Scott Walker's win boosts conservatives, and his presidential prospects

There is well-publicized split within the Republican Party between its conservative and pragmatic wings, and of all the potential candidates out there, Walker is the one that is most likely to unite the two.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner this past March, Walker rejected the idea that there was a tradeoff between conservatism and pragmatism. “You don’t have to compromise one for the other, meaning you can stand up for your principles, you can push your core beliefs, and you can still govern effectively,” Walker said.

The fact that he demonstrated this in Wisconsin is what makes him such a potentially strong candidate. His fight for limited government reforms in the face of a ferocious assault from national liberals endeared him to activists on the right. At the same time, his ability to successfully govern and get reelected in a blue state is comforting to establishment Republicans.

In short, conservatives want a fighter and “establishment” Republicans want a person who can win. Walker has a great argument that he can do both.