign manager. (Read more)
• The Atlantic magazine blames a combination of Trump, fellow GOP contender Ben Carson and Walker’s campaign gaffes. (Read more)
• The National Review also wrote about rumored problems within Walker’s campaign and its strategy, including “rumors of profligate spending” as his team sought to staff up early in the election season. (Read more
• The Week suggests that Walker’s early focus on winning the state of Iowa and “proceeded to pander to the populist right that presumably constitutes the base of the Iowa caucuses.” (Read more)
• Washington Post sought to use data to trace how Walker’s support ultimately burned out during the still-young election cycle. (Read more)
• Slate.com‘s Jim Newell suggests that Walker wasn’t ready to handle the myriad of questions a presidential candidate must field and his attempts to do so paled in comparison to Trump’s brash statements. (Read more)
• Slate.com‘s John Dickerson suggests that Walker peaked too early in the campaign and couldn’t maintain that strength against Trump’s rise. (Read more)
• A story in the Appleton Post Crescent sought to speculate what’s next for Walker as he returns to Wisconsin. (Read more)
• Vox speculates that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is the candidate who will most likely benefit from Walker’s departure from the race. (Read more)
• The National Review reports that the Rubio campaign aims to pick up the pieces after Walker’s withdrawal from the race.(Read more)