Friday, September 6, 2019

What exactly would Matt Walker, son of Scott, bring to Washington? (Seriously, what?)

As the younger Walker eyes up a run for Congress, a few quick notes about why he's not a representative voice for young people...

Matt Walker, the son of former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, may run for political office.

Walker (the young one) could make a run for Congress, as Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI 5) announced he would not seek re-election in 2020.

So what does Walker bring to the table? Well, he's the former governor's son, so that's a start, I guess. He's also got a tech business called Platform Digital, which specializes in digital marketing. And he's worked for the College Republicans and as the digital director for Pat McCrory, the former North Carolina governor (who lost the year Walker joined his campaign).

Aside from that, not much is known about his political opinions or core beliefs. He does support marriage equality, unlike his father (and he's anti-jean shorts, which might lose him some votes, if we're being honest). But he also wants to be the right's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, apparently.

"I think in particular what intrigues him is he feels frustrated that AOC somehow nationally is reflective of his generation. He’s 25, and he feels there needs to be a counter-voice to that," his father said, per a report from the Washington Post.

And that's where both Walker's lose us — particularly me, but also other millennials in the state. As I opined in 2017, the policies of Scott Walker were actually driving millennials to leave the state, not embrace conservatism. And polling on millennials' attitudes on many political issues — from healthcare, to public transportation, and even on taxation — shows that younger generations of American are decidedly liberal.

Matt Walker, in other words, is a misnomer, not a representative figure when it comes to millennialism. He may represent younger conservatives, sure, but when it comes to millennials in general, Matt shouldn't be seen as a voice for us...especially if his views on most issues align with his dad's.

He's young, he's a conservative, and he's the son of a politician. Every politician has to start somewhere, but Matt Walker shouldn't presume he deserves a seat in Congress just because his dad ruined this state with his backward policies.