% US AND FOR YOUR INSIGHT.
% SO TURNING NOW TO FIELD
% REPORTING THAT WE HAVE BEEN
% BRINGING YOU EVERY WEEK, WE ARE
% JUST FOUR WEEKS OUT FROM THE
% 2022 ELECTIONS, AND YET THE 2020
% ELECTION STILL CASTS A LONG
% SHADOW OVER THE STATE.
% MANY REPUBLICANS ARE STILL
% TALKING ABOUT VOTER FRAUD,
% LEAVING DEMOCRATS TO WORRY THAT
% SWEEPING ELECTION LAW CHANGES
% FROM THE GOP WOULD SERVE TO
% DISENFRANCHISE WISCONSIN VOTERS.
% MORE ON THIS FROM SENIOR
% POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ.
% >> WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN TWB
% W2020.
% >> POWERFUL AND RICH FORCES ARE
% ALIGNED AGAINST ME.
% >> WAS IT RIGGED, WAS IT FIXED?
% >> PEOPLE HAVE DEBUNKED DONALD
% TRUMP'S CONSPIRACY THEORIES FOR
% NEARLY TWO YEARS.
% RACHEL RODRIQUEZ HAS HEARD THEM
% ALL.% >> EVERY TIME YOU THIN
K YOU'VE
% PUT ONE CONSPIRACY THEORY TO
% BED, ONE POPS UP IN ITS PLACE.
% >> SHE KNOWS EVERY STEP IN THE
% PROCESS.
% SO WHEN REPUBLICANS IN THE
% LEGISLATURE STARTED HOLDING
% INVITATION-ONLY HEARINGS TO GIVE
% AN OFFICIAL PLATFORM TO ELECTION
% CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, SHE
% FOLLOWED THEM CLOSELY.
% >> IT WAS READILY APPARENT, YOU
% KNOW, THAT WITHIN MINUTES, THAT
% THE EXPERTS HAD ABSOLUTELY NO
% EXPERTISE IN ACTUAL ELECTIONS.
% >> RODRIQUEZ STARTED FACT
% CHECKING THE HEARINGS OVER
% TWITTER.
% SOON, SHE WAS BEING RETWEETED BY
% THE CHAIR OF THE WISCONSIN
% ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
% AND GAINED AN AUDIENCE LOOKING
% FOR THE TRUTH.
% >> I THINK PEOPLE WERE REALLY
% LOOKING FOR SORT OF A, YOU KNOW,
% THAT OTHER SIDE OF IT, THE
% ACTUAL EXPERT SIDE BECAUSE THAT
% WASN'T HAPPENING AT THE
% HEARINGS.%>> REPUBLICANS HIR
ED FORMER
% SUPREME COURT JUSTICE MICHAEL
% GABELMAN TO LEAD AN
% INVESTIGATION ON THE 2020
% ELECTION.%>> I WILL NOT ANSW
ER ANY --
% >> BUT WHAT HE PRODUCED WAS OPEN
% RECORDS VIOLATIONS, A CONTEMPT
% OF COURT ORDER AND A MILLION
% DOLLAR BILL FOR TAXPAYERS.
% >> MICHAEL GABELMAN IS AN
% EMBARRASSMENT TO THE STATE.
% >> GABLEMAN WAS FIRED AFTER
% ENDORSING THE PRIMARY OPPONENT
% OF ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS,
% THE MAN WHO HIRED HIM.
% RODRIQUEZ SAYS THE CUMULATIVE
% EFFECT WAS THE TRUTH AROUND
% ELECTION CONSPIRACIES STARTED TO
% LOOK LIKE PARTISAN POLITICS.
% >> WHERE THE PROBLEM IS RIGHT
% NOW IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ONE
% PARTY, AND IT IS ONE PARTY WHO
% IS DRIVING ALL OF THIS
% MISINFORMATION AND ALL OF THE
% CON SPEAR S AND ALL OF THE
% DOUBT, WHEN YOU TAKE THE SIDE OF
% ACTUAL FACTS AND TRUTH, WHICH IS
% OPPOSITE TO THAT, IT'S GOING TO
% LOOK LIKE IT'S ONE PARTY OVER
% THE OTHER.
% >> I'M GOING TO GET RID OF THE
% WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
% >> TIM MICHELS IS THE REPUBLICAN
% CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.
% AND WHILE HE DOESN'T OUTRIGHT
% SAY THE 2020 ELECTION WAS
% STOLEN, HE DOES CAMPAIGN WITH
% THOSE THAT DO.
% AND EVEN SALUTED REPUBLICAN TIM
% RAMTHUN, A FULL-ON ELECTION CON
% SPEAR CYST WHO WANTED TO SOMEHOW
% RECLAIM WISCONSIN'S 2020
% ELECTORAL VOTES.
% >> I SEE MY FRIEND OUT HERE RAN
% A SPIRITED PRIMARY, TIM RAMTHUN,
% WAS VERY BIG ON ELECTION
% INTEGRITY AS WELL.
% >> AT ONE EVENT, MICHELS TOLD A
% SUPPORTER IN ORDER TO WIN, HE
% HAD TO OVERCOME A CHEATING
% PERCENTAGE.%>> WHAT'S THE CH
EATING
% PERCENTAGE?
% PROBABLY A POINT OR TWO, WE'RE
% GOING TO COME OUT --
% >> TIM MICHELS DID NOT AGREE TO
% AN INTERVIEW FOR THIS STORY.
% >> FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE
% HARBORING THAT BIG LIE, THAT'S
% NOT GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY.
% IT'S NOT GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY AT
% ALL.
% SENATE BILL 292.
% NOT APPROVED.
% >> DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TONY
% EVERS VETOED A SERIES OF
% REPUBLICAN BILLS THAT WOULD HAVE
% CHANGED HOW ELECTIONS ARE RUN IN
% WISCONSIN.
% >> THERE WE GO, FOLKS.
% [APPLAUSE]
% >> MICHELS HAS SAID HE WOULD
% SIGN THOSE BILLS, AND DEMOCRATS
% FEAR AS GOVERNOR, MICHELS COULD
% OVERTURN WISCONSIN'S
% PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL VOTES IN
% 2024.
% >> IF THEY ARE IN POWER AND
% TRUMP COMES CALLING, ASKING THEM
% TO CHANGE AN ELECTION RESULT,
% WE'VE SEEN THAT THEY'RE WILLING
% TO DO ANYTHING TO GET TRUMP'S
% APPROVAL.%>> BEN WIKLER IS C
HAIR OF THE
% DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN.
% >> THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MOMENT
% IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY
% AND IT'S HARD TO THINK OF WORDS
% THAT WOULD BE TOO STRONG TO
% EXPRESS THE STAKES IN THIS
% FALL'S ELECTION.
% >> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
% IT, ELECTION INTEGRITY HAS BEEN
% A GREAT TOPIC FOR EVERYBODY TO
% GET SOME FODDER BOTH WAYS.
% >> PAUL FARROW IS THE CHAIRMAN
% OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
% WISCONSIN.
% >> WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THE 2020
% ELECTION, THERE WERE SOME
% CHALLENGES.
% WE KNOW THERE WERE ISSUES THAT
% ARE THERE THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE
% OUT HOW TO REGULATE AND HOW TO
% MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN
% AGAIN.%>> HOW CAN YOU LEAD TH
E STATE IF
% YOU'RE AFRAID TO TELL THE BASE
% OF OUR PARTY THE TRUTH?
% >> ROHN BISHOP IS THE FORMER
% CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
% FOND DU LAC COUNTY.
% AND HE'S CONCERNED THE GOP'S
% OBSESSION WITH 2020 WILL HURT
% THEM THIS FALL.
% >> REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE LOOKING
% AT A TIDAL WAVE ELECTION.
% ONE WAY TO SCREW IT UP IS TO
% KEEP FOCUSING ON 2020, AND WE
% KEEP DOING THAT.
% WE JUST CAN'T TURN THE PAGE AND
% FOCUS ON 2022.
% >> BISHOP WAS ATTACKED BY HIS
% OWN PARTY MEMBERS FOR POINTING
% OUT TRUMP LOST IN WISCONSIN.
% BECAUSE ENOUGH REPUBLICANS
% VOTED, BUT NOT FOR TRUMP.
% >> THE ELECTION IS NOT STOLEN
% WHEN GLENN GROTHMAN IS GETTING
% MORE VOTES THAN DONALD TRUMP IN
% THE SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL%DIST
RICT.% THERE WAS JUST A FALL-OFF.
% THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO
% VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE
% PRINCIPLES BUT NOT TRUMP.
% >> BISHOP SAYS WHEN MICHELS
% CAMPAIGNS WITH MICHAEL GABELMAN
% AND TRUMP, HE RISKS ALIENATING
% THOSE SAME VOTERS.
% >> COMING INTO 2022, TIM MICHELS
% HAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET
% THOSE 50,000 REPUBLICANS WHO
% VOTED REPUBLICAN BUT NOT FOR
% DONALD TRUMP.
% >> SINCE THE LAST ELECTION,
% BISHOP LEFT PARTY POLITICS AND
% WAS ELECTED MAYOR OF WAUPUN, A
% NON-PARTISAN OFFICE.% >> I J
UST REALLY WANT TO FOCUS
% ON THIS JOB AND GIVE IT ALL THAT
% I HAVE.
% >> HE'S STILL A REPUBLICAN, BUT
% HE WORRIES OTHERS MIGHT HAVE
% LEFT THE PARTY FOR GOOD.
% >> BECAUSE OF THE HYPERPARTISAN
% NATURE OF IT NEGATIVITY, WE'RE
% BUSY ALWAYS TRYING TO KICK
% PEOPLE UP.
% I'VE BEEN CALLED THAT BY PEOPLE,
% BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THE
% ELECTION WAS STOLEN.
% WELL, IF YOU KICK ME OUT, AND I
% DON'T VOTE FOR YOU, YOU'RE IN A
% LOT OF TROUBLE.
% >> SO WHAT IMPACT WILL THESE
% CONSPIRACY THEORIES HAVE ON THIS
% ELECTION?
% FOR ONE, THERE WILL BE A LOT
% MORE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHEN YOU
% CAST YOUR BALLOT.
% PAUL FARROW SAYS IN 2020,
% REPUBLICANS HAD ABOUT 1300
% ELECTION OBSERVERS AT THE POLLS
% STATEWIDE.% >> WE ARE WELL O
VER 5,000 THIS
% TIME AROUND.
% WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE EYES THAT
% ARE WATCHING THE PROCESS.
% TO START THE OTHER ONES UP.GOIN-
% >> PEOPLE LIKE CHRISTOPHER
% BOSSERT, A REPUBLICAN FROM WEST
% BEND.%>> I HAVE CONCERNS ABO
UT
% ELECTION INTEGRITY, AND THE BEST
% WAY TO RESOLVE THOSE CONCERNS
% ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IS TO GET
% INVOLVED.
% SO I CHOSE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE
% REPUBLICAN PARTY AS A POLL
% WORKER.%>> BOSSERT SAYS HE S
TILL HAS
% CONCERNS ABOUT VOTER FRAUD
% ELSEWHERE IN WISCONSIN, BUT IS
% NO LONGER WORRIED ABOUT THE
% DOMINION VOTING MACHINES USED IN
% HIS HOMETOWN.
% EVEN IF HIS NEIGHBORS ARE
% CONVINCED.%>> I HAVE CONSTITU
ENTS WHO
% BELIEVE DOMINION IS A PROBLEM,
% AND EVEN THOUGH I'VE TOLD THEM
% FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, DOMINION IS
% NOT A PROBLEM, THEY STILL
% BELIEVE IT.
% >> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M
% ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE AND NOW."
% >> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
% ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
% OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG
% AND THEN CLICK ON THE NEWS TAB.
% AND TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE
% CANDIDATES IN NOVEMBER, VISIT
% WISCONSINVOTE.ORG.
% JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK AT
% 7:00 P.M. FOR THE GUBERNATORIAL
% DEBATE FOLLOWED BY OUR LIVE
% "HERE AND NOW" ANALYSIS.
% IT'S ALL RIGHT HERE ON PBS
% WISCONSIN.
% THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT.
% I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.