海角大神

What鈥檚 the matter with Scott Walker? Right now his presidential campaign is trending downward. Sure, it鈥檚 possible he can recover 鈥� we鈥檝e got months to go before actual voting starts. It鈥檚 also possible that he鈥檚 hit a metaphorical iceberg and is taking on water fast.

Maybe the Wisconsin governor is a victim of the rise of Donald Trump. His slip is correlated with Mr. Trump鈥檚 rise, particularly in the key early voting state of Iowa. He鈥檚 scrambling to match Trump鈥檚 appeal to GOP voters eager for a nonestablishment candidate, a slot he鈥檇 hoped to fill.

The magnetic force of Trumpism even appears to have affected Governor Walker鈥檚 policy positions. Asked about Trump鈥檚 new immigration plan on Monday, Walker appeared to endorse many of its provisions, saying it was 鈥渟imilar鈥� to his own proposals.

Does that mean Walker supports ending birthright citizenship, that part of the Constitution which guarantees that every child born in the United States is a citizen? That鈥檚 part of Trump鈥檚 outline, after all. On this, Walker answered 鈥測eah,鈥� but has since waffled.

Whether he鈥檚 for birthright citizenship or not, Walker鈥檚 tough immigration stance is a long way from his previous embrace of comprehensive reform. On this issue he鈥檚 swung all the way from the GOP鈥檚 moderate wing to its far right.

Of course, he鈥檚 not the only Republican hopeful who鈥檒l get buffeted in this manner by Trumpismo. It鈥檚 a problem all the old top tier candidates, such as Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, now face. Trump鈥檚 immigration plan has reshaped that issue for the race in an instant. Will that happen with other issues?

鈥淢aybe this is the Trump tornado at work. Anyone not firmly grounded, confident in his own views and willing to withstand the storm gets tossed about like a rag doll,鈥� writes conservative Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin .

highlights Walker鈥檚 problems. He鈥檚 in single digits, tied for fourth, at 7.7 percent. (Trump leads, with 24 percent.)

Yes, that鈥檚 just one poll. But it鈥檚 about where he stands in the . And the trend is sharply downward: On July 31, Walker was second in the RCP average, with 13.7 percent.

Iowa is Walker鈥檚 real numbers problem. He鈥檚 staked his candidacy on winning the Iowa caucuses, and using the subsequent momentum to sling shot forward toward the South Carolina primary. Iowa鈥檚 a neighbor of Walker鈥檚 home state, and his unvarnished conservatism should do well there. He was the leader in Iowa polls for most of this year.

You鈥檒l notice the 鈥渨as.鈥� Trump shot past him in August. Walker鈥檚 now third in Iowa, with 11 percent in the . He鈥檚 behind Trump and Ben Carson.

Walker鈥檚 giving a tough speech on health care today, in which he鈥檒l call out D.C. Republicans for their failure to put a bill repealing Obamacare on the president鈥檚 desk. Maybe that鈥檚 the sort of antiestablishment talk that will right his ship and win back voters attracted to Trump鈥檚 take-no-prisoners style.