A Now For Some Good News! (Hour 1)

Transcript

A Now For Some Good News! (Hour 1)

Matenaer on Air · Fri Dec 5, 2025

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Jane Mattner

anywhere.

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It's Friday, so Dan Schaefer will be here, creator of the Recon Population Area.

Also, Civic Media's political editor, many things to talk about

Calvin

with Mr. Schaefer.

Jane Mattner

Certainly, lots of Wisconsin things in the news and uniforms, I understand.

Also, one thing we're going to touch upon.

We are, aren't we?

Greg Bach

I don't think so.

Jane Mattner

Oh, well, we might

Greg Bach

do we need to.

I've

Jane Mattner

there's there's a lot of buzz about that.

Greg Bach

Is there need to be like there's things going on in the world for audience?

Jane Mattner

I know.

You are an outlier, I think.

I

Greg Bach

just don't care.

It looks weird, but I've moved on, apparently not.

But I haven't moved on from the not moving on.

That's the thing.

Jane Mattner

All right.

Well, we'll talk about that a little bit later on.

With Dan Schaefer, he will be here after the 930 News.

In hour number two for our audio sore bass segment today, very excited.

We did this last year.

Laurie Leschman is a booster for the Waukesha South Band.

the black shirt band the black shirt band exactly and so they're having their cookie walk their annual cookie walk is happening in walkishaw tomorrow and this is an opportunity for you to get your hands on some wonderful baked treats yes and at the same time support the walkishaw south band as we know with public schools having budget issues a lot of the things that tend to get cut first are extracurriculars

Greg Bach

Yes, oh yeah, and a lot

Jane Mattner

of the other programs the arts programs and and certainly the band and Band boosters have been around for a long time, but it's a really important part of the experience.

Greg Bach

Yeah, I agree I was in the band in high school I

Jane Mattner

was in the arts

Greg Bach

in high school like those things are important and when when the football team gets a brand new playing field that costs a lot of money and then they're like We're cutting the we're cutting theater or cutting your budget

Jane Mattner

cool.

Yeah, so let's help support the

Waukesha South Band, the black shirts.

The black shirts.

Yeah.

Laurie Leshman and a couple of students also who are in the band are going to be joining us for Audio Sorbet today after the 1030 News.

We'll wrap up the show as we always do.

With this shouldn't be a thing.

Today it's the baby seal walks into a bar edition.

That's.

Pretty much everything you need to know right there.

Well, have a good day, folks.

All right, we'll see you on Monday.

No, that's coming up at the very end of the show.

Stick around for that.

It is the end of our first week of the statewide multi-state text to win.

I'll doubt the gift lift, a gift list contest.

My ability to speak?

Greg Bach

You are in senior IDIS mode, and not senior citizen, like senior in high school.

You've packed your locker.

And I'm done

Jane Mattner

for the year, right?

Wow.

I'm already on vacation, apparently.

Yes, our grown-up gift list multi-state text-to-win contest

Calvin

is

Jane Mattner

underway every day.

We are playing for $200 in cash and your chance at three.

Grand prize is one of three grand prizes, including a brand new snow blower, a stainless steel cookware set or a portable air conditioner.

But you must have the Civic Media app.

Okay.

Calvin

In order to

Jane Mattner

take part.

So open up your phone.

Gotcha.

Open up the Civic Media app.

Not you, Dan Schaefer.

No, can't do that.

Pick your favorite station.

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Tom Hartman will have the next word for you in the 11 o'clock hour.

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You think flaky?

Oh my

Greg Bach

God.

Jane Mattner

Throw it out there.

Whatever.

FLAKE.

Flake is the word.

Text in the word flake.

You have until 10 o'clock and good luck.

All right.

Wanted to start off with some, I don't know, sit down, everybody, some good news.

What?

Yes, there is some actual good news.

We'll take it where we can find it.

Right?

Wisconsin Public Radio Beatrice Lawrence has the byline, $1 billion in federal funds aims to deliver broadband to every last location in Wisconsin.

That's very important.

They've been waiting for this in parts of the state for a long time.

State broadband and digital equity director says this is a huge deal.

Evers administration announcing this week, Wisconsin got more than a billion dollars in federal money.

Courtesy of the bipartisan infrastructure law signed under.

signed under President Biden.

And not voted on by Tom Tiffany who was running for governor.

Or any of the Republicans in Wisconsin.

They left to go stand next to the results.

Greg Bach

But they don't vote for

Jane Mattner

that.

But they don't vote for that.

But they'll go stand by the Blotnick Bridge.

They'll go stand by whatever project this money is helping to fund that they did not vote for.

But again, this is a good thing.

billion dollars in federal money for broadband internet projects across the state.

This from the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden in 2021.

Wisconsin reworked its proposals for the money this year after the Trump administration ordered states to follow new rules to apply, which we did.

And that included being technology neutral when considering project bids.

Greg Bach

I've never heard that phrase in my life.

Jane Mattner

I heard carbon neutral.

Technology neutral.

I'm not even sure what that means.

Go ahead.

About 11% of Wisconsin still doesn't have access to high-speed internet.

And as we know, I don't know how you get through a work day.

Without the internet I

Greg Bach

mean

Jane Mattner

without reliable internet.

I mean what we do is so based on access to information You can't even apply for jobs anymore if you don't have the internet

Greg Bach

Not modern, no, honestly, like, yeah, I'm trying to think you can walk into like a fast food joint turn in application, but nowadays, yeah, you need access to the internet.

Technology neutral means that regulations or standards focus on the performance or outcome to be achieved rather than mandating a specific technology or method to get there.

Okay.

But also, you know, and people might say, well,

people out in the rural area probably don't need as much.

No farmers needed all the time.

Absolutely.

Jane Mattner

People who

Greg Bach

are farming need the internet.

They need to their, their equipment, their, whether it's a combine thrasher, whatever the, what they're doing in, if they have, if they have a, you know, automatic milkers, those things are all hooked up to the internet.

They're all running programs.

They all need access to the rural area needs the same technology, the same access, whether we're talking.

Whether we're talking the internet or hospitals or schools, they need it just as much as we do.

But yeah, everyone needs it.

And this has been a problem for a very long time

Jane Mattner

getting,

Greg Bach

getting the rural areas, all areas, the same access that the city centers do.

And as usually they, the last two to get

Jane Mattner

it, they are, and they've been complaining about it and justifiably so.

Because again, we saw during COVID, during the lockdowns, good heavens, we had kids sitting outside of fast food restaurants to access their internet, so they could do their homework.

2025 report by the governor's task force,

on broadband access again said about 11% of Wisconsin still doesn't have high-speed internet.

Areas in northern, central, and southwestern Wisconsin are particularly underserved.

If you would like to join us on this 855-752-4842, going back to that technology thing, Director Alyssa Kenney

at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin says, the awards will go to a mix of internet service providers because there are spots throughout the state where not all the same technology apparently is applicable.

So I think that's what that was about.

These entities, they say, will provide internet in different ways, 76% fiber, 10% fixed wireless, and 14% satellite.

So not every technology can get to every location.

Which makes

Greg Bach

sense.

Yeah, it makes sense.

But again, this is about getting people as much access as possible.

And this is a good thing.

Thank you, President Biden.

Jane Mattner

855-752-4842.

Cindy from Appleton joining us on the line.

Good morning, Cindy.

What do you want to say about this?

Cindy from Appleton (caller)

Well, first of all, there's something wrong with your 96.5 station because I can't get anything from that at all today.

Greg Bach

Oh, we were not aware, so we

Jane Mattner

will check on it now.

We'll

Greg Bach

check on it now, yeah.

Cindy from Appleton (caller)

Okay.

And then as far as the internet, I was going to ask about satellites, but apparently I guess they can only service, I would think they could service just about any area, but I don't know.

What do I know?

Jane Mattner

Well, it says again, we'll put this article in the show notes, Cindy, if you want to take a look at it, they say that again, sometimes depending upon where you are, it requires different

ways of accessing internet.

If people have internet in their homes, we found that they will stay to two to three weeks longer in that area.

And that means that they'll stay in the community and they will shop locally and they will keep their money within the community.

Greg Bach

It's about making communities attractive for people

Jane Mattner

to move to.

We keep talking about how Wisconsin's population is not growing.

We are not attracting young families moving here.

We have to be able to offer them basic internet.

Greg Bach

There's a variety of things.

I know people who don't want to move back either to or back to Wisconsin.

And a lot of it has to do with the current legislature and

Jane Mattner

certainly the weather.

Greg Bach

I mean, that not so much.

I mean, like, yeah, if you live in California, maybe not.

But I'm just talking about people from like Illinois or Michigan.

And there is there are certain barriers.

And one of them is that, you know, there's not a lot of access up north.

to certain things.

So yeah, I think that's something that the, you know, it should be a bigger conversation in Madison is if you want to make it more attractive for people, then how do you do that?

What do you do?

What partnerships do you build with communities, businesses to say, we want to grow this so people take, bring their families here?

and bring their dollars.

Jane Mattner

And they'll stay here.

Comment on the live stream, MsRDT says the Dems better use Tiffany's name and has no vote on the broadband issue during the governor's race.

Yeah, be nice to see that come up.

I certainly think

Calvin

that

Jane Mattner

counts.

Again, there's pictures of Tom Tiffany standing next to the Blotnick Bridge after that Tammy Baldwin helped bring that billion dollars back to help fix that bridge.

Tom Tiffany didn't vote for it.

Nope, but he was there for the photo op.

Yes, he was they typically are yeah Mm-hmm works up nicely Okay, well that was the long silence I'm just I'm continuing to look at this article in Oneida County the unique needs of the area make fiber

the gold standard as far as getting internet.

Fixed wireless for a county like mine is something that's not preferred because we're such a heavy tourist area.

In the summer months, our population explodes.

50% of Oneida County is second homes.

So if you have fixed wireless, the service isn't gonna be enough.

So again, it's gonna depend upon every county's specific needs and their different requirements.

But still, this is

They

Greg Bach

move forward.

Yep.

The funding will be there and that's a good thing and that's good news.

Jane Mattner

It is good news.

When we return Dan Bungino, part of the Trump administration, used to be a paid podcaster.

He made a very interesting admission that we're going to share with you.

Stay close.

You are listening to Matt Nair on air.

This is the Civic Media Radio Network.

We'll be right back.

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Jane Mattner

Good morning, welcome back to Matt Nair on air, Jane Matt Nair, Greg Mock, Dr. Slide on the board, coming to you from our home at Radio Park in Racine.

You can join us, call or text or leave a comment if you're watching on the live stream, on Facebook, YouTube and what used to be Twitter coming up in a little bit after the 930 News, Civic Media political editor and the creator of the multi award-winning Recon Population Area.

Dan Schaefer is going to join us, going to talk about...

Mandela Barnes.

Greg Bach

We're going to talk about Mandela Barnes.

We're going to talk about the congressional maps discussion, including a very interesting non quote quote given by Wisconsin state Supreme court justice.

Yeah.

And, you know, probably talking about the Tennessee election and what that means for Wisconsin in 2026 and some other fun stuff, including possibly.

Private Ponds, we'll see.

Jane Mattner

Yeah, private.

I would really love to talk about that.

Dan Schaefer coming up in just a little bit.

And don't forget, you still have until 10 o'clock to grab your phone, open up the Civic Media app.

You have to use the app and text in the word flake, F-L-A-K-E.

Flake is this hour's key word for our multi-state.

Text to win grown-up gift list contest.

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Tom Hartman will have a new keyword for you coming up in the 11 o'clock hour.

We don't have a lot of time to spend on this, but I think it's important.

The FBI's number two,

under Cash Patel is Dan Bongino.

Dan Bongino, of course, was a podcaster.

Greg Bach

Yes, a very, very right-wing podcaster.

Very much so.

Very on board with releasing all of the Epstein files.

Jane Mattner

Oh,

Greg Bach

at that time,

Jane Mattner

yes.

One of his

Greg Bach

chief goals on his show.

Jane Mattner

Right, right.

And we had no problem making all kinds of claims when he was a podcaster.

This actually came up

We're talking about the pipe bomber, the alleged pipe bomber who now has been arrested after the bombs that were left outside of the DNC and the RNC headquarters on January 6th of 2021.

Dan Bongino talking to Sean Hannity last night.

Calvin, can we play that clip, please?

Sean Hannity

You know, I don't know if you remember the assistant before you became the deputy FBI director.

You put a post on X right after this happened.

And you said there's a massive cover up because the person that planted those pipe bombs, they don't want you to know who it is because it's either a connected anti-Trump insider or an inside job.

You said that, you know, long before you even thought of as deputy FBI director.

Jane Mattner

Yes.

Calvin

Yeah, that's why I said to you this investigation's just begun.

We are.

pretty comfortable.

We have our guy.

I think, again, legal process starts to surface and information facts start to come out.

The public's going to be very comfortable with the investigation that was conducted under Director Patel and his leadership.

He's been great on this.

But I don't want to... Listen, I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions.

That's clear.

And one day I'll be back in that space.

But that's not what I'm paid for now.

Greg Bach

Wait.

Stop.

I don't...

Stop don't understand why he even said that like he could have stopped it.

We're doing an investigation

Jane Mattner

He actually sort of responded to the question which is shocking.

Greg Bach

Yeah,

Jane Mattner

it is

Greg Bach

Yeah, we found a person there's going to be an investigation and we'll have more for you.

Thank you very much That's it like I don't even understand the point like yeah, he was paid to do a podcast He was paid for his opinion.

He was paid to lie.

Well, I mean that

Jane Mattner

not he was paid to lie.

Okay.

He was paid to put forth

certain things in order to make people crazy and gin things up to me That's what he admitted to last night.

Greg Bach

Well, what

Jane Mattner

I was that he was paid to lie about it

Greg Bach

I don't know I mean for me personally I don't hear what I hear is that I was a paid podcaster which means that like Whether he was lying or not.

He knew what was going to get people upset

So

he

was going to say that thing.

Whether it was a lie or truth, I mean, Dan Bongino, I don't expect him to understand the difference because he's going to do whatever makes him the money and gets into the attention and got him that job, which by the way, one of the things he said on his show, his former show, and before this all kicked off the past few months.

The Epstein files are the most important thing.

We got to release some Epstein files.

And now he's one of the people saying,

Jane Mattner

there's nothing to see

Greg Bach

there.

There's nothing

Jane Mattner

there.

Greg Bach

Look, there's a pipe bomb suspect over there.

We'll talk about

Jane Mattner

that instead.

Greg Bach

I mean, shiny thing.

I mean, that's, that brings the question is like whether he was paid to lie or, or whether he was using the money, using an opinion to make money.

This is not the kind of person you want to have in positions of authority.

because they're not going to have an allegiance and they're not going to want to tell the truth.

They're going to want to say whatever makes you either happy or the angriest.

Exactly.

So, like, that's, for me, like, I hear what you're hearing, but I hear something else as well.

Doesn't make it good at all because he should not have that job.

Jane Mattner

No, he shouldn't.

And neither should Cash Patel.

No, absolutely not.

And there, speaking of old Cash, there are some things coming up.

Of course, we talked about how Cash

is using government planes to go visit his girlfriend so we can go see her perform.

She's a country music star.

Now there are reports coming out that not only does she get special secret service protection, but they are now taking her drunk girlfriend's home after a night out.

She is having her security detail give her drunk girlfriends rides home our tax dollars at work everybody It's all good.

Greg Bach

Do you know what?

I think I'm gonna propose this after the this current administration We take a four-year break from a president and we just put into like a huge investigation for four years And then we fix everything we starting over again because I said it before and I'm gonna keep saying whoever whomever becomes president next needs three terms because the next four they have to fix it's just gonna be clean everything is gonna be

Jane Mattner

clean

Greg Bach

up

Jane Mattner

News is coming up next.

And then when we come back on the other side, Dan Schaefer will be here.

Stay close.

You are listening to Matt Nair on air.

We're coming to you across the Civic Media radio network.

Don't go away.

Good morning.

Welcome, welcome to Matt and air on air.

Jane Matt and air Greg Bach and sweet Cal B coming to you live from her home at radio park in Racine.

You can always join us, call her text at 855-752-4842.

You can also leave a comment if you're watching on the live stream on Facebook, YouTube and what used to be Twitter.

It is Friday.

So that means we're going to do a little recombobulating.

Dan Schafer is here.

Civic media's political editor and the creator of the

Recombobulation

Dan Schaefer

area.

Good morning, my friends.

Good morning, Jane.

Wonderful to be here with you and Mr. Greg Bach on Matt and Air on Air, as it always is, to recombobulate on the week that was and what a week it was.

What a week.

Another discombobulating week, Jane.

We've had no normal weeks.

I've been doing this Friday segment with you for quite a while now.

I don't feel like I've ever come in and it's just been like, well.

Slow news week,

Jane Mattner

nothing going on.

Let's just kick stuff around.

Dan Schaefer

No, discombobulating news to manage here.

Yeah.

Jane Mattner

It's, it's pretty consistently discombobulating.

Always is.

So let's start off with Mandela Barnes.

I guess this is not a big surprise that he decided to throw his hat into the ring to run for governor.

Dan Schaefer

Yeah.

The worst kept secret in Wisconsin.

Jane Mattner

Pretty

Dan Schaefer

much.

It seemed like,

Jane Mattner

pretty much.

Market,

Dan Schaefer

market did that early poll.

Marquette did the early poll like what two months ago.

Uh, well, so they didn't include Mandela in their poll.

Greg Bach

No, that was a different

Dan Schaefer

there was a different poll.

So Marquette has this policy where they don't, if somebody has not yet officially declared, they are not asking the question.

That's a good idea.

Yeah.

Uh, and so like the other poll, uh, there was another one, I forget the, the firm that did it or whatever, but, uh, they had Mandela.

at like 16% in most of the other potential candidates or currently running candidates in the single digits.

And so, so that is kind of where things were going in, in ahead of this.

But I think, you know, people are wondering, does Mandela Barnes walk into this race as the front runner?

And I would say no.

I'd say he's in the top tier of candidates, right?

I think because he, you know, he ran a statewide race and has a lot of name recognition and is well liked by many people in the state of Wisconsin, many Democrats in the state of Wisconsin.

He's going to be in that top tier, but I don't think he's like the automatic front runner in this race.

Jane Mattner

I think this time around.

He's got some very strong competition.

I

Calvin

think

Jane Mattner

Sarah Rodriguez is very strong.

I think Kilda Royce is very strong.

Don't forget about Francesca Hong.

She's kind of the underdog right now, but she has a lot of support.

And she's out there hitting doors and doing the work.

Greg Bach

And I think David Crowley comes with an experience that really paints a picture of someone who can run a county, can possibly run a state.

Now, Grant, there's a lot of problems in the county that they need to deal with, but I think that

I don't know about any of you and then you're more, you have your ear more to the ground on this, but since that poll and since the, well, I may or may not run, I have not heard anybody saying, yes, it has been very much a okay.

And so therefore

Calvin

that's,

Greg Bach

you know, the whole front row thing.

Absolutely.

Cause there has not been a tremendous push from the democratic side to say, Oh, well, you know what guys, we're going to.

Mandela's the guy.

No one has said that.

And there has been more than one article, one of them by you saying that there is baggage that comes with a Mandela Barnes campaign.

And we talked about it when it announced earlier this week.

We said, it's just, it doesn't, it doesn't make me go, all right, let's do this.

It's another candidate.

He'll make his claim, but I don't see any big push and or big momentum for him, even, even from the get go.

Jane Mattner

Well, and I think too, I think some of the

Issues that he had when he ran against Ron Johnson those haven't gone away.

I mean his record hasn't changed his background hasn't changed some of the issues that he was a little snaky on about what was it he unpaid property taxes or or I mean there are some little things the

Dan Schaefer

property tax thing is actually

kind of a non issue if,

Jane Mattner

but there are things that Republicans will go after.

And if it's not explained well, that's what they're going to take and they're going to run with it.

Yes.

And, and I guess my point is again, those things have not gone away.

He is still the same person.

He still brings the same things to

Dan Schaefer

the table.

Yeah.

I mean, I did see a lot of, you know, conservatives on, on Twitter and whatnot, kind of excited that Mandela was running.

Oh, I bet.

And so I think they're, you know,

I think they are happy with the result of the race from a few years ago.

And one of the points that I made when I did my piece, I don't know, about six weeks ago now is called Barnes 22 Revisited.

So it was looking at a Barnes 2026 candidacy through the prism of how things went in 2022, which I characterized that campaign of his is both overrated and underrated at the same time.

And I think there were elements of his campaign that I really did not like.

There were some specific

one that I called out, him unpacking the groceries, talking about the attacks against him.

One of the worst ads in recent political memory, I absolutely hated it.

But it's also like, look, this was a Republican advantage midterm when there was an unpopular Democratic president in the White House that tends to mean the Republican in a 50-50 state like Wisconsin is going to have the advantage.

And Mandela lost by 28,000 votes.

It was

Calvin

the closest

Dan Schaefer

Senate race in Wisconsin in 100 years at that point.

Baldwin, Huff DeRace may have even been a little bit closer.

But at the same time, it's, you know, he lost and people are worried about that.

And so it's just like, well, my thought is, is like, if he's going to run it back with the same type of campaign that he ran in 2022, that's not what I'm looking for.

I think that is the times have changed.

It's a different race from a US Senate race versus a gubernatorial race.

You're talking about federal issues.

You're talking about what's happening in Congress versus what's happening in Wisconsin in the state legislature on the ground with what people are facing in the day-to-day lives.

And so I think that's a different dynamic too.

So my question from where you guys are sitting here, do you feel like his campaign launched this week and the initial rollout

Does it feel like running it back from the same type of campaign as 2022?

Or do you feel like there is a different element to it right now?

I haven't heard anything different come out of him.

Jane Mattner

And in granted...

Not a political consultant, I don't help do ads.

The one thing I know personally I am so sick of are all of these generalized statements that every candidate says.

Things are too expensive and we need them to be cheaper.

This is wrong and it should be better.

Well, that's all well and good and we can all agree on these very general blanket statements, yay us.

What are you gonna do to make that happen?

None of them offer specifics and I am tired.

of these generalized, you bad, me good, both me.

The kind of

Dan Schaefer

empty platitudes.

Jane Mattner

Right.

Get specific.

How are you going to make these things happen?

Greg Bach

I know that Democrats walk a finer line with this because Democrats tend to like to educate more in things.

And you can't really do that, especially in a rollout of a campaign.

But definitely for me, I echo what Jane says in as much as when I heard the rollout, when I heard the audio of his announcement, it was.

It sounded like Tom Tiffany's too.

They're talking about the exact same thing.

So what, like, what are you doing to make me excited for your, I mean, when Sarah Riga's announced, she put together one of the coolest videos.

Like it was just energy.

It was, there was energy there.

And Francesca Hong, I mean, she comes with power and Keldor Royce is going to come with like, she's got the experience.

Jane Mattner

She's got, you know, she's done legislating.

Greg Bach

And I don't, I mean, and Dan, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while.

I feel like I know David Crowley has a lot going on, but I

Jane Mattner

feel

Greg Bach

like he's been very quiet on the campaign trail right now.

I mean, understood.

We're very far away from the primaries, but I, I don't see as much from him, but also he of all the candidates has the one who says like, I can run a county, I can run a state.

That to me is his advantage with Mandela.

I think it was a matter and please tell me if I'm wrong.

there, was there a lot of stir before that poll?

Was it the poll itself that gave him the, the, the idea to run, or was it always kind of in the background that we just didn't hear?

Dan Schaefer

No, I, I mean, he was expressing interest, uh, even before that poll.

Uh, and, and I had been hearing the noise that he was starting to get more interested as soon as Evers dropped out.

Calvin

I think

Dan Schaefer

before, before it was just, you know, I think a lot, as a lot of Democrats were, we're just like, if Evers is running again, we're going to support him and having that

posture both publicly and behind the scenes too.

So I do think there is that element of it.

To your point on Crowley, you're right, his campaign has been kind of quiet lately.

I think Calderoy's campaign has been kind of quietly lately too.

It's still, you know, it's very early.

Calvin

And I do

Dan Schaefer

expect this campaign to be competitive all the way through to August.

Calvin

So I

Dan Schaefer

think you have to factor that in.

For Crowley, you mentioned the

kind of leadership element

Calvin

of

Dan Schaefer

his campaign.

I think he is going to have an opportunity to set himself apart with that executive experience.

He's the only candidate in the mix right now that has run, has been the, you know, top dog at a, at the most populous county in the state.

You know, nobody else can really compare with that kind of experience in the race just yet.

And I also think too, that comes with it, like they just passed the budget in the county a couple of weeks ago.

So I think he was.

probably focused on his actual job.

And you know, the flood relief stuff, like it's been a busy, the crisis with the Milwaukee County transit system, it's been a busy year to be the leader of the, to be the Milwaukee County executive.

So I think perhaps we might be seeing more from him and his campaign going forward, but I want to bring up a poll I ran this week.

Jane Mattner

Well,

Dan Schaefer

on my, on my Twitter page really, a nonsense, non scientific Twitter bowl.

Uh, as I make very clear, this is not an actual poll.

This is just a poll of just like the super online sickos like myself who are following these things way too early.

So the question that I posed is with the 2026 governor's race in the news, let's try out another unscientific totally nonsense Twitter poll question in the democratic party.

Who would be your choice for governor?

And I listed Mandela Barnes, David Crowley, Sarah Rodriguez and other.

Did you guys see the, the reaction to this?

I didn't see the results.

Greg Bach

Did I vote?

Dan Schaefer

Did you vote?

Maybe I did.

Maybe you did.

The overwhelming response in the comments in particular in this was that I should have included Francesca Hong in the poll.

Wow.

Everybody, I mean, and I know she has a very enthusiastic online supporter base, maybe perhaps more of an online supporter base than some other candidates in the race.

But a lot of people were just like, where's Fran?

I want to vote for Francesca Hong.

I put this on Instagram too.

All of the replies was like, where's Fran?

I'm voting Hong.

That's other.

fill in answer Hong.

So I think to me this says it's time to start thinking of her candidacy in a little bit different way too.

And I talked about her as the wild card in the race.

I talked about in my initial kind of like thinking about it, you know, she's a state representative in one of the bluest districts in the state and making a jump from that and being, you know, a declared democratic socialist to being on the map in a

statewide race.

That's a big jump.

That's

Calvin

a very

Dan Schaefer

different race than anything she's ever run before.

I tend to, you know, in these types of things, I tend to give a little bit more credence to people who have run in one very competitive, difficult elections, right?

So I think, but I also think that she has the online enthusiasm for sure.

Jane Mattner

Oh, absolutely.

And I do

Dan Schaefer

think it's time to start thinking for candidacy in a little bit different sense, because in the early going, I was like, you know what, she's going to outwork everyone.

She's going to make everyone work harder.

She absolutely is doing that, and I don't know if everybody else in the-

The campaign is really up their game

Jane Mattner

and met that type of energy that

Dan Schaefer

she's been bringing out of the gate here.

Jane Mattner

If you're just listening or joining us on Matt Nair on air, Dan Schaefer is here, Civic Media's political editor and also the creator of the Recombobulation Area.

We're talking about Mandela Barnes entering the gubernatorial race here in Wisconsin.

Jenny on the live stream says, honestly, I don't want either party endorsing a candidate this soon.

Primaries are an essential component of democracy.

Let the people.

And

Greg Bach

I think that's what's going to happen.

They don't, I mean, especially the Dems are not going to, unless, unless, unless Josh showman drops out, which his Twitter feed, there's no chance right now.

But honestly, I think the important thing right now is doing what Fran's doing is I see her on Twitter all the time.

No one else even posting as much as her.

And that will make a difference over time.

Jane Mattner

We're going to keep recombobulating with Dan Schafer.

Stay with us.

You are listening to Matt Nair on air.

By the way, the word is flake.

Text in the word Flake, F-L-A-K-E, you have until 10 o'clock.

You're listening to Matt and Air on Air on the Civic Media Radio Network.

We'll be right back.

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You're listening to Civic Media.

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Jane Mattner

Flake is the word.

Tim, from Waukesha, it only took you three times.

We had Slate, but I see you got it.

Finally, you got Flake.

F-L-A-K-E.

Flake is the word you have until 10 o'clock to text that in via the Civic Media app to be in the running for those prizes.

Tom Hartman, it will have your next chance coming up in the 11 o'clock hour and then the one o'clock hour that will continue all next week through all next week.

So join us for that.

But right now, the word to text in is Flake.

F-L-A-K-E.

Calvin

Put your phone down.

Jane Mattner

Dan Schaefer is here, Civic Media's political editor, creator of the Reconpopulation Area.

We were talking about that very, very, very unofficial poll that you did.

That's right.

About the gubernatorial race.

The one thing we didn't include was the responses.

Dan Schaefer

Yeah,

Jane Mattner

I mentioned all of

Dan Schaefer

the names.

I didn't tell you the numbers that

Jane Mattner

came

Dan Schaefer

through on this, which is kind of...

part of a important part of a poll.

So in the of that poll, again, I'll just reset it here.

The question that I asked on Twitter again, in an unscientific, totally nonsense poll, in the Democratic primary, who would be your choice for governor?

Mandela Barnes got 15%, David Crowley, 21%, Sara Rodriguez, 24%, and other 40%.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Others very popular.

Others very popular.

And as I said before, the most of the comments about like who I should have included in the poll said that I should have included state representative Francesca Hong, our friend and yours.

Greg Bach

Yeah.

And I think one of the things to make clear too is that one thing that isn't discussed a lot is in that initial poll that had Mandela Barnes at 16% with all the others in single digits, a majority of the people were either picking other or like a not right net, like this is

too

Calvin

early.

Wait too soon.

Greg Bach

So like,

We are at a place where people are still finding out about these candidates and deciding who they want.

And, and Mandela, Mandela has been in for less than a week.

So people might not even know at this point either.

So.

Dan Schaefer

And I think, I don't think the field is set yet either.

I don't think we're done hearing from more candidates.

Jane Mattner

You think more Dems are gonna jump in?

Dan Schaefer

Yeah, I mean, I think there's one Democrat I think is very likely to jump in the race.

I learned a little bit about this this week, Joel Brennan, who was the secretary of the Department of Administration in Tony Evers first term.

He was

Previously, the CEO of Discovery World, and he is currently the president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee.

Pretty accomplished guy.

He is very likely to join the race.

Soros told me this week, I heard that he was out filming a campaign announcement video as, you know, and all of these campaign announcement videos, like quick aside on this, everybody's on the move.

Now, in these campaign announcements video.

You can't just be sitting there.

You can't

Calvin

just stand

Dan Schaefer

in front of anything.

You've got to be on the move.

Sarah Rodriguez was on the move.

Mandela Barnes was on the move.

Francesca.

Everybody's walking and talking in all of these announcement videos.

It's very West Wing.

It's very West Wing.

It's very West Wing.

You know, Zora and Mom Donnie certainly popularized that a lot in his campaign.

Everybody's got to be walking.

You can't just sit there in a campaign announcement.

You can't just sit behind the desk and say, hey, I'm running for governor.

You've got to be on the move.

Jane Mattner

But see, I think we can also credit

that Eric Havde and sitting in the frozen lake, that obviously just sitting did not help him go very far.

the movement, you know, maybe if it had been walking back and forth, you know, in the lake, that would have helped him a little bit more.

Dan Schaefer

A swimming video.

That might have

Jane Mattner

been

Greg Bach

something too.

Well, and I think I'm waiting for the first candidate to do either a run or like a matrix slow motion run while they're announcing too.

Now it's just about creativity because CGI and AI is everywhere.

You're limited only by your imagination.

So

Calvin

let's see

Greg Bach

what we can get next.

Maybe he works at this.

He works at Discovery World did he

Jane Mattner

did

Greg Bach

I mean that place is amazing so you can integrate that as well I mean I just I see I see limitless possibilities for campaign

Jane Mattner

videos Just

Greg Bach

tell me what you're actually going to do

Dan Schaefer

that would be nice little specifics Greg Bach can be your consultant campaign video

Jane Mattner

It's gonna be interesting to see we have a long way to go

We have a long way to go.

The Dems did.

We lost the beer vendor already.

Yeah.

He endorsed David Crowley.

He did.

And

Greg Bach

the Republicans lost somebody too.

Like the couple of people have dropped out.

Remember Bill Barion?

Yeah, that's right.

I remember though, Dan, you saying this a few months ago, you feel like this is going to be, they're going to be a lot of candidates.

And this right now we've got a few, a few, a lot, but it could be even more depending on who wants to put there.

And I feel like this gentleman, what's his name again?

Dan Schaefer

Joel

Greg Bach

Brennan.

A non-politician putting his name in might inspire other non-politicians because

Dan Schaefer

right now he's a

Greg Bach

very politician heavy and you got a business person or someone who is.

politician adjacent that may make someone go, well, if he's going to do it, then I certainly can do it.

And

Dan Schaefer

I, you

Greg Bach

know, so we'll see.

I mean, it's, we got a long way to go.

Dan Schaefer

We do.

And I think it's going to be competitive all the way until August.

Yeah.

And I don't think this is going to be everybody drops out and endorses

Jane Mattner

metal

Dan Schaefer

bars, you know, like it, like it was in 2022.

Jane Mattner

I don't

Dan Schaefer

think that's going to happen.

Jane Mattner

Andrew from Maine texting and listening on WAUK new conspiracy theory.

Jane is retiring next week.

So she can announce December 15th or candidacy.

for Wisconsin Governor for the Common Sense Party.

There we go.

There it is.

Andrew, you busted me.

No, no, Marjorie Taylor Greene and I are going to do a podcast.

Dan Schaefer

It's going to

Jane Mattner

be the loudest podcast.

It's going to be an

Dan Schaefer

appointment listening for me.

It would post in my podcast app and I would hit play in

Jane Mattner

seconds.

I'm working on it.

News is coming up next.

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