Walker's higher ambitions are costing him votes of confidence among Wisconsinites

Lofty plans to run for president don't bode well with citizens in his home state

Gov. Scott Walker’s latest poll numbers are out, and all indicators demonstrate that he’s not leading the state in the direction it wants to move in.

According to a Public Policy Polling poll conducted recently, a majority of Wisconsinites, 52 percent, now disapprove of Walker’s job performance. Just 43 percent approve of his actions since the last election.

When it comes to the presidency, most Wisconsin voters don’t want him to run -- and most would vote against him. In hypothetical match-ups against Democratic candidates Walker loses to Vice President Joe Biden (48 to 45), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (48 to 45) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (52 to 43).

Why the sudden change in Wisconsin? It’s clear that citizens of the state are not happy with the new budget and policy initiatives Walker has introduced since taking his second oath of office. Attempts to remove the Wisconsin Idea, instituting right to work legislation (despite calling it a distraction in his campaign) and removing several hundreds of millions of dollars from education funding in the state don’t bode well with many people in Wisconsin.

But there’s also his higher ambitions to consider. Walker has been out of the state for much of his second term, campaigning-but-not-really-campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire, New York and other states in anticipation of running for president in 2016. Wisconsinites don’t like that -- they want their elected leaders to lead, not make plans to leave the state.

If Walker wants to keep his people in his home state happy, he should consider scaling back his radical policies and put Wisconsin first. If he wants to shoot for some higher office, expect him to care less about the state and to propose more ideas that will aim to strengthen his conservative credentials on the presidential campaign trail.