Scott Walker Plays With Fire

First Read: “Few issues fire up a good chunk of conservatives more than personal attacks against President Obama. At the same time, these attacks also turn off swing voters and minorities that the Republican Party is trying to court. And this is the situation that Scott Walker now finds himself in, after refusing 1) to comment on Rudy Giuliani’s assertion that Barack Obama doesn’t love his country, and 2) declining to weigh in on whether Obama is a Christian. Notable conservatives have cheered Walker’s rhetoric and blasted the media for asking these types of questions…. Yet other conservative writers, like Matt Lewis, argue that this rhetoric is only going to alienate other voters… What’s more, as Democrat Robert Gibbs said on ‘Meet the Press’ yesterday, if you’re stirring up controversies on the EASY questions, think what happens when they become HARDER as a presidential candidate.”

“Here’s the thing about playing with fire: Sometimes you frighten your opposition by doing something they couldn’t do — or ever dream to do. Other times, you get burned.”