In Presidential politics, payroll or prayer?

Walker could have an easy electoral ride through Iowa, and perhaps beyond, because, as The New York Times says in a long piece about Walker's fresh publlc embrace of his evangelical Christian faith:

During his political rise in Wisconsin, Mr. Walker did not often emphasize his faith. But evangelicals make up nearly 60 percent of Republican caucusgoers in Iowa. They are an important factor in Southern primaries. And they continue to have an outsize influence on the Republican nominating process.

So when Walker says from Iowa this weekend that the path to the Presidency runs through the Midwest - - presumably an advantage for him, he thinks - -  will media make these numbers about jobs in Wisconsin and the Midwest as relevant as the data about evangelical turnout?

In recent quarters, Wisconsin has been in the bottom half of state rankings for 12-month growth in jobs and average weekly wage. In the third quarter of 2014, Wisconsin was 40th for job growth over the previous year and 42nd for wage growth.

If 'it's the economy, stupid' still shapes campaigns and determines elections, will Walker be pressed to own his record (below), or will he be allowed to say, and campaign on, 'have faith."

Wisconsin lags Midwest: Job growth state rankings

Over the past decade, Wisconsin has mostly ranked in the middle of all states for employment growth. Among Midwestern states, Wisconsin was once among the leaders, but in recent years that trend has changed. How states rank in year-over-year percent change of private-sector employees for the third quarter ending in September each year.

Or: 

Walker scrubs 100,000 jobs from talking points