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Best Applause Line: “We need a leader who will stand with Israel,” said the governor of Wisconsin.

Crickets: Describing, early in his remarks, his longstanding interest in the founding fathers.

Red Meat: Mr. Walker spoke at length about his record as governor and made broad references to foreign policy touchstones like Israel, Iran and the fight against Islamic terrorism.

Toughest Question: From a heckler, who shouted about workers’ rights. But Mr. Walker turned it to his advantage, joking that protesters had followed him from Wisconsin.

Entrance Song: “Coming Home,” by Avenged Sevenfold, a heavy metal band out of Southern California.

Mood in the Room: Intrigued and mostly appreciative. Mr. Walker’s performance at the Iowa Freedom Summit in late January catapulted him to prominence in the early stages of the Republican race. Many people at CPAC wanted to see if he could deliver again.

He did, for the most part. Mr. Walker stood in front of the lectern, shed his suit jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, keeping his hands on his hips as he walked and talked. The crowd was mostly hushed early on, but he shouted as if he were rallying thousands of supporters and had to work to be heard over the applause.

Mr. Walker seemed to stretch in trying to demonstrate how his tenure as governor had prepared him for the global arena. At one point, describing the need to prevent Islamic terrorism from touching down on American soil, he reached back to his having called in the National Guard to address protesters in Wisconsin.

“If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,” he argued.

The crowd eventually warmed up, and Mr. Walker grew looser. He presented his record — and his ability to win elections, despite a recall effort pushed by labor groups — as a formula for the rest of the country. He barely mentioned Hillary Rodham Clinton and mentioned President Obama’s record more often than his name. But his aim was clear: to offer himself as having enough gravitas to lead the party, while also appealing to its grass roots.

He finished to a standing ovation.