Yes, Walker certainly is getting mileage. Moreover, his appearance of Midwestern “everyman” speaks to a way to disarm. Those who are not disarmed are then treated to skilled evasiveness. I suspect that Walker has been similarly “underestimated” throughout his life, while more “forceful” people have been his victims. That’s why Charlie Koch selected him.
This also speaks to the horrible messaging aparratus of Democrats. While I would love to assume that voters SHOULD be able to see through lies, once it is determined that lie-media-messaging is a factor in our political reality, voters have to be met where they are and explanations should be offered. In much the same way, an entire generation of mid-20th-Century kids were taught about the New Deal, labor unions, the overall civil contract.