Scott Walker's 2016 challenge

He makes this argument from a position of strength, not policy compromise. There’s no denying the dramatic nature of the governor’s reforms on the budget, public-sector bargaining, education, and to a lesser extent taxes. Walker backers see a fighter, yet one who was ultimately able to sell his agenda to independents. And he ticks all those boxes for the base on taxes, fiscal responsibility, ObamaCare, entitlements and cultural issues—the basis for a credible GOP candidacy.

What still gives a lot of Republican leaders pause about Scott Walker is, well, Scott Walker. The Wisconsin dynamo is good, but the knock on him is that he knows it. He has a reputation as a one-man band, serving these past four years as his own chief speechwriter, chief policy aide, chief fundraiser, and chief political analyst. He is known to listen to a few trusted Wisconsin gurus—like consultant R.J. Johnson—but for the most part is anti-team effort.

This self-confidence has had its upsides, but it’s also led to missteps. Mr. Walker’s decision in 2010 to promise 250,000 new jobs came back to haunt him in his re-election, burying the news of the state’s real (if smaller) job growth. He courageously pushed through his reforms, then proved slow to sell or defend them—helping invite the recall. His need to personally master each bit of his policies has made him fluent in key areas, but Wisconsin Republicans gripe that his agenda, while bold, has also been narrow, and missed obvious opportunities in areas like criminal-justice reform or school vouchers.