ATLANTA — Scott Walker sold himself at the RedState Gathering as a reformer who would stand a chance against democratic candidate Hillary Clinton if conservatives nominate him to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2016.
“We need to remind the American people, as bad as things are with this president, they’d be much worse with a president like Hillary Clinton,” Walker told a crowd of 800 conservative activists.
The Wisconsin governor has been in the race for less than a month, but he’s already gained some traction with small-government and social conservatives. Experts say he has a chance at the nomination.
Walker noted his record as governor in a historically democratic state as the reason he’d be the best Republican candidate to take on Clinton. He said he never compromised his conservative principles while leading the state.
“Hillary Clinton believes you can measure success in government by how many people are dependent on the government,” he said.”We as Americans should measure success by just the opposite.”
And he reminded the crowd that he defunded Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin four years ago. “We need a reformer, someone who will fight and win and get results without compromising our common sense principles going forward,” he said.
The Gathering is a two-day event for conservative candidates, activists and fundraisers.
