SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The outfits were nearly identical, the speeches repeated almost verbatim and even the intonations rarely varied. Over the course of Scott Walker’s three-day Winnebago trip across Iowa, the Wisconsin governor stumped with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, exhibiting the kind of discipline that most candidates can only dream of.

In his first days as a presidential candidate in the state where he’s leading in the polls, Walker showed the consistency and attention to detail that propelled him to 12 victories back home — including three statewide wins. He sported the same campaign trail uniform (a blue-and-white checked, collared shirt, jeans and belt), and used the same prop (a rumpled dollar bill pulled from his pocket). He told the same anecdote about his thriftiness that’s become his signature (his shopping habits at retailer Kohl’s) and quoted whole paragraphs of his announcement speech from last Monday, almost word for word.


“I’m for high standards,” he said of his education stance at several stops, sweeping his arm upwards to accentuate his point. But standards should be set at the local level, he would follow up, theatrically lowering his arm for emphasis.

Even by presidential campaign trail standards, where the intense media scrutiny pushes candidates to adopt a more buttoned-up approach and White House hopefuls strive to hew closely to message, Walker stands out. On several occasions, when he used a slightly different word at one stop than he had at the previous appearance, he paused and then corrected himself.

In Cedar Rapids, when a voter asked him Friday during a town hall about what he would do to keep jobs in Iowa, Walker took that as an opportunity to dive into his five-point economic plan, making a few connections between Obamacare and her question, but generally sticking to a script that he used everywhere else.

“He had a lot of things he wanted to say,” said Mary Howard, 57, who asked the question. “It was more like he was still doing his speech than a direct answer.”

The mechanical nature of Walker’s appearances is especially well-suited for the grind of a presidential primary season in which the first votes won’t be cast for six more months. It will help the two-term governor steer clear of gaffes and keep the focus on his message — that he’s a battle-tested fighter for conservative values.

Yet as one of the most rigorously on-message — and cautious — candidates in the GOP field, he could also eventually undercut the plain-spoken, authentic image he seeks to cultivate and fuel critics who insist it’s a protective shield for a candidate who’s not ready for the national stage. The scripted nature of Walker’s stump speech has already captured the attention of late-night comedians like Jimmy Fallon, who has mocked the Kohl’s anecdote Walker rolled out — nearly verbatim — in at least a half-dozen stops.

Walker, however, is seeking to turn it to his advantage, revealing to audiences that he can laugh at himself.

“Tonette and I —and some of you might have heard this — we like to his shop at a place called Kohl’s,” the Wisconsin governor said Saturday here in Sioux City. “In fact, I’ve told this story so much that even my friend Jimmy Fallon had a little fun with it the other night.”

With his regional accent, humor and a message he delivers with energy, if not spontaneity, Walker nevertheless managed to connect with his large and enthusiastic Iowa audiences. Portraying himself as a typical Midwestern father, he frequently referenced his two college-age sons who were in tow over the weekend.

But off the stage was where Walker shone, always ready with a handshake and a sports joke (even if it was a practiced one — anyone wearing Iowa State University gear would hear the lament, “You messed up my bracket!”). He chatted up voters more easily than many of his rivals, never appearing stiff or ill at ease, showcasing the one-on-one retail politicking skills that even his Wisconsin opponents concede are formidable.

During his first stop Friday morning, in the eastern city of Davenport, Walker was approached by an emotional man who described himself as a homeless Vietnam veteran. When the man began to cry as he described losing his family, Walker embraced him and promised that he “won’t let you down.”

Walker’s formula has so far paid dividends. It guided him to victory in three tough, blue state gubernatorial elections over a period of four years, including 2012, when he survived withering attacks and a harsh national spotlight in a recall election. And it’s currently got him in sole possession of first place in Iowa, with 18 percent, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

“He’s a good speaker, I like his policies,” said Danny Schleisman, 78, of Carroll, Iowa, who saw Walker at a Saturday stop. “And he didn’t have notes! Totally off the cuff!”