Scott Walker Hails the Rise of Libertarian-Leaning Governors

TAMPA – Even though Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is one of the most controversial Republicans in the country, he was still given a prominent speaking slot at the Republican National Convention Tuesday. Walker's victory in a hotly contested June recall election secured his position as one of the leading governors in the country when it comes to public sector labor reforms. Walker says he sees a growing class of libertarian governors across the country.

"You see several governors out there who not only have a libertarian view but a federalism view of government, the power of the Tenth Amendment," he said. "They have a view that when you invoke the Tenth it's not just about the rights but also of the people, and that's a part that's often left out."

With the convention focusing on young Republican governors, Walker forsees a decentralization from Washington, D.C., to statehouses.

"I think that you're going to see more of an effort to push power away from the federal government not only to the states but more directly to the people," he said.

How should limited-government enthusiasts vote for president in November? Walker discouraged talk of supporting Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, or any other third party candidate.

"If you're someone who cares about ObamaCare, if you think like I think, that it's an abomination, and if we don't fix it now it could be there for the rest of our lives, to me you gotta say, 'if you vote for anybody else on this issue you're essentially castsing a vote for that to continue.' That to me is pretty compelling reason for why people should give second thoughts to voting for anybody else like Gary Johnson, even if it's a principled vote just to send a message. That's how dangerous it is when it comes to Obamacare."