This is a Civic Media News special report.
Everything you need to know lie from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Now your hosts Todd Alba and Civic Media News Director Terry Bell.
Good evening and welcome from downtown Milwaukee and the Republican National Convention.
I'm Terry Bell of Civic Media News and we welcome you to what will be a nightly recap
of what happened each day at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Here in Wisconsin, a very critical swing state in this presidential election.
Over the next hour, we're not only going to tell you what happened,
but we're going to give you some flavor of what the day was like and then bring in some
panelists to give some expert analysis on what everything happened really means.
Right now, I welcome my co-host for the broadcast.
That is from Civic Media Spot on Media Row at Panther Arena at the RNC, Todd Alba.
Welcome Todd.
Terry Bell, good evening here.
As you said from Media Row, Wisconsin Media Row in Panther Arena for those not aware.
It's the home of the University of Wisconsin men and women's basketball teams here at UWM in Milwaukee.
We're about a little less than half a block away from Pfizer for them.
There's currently a vacant lot with their building, a new building between Pfizer and Panther Arena.
But the majority of Wisconsin's media is here at Wisconsin Media Row down on the floor
where the basketball teams would normally play.
There's some of the national media there.
And of course, just over in Pfizer, if you have CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, those types of things.
But it has been a full day here today, Terry Bell.
I can tell you that we've had several politicians making their way through Brian style.
Republican from Jamesville was here a little bit earlier.
Just leaving the area right now, Derek Van Orton, congressman from the third district,
over at Purr to Sheen, I'll walk by as well.
And of another number of other politicos that have been through here, Don Jr.
Believe it or not, Don Jr. walk through here a little while ago.
And that was quite a sight to see.
So nothing short of excitement here if at Panther Arena.
It's been a wonderful day at all.
Many of our programs across civic media have done a wonderful job
and looking forward to this wrap up tonight with you at our many fine panelists.
Yeah, there's been a real arc today.
Started out on somber note.
The main topic of conversation was the attempted assassination on the former president on Saturday.
And people being very concerned about security.
But repeatedly, we heard not only from party officials,
but from the FBI and from the Secret Service that right now,
there's no safer place on the planet than Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
So I think over the course of the day, people started to relax.
If you hadn't been reading the newspaper or listening to the radio in recent days,
you might not even guess that there was a serious potential crisis a couple of days ago.
People seem to be getting into the spirit of the festivities here.
To quote one of my favorite television and movie genres, Terry Bell,
from the Star Trek world.
The RNC is locked down tighter than an Aldebran shell mouth.
It's a very tight area here.
I mean, there's all kinds of a law enforcement.
They're doing a great job here, Secret Service.
Checkpoints, it is tight to get in and out.
I waited for probably 45 minutes to try to get my truck into the secure zone
and kind of did the calculations.
It would have been another two hours.
So I turned around and found parking elsewhere.
But to the credit.
I mean, that's because everybody here is taking this very seriously.
They're doing a thorough job.
So yes, to your point, Terry, I feel very secure here within the secure closed zone
in Panther Arena and Pfizer 4.0.
You were here part of the day today.
And all kinds of food trucks out of the street.
And if you're not from, if you're not in Milwaukee area, I think most of Wisconsin,
I know our Corey Hartman and other people are keeping an eye to the sky.
We have some severe weather going through South Central Wisconsin.
It was hot.
I mean, it was extraordinarily with heat indexes,
you're 100 degrees today in Milwaukee.
So all that going on while there is a hot political talk inside Pfizer 4.
That indeed, we're going to talk about much more throughout the hour,
including Donald Trump's choice of JD Vance as vice presidential running mates.
And that is an interesting choice giving the history between the two.
You might not think years ago that this was a match made in heaven.
But here we are in 2024.
And the Trump Vance ticket will carry the torch for the Republican Party
for the next few weeks and months.
We are going to be back.
Yes, go ahead.
Go ahead, Terry.
No, I was going to say it's certainly an interesting choice.
And it broke kind of started to break during the end of our show this afternoon.
And I think the actual announcement are leaked out during Maggie Don show just after two o'clock.
But first we heard word that Marco Rubio was told that he was not the choice
senator from Florida.
And then actually, Trivia Olsen from Lincoln Project on our show.
I think it was one of the first people to say that Doug Burgham
had been told in a Governor North Dakota that he was a no-go.
And then it was revealed that JD Vance, the senator from Ohio was the vice presidential pick.
But as you started to talk about, Terry, this is going to be very interesting.
Because there's been a lot of talk, President Biden over the weekend,
talk about toning down the rhetoric of this political campaign.
Donald Trump, at least shortly for a time, was talking about toning down the rhetoric.
Said he's going to rewrite his nomination speech on Thursday.
Although if you look at his truth social today, that seems to be out the window.
And he's going back to some of the larger victory all.
But I think it's interesting to note as Twitter and social media tends to do
nothing ever really dies or could get deleted from social media as we keep being reminded.
People have already dug up online, Terry, where JD Vance referred to Donald Trump as a Hitler.
Those are JD Vance's words, not coming from the Democratic Party, not coming from the left.
That was coming from JD Vance.
Here's a tweet from a GOP Senator Mitt Romney from a few years back saying,
quote, I don't know that I can disrespect someone more than JD Vance, unquote.
That, of course, from Mitt Romney.
And there's a lot more on it.
It's going to be a lot more cuts.
I'm sure our programs tomorrow, maybe you throughout the night tonight.
But JD Vance up until the last year and a half or so was not a Trumpster, not on the Trump
train.
And Congressman Scott Fitzgerald here from Wisconsin is so fond of saying,
JD Vance, not a Trumpster until last year and a half, two years or so.
And here he is tonight being chosen by Donald Trump as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Todd, the people you speak with, what do they tell you?
Is this a sincere evolution of his views or perhaps, is this, wait, an opportunism?
I think it's transactional to, to a point for, for JD Vance.
Many of these folks, I'm a former Republican.
There's a regular list of our show, no, I left the Republican Party in 2019,
largely over voter suppression efforts by most other Republican legislators at the time.
And Scott Walker, the then Republican governor signing that into law.
But many of these people like JD Vance, I think this is a great example of the peculiarity
of this convention, Republican national convention here in Milwaukee this year in 2024.
People like JD Vance know the threat that Donald Trump poses.
They were fundamentally opposed to him.
They did not want him leading the Republican Party and he won.
He won in 2016 and he ran for again in 2020 and was Republican nominee and has proven
time and again, if you do not swear allegiance to Trump, that he is going to come after
you and the Trump machine will come after you.
And so many of these people, in my opinion, is a former Republican watching this transition
from Republican Party to the mega party, they're simply afraid.
They're afraid not to be Senator, they're afraid not to be in the Republican Party.
And so the act we ask to Donald Trump and Trumpism, I can't speak for JD Vance, I can
speak for himself, but it seems to be these are, you awfully strange to completely change
when you've called someone a Hitler like and then end up going to be in the vice presidential
nominee for the same person, I don't know that person can have that kind of a true transformation
of their views.
It seems to be more transactional and opportunistic for the red meat crowd here and let me tell
you, there are a lot here.
They love it.
The leader of the Heritage Foundation today, who is the author of Project 2025, when they
heard about it, they were elated so there couldn't be a better choice than JD Vance.
So he is certainly of all the people out there, probably one of the more extreme people between
Mark Rubio, Doug Burgham, there was even a little bit of a rumor this afternoon that Trump
might pull a surprise, have Virginia Republican governor, Youngkin picked out of the blue.
And that didn't happen.
Trump went with most likely the most extreme candidate, and again, many Republicans, other
people that have said that perhaps the biggest litus test this year for Donald Trump's
VP nominee would be, are you willing to do what Mike Pence didn't?
And that is to put Trump before the Constitution.
And it's interesting to know in recent times, I believe most recently on George Stephanopoulos
has meet the press.
And part of me on this week on ABC, JD Vance said that to Stephanopoulos that he would
not have certified the election, like Mike Pence did back in January 6th.
That's a key indicator, maybe the indicator for being the VP nominee for Donald Trump
in 2024.
That's what I gather from the reading I did this afternoon as well.
Just a couple of minutes left, but there were other developments today.
The party platform was ratified most notably, it calls for states to make their own decisions
about reproductive rights, and also calls for those sweeping deportation efforts in American
history.
And this is a platform that was largely written by the nominee himself.
Yeah, and I think that's intentional again, Trump in particular.
He recognizes, he can read the political tea leaves, he understands that being against
a woman's right to their own health care, the right to choose, is not popular most likely
with 50% plus one of the general electorate.
He knows that doesn't play well in places like Wisconsin, a must win state in the general
election.
So the Republican Party in particular, Trump trying to soften his stance a little bit on
or more a little bit on the abortion issue, but don't be fooled, I would caution.
If you look again, what they're really doing is just trying to do a shell game switch
a roux here with that issue in particular, perhaps we can get into it with our panel a
little bit later, former state Senator Dale Schultz, the Republican side, and Matt Rothschild
and the Democratic side, read Ripple, former Republican Congressman of Green Bay prior
to Mike Gallagher, put out seven points today talking about some of these things on the
first one, sealing the border and stopping migrant invasion.
He said, well, it's a good start, America's largely support that.
But then here's one example quickly, on the carry out the largest deportation operation
in American history, that's part of the platform, Ripple says this.
Both Obama and Biden have deported more immigrants than Trump did in his first term.
Secondly, it's profoundly expensive and inflationary to do so.
People like this, they like it until they have to pay the high costs.
Just one example of things aren't being quite kosher here in the deli in Milwaukee.
Civic media special coverage of the Republican National Convention continues right here on
your civic media radio station and online.
You're listening to a civic media news special report.
Everything you need to know live from the Republican National Convention.
Once again, here's Todd Alba and Terry Bell.
And welcome back to civic media news special coverage of the Republican National Convention
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
We're just a few blocks away from Pfizer for them.
The prime time speeches are underway tonight.
And this was the first of four days of Republicans gathering in Wisconsin.
One of what has been described many times is one of seven states that will decide the presidential election.
Couple of reasons the Republican Convention is here.
One, the importance of Wisconsin that I just mentioned.
Two, four years ago, the Democratic Convention was supposed to be here.
So it was a very easy choice to bring a convention here since a lot of the footwork,
a lot of that initial blueprint had already been established.
So that saved the organizers quite a bit of time and effort just to use the blueprint
that was already in place.
But a lot of people are coming to Milwaukee for the first time.
We've heard a lot of different opinions about Milwaukee and what it is like here,
the horrible cities comment that the former president mentioned.
We're not hearing so much about that anymore.
I think people are here and enjoying themselves quite a bit.
But it has been a very busy first day, especially considering Saturday's events.
Here's a recap of what happened today.
Republicans from around the country are in Milwaukee projecting an air of confidence
about their prospects for winning back the White House in November.
Hours before JD Vance was announced as Trump's running mate,
Wisconsin and Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming addressed the media.
The Republicans are in Milwaukee today unified behind Donald Trump and, frankly,
with all the choices he has for Vice President, will be unified by anybody that he brings
up as the Vice President of Joe candidate.
I really believe that.
So we are really in a place historically that is amazing for the Republican Party and
for this ticket and for Donald Trump.
Tops on everyone's minds, especially this morning, was Saturday's attempt on Donald Trump's
life at a rally in Pennsylvania.
The former president was brazed on the ear by one of several bullets fired by a man named
Thomas Matthew Crookes.
We are all praying for the victims of what happened at the Trump rally a couple of days
ago.
And I will say, as I said before, I don't care which party, which movement, whatever,
to have that happen at a presidential rally like that is just, we can't have that in
America.
Senator Ron Johnson says his thoughts go out to a spectator named Cory Compatori, a former
fire chief who was killed shielding his family and two others in the crowd who were critically
injured and the secret service agents who covered the former president.
Even in the Mr. Tragedy, we see the best of Americans, don't we?
After 9-11, the firefighters, those iconic pictures heading up into danger, we see
the best of Americans.
This is a great country because Americans are good people.
The FBI says it's investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism.
The local DA says he doesn't plan to press any charges since secret service agents killed
Crookes on the spot.
Any criminal charges would be communicated by the Pennsylvania State Police.
The assassination attempt is not affecting the RNC's schedule this week.
Intelligence agencies maintain they've seen no specific credible threats against anyone
in Milwaukee.
The secret service says it's making no changes to its security outline.
Shimming says delegates, reporters and other visitors to the Milwaukee Convention are all
safe from harm.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, right now, is the safest place on the face of the planet.
Safe from harm, but the convention also brought out several thousand protesters advocating
for a variety of progressive causes like gay rights, abortion rights, pro-Palestinian
rights and immigrants rights.
This last term was very hard on immigrants and he's already promised like mass immigration
of immigrants and documented immigrants.
A few Trump supporters were on the sidewalk shouting back for the most part it appears
protest stayed peaceful.
Back inside the convention delegates ratified a party platform that calls for states to
determine their own laws on reproductive rights and also calls for those sweeping deportation
of undocumented immigrants in American history.
I think we're pretty unified on what this platform is and who we're nominating this convention.
And I think that's the real stark contrast between the Republican Party and the Democratic
Party right now.
Wisconsin State Treasurer John Leiber is a member of the platform committee.
There was a lot of talk among the delegates about what they liked to be in it, what they
liked to change in it, but the message was this was a platform to win an election.
Here in the afternoon, the Trump campaign announced Ohio Senator JD Vance will be Trump's
vice presidential running mate.
The pick was quickly and roundly criticized by Democrats and others who oppose Trump,
including reproductive rights advocate and many Tamaraju.
The Trump Vance administration will jeopardize reproductive freedom in all 50 states.
This isn't an abstract idea.
We know they have no plans to stop at overturning row and how do we know?
This look at JD Vance's record.
He's on the record supporting a nationwide abortion ban and has an A plus rating from
the extremist Susan B. Anthony List.
He voted against legislation to protect IVS.
He criticizes exceptions for rape and incest survivors and has actually said, two wrongs
don't make a right.
For all the talk of Republican unity, about 20% of Wisconsin Republicans voted for other
candidates besides Trump in the April primary.
Finally, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis.
But Senator Johnson says the party is now unified behind the platform and the ticket.
The one attribute to all those people share the go to Trump rallies is they fervently
love this country.
That's who we are as a party as a movement.
We fervently love this country.
We understand what we have been given for refining fathers.
We realize it is our responsibility to preserve and protect it and save it for future generations.
The only way we do that is we need to be unified as a party.
I think the events of the last few days, the last few weeks have unified us.
Johnson is addressing the convention in prime time tonight.
Other prime time speakers on this first night to the convention are Representative Marjorie
Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson of North Carolina, Representative
Wesley Hunt of Texas, Representative John James of Michigan, Senator Tady Britt of Alabama,
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Governor Kristi
Noem of South Dakota, Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, Charlie Kirk, who's the
Executive Director of Turning Point USA, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and the
President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Sean O'Brien.
Republicans begin laying out their conservative pitch to voters across the country in prime
time tonight.
Trump arrived in Milwaukee last night, and the New York Times reports he's changing his
plans for his big convention speech Thursday nights and Saturday's assassination attempt.
Trump tells the Washington Examiner he has a chance to bring the country and the world
together.
I'm Terry Bell.
Stay with us.
The Civic Media News Special Report continues straight ahead.
Our political panel joins Todd Abba in me for analysis of today's events and the week
ahead.
Stay right here.
You're listening to a Civic Media News Special Report.
Everything you need to know live from the Republican National Convention.
Once again, here's Todd Abba and Terry Bell.
Good evening and welcome back.
As always, or at least as often as there is other news as being made around Wisconsin,
even as the eyes of the world are on Milwaukee, there is severe weather moving through southern
Wisconsin.
A tornado watches in effect in the Racine area.
There are quite a few other places across southern Wisconsin, experiencing severe weather
tonight.
So, everyone, please be careful and watch for your latest weather updates in those parts
of the state.
We return now to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and let's bring in our panel, Matt
Rothschild and former editor of the Progressive and Dale Schultz, a former Republican state
lawmaker at Gentlemen, Welcome to the program.
Good evening.
I'm delighted to be here.
We're delighted to have you.
I guess let's start with JD Vance, an interesting choice.
A never-trunker becomes his Trump's running mate.
What do you make of that?
Well, I don't think there's a whole lot of news here.
I mean, what Donald Trump has once again done is doubled down on mega and is going with
a very base-oriented election.
To me, what will be, or might be surprising, is what JD Vance, who I sort of view as Alice
in Wonderland, standing there waiting for the White Rabbit to tuck his watch in his
waistband and will find out who this guy is as he grows up?
Matt Rothschild, what's your take?
I agree with Dale that it's a doubling down on mega.
It's a bet that Trump is making actually that abortion is not going to be the biggest
issue in the race or a decisive issue in the swing states because, after all, Vance
is, as you guys were discussing in the last half-hour, he's anti-abortion, even in cases
of rape and incest, he favors a national abortion ban.
I think he comes off abrasively, too, which I think will turn some women off.
It's just, it's strange in that they think there are more mega people out there, I guess
that they haven't got yet, that Trump himself hasn't gotten.
And I'm not sure that's true.
And I thought a wiser move might have been Nikki Haley, although she probably blew up
that bridge in the last part of her campaign, if she was so critical of Trump.
But of course, Vance has been hyper-critical of Trump just not recently.
I mean, he called Trump, you know, maybe he's America's Hitler.
He said Trump was one of the America's most aided, villainous, douchey, celebrities.
And he called him an idiot and compared him to the ultra-heroine.
I mean, those are things we're going to hear a lot of times.
The interesting thing to me, go ahead, Todd.
Yes, yes.
Oh, go ahead.
Go ahead, Todd.
Go ahead, Todd.
Matt, Matt, you did some great work.
I think there's a delay, Terry, sorry about that in my ear there.
But you did some great work at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, where the executive director
there.
You handed over the reins.
What about a year ago or so?
Is that right?
Yeah.
Last July.
About a year ago.
So I'm just curious as a person who spent so much of your life doing so much good for
democracy.
And I know sometimes that gets put in a partisan progressive category.
But I think that if you look around democracy really shouldn't be partisan.
I'm just curious as someone who's given so much of your life and done so much good, as
you watch this kind of unique convention.
Never had a convention like this.
Never had a 34-time convicted felon about to be the nominee of a party like this.
What are your thoughts today watching this new mega party hold this convention in a state
that you fought so hard for?
Well, I am horrified about the prospects of losing our democracy, I got to be honest
with you.
And when we did make some gains, you know, Dale Schultz was instrumental in educating
a lot of Wisconsinites on the problem of gerrymandering.
And I worked hard on that issue too, and we were able to score a big victory on that front.
But this attack on democracy that Donald Trump poses, you know, makes everything we've
done here in Wisconsin kind of pale in comparison to the threat to, we're facing now.
And it's not helpful to have vans on the ticket because vans is on record as saying he
would have done what Mike Pence nobly and courageously refused to do, which was, you know, Pence
decided to go ahead with the electoral college vote.
And Vans said he'd stop the count at the electoral, he would have stopped the count.
And he wanted to certify the election.
I mean, he would have played his part in the coup is what he's saying.
I mean, he is kissing the ring of Donald Trump and showing that he'd do anything in the
world that Donald Trump wants him to do even over turning our democracy.
And I think anyone who really believes in our democracy needs to look at that and kind
of gas.
Dale, it falls as closure to our listening audience, a viewing audience.
I was your employee used to call me the Billy Steinbrenner of of your offer, or not a
Billy Martin of your office from the Yankees.
I was never fired by you, but I didn't work for you five times.
So I just want to make sure the audience understands that if those of might not be regular
viewers of our show.
But you're a former Senate majority leader, someone who helped lead this party yet you
chose not to run again in 2014.
How does this all feel to you, Dale, to see a party that seems so very different from the
one that you helped lead back in the mid-2000s?
Well, quite frankly, it seems more than strange.
I never thought I'd see people openly saying it's okay to throw out the Constitution and
that the institutions that have been the hallmarks of our democracy weren't important and that
they could be so openly attacked, whatever comes the past.
It's shocking.
But you know what, in the last 10 years or so, we've gotten used to shock and awe, and
I think a lot of people have become used to this and are not evaluating the danger as
much as they should to return to my metaphor before.
I sort of feel like I'm in the Austin Wonderland watching JD Vance, and I invite all the listeners
along as we go down each rabbit hole and experience what life has to offer and have a chance
to weigh it.
You know, JD Vance, it's not clear to me, knows who he is.
For all the things that he said that are, you know, Trumpian, he's denounced Dale Trump
and the things he stands for, just the other way.
The question is, where will he come out?
And what does that mean for our future?
And I think we owe it to him to create him with respect, but I think it's important
that we carefully examine who this man is and what he intends to do with our government
should he be given a role.
Gentlemen, one of the things that Republicans are really trying to make some hay with here
this week is, you know, the recent concerns about President Biden and his age and his
fitness to, you know, do this very difficult job, the hardest job in the world.
Republicans here who are running his convention will tell you that the party is very unified
and that the Democratic Party is in quite a bit of disarray right now.
Do you think they have a point?
Well, I think the Democrats have pretty much shelved any plans to try to put more pressure
on Joe Biden.
I think when Bernie Sanders came out with that op-ed in the New York Times yesterday
or Saturday, that was one signal and then after the assassination attempt, it just seemed
like it was totally inappropriate Biden.
We saw trying to handle this horrible situation very well.
He did handle it very well and there's no percentage at this point in pushing Biden out.
Even though after the first debate and those first 24 hours, as I told Todd, at the civic
media headquarters, I thought it was time for Joe to go, but I mean, I was going to remember
that.
I remember that well.
I had to change my sheets three times.
But have you come around, Matt?
Have you come around to call me in dominant?
I mean, I'm all serious.
I mean, I get it.
I get it.
I mean, do you think that you don't have a press pretty well?
You've been involved for a long time.
You get the pulse.
Do you think at least in Wisconsin, do you think the Democrats buy in large at least
already to move forward to be excited?
Because I think that's a big key in Wisconsin.
If, whether we like it or not, let's separate the near tragedy of the assassination attempt
and assassination on Trump, but what is done politically, I'll tell you, people here in
this convention hall here in Milwaukee, they are jazzed to use in Tony Evers' word.
I mean, they're excited and enthused.
Our Democrats are going to be equally enthused, come November.
You know, I think this effort to push Biden out actually and his response to that is very,
I think, a very high quality response to it, very vigorous response to it.
He's given him a little bounce, gave him a little bounce at least before Saturday.
And that what I had underestimated was that there's a lot of love out there for Joe Biden
among the base.
I think we saw the love at the Madison event at the middle school.
And I saw a lot of the love when I posted something on Facebook and people saying, why
are you saying that?
We love Joe Biden.
So, I think I underestimated that.
And I think we'll see a lot of love for Joe Biden at the Democratic Convention.
Well, let me just add to this that, again, I don't see a whole lot that's important about
this.
We all have a bad day once in a while, except when I watched Donald Trump, it seems like
most of these are bad days.
And nobody ever says anything about that.
They just say, well, he didn't grow up in politics, so it's okay to have a bad day.
But look, I'll excuse both of them for what they do and what they say.
What's important is what the people think.
And we are now entering a phase of the campaign where we're going to get into some policy debates.
There's been some allusion to some of the issues like abortion and investments in human
capital and the like, the environment, green energy.
And I think that all of a sudden now the questions will be pointed and the public will be watching.
And I think they're going to be able to discern about who's real and who has a plan that
they're comfortable with.
And you know, a lot of people watch that performance of Joe Biden, which was left in stellar, but
it didn't move the polls really very much.
And I think the reason for that is the public can see through things.
It was a bad night, but they're not fooled by what's going on.
They're beginning to pay attention.
And I think as they grow more and more intent on what is being said, I think then you
will start to see where the public is at.
And I think that doesn't bode well for Donald Trump and his supporters and the mega wing
of the Republican Party.
Dale Schultz very quickly.
You've been around for a while.
You've seen some stuff as a common friend likes to say, is this really about turnout?
Is it about a turnout machine on the Republican and Democratic bases or is there still some
room to be had with the undecideds?
Well, I think there are a lot of undecideds out there.
You know, they're thinking, you have to make the best of a bad decision and liken.
I have thoughts on that, but that's for another radio show about how we can fix that.
What's happened in politics is the centrist, the people who typically for 250 years ran the
government, have been pushed out by extremists on both sides of the aisle.
I would say candidly it's been more extreme on the Republican side, but I think it's fair
to say both sides have moved further away from each other and from a centrist position.
And I think the public doesn't like that.
I think the public wants government to speak to them rationally and intelligently with
reason and convince them that a set of policies that are being put forth are the right ones.
And I for one, I'm looking forward to the campaign developing as we begin the discussion
of those very important issues and the differences are made more clear.
I think one thing that's interesting, my understanding of the polling is that many of the very
few undecided voters that are out there are young.
And it's not because the candidates are necessarily old or have plays into their thinking,
or at least they say it does, but they can't afford a mortgage.
They can't afford the American dream.
They can't start off life out that their parents did.
So, what can these candidates say to, you know, persuade these undecided?
Well, I think we're seeing a little bit come from Joe Biden on that about the need to
do something about rents that have been just going through the roof.
I mean, young people can't not only can't afford to buy a house, they can barely afford
to pay rent.
And so, you know, lifting wages, holding down rents, those would be two huge things to
buy and paying on, and I think it's really important.
We'll hold that thought right there.
That music tells us it's time for a break.
We'll be right back, special coverage, civic media stay with us.
You're listening to a civic media news special report.
Everything you need to know live from the Republican National Convention.
Once again, here's Todd Alba and Terry Bell.
Welcome back to civic media special coverage of the Republican National Convention in
Milwaukee.
And we were just asking Matt Rothschild and Dale Schultz about appealing to the undecided
voter, who they are, and whether or not these tickets can bring that message home that
will, you'll get them to vote for one or the other.
Matt had a great answer to that question.
Dale, I'll let you follow up.
Let me just say that living in a rural area, I have a, I think, a perspective that in
many ways kind of mirrors where JD Vance is coming from.
No, I did not grow up in a broken family.
I did not struggle like he did, but I have lived for 30 years in a rural area and have
listened intently to people and have tried very hard to reflect their fears and concerns
and hopes and dreams in the legislature.
And I really believe that that's the key.
Can the Democrats or the Republicans do a better job of listening and laying out a vision
for people?
Very good.
There's not only the big election in November coming up, but we have a election coming up
in August.
It's going to be here before you know it.
And we're keeping a very close eye on two congressional primaries, the Democrats running
in the third district in Western Wisconsin, and the Republicans running in the eighth district
in Northeast Wisconsin.
What could the results of those primaries maybe tell us about what we can expect in November?
I think, you know, it's interesting, the Cook versus Shankland Primer and the Democratic
side, Katrina Shankland has been an excellent assembly member for many years.
And I guess I would give her maybe a slightly better chance than Cook, or I know right
in last time, this is for the Van Orden Sea.
If one of those two comes out with a big victory in the primary, I think that might propel
them forward.
And I think Van Orden is vulnerable.
Very quickly, Matt.
And look, Matt, do it first, then Dale, really quickly.
I just got done with a statewide tour of Trigview, Olson.
I was in Chippewa Falls, River Falls, O'Clayer, Richland Center, I see a lot more Rebecca
Cook signs.
I think she has a better ground game.
I think people in Madison are dear to her because she's a member of the legislature.
I think Cook is way ahead right now.
That's just my take on this, Matt.
Do you disagree as a Democrat?
Do you think that it's the organization of Cook or the contacts and the money raising
power of Shankland?
Well, you might be right, because I know some people in district who are liberal who are
very much big cook supporters.
And I don't know who are very well.
I know Katrina Shankland real well, and I like her.
Yeah.
I like both of them.
I just say it from political standpoint.
That's why I see it.
Dale, you live in the third district.
You're a Richland Center.
What do you see in here?
Well, what I see is a lot of energy.
First of all, there are a lot of people who are not Democrats who are interested because
we've taken a lot of hits in rural Wisconsin, most notably in Richland Center, as you know,
Todd.
That's the loss of our campus at a huge impact on our ability to see a future that's bright.
I think both candidates on a Democratic ticket are excellent.
I think Van Orden is in an enormous amount of trouble.
He has become a butt of jokes, an embarrassment, and people really want to have a future.
And I think both of them have done a good job of articulating a vision that is attractive.
I think it's going to boil down to who has the edge in terms of the total overall campaign.
I couldn't even begin to guess who has had a group that I belong to in town, which
is independent, has interviewed both of them.
And I would say that they both would say they were treated respectfully.
And I would say that the people who listened to them were impressed by what they both had
to say.
Now, what they do when they go into voting booth, I can't even begin to guess.
Very quickly, the eighth congressional district, that's the Fox Valley, biggest city, Green Bay,
Matt Ross Child.
I think Dr. Christy Leirely is a rock star candidate for the Democrat.
It's a plus Trump district.
I think she can still win because the Republicans up there are in complete disagree.
I totally agree.
And she's great on the biggest issue that's been pivotal in elections for the last two
years, which is the abortion issue.
You can speak to that as no VGYN in a way that no one else can.
She got a real legitimacy on that, real credibility on that.
Little Schultz, you know some of these guys, Andre Jacques, you got a guy after the last
of the weeds, his campaign is being run by a Trump lackey.
I just see there are no read ripples, let alone Mike Gallagher's or Mark Greene's right
now running for Congress on the eighth congressional district.
Well, I think your analysis is largely correct.
Well, I don't know Mr. Weed, the other guys, Roth and Jacques, I know well, they've always
had a great relationship with them.
But I think their focus is a little narrow and a little harsh for a district that I
do.
Nero, Dale, Jacques, biggest claim to fame is a bestiality bill.
I don't think that's a top issue with the eighth congressional district.
Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you.
I'm just trying to be a little kinder.
It's a little narrow.
He's also been a leader on pro-life issues.
But to win in a congressional seat, you have to have broad appeal.
You remember, I did run for Congress and I did pretty well.
Like human second place and it's difficult.
There are big districts.
There's a lot of different things you have to consider and I can not be that familiar
with that Green Bay district.
But no, there is no read ripples there.
Somebody who I think was an outstanding congressman.
But in the third district, you go from a farm country in the south up to the suburban
twin cities in St. Croix County over to a very labor dominated center of the state.
And your ability to communicate with those people in an intelligent way and convince
them that you can make their life better for their families and for their communities
is what it's all about.
And I really believe that in the end here in southwestern Wisconsin, that's the key
to it.
Just good old shake feet, hands, look them in the eye and listen to them and tell them
what you got to say.
Thanks Dale.
We'll have.
Thank you Dale.
Thank you, Bat Rothschild.
Thank you, Todd Abbaugh and everybody who joined us tonight, Pacific Media Special
Coverage of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Todd and I will be back here at 7 o'clock tomorrow night over the air and streaming online.
We hope you'll join us from Milwaukee and the Republican National Convention for Todd
Abbaugh.
I'm Terry Bell.
Have a good day.
