Scott Walker is out of the race.  This is pretty big news — bigger than Perry getting out. Last March, Nate Silver gave Walker a 26% chance of being the GOP nominee. Last June, Walker was the frontrunner in Iowa.  It was a crowded field then, too, but Walker had somewhere around 8%.  Now he is an asterisk, with less than 1%.

At one time, I considered Walker to be the biggest threat to Hillary Clinton.  If he caught fire, I thought he was the ideal candidate for the GOP (along with Rubio or Fiorina).  Those three seemed to have the best claims in the field for balancing conservatism with electability, historically a sweet spot for Republican nominees.

But Walker never caught fire.

In announcing the “suspension” of his campaign, Walker said, “I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner.”

That was a reference to Trump.

He’s got a point, although Trump really isn’t completely responsible for Walker’s demise.  Walker was mediocre in the debates at best.  And he had fewer than 14 minutes in both debates combined to speak to voters: the least for any candidate on the main stage for both events.

He also had his share of missteps on the campaign trail — such as implying that the U.S. should consider building a border wall with Canada — but they don’t seem to be much worse than the gaffes other candidates have committed.

I think Walker simply failed to stand out and plant his flag in a crowded field.  Like the 15th or 16th Duggar child, he was just…. there.  I suspect he might be back if a Democrat wins the presidency.  Otherwise, he may be off the political stage for good now.