For all his talk of going big and going bold, he spent very little time suggesting that he is in touch with what Americans are worried about. His rhetoric, even in Wisconsin, focused on the hit voters were taking from double-digit increases in property taxes. I waited and listened for Walker to define the economic problems ordinary Americans face or to suggest solutions, and this sentence is about as close as he got: “We are going to promote policies that promote and defend hard work in this country once again. We need to promote policies that open the door to opportunity to live the American Dream.”  That is thin gruel.

He spent at least three-quarters of his time talking about Wisconsin and his record — something to be proud of to be sure, but it left us with little understanding of what he would do for us.  Reduce our property taxes?  Bust teachers unions? 

To me his dwelling on his Wisconsin troubles and triumphs put him close to the roadblock that Rudy Giuliani ran into when he dwelt on his triumphs as mayor of New York during his 2008 presidential bid: He sounds like he’s running for governor, not president.

He’s big, he’s bold, but he is both vague and vaguely out of touch.