40-Something with Net Worth of -$72,000 wants to be elected president...

[fartface]

SORRY -- MEANT TO POST THIS IN "ANTI-MUSTACHIAN WALL OF SHAME"!!!!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/28/scott-walker-is-just-like-you-in-debt.html

"Scott Walker is just like you -- IN DEBT!"

Aaahhhh...the irony of a republican preaching fiscal conservatism...and owes Sears $50K.

How can a Koch Puppet be this broke?!?!

#endrant

[fartface]

BIGGEST Douchebag I know...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/28/scott-walker-is-just-like-you-in-debt.html

"Scott Walker is just like you -- IN DEBT!"

Aaahhhh...the irony of a republican preaching fiscal conservatism...and owes Sears $50K.

How can a Koch Puppet be this broke?!?!

#endrant

[chasesfish]

Yeah, so I'm going to ignore the political side of this.

A politician at this level is like a student at the end of college.  Their income post-service will be much higher.  Lobbying, speeches, board seats, consulting agreements, and long-term government pension based off the high salary.    I think there was a Supreme Court nominee recently that was also hammered on this stuff, but she was being appointed to a job for life.

[James]

He doesn't owe Sears $50k, he owes between $10k and $50k. Which is bad enough without exaggerating...


Sad if the story is accurate, but it is highly suspect as all political stories are on both sides. Political filings give ranges, so it is impossible to know what his net worth is unless he says what it is. Here is a report saying his net worth is $2 million: http://www.politiciannetworth.com/u-s-politicians/scott-walker-net-worth/


Who knows, who cares. None of them are mustachian or pushing mustachian values, though Scott Walker certainly spends a lot less and has a lower carbon footprint then any of the other top contenders... :D (Just pushing your buttons, I don't fit in any political group)

[RootofGood]

He "only" makes $144k/yr as governor.  And it sounds like he has undertaken a lot of financial responsibilities. 

Being a politician ain't cheap either.  Think of all the dry cleaning, palms to be greased, campaigns to donate to, parties to host to gain favor with others, charities to support, etc. 

[SF Semi-Mustache]

Unbelievable. I have a hard time taking a message of fiscal conservatism and spend-within-your-means from someone like this.  And he makes $145k/year.  And his wife has a job. 

[bzzzt]

How can a Koch Puppet be this broke?!?!

#endrant

He hasn't left office and tapped into the account in the Cayman Islands yet...

[MrStash2000]

Who the hell carries a Sears MasterCard?

[minority_finance_mo]

Who the hell carries a Sears MasterCard?

This alone is a surefire sign that someone is unreliable with money.

[simplified]

Another Scott Walker bashing thread. Did you see the link in the article that says he actually gave back 370k of tax payers money? The link is in the very article you posted.

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2010/oct/06/scott-walker/gop-governor-candidate-scott-walker-says-he-has-gi/

If you are going to create more politically motivated threads on this forum, I respectfully ask you for a full disclosure. How were you personally affected by Walker's actions? Did you belong to a teacher's union?

As long as Walker is not filling his pocket with tax payers money, he is a fiscally responsible with other people's money. What he does in his personal life is his business and none of us know the facts and circumstances accurately to comment on that. Besides, I don't find his low net worth to be a problem. For me, having oral sex in the oval office with an almost under age subordinate is a more serious problem.

Also, for the record, did you miss the whole Hillary news thing a while ago when she said they were literally broke until leaving the white house? They made their money back and then some. Spend the money to make the money. If Scott Walker becomes president, he will make plenty of money as well. Giving motivational speeches.

[cdub]

BIGGEST Douchebag I know...

Almost the entire lineup of candidates are all in the running.

[ltt]

Goodness, who could spend $50k at Sears??

[wenchsenior]

As if I needed more reasons to point and laugh at Walker. But still, that is funny.

[Blonde Lawyer]

Who the hell carries a Sears MasterCard?

This alone is a surefire sign that someone is unreliable with money.

This is bizarre but in 2000 or so, I received a credit card offer from Sears that was a general use card (not just for Sears stores) that had a significantly lower interest rate than any of the other cards being offered.  I was a college kid then and my options were a 19% capital one or a 10% Sears card.  Despite it being a not-cool brand, I went with Sears.  Long story short, I never got the card in the mail, thought the whole thing was too good to be true and went with the next best option.  Years later when applying for a mortgage I saw that Sears card still open on my credit.  It is my longest open credit line and has given me a great credit score.  My account is still open to this day even though I have never received or used the card.  I don't know if they are still offering great rates of course.

That reminds me, I want to contact them and get my info up to date so I can at least monitor the account and make sure no one ever fraudulently spends on it.

[Bob W]

You will have a chance to vote soon

Your choices will be a Repulican with no economic education who wants to take your money and give it to the poor government employeed military but not to the poor working class.

or

A Hillary who wants to take your money and give it to voters who barely speak English.

Either way they will both be interested in spending your money and not their own. 

[MgoSam]

I find it hilarious that any criticism of a republican candidate is followed with attempted rebuttals along the lines of, "....but HILLARY!"

[r3dt4rget]

Hey at least when Walker talks about knowing the struggles of the middle class, he can actually somewhat relate. Remember when Hillary said she was dead broke after leaving the White House? Dead broke and had to downgrade from the White House to a $3 million house? The struggle is real.

[mrshudson]

I find it hilarious hillary-ousthat any criticism of a republican candidate is followed with attempted rebuttals along the lines of, "....but HILLARY!"

There. Fixed it. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[dplasters]

As long as Walker is not filling his pocket with tax payers money, he is a fiscally responsible with other people's money.

Yeah I don't think that statement is true.  Not the Walker part.  Insert any politician there.  I have a slightly higher standard for what fiscal responsibility entails than just not stealing.

[boarder42]

Goodness, who could spend $50k at Sears??

he's probably banking on them going bankrupt and him being free and clear.  so he is investing in merchandise he can sell and not have to pay for. 

[zephyr911]

Another Scott Walker bashing thread. Did you see the link in the article that says he actually gave back 370k of tax payers money? The link is in the very article you posted.

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2010/oct/06/scott-walker/gop-governor-candidate-scott-walker-says-he-has-gi/

If you are going to create more politically motivated threads on this forum, I respectfully ask you for a full disclosure. How were you personally affected by Walker's actions? Did you belong to a teacher's union?

As long as Walker is not filling his pocket with tax payers money, he is a fiscally responsible with other people's money. What he does in his personal life is his business and none of us know the facts and circumstances accurately to comment on that. Besides, I don't find his low net worth to be a problem. For me, having oral sex in the oval office with an almost under age subordinate is a more serious problem.

Fiscal responsibility would involve getting his state out of its budget deficit instead of worsening it with tax cuts. The fact that those tax cuts haven't created significant jobs, despite his confident predictions, indicates a poor grasp of economics.

I don't trust a candidate who's in debt after years of making well over six figures, not just because it proves he makes bad choices, but because it's too easy to buy his loyalty - as has clearly been done by special interests. It boggles the mind that people would think falling into the same financial pitfalls as the consumer class makes him a qualified leader. If anything, it only proves he is unable to rise above the most common problems of our day, despite having all the advantages he could ask for. If he doesn't change his ways, someday he will require taxpayer support despite earning millions in his career. He's a financial midget and he's a poor example for all of us.

[Kris]

I completely despise Walker, but this particular story doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.  I mean, he's obviously not so good with money, to the point where it's kind of a little shocking for someone who's a governor, but meh, in that respect he's just like most other dingbats who live beyond their means (though yeah, it's a little funny that he's running on "fiscal responsibility"). 

I would almost count this as a point in his favor (the fact that he's not a multi-millionaire like most people who run for national office these days).  Except that he's in the back pocket of the multi-billionaire Koch brothers.

[MgoSam]

I find it hilarious hillary-ousthat any criticism of a republican candidate is followed with attempted rebuttals along the lines of, "....but HILLARY!"

There. Fixed it. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Well played!

[zephyr911]

I completely despise Walker, but this particular story doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.  I mean, he's obviously not so good with money, to the point where it's kind of a little shocking for someone who's a governor, but meh, in that respect he's just like most other dingbats who live beyond their means (though yeah, it's a little funny that he's running on "fiscal responsibility"). 

I would almost count this as a point in his favor (the fact that he's not a multi-millionaire like most people who run for national office these days).  Except that he's in the back pocket of the multi-billionaire Koch brothers.

Like I said... it's too easy to buy someone who's in debt.

[Eric]

As long as Walker is not filling his pocket with tax payers money, he is a fiscally responsible with other people's money. What he does in his personal life is his business and none of us know the facts and circumstances accurately to comment on that. Besides, I don't find his low net worth to be a problem. For me, having oral sex in the oval office with an almost under age subordinate is a more serious problem.

Does Walker often have oral sex in the oval office?  This is the first I've heard of it.  Someone should let Obama know so he can put the kibosh on that post haste!

[4alpacas]

Goodness, who could spend $50k at Sears??

he's probably banking on them going bankrupt and him being free and clear.  so he is investing in merchandise he can sell and not have to pay for.

[Kris]

I completely despise Walker, but this particular story doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.  I mean, he's obviously not so good with money, to the point where it's kind of a little shocking for someone who's a governor, but meh, in that respect he's just like most other dingbats who live beyond their means (though yeah, it's a little funny that he's running on "fiscal responsibility"). 

I would almost count this as a point in his favor (the fact that he's not a multi-millionaire like most people who run for national office these days).  Except that he's in the back pocket of the multi-billionaire Koch brothers.

Like I said... it's too easy to buy someone who's in debt.

Shit, yeah, and it's just as easy to buy someone who's already rich, sadly. 

[zephyr911]

Shit, yeah, and it's just as easy to buy someone who's already rich, sadly.

Not that being independently wealthy prevents politicians from being bought by lobbyists, but being a broke dumbass guarantees it.
Since most politicians are independently wealthy, and there are more than enough of them, I'll stick to the ones with at least a tiny probability of not being bought.

[LiveLean]

The Clintons had relatively little when he ran in 1992. They've since managed to, ahem, acquire some assets over the years.

G.W. Bush famously had to scrape together money to buy into the Texas Rangers. Years before he ran for office, but given his upbringing, education, and early 40s age at the time, still pretty sad.

And our current President had little to show on his balance sheet until he generated some book royalties while running for office.

Our last President with serious business chops and financial success (non-inherited division) prior to becoming President was.....Hmmm.

[Indexer]

Our last President with serious business chops and financial success (non-inherited division) prior to becoming President was.....Hmmm.

Quick wiki search....

Serious business experience & financial success all on his own.... Hoover.  He was born pretty poor.  Started as an engineer for a gold mining company.  Eventually was running his own company with a net worth of 4 mill at 40.  Adjusted for inflation that is.... a LOT.

Counting lawyers..... Nixon.  He started off low in the firm he worked at and was eventually a partner with his own branch.

Everyone since... basically career politicians, military, or inherited it all.  Bush senior had some business experience but like Bush Jr it was very much thanks to his father's business connections.  So you could argue this fits under 'inherited'.

Since Nixon and Hoover probably rank as #1 and #2 for worst presidents maybe business experience and financial success aren't a good thing.

[BlueMR2]

Our last President with serious business chops and financial success (non-inherited division) prior to becoming President was.....Hmmm.

It's kind of nice to know that Presidents aren't buying their way into office, right up until you realize that someone else is buying them and placing them in office...

Remember, the more power, the more corruption.  Therefore, the person in the highest seat in the land is the most corrupt person, and the one that can be least trusted with any kind of power!

[MgoSam]

Our last President with serious business chops and financial success (non-inherited division) prior to becoming President was.....Hmmm.

Could be mistaken, but I believe that would be Hoover, who was an engineer and fairly wealthy, don't know if this was from having 'serious business chops.'

That said, gotta keep in mind that for the first 100 or so years, to become president meant being born into the right circumstances, and then later it moved towards party politicians being elected president, and continues to this day.

There will soon come a time when a business person runs for senate/governor and then runs and wins the presidency, but I don't think this would necessarily be a good thing. Some of the insanely successful businessmen that I know well are batshit crazy and think that everyone should just do what they did. Life isn't generally that simple, not everyone can get into Harvard because your parents and grandparents went there (yes I know someone that honestly thinks he got in on his own merit), nor has his parents pay rent and all bills while he goes from job to job, getting fired from many of them, until a family friend needs a loan for a new business and that business takes off, enabling him to say that he is a co-founder of a successful, public company (name withheld). Yet both of these guys are actively talking about running for office saying that they can teach everyone a thing or two about 'pulling yourself up by the bootstraps (slight exaggeration on my part).'