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Governor Evers making a comment there on political fortunes going forward
What will those fortunes look like in the midterm elections?
We welcome our political panelists Republican Bill McCation and Democrat Scott Ross and hello. How are ya? Pretty good
So Bill Tom Tiffany said Republicans got their bots kicked Tuesday night. How in your view did that happen?
Well, he's right about that
If you're gonna win statewide, you need three things you need money organization and message mom
We had no money
Didn't look like we had any organization
And I'm not sure what the message was so I think we failed on all three of those points and ultimately
It wasn't the worst Supreme Court election in state history, but it was pretty close and you know when when
Maria Lazar is losing her home county of Waukesha by
43,600 she got 43,600 fewer votes than Brad Schimmel did in her own
County that's a rough night Scott wasn't about the money advantage for Chris Taylor
No, because we've seen advantages before where I mean
I've been part of ones where the Republicans had all the money and the liberal candidate didn't have any and we've never I haven't
You know the most I saw was like I think seven points back in 2013
But the fact is is that this is a combination of a couple things first and foremost that the Republican brand has broken
The Donald Trump Republican Party has taken us to war
It's taken us into the poor house and it keeps doubling down
And I would point out that you know in the same interview where Tom Tiffany said they got their butts kicked
He also endorsed you know Trump's you know
announced
intention to commit war crimes and
Every economic policy that he has pushed forward including
Trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election
Considering this race was about
fairness
freedom and rights
There's no wonder that the Republicans lost so Bill how big a factor is Trump in these elections
I don't think the race was nationalized. I don't agree with Scott on that
It may have had something to do with some people staying home
I mean the truth is they didn't know Mariel is ours. She raised less than a million dollars
Which is far less than Brad Schimmel. I mean a year ago
We had the most expenses of pre-court race in history a hundred and fifteen million dollars
This one combined was around 10 million. So people didn't know who she was
So I'm not I'm not sure that Trump was a huge factor in this race
But the truth is you know congrats first of all to Justice elect Chris Taylor
But she won seven out of eight congressional districts including Tom Tiffany's and they went up 71 71 of the 72 counties had a higher
Performance than in 2025 in ages. So how does this travel into November?
Well, I think that I think that the trend is irreversible in terms of the Republican performance in Trump's brand
And I would just this I mean again
I just have to disagree because if you look at past elections, you know
Like for instance in 2016 where Rebecca Bradley means she lost she won by 94,500 votes
You know when there were 97,000 more Republicans who voted in the presidential primary that year
That's not even close to 20 percent. It's not even close to double digits in terms of the difference between the two
You know Republicans have in the in the Trump era lost
Races were tons of money the most money ever spent
They've lost when not a lot of money spent. They've lost by
Double digits each time that we've had these things. It's just again. It's the brand is broken
They are doubling down the cult will continue Tom Tiffany Derek Van Orton and whoever
Republicans can finally try and get to be leader of the Senate and
Assembly Democrats or Republicans, you know come November
You know, it's just a disaster, but again Democrats have to do the work in order to get there
Not a great correlation between spring elections and fall elections in the state of Wisconsin if you look at 2023
Janet pro to say it's won a Supreme Court seat by 10 points
2024 Donald Trump wins Wisconsin with the most votes of any statewide candidate in history
So it's it's not a perfect correlation, but I would say it's a warning sign for Republicans
They ought to take it that way. So Bill what about the war in Iran and its repercussions at home?
I think it's having an impact in in this respect gas prices are up whether it's a buck buck 50
And people feel that so at the fundamental question that every voter has to answer when they go into the voting booth
Is what's in it for me if I vote for x or y and right now?
That's not great for Republicans for Republicans to have a shot this fall gas needs to be at or below three bucks a gallon
And if it's not it's gonna be a tough cycle. Yeah, 33% gas prices have gone up since Trump's war of choice in Iran
So if if that somehow gets resolved and those gas prices come down and inflation comes down
Is it does it kind of revert to a regular cycle then because people are still losing their health care?
They're still seeing ice, you know
The Gestapo in our streets, you know
Killing Americans who do nothing more than protest like those things are gonna stop and the cult of Trump within the Republican Party of elected officials
Specifically Derek Van Orton and Tom Tiffany who both is built correctly pointed out lost the congressional district
I mean Derek Van Orton lost his district or Chris Taylor won Derek Van Orton's district by 22 points
Oh Claire and La Crosse were nearly 40% it could it could revert to a normal cycle before the
War broke out in the Middle East the generic ballot was a couple points favorable towards Democrats
That's something that Republicans can and compete in and win in now
It's five or six and in some polls it's eight points. That's a much tougher environment for Republicans
So Scott what about for Democrats and their splintered primary for governor with so many candidates
I mean that just means there's more coverage of what Democrats are talking about because they're not attacking each other not going after each other
It's same thing from 2018
I mean there were hardly any even contrast leveled in the 2018 primary for for Democrats and what ended up happening
Tony Evers upset Scott Walker who was trying to win a third term and didn't you know
I think that on top of you know not just that ballot, but talking I'm sorry to your question
Not just talking about the Democrats in the in the in the primary
But what that's gonna do for the down ballot the state Senate and state assembly
I mean we saw things like you know is
Some of the targets the the best target the Republicans have in the state Senate Jeff Smith
Chris Taylor one is district by 30 points like you know
That's all I mean there's even there's new there's new meat on the tables results of Tuesday night not surprising
But a different take there's a hundred and twenty three days until the primary if they do not define one another
Francesca Hong will be the Democratic nominee. What's the money race gonna look like? It's gonna be very different this fall
Maria Lazar got no outside help including from ally groups like the Federalist Federalist Society and WMC who have always spent seven figures in
Supreme Court races this fall the money will be there for Tom Tiffany and what about the money on the Democratic side?
Golly, yes, I think that the money is gonna be there for Democrats because they have been an incredible fundraising machine for the last like
You know since wickler thankfully is wickler's gone
so
But Devin's doing a good job of raising the money to you know again Democrats need to do what in order to win these races
It's not about out raising the Republicans. It is about a consistent relentless assault on what?
Republicans stand for and how they are hurting the people of Wisconsin two hundred and seven days to go
It's time to get the war over and get back to domestic affairs
Okay, Bill McCauson Scott Ross. Thanks very much
For more on this and other issues facing Wisconsin visit our website at PBS Wisconsin dot org and then click on the news
Tap that's our program for tonight. I'm Frederica Freibert. Have a good weekend
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