Scott Walker enters the 2016 Republican nomination ring with speech attacking Obama's failed policies

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may have been the first Republicans to make it clear-though still unofficial-that they intend to run for the Republican nomination in 2016, but Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is hot on their heels, making an impassioned speech in Iowa on January 24 which was greeted with applause.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The conservative crowd was wowed by Walker's arguments in favor of small government and personal freedom, and Walker's resume of right-leaning reforms in Wisconsin and battles against large government earned him just as much applause.

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The governor's passionate flourishes brought the crowd to its feet several times, showing that Walker does have charisma to hold public attentions, despite what detractors have said about his speeches in the past.

"There's a reason we take a day off to celebrate the 4th of July and not the 15th of April," he said during the speech. "Because in America we value our independence from the government, not our dependence on it."

During his speech Walker pointed out that he had three wins over Democrats under his belt, had survived a recall, as well as his reforms over state-level education, voter ID laws, tax cuts and the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Each incident drew cheers, especially when he recalled his reelection as the Milwaukee County Executive, an area which heavily favored Obama in his 2008 and 2012 elections.

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"If you get the job done, the voters will actually stand up with you," he said.

During his speech Walker stressed his connection to Iowa. He lived there until the third grade, when his father became a minister in Wisconsin. To cheers and applause he promised that he will return "many more times in the future."

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