As for Wisconsin, Walker says if he could do it all over again, he would focus more time on “making the case” for his reforms, à la New Jersey governor Chris Christie. Of the three governors — Christie, Kasich, and Walker — the Wisconsinite admits, “I think Chris, from a long-term perspective, may have done it the best.”

Nonetheless, Walker is optimistic that he can win. Of his four potential Democratic opponents, only two are “legitimate candidates.” The first, Kathleen Falk, has promised to veto any state budget that doesn’t completely repeal Walker’s reforms. In other words, “She’s out there, lock-step, bought and paid for by the unions.” What’s more, she is the former executive of Dane County, home of the far-left enclave of Madison, which Walker, citing former governor Lee Dreyfus, sums up as “38 square miles surrounded by reality.”…

He grounds his optimism in the belief that he’s doing the right thing. “I honestly believe that when we prevail, we’ll send a powerful message not only to our state house in Madison, we’ll send it to every state house in America,” Walker says. “We’ll send a message everywhere that if you do the right thing, if you stand up and take on the tough challenges, not only will you prevail, but there will be good fellow citizens there willing to stand with you.”