Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker compares self to Vince Lombardi

by | May 4, 2012

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, quoted in an AP story Wednesday afternoon, is now imagining himself as legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi.

Walker recalls the Packers’ 1-10-1 record for the 1958 season, and he cautions that head coach Vince Lombardi was not able to take the team to the world championship the very next year.

This is true enough, but it’s also an odd and ominous comparison for Walker to make.

The 1-10-1 season — the worst record in Packers history — came under head coach Ray “Scooter” McLean. That worst-ever 1958 season was only Scooter McLean’s first season as head coach, but it was also his last. Vince Lombardi was hired as the Packers’ new head coach in January 1959.

Lombardi — who incidentally was an active Democrat — did not win the championship the very next season, but he did improve the team’s record substantially his very first year, to 7-5. That’s a huge improvement.

Gov. Scott Walker, on the other hand, came into office promising to create 250,000 new private-sector jobs in his first term, and instead has led Wisconsin to the worst job loss record in the nation. Walker now faces recall.

Does it make sense to replace the head guy after only a year or so on the job?

Well, if you use Scott Walker’s own example, it seems like an abrupt change in leadership worked out well for the Green Bay Packers.

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