1
00:00:00,030 --> 00:00:01,030
Go first.

2
00:00:02,090 --> 00:00:03,929
Just out of seniority

3
00:00:03,930 --> 00:00:04,930
here.

4
00:00:05,590 --> 00:00:06,769
You've been slimmer too.

5
00:00:08,570 --> 00:00:09,570
Wow.

6
00:00:11,010 --> 00:00:11,909
That's awesome.

7
00:00:11,910 --> 00:00:12,889
I'm really proud.

8
00:00:12,890 --> 00:00:14,329
I can't use this sound.

9
00:00:14,330 --> 00:00:17,089
I mean, 836,

10
00:00:17,090 --> 00:00:18,269
that was calm.

11
00:00:18,270 --> 00:00:19,529
That has got to be pretty rough for

12
00:00:19,530 --> 00:00:20,709
conservatives.

13
00:00:20,710 --> 00:00:22,769
Why is it so difficult?

14
00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:25,499
I don't know, although the timing,

15
00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:26,419
you just said that, I think was

16
00:00:26,420 --> 00:00:27,639
almost exactly the time they called

17
00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:29,079
my recall election, for me, years

18
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:30,959
ago, so it's funny how things change

19
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:31,939
over time.

20
00:00:31,940 --> 00:00:32,919
You know, in that case, we had a

21
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:34,119
pretty level playing field.

22
00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,159
I think, really, since 2018,

23
00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:37,419
you've seen a huge financial

24
00:00:37,420 --> 00:00:38,879
advantage for a liberal candidate.

25
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,759
It's somewhat driven, obviously, but

26
00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,859
nationwide, opposition to President

27
00:00:42,860 --> 00:00:44,839
Trump very much drives donors

28
00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:46,759
big and small, like on the left.

29
00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:48,679
As conservatives going forward,

30
00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:49,659
particularly in these spring

31
00:00:49,660 --> 00:00:51,259
judicial elections, we've got to

32
00:00:51,260 --> 00:00:52,259
figure out a way to look at the

33
00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:53,469
playing field, so.

34
00:00:53,470 --> 00:00:55,609
Any ideas how you do it?

35
00:00:55,610 --> 00:00:56,389
I think it's going to be a

36
00:00:56,390 --> 00:00:57,509
combination of things.

37
00:00:57,510 --> 00:00:59,089
I think part of it is just making

38
00:00:59,090 --> 00:01:00,909
the case why voters who turn out in

39
00:01:00,910 --> 00:01:02,729
the fall, as they did last

40
00:01:02,730 --> 00:01:04,389
year for the president, need to

41
00:01:04,390 --> 00:01:06,029
understand that many of the things

42
00:01:06,030 --> 00:01:07,409
that they care about in those

43
00:01:07,410 --> 00:01:09,269
elections are as important, if not

44
00:01:09,270 --> 00:01:10,549
more so, when it comes to judicial

45
00:01:10,550 --> 00:01:11,550
issues.

46
00:01:11,990 --> 00:01:13,709
Looking forward now, we're past the

47
00:01:13,710 --> 00:01:15,989
Wisconsin State Supreme Court race,

48
00:01:15,990 --> 00:01:17,349
what are your thoughts on the fall

49
00:01:17,350 --> 00:01:19,629
for Republicans and

50
00:01:19,630 --> 00:01:21,489
the potential to flip the

51
00:01:21,490 --> 00:01:23,469
majority for Democrats in

52
00:01:23,470 --> 00:01:24,269
the assembly?

53
00:01:24,270 --> 00:01:26,149
Well I think it's certainly

54
00:01:26,150 --> 00:01:28,309
a warning sign,

55
00:01:28,310 --> 00:01:29,329
not insurmountable, but

56
00:01:29,330 --> 00:01:30,789
historically, you know, when Barack

57
00:01:30,790 --> 00:01:32,709
Obama was in, we had a whole wave

58
00:01:32,710 --> 00:01:33,909
of Republicans elected here and

59
00:01:33,910 --> 00:01:35,069
across the country.

60
00:01:35,070 --> 00:01:36,089
You know, if a Republican in the

61
00:01:36,090 --> 00:01:36,869
White House, you're just going to

62
00:01:36,870 --> 00:01:38,728
see a similar trend for

63
00:01:38,729 --> 00:01:40,669
Democrats. To counter that, it's

64
00:01:40,670 --> 00:01:41,929
really two things. Level the playing

65
00:01:41,930 --> 00:01:44,529
field so you get an equal echo

66
00:01:44,530 --> 00:01:45,889
chamber, if you will, a chance to

67
00:01:45,890 --> 00:01:47,249
get your message out just as much as

68
00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:49,189
the opposition and focus

69
00:01:49,190 --> 00:01:50,629
exclusively on the issues that

70
00:01:50,630 --> 00:01:51,689
matter to people, which is

71
00:01:51,690 --> 00:01:53,499
overwhelmingly affordability.

72
00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:55,319
People want to know more

73
00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,159
than just about anything else,

74
00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:58,199
I'm not going to pay the bills.

75
00:01:58,200 --> 00:01:59,839
I'm going to fill up the grocery

76
00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:01,599
cart. I'm gonna fill up my gas.

77
00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,219
I've got to pay for my housing,

78
00:02:03,220 --> 00:02:05,659
whether it's rental or mortgage.

79
00:02:05,660 --> 00:02:06,939
Those are the things if someone like

80
00:02:06,940 --> 00:02:08,859
Tom Tiffany focuses on that and

81
00:02:08,860 --> 00:02:11,399
whomever he ends up running against,

82
00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:12,539
I think he'll do well.

83
00:02:12,540 --> 00:02:14,479
What do you think about the chances

84
00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:15,739
of the semifinals?

85
00:02:15,740 --> 00:02:17,839
For a majority of Democrats.

86
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:18,999
Again, it'll be a challenge.

87
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,999
You've got of the three key races,

88
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,839
three to four key races.

89
00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,259
You've had a couple of incumbents

90
00:02:24,260 --> 00:02:25,659
that chose not to run.

91
00:02:25,660 --> 00:02:27,539
That always makes it incredibly more

92
00:02:27,540 --> 00:02:28,919
competitive.

93
00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:30,219
But again, good cans. I just saw one

94
00:02:30,220 --> 00:02:31,019
of them today.

95
00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:33,179
I live here in Waukesha County.

96
00:02:33,180 --> 00:02:34,539
That's part of his district.

97
00:02:34,540 --> 00:02:35,939
And he was working, so I was

98
00:02:35,940 --> 00:02:37,339
impressed to see him even before I

99
00:02:37,340 --> 00:02:39,159
took my mother to the polls this

100
00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:40,439
morning, even though his election is

101
00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:41,599
until next November.

102
00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,599
So a lot of hard work,

103
00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:44,739
knocking on doors, raising

104
00:02:44,740 --> 00:02:45,519
resources.

105
00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:46,999
And honing in on a message that

106
00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:48,289
connects to voters.

107
00:02:48,290 --> 00:02:50,269
Governor, the majority,

108
00:02:50,270 --> 00:02:52,729
if this holds, would go 5-2.

109
00:02:52,730 --> 00:02:55,669
I've seen some conservatives at 9-0.

110
00:02:55,670 --> 00:02:58,389
Maybe 7-0 someday.

111
00:02:58,390 --> 00:03:00,729
What is the practical reality

112
00:03:00,730 --> 00:03:02,569
of that? What does that mean for the

113
00:03:02,570 --> 00:03:05,409
Wisconsin? We've seen maps.

114
00:03:05,410 --> 00:03:07,449
We've see all the

115
00:03:07,450 --> 00:03:09,989
JFC, the JCRAR.

116
00:03:09,990 --> 00:03:11,570
That's what happened. Yeah, I

117
00:03:11,571 --> 00:03:13,269
Yeah, I hope voters going forward

118
00:03:13,270 --> 00:03:15,029
will say they want some balance,

119
00:03:15,030 --> 00:03:16,729
particularly on the court.

120
00:03:16,730 --> 00:03:17,749
They don't want things to just

121
00:03:17,750 --> 00:03:19,949
become a partisan rubber stamp for

122
00:03:19,950 --> 00:03:22,089
either party one way or the other.

123
00:03:22,090 --> 00:03:23,269
At least in the past when it was

124
00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:25,189
4-3, either way, at

125
00:03:25,190 --> 00:03:26,869
least there was some opportunities

126
00:03:26,870 --> 00:03:28,929
where it would go.

127
00:03:28,930 --> 00:03:30,389
Justice might swing one way and the

128
00:03:30,390 --> 00:03:31,989
other, when you start having these

129
00:03:31,990 --> 00:03:33,829
kind of majorities, it becomes tough

130
00:03:33,830 --> 00:03:35,209
to imagine.

131
00:03:35,210 --> 00:03:37,129
I hope we've warned about this,

132
00:03:37,130 --> 00:03:38,479
but I hope at least some.

133
00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:40,379
Those justices, regardless of

134
00:03:40,380 --> 00:03:42,119
what the political beliefs are,

135
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:43,599
ultimately say the role of a judge

136
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,559
or a justice is to uphold the

137
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,259
Constitution and the rule of law,

138
00:03:47,260 --> 00:03:49,119
not to make the law, and that

139
00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:50,319
the focus will be on the fall

140
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:51,999
elections for both the state

141
00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:53,559
legislature and the government.

142
00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:54,859
What are you expecting with the

143
00:03:54,860 --> 00:03:56,459
governor's race this fall?

144
00:03:56,460 --> 00:03:57,479
Well I think it'll be incredibly

145
00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,199
competitive. I mean the last 36

146
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,079
years we've had an all but

147
00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:02,239
one election.

148
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:03,359
The party in the White House has

149
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,079
been the opposite of the party who

150
00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:06,449
wins the governorship.

151
00:04:06,450 --> 00:04:08,129
So it's a tough battle for the

152
00:04:08,130 --> 00:04:09,909
Republicans. That said, I think

153
00:04:09,910 --> 00:04:11,989
Governor Evers not running,

154
00:04:11,990 --> 00:04:13,869
opens up the field, certainly

155
00:04:13,870 --> 00:04:14,869
in terms of the key issue.

156
00:04:14,870 --> 00:04:16,609
I mentioned the Supreme Court cases,

157
00:04:16,610 --> 00:04:17,610
which is money.

158
00:04:18,690 --> 00:04:20,109
The only race in the last 36 years

159
00:04:20,110 --> 00:04:21,669
where it went against those odds was

160
00:04:21,670 --> 00:04:23,109
four years ago when Governor Ebers

161
00:04:23,110 --> 00:04:24,909
defied the odds and won that

162
00:04:24,910 --> 00:04:25,769
election.

163
00:04:25,770 --> 00:04:26,629
I think that was because of the

164
00:04:26,630 --> 00:04:27,929
financial advantage.

165
00:04:27,930 --> 00:04:30,609
Now with that seat being opened,

166
00:04:30,610 --> 00:04:32,129
the last big time it was opened like

167
00:04:32,130 --> 00:04:33,130
that was when I won.

168
00:04:33,910 --> 00:04:35,869
In a wide open race

169
00:04:35,870 --> 00:04:37,629
15 years ago.

170
00:04:37,630 --> 00:04:39,669
And I think Tom Tiffany

171
00:04:39,670 --> 00:04:41,689
can do a good job making the

172
00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:43,369
case that he's the right candidate,

173
00:04:43,370 --> 00:04:45,189
the right message at the right time,

174
00:04:45,190 --> 00:04:46,479
but it's not gonna be easy.

175
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:47,800
Do you have a favorite one?

176
00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:51,299
No, you know, there are a lot of

177
00:04:51,300 --> 00:04:52,939
people speculate and say, oh, you

178
00:04:52,940 --> 00:04:54,679
want the most radical one.

179
00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:55,739
I think in the end, if you look at

180
00:04:55,740 --> 00:04:57,639
this primary, it's hard to

181
00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:58,799
tell who the most radical is.

182
00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,639
One keeps stepping further and

183
00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,259
further away from the others.

184
00:05:02,260 --> 00:05:04,119
I compare this primary and say

185
00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,499
Jim Doyle wouldn't win in

186
00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:08,199
the primary now because that party's

187
00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,379
going so, so far to

188
00:05:10,380 --> 00:05:11,380
the left.

189
00:05:12,220 --> 00:05:13,099
And, you, know, some people have

190
00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:14,579
said Mandela Barnes because he lost

191
00:05:14,580 --> 00:05:16,399
before, but I don't

192
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,419
think there's anyone in particular.

193
00:05:18,420 --> 00:05:19,420
Is it great now?

194
00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,379
Tom Tiffany and Republicans need

195
00:05:22,380 --> 00:05:24,079
to just focus on getting their

196
00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:25,939
message out and pointing out that

197
00:05:25,940 --> 00:05:28,279
the entire field of Democrats are

198
00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:29,919
incredibly radical and out of touch

199
00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:31,939
with where I think mainstream swing

200
00:05:31,940 --> 00:05:33,779
independent voters are at, let alone

201
00:05:33,780 --> 00:05:35,659
where Republicans might be,

202
00:05:35,660 --> 00:05:37,659
and make that contrast now

203
00:05:37,660 --> 00:05:39,029
before we get...

204
00:05:39,030 --> 00:05:41,009
Get to the September and

205
00:05:41,010 --> 00:05:42,109
post-primary.

206
00:05:42,110 --> 00:05:43,849
A lot has changed since you've been

207
00:05:43,850 --> 00:05:44,669
in office.

208
00:05:44,670 --> 00:05:46,249
Technology, social media, all that

209
00:05:46,250 --> 00:05:47,449
has really exploded.

210
00:05:47,450 --> 00:05:49,209
What kind of impact does all of that

211
00:05:49,210 --> 00:05:51,469
have on elections these days?

212
00:05:51,470 --> 00:05:53,429
And do you see a problem with

213
00:05:53,430 --> 00:05:54,430
artificial intelligence?

214
00:05:55,450 --> 00:05:56,589
Well, yeah, I mean, I think one of

215
00:05:56,590 --> 00:05:57,909
the problems beyond just elections

216
00:05:57,910 --> 00:05:58,849
is just in general.

217
00:05:58,850 --> 00:06:00,049
You guys see it in the media, we see

218
00:06:00,050 --> 00:06:01,969
it society, is how many times

219
00:06:01,970 --> 00:06:03,909
people believe things that

220
00:06:03,910 --> 00:06:05,429
are fake, not just political

221
00:06:05,430 --> 00:06:06,689
statements. I saw the other day some

222
00:06:06,690 --> 00:06:08,729
image that claimed to be

223
00:06:08,730 --> 00:06:10,709
the pilot that was rescued

224
00:06:10,710 --> 00:06:11,969
when it wasn't.

225
00:06:11,970 --> 00:06:13,030
And there were, like, credible

226
00:06:13,031 --> 00:06:15,549
elected officials posting it.

227
00:06:15,550 --> 00:06:17,529
And so I think it's a good reminder

228
00:06:17,530 --> 00:06:19,469
that my kids are adults now, but I

229
00:06:19,470 --> 00:06:21,009
told them for years, multiple

230
00:06:21,010 --> 00:06:22,769
sources, everything you do, not just

231
00:06:22,770 --> 00:06:23,629
in the medium.

232
00:06:23,630 --> 00:06:24,829
But in life, I told them that when

233
00:06:24,830 --> 00:06:25,909
they were in school.

234
00:06:25,910 --> 00:06:27,889
I think for voters, for all of us,

235
00:06:27,890 --> 00:06:29,609
when it comes to AI and social

236
00:06:29,610 --> 00:06:31,649
media, that's even more important.

237
00:06:31,650 --> 00:06:33,489
Even with things, sites that you

238
00:06:33,490 --> 00:06:35,849
share the values with, don't just

239
00:06:35,850 --> 00:06:37,149
pick one and stick with it.

240
00:06:37,150 --> 00:06:39,169
Find multiple places to

241
00:06:39,170 --> 00:06:40,249
verify your information.

242
00:06:40,250 --> 00:06:41,869
That's gonna be more important than

243
00:06:41,870 --> 00:06:42,869
ever before.

244
00:06:42,870 --> 00:06:43,870
Now, having said that,

245
00:06:44,750 --> 00:06:46,709
I think the idea, we saw

246
00:06:46,710 --> 00:06:48,569
it years ago with Facebook and now

247
00:06:48,570 --> 00:06:50,449
with other platforms, of having

248
00:06:50,450 --> 00:06:51,729
free and open dialog, where

249
00:06:51,730 --> 00:06:53,719
people... Are we relying on just

250
00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,199
one source to get their information?

251
00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:56,459
It's a good thing. It makes a

252
00:06:56,460 --> 00:06:58,319
competitive world, but with more

253
00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,139
competition means we've

254
00:07:00,140 --> 00:07:02,119
got to be more careful consumers of

255
00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:03,120
information.

256
00:07:03,700 --> 00:07:05,681
Thank you. Thank you very much.