- TONIGHT'S INSIDE LOOK, THE BIG BIG FIELD OF TEN DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR AND THE EFFORTS TO CULL THE
NUMBERS.
EFFORTS NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY.
THIS WEEK, THE WISCONSIN BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION
CANCELLED A PLANNED STATEWIDE DEBATE AMONGST JUST FOUR OF THE
CANNED DATES.
THEY WERE SET TO USE POLLING AND CAMPAIGN CASH TO DETERMINE WHO
GOT A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
THE PLAN WAS CRITICIZED BY MANY, INCLUDING THE POLLSTER.
BUT ENTER WISCONSIN'S CHOICE, AN EFFORT BY TWO PROGRESSIVE GROUPS
TO WHITTLE THE FIELD OF DEM CANDIDATES.
HOW ARE THEY DOING IT?
WE TURN TO THE DIRECTOR OF ONE OF THOSE GROUPS, MARINA
DIMITRIJEVIC, WITH THE WISCONSIN WORKING FAMILIES PARTY.
THANK FOR BEING HERE.
- HAPPY TO BE HERE.
- SO WHAT IS YOUR METHOD?
- SO OURS IS MORE PEOPLE-POWERED.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF USING CAMPAIGN CASH, WHICH
HAS BEEN USED IN THE PAST, TO HAVE THE PRIMARY CANDIDATE
DECIDED.
WE WANT IT TO BE PEOPLE-POWERED.
SO OUR WISCONSIN REVOLUTION, WORKING FAMILIES PARTY, CAME
TOGETHER MONTHS AGO, HOSTED FORUMS, 50 HOUSE PARTIES ACROSS
THE STATE.
AND JUST THIS WEEK NEARLY 4,000 PEOPLE VOTED.
EVERYONE CAN VOTE IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
SO IT'S A MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT PROCESS THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE.
WE WILL BE CHOOSING THE FINAL FOUR VERY SOON.
- AND YOU HAVE THESE HOUSE PARTIES AND THEN YOU ALSO KIND
OF TRIED TO EDUCATE VOTERS ABOUT THE CANDIDATES.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
- YES.
THIS IS A REALLY UNIQUE MOMENT IN WISCONSIN.
AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED I'M GOING TO WAIT AND SIT BACK AND
SEE WHO WINS THE PRIMARIES AND ALL THESE DEMOCRATS SEEM THE
SAME.
WE CHALLENGE THAT.
THERE'S MAJOR DIFFERENCES AND ISSUES.
WE'VE HAD NEARLY TEN FORUMS, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE
STATE THAT HAVE BEEN TO THOSE FORUMS.
ON WECHOOSE.ORG THERE'S ISSUE-SPECIFIC VIDEOS, PEOPLE
SPEAKING AND THE CANDIDATES RESPONDING.
WE AVERAGED 50 PEOPLE FOR A HOUSE PARTY.
I HOSTED ONE.
TAKING THAT CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE ALL HAD INFORMALLY AND
HAVING IT IN THE BACKYARD OR KITCHEN TABLE.
- I WENT ON YOUR WEBSITE AND THERE WAS A PLACE TO PUNCH IN
THE ZIP CODE TO SEE ABOUT NEARBY HOUSE PARTIES.
IN THE DANE COUNTY ZIP CODE THAT I PUT IN, THE CLOSEST ONE WAS
WALWORTH COUNTY.
- I BELIEVE THERE WAS ONE IN PORTAGE, BUT YEAH.
THEY WERE ALL NEARBY.
THERE WAS MORE IN MILWAUKEE.
BUT THERE WAS A HUGE ONE THE OTHER NIGHT IN SHEBOYGAN THAT
HAD NEARLY 60 PEOPLE.
- YOU, YOU HAVE DONE THIS ALL ALONG AND ONE OF YOUR STRAW
POLLS ALREADY CULLED THE NUMBERS; THAT'S RIGHT?
- CORRECT.
SO IT'S A THREE POINT PROCESS.
THERE'S NO PERFECT PROCESS HERE.
THIS IS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
IT'S EXCITING.
THE FIRST ROUND OF VOTING TOOK THE CANDIDATES DOWN TO NINE AND
NOW THE SECOND ROUND IS NINE TO FOUR.
AND IN MID-JULY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.
AND IF SOMEONE OBTAINS FROM THE FOUR 50% PLUS ONE, THEY'LL BE
THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.
- WHICH CANDIDATES WERE ELIMINATED ACCORDING TO YOUR
STRAW POLLING IN THE FIRST ROUND?
- I BELIEVE IT WAS RAMO RAMONAD JEFFREY.
ALSO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VOTED IN THAT.
NOW WE'RE GOING FROM NINE TO FOUR AND THEN FOUR TO ONE.
- WHAT IS THE REACTION ON THE PART OF THE CANDIDATES TO THIS?
- I THINK THAT THEY FEEL THAT IT'S A MORE FAIR, TRANSPARENT
PROCESS.
CANDIDATES PAID FOR FACEBOOK ADS ASKING FOR FOLKS TO VOTE IN OUR
POLL.
THEY SEND EMAILS OUT.
IT'S BEEN VERY CANDIDATE-DRIVEN AS WELL.
THEY WANT TO BE THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.
- SO THE POLLING IN THIS SECOND ROUND ENDED THURSDAY NIGHT AT
10:00 P.M.
WHEN ARE RESULTS COMING OUT?
- MONDAY MORNING WE'LL HAVE THE OFFICIAL RESULTS.
- AND JUST BRIEFLY, WHY DO YOU WANT TO NARROW THIS FIELD TO
THIS EXTENT?
- WE WANT TO PUSH ON THE ISSUES.
FOR TOO LONG IT HAS BEEN FINANCIALLY-BASED, THAT THE
PERSON WHO CAN RAISE THE MOST MONEY HAS GENERALLY WON THE
PRIMARY.
THAT HASN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL FOR DEMOCRATS.
WE WANT TO HAVE A MUCH-NEEDED DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUES, ANY
ISSUE, WAGES, IMMIGRATION.
WE WANT TO HAVE THAT POWERFUL CONVERSATION BECAUSE THAT'S THE
WAY TO BEAT SCOTT WALKER.
- AND IF YOUR FINAL VOTE COMES UP WITH THAT SUPER CANDIDATE,
THAT'S AHEAD OF THE PRIMARY.
- RIGHT.
IT IS.
AND WHAT THAT ENDORSEMENT COMES WITH IS THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE-POWERED HOURS.
BECAUSE HERE'S THE KICKER.
IN THE FINAL ROUND WE'RE ASKING FOLKS PRIOR TO VOTE TO COMMIT TO
TEN HOURS FOR THEIR CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.
SO IT WILL BE A BANK OF THOUSANDS OF HOURS TO PUT THAT
PERSON OVER THE EDGE.
- INTERESTING.
WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THE RESULTS ON MONDAY.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
- THANK YOU.