The whole thing about him not being able to get traction is interesting along the lines of understanding the Trump phenomenon.Do the experiment of thinking like you are a person with actual sincere conservative beliefs, not just playing a game as a faux conservative where you want to "own the libs", to get back at elites because you are a white working class person who feels dissed and looked down upon by elites, by the politically correct and "Hollywood". The guy is way better looking than Trump, for those  who go by looks; prime example of white male. He has experience at conservative talk radio, so he's no clueless Mitt Romney type, he knows how to talk the talk-including personal attacks and bashing Obama. He was a social worker (!) so he really does know the problems of lower class people. He knows Congress, he was in it. But he can't get any traction. I think because: childish Trump sicko populist memes and Bannon-ism, which are not the same thing as real conservatism, appeal much more to a significant chunk of the population than real conservatism does, demonizing "libs" and foreigners sells better than real conservatism.

There is also this, which is not unimportant: Trump still plays "outsider" billionaire businessman, not a politician, still acts like he has nothing to do with the government he actually runs, not part of "the swamp." While Walsh is a "politician", part of "the swamp." Tells me that elitism is the main problem. This synchs with a lot of the populist currents worldwide. There is a signifcant appetite for crass outsiders that show disdain for the elite educated, a sort of pitchfork populism.

Is an interesting cross-link the Guardian page editor has put at the top of the article

Robert Reich: Why Democrats share the blame for the rise of Donald Trump

because it relates to the populism vs. global elites/third way types.

This is an issue I think rah-rah Democratic-party-is-the solution types (I would like to be blunt: like rmrd here at dagblog) are wearing blinders about. It is not just always about racism by those who resent Obama and also the "first black president". It is about elitism and third-way-ism. That's where there's a major and important split in the Dem party, and also why Bernie acting independent of the Dem establishment appeals to some Trump voters. Reich has been railing on it for decades now. Though personality-wise, he sometimes comes across as bleeding heart liberal, and this works against him, what he actually is is someone who gets labor union types and Reagan Dems. So does Bernie.