Social Media Presence

On Monday September 21st, unfortunately Scott Walker announced that he was dropping out of the 2016 presidential race. This breaking news and was all over the media. Speaking of media, Scott Walker has a strong online presence with accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Snapchat. 

One of the ways that Scott personally made the announcement of his dropout was through his Facebook account. On his Facebook post he was able to explain his decision in his own words for his Facebook followers to see. 

Prior to dropping out, Scott used his Facebook frequently and it was easily his most common way of reaching out to and updating his audience. He did so through pictures and statuses along with important links when necessary. Scott’s use of language on his Facebook account is informal, but informational as well. This works in his favor as he can educate his followers, but do so in a way that won’t disinterest them. Scott Walker even felt the need to share his favorite TV Shows, and Movies on his bio. You can explore his Facebook account by clicking the link below: 

https://www.facebook.com/scottkwalker/info?tab=page_info

You can also follow Walker on his twitter account: @ScottWalker. Walker has been tweeting for a while- since 2009 and has gained 211K followers. In his twitter bio he generously informs his twitter followers that the tweets personally from him are signed-SW. I think this is a very smart approach and it shows when he is interacting with others. I noticed that his twitter page is similar to his Facebook page and he actually refers back to his Facebook post with a link attached in a recent tweet to encourage his followers to read his statement he posted about his decision to drop out. Walkers twitter account is very personal and includes updates not only about the campaign and what he has done for Wisconsin. It is interesting to look back at his tweets in the previous years, by doing this it allows you to follow his journey of becoming a presidential candidate. Walker also shares activities he has engaged in- such as watching the Packers v. Seahawks game. last week. He even decided to share when he was having a Miller Lite hashtaging #ItsMillerTime #Walker16, thus showing his not so serious side.

On Scott’s Instagram account he has 19.1K followers. He also informs and uses his initials SW when posts are directly from him. However, Walkers Instagram is even more personal than his twitter. On here he shares videos and pictures of his home life, including family and food as well as his journey in the presidential election. You can follow Scott Walker on Instagram at:

https://instagram.com/scottwalker/?hl=en

Before dropping out of the presidential race. Walkers website was very informal and included background information as well as what he was planning for the future of America. Now his website simply says “Thank You” with no further information because really, what else is left to say? 

https://www.scottwalker.com

His least followed form of social media is his Youtube account. There are some videos on his account that have only had a couple hundred views. I think that the reasoning behind this is that his posts are more formal and do not interest a large audience.  

https://www.youtube.com/user/supportscottwalker/videos?sort=p&view=0&shelf_id=3

Since Walker has dropped out of the election I think it is now time for him to focus on moving forward. I think it is smart for him to keep activity on his social media accounts especially his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram since those accounts are his most popular and he can continue to reach a large audience. 

Scott Walker's Image & Analysis

If you had previously asked me to describe Scott Walker’s image, I would have said he was looking pretty good. However, the second Republican Debate on Wednesday September 16, 2015 did not exactly work in his favor. To give you further detail, if you in fact did not watch the debate or see what Scott Walker had to say (or lack of), Walker was described as being absent throughout most of the discussion. At the beginning of the night it seemed as though Walker had a lot to say, a lot on his mind. He began by attacking Donald Trump who of course responded by commenting on his low ratings as of late.

Maybe that upset him and is the reasoning as to why he was so quiet for the rest of the night, but really Walker did not bring much to the debate and right now his image is a reflection of that. As of now, Walker and his campaign need to work on improving his image and coming back stronger than before.

As stated in the Washington Post, “He was the everyman candidate. Now Scott Walker needs to stand out”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/he-was-the-everyman-candidate-now-scott-walker-needs-to-stand-out/2015/09/15/1f71ee32-530f-11e5-9812-92d5948a40f8_story.html

And I can completely agree with that statement.

S.W.O.T. Analysis

Strengths: Although Walker did not make the impact he had intended on making at the debate, when he spoke, he did so with authority and reason. He knows what he wants for America and believes his experience from Wisconsin has prepared him to take office.

Weaknesses: Wisconsin is still having it’s financial issues and there is no positive way to look at that issue. Walker prides himself on the positive changes he has made on the state, however it is hard to look past the fact that Wisconsin is still struggling.

Opportunities: Scott Walker has many opportunities available to him. He has been interested and involved in politics throughout his whole life which will, in his favor, show how experienced he really is.

Threats: As his poll numbers have been rapidly decreasing, Walker is threatened by stronger republican candidates such as Trump and Carly Fiorina.

Scott Walker for America

Scott Walker was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1967. Being the son of a Pastor, Walker had a very religious upbringing. When he was just 10 years old he moved to Delavan, Wisconsin with his family. Walkers interest in politics was first shown in high school where he was selected to represent Wisconsin for the Boys Nation. In case you don't know what Boys Nation is (I certainly did not) it is an annual forum focused on civic training, leadership and Americanism lead by the American Legion. The event lasts two weeks and takes place in Washington D.C. It was an honor for Walker to be selected for Boys Nation and he was also honored at the event by having the opportunity to meet Ronald Reagan who made a large impact on him and became his role model. 

Walker attended Marquette University from 1986 to 1990, and was actively involved in student government. However, he did not graduate. During his senior year at Marquette, Walker was offered a full-time job at the American Red Cross where he handled marketing and fundraising efforts and before he knew it he was married and having kids. 

Many have been skeptical about Walker not gradating from Marquette. However, Walker has always stayed positive and honest about the issue explaining that he did not attend college just to get an education and what he really wanted was a job. That is why when he was offered a full time position at the American Red Cross he couldn’t pass it up.

Today, Walker is Married to his wife Tonette and they have two sons, Matt and Alex. 

Scott Walker is very qualified and experienced with a strong work ethic making him a great Republican candidate. 

Walker was inaugurated as Wisconsin’s 45th Governor on January 3, 2011. From there, he proposed reforms that eliminated Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion budget deficit and did so without raising taxes while giving school districts as well as local governments the tools needed to balance their budgets. The changes made by Walker saved Wisconsin taxpayers more than $2 billion! 

Walker brought Wisconsin’s unemployment rate down to 4.6% (the lowest it has been since 2008) and Wisconsin gained over 140,000 jobs. 

Walker made history on June 5, 2012 by becoming the first governor in America to win a recall election.

Walker was reelected as Wisconsin’s 45th Governor on November 4, 2014. He continued to grant rights to employee citizens of Wisconsin thus making Wisconsin the 25th Right to Work state in The United States. Today, he is committed to reduce taxes for Wisconsin’s hardworking taxpayers and government. He is also committed to advancing reforms to provide even more opportunity and prosperity for everybody. 

Not only does Walker want rights for workers, he also fights for educational opportunities. For example, in December of 2013, Walker signed a bill which increased the requirements for math and science credits in high school education. 

Walker is also memorable for his Political Success in the blue state of Wisconsin and he won not one, but three gubernatorial races in four years, proving how powerful and credible he really is. 

(doesn't look very blue to me)