The Coalition

Mr. Walker is aiming to be the candidate who appeals to the largest portion of Republican primary voters, a reflection of the fact that he does not have a single strong base of supporters. He believes he can win votes across important blocs: establishment Republicans like state and county officials who like his record of tax cuts, pension overhauls and union busting in Wisconsin; conservatives who want a governor to become president and will be drawn to his strong support of charter schools and Israel, as well as his tough talk on national security; evangelicals who will respond to him as the son of a minister and as a supporter of amending the United States Constitution to allow states to define marriage; and Tea Party activists who share his determination to transfer as much federal power as possible to state and local governments. The risk is that when your potential political coalition is spread out, it is hard to count on any one part of it showing up to vote.