Scott Walker spoke at the Iowa State Fair yesterday, and had a brief exchange with a protester, with Walker saying loudly, “I am not intimidated by you, sir, or anyone else out there! I will fight for the American people over and over and over and over again! You want somebody who’s tested? I’m right here! You can see it!” His campaign quickly put the exchange up on YouTube.

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Some smart folks I respect have argued that Walker needs to show a little anger and a bit more passion on the stump. He was once co-frontrunner and remained in second place until not too long ago, and now is somewhere below 10 percent in most polls. If Walker’s anger or passion is coming naturally, that’s fine. But if it’s a conscious effort to liven him up a little – perhaps as an attempt to emulate the brash, combative style of the current front-runner — it probably won’t work. You can’t rise by trying to be something you’re not. A good portion of Walker’s previous appeal was his “aggressive normalcy” and unflappability, particularly when the opposition is furious and unhinged. Walker’s betting a lot of his metaphorical chips on the Iowa caucuses — embracing ethanol, dumping a staffer, spending lots of time there, and so on.

Authenticity is what made Walker so appealing as a GOP candidate. Let Walker be Walker, even if he doesn’t bring the pyrotechnics of some other candidates.