DAY WHEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
HAS A SINGLE NOMINEE TO RUN
AGAINST, THE RUN-UP TO THAT
BRINGS US DEBATE STAGES WITH A
DOZEN CANDIDATES.
AND MEANWHILE STATE POLITICS
MIRRORS WASHINGTON IN CONFLICT
AND CONSTERNATION.
IN TONIGHT'S INSIDE LOOK, A
CHECK-IN WITH FORMER STATE
SENATOR AND EMERITUS PROFESSOR
MORDECAI LEE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR INVITING ME.
>> SO FIRST, ON THE BIG STAGE,
NATIONAL POLITICS.
YOU DESCRIBED THIS WEEK'S
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE AS GOOD NEWS
FOR WISCONSIN.
HOW SO?
>> OUR APRIL PRIMARY SOMETIMES
COMES SO LATE IN THE PROCESS
THAT EITHER THE DOMINATION IS
ESSENTIALLY RAPPED UP OR IT'S
ONLY DOWN TO TWO CANDIDATES.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE
DEBATE, YOU SAW THAT THERE ARE
SEVERAL LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS.
THEY WERE MARATHON RUNNERS
EITHER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A
GOOD CAPABILITY OF RAISING MONEY
OR APPEALING TO CERTAIN
DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, SOME PEOPLE
WILL DO WELL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND IOWA, BUT EVEN IF THE LONG
DISTANCE RUNNERS DON'T COME IN
FIRST OR SECOND OR THIRD, IF
THEY'VE GOT THE MONEY, THEY'RE
GOING TO LAST A LONG TIME.
I THINK BY THE TIME WE GET TO
VOTING IN APRIL IN OUR PRIMARY,
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
FOUR, FIVE, SIX CANDIDATES ALL
VIABLE AND IT WILL BE MEANINGFUL
FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE IN THAT.
>> BUT AREN'T VOTERS GETTING
ANTSY FOR THE FIELD TO BE
SIGNIFICANTLY NARROWED?
>> NO.
YOU WANT ME HE TO ELABORATE ON
THAT.
I THINK VOTERS LIKE CHOICE.
THE THING ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE OR
SIX CANDIDATES IS EACH ONE OF
THEM WILL OPERATE A NICHE BASED
ON DEMOGRAPHICS, ON GEEINGING GEEINGING GEEING ONFY
OR IDEOLOGY.
PEOPLE SAY I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR
SO AND SO.
CHOICE IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING
FOR VOTERS.
>> LET'S GO TO STATE POLITICS.
YOU'VE GOT SOME FASCINATING
TAKES ON SCOTT FITZGERALD SES'S RUN
FOR CONGRESS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK IT'S REALLY
IMPRESSIVE THAT WHEN THERE'S A
VACANT CONGRESSIONAL SEAT, ONE
THAT HASN'T BEEN VACANT FOR 30,
40 YEARS, THAT HE ESSENTIALLY
HAS BECOME THE NOMINEE.
THE SAME HAPPENED IN PAUL RYAN'S
SEAT.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS VERY
WELL-ORGANIZED.
THEY'VE GOT A MACHINE.
SO IF HE'S NOW THE DE FACTO
REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, QUESTION IS
WHAT DOES HE DO WHILE HE'S
WAITING UNTIL THE ELECTION?
DOES HE BECOME MORE PARTISAN, SO
IN WAUKESHA COUNTY HE'S REALLY
MOBILIZING HIS PLACE, OR DOES HE
WANT TO BECOME SORT OF STATESMAN
LIKE, MORE CONGRESSIONAL?
MY GUESS IS IT'S GOING TO BE THE
FORMER RATHER THAN THE LATTER.
IN OTHER WORDS, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR
BASE IN MIND.
THAT'S HOW YOU WIN ELECTIONS.
AND SO THAT PROBABLY MEANS THAT
FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND FOR ANY
SPECIAL SESSIONS HE'LL BE SORT
OF THE SAME OLD FITZ.
>> HOW DIFFICULT DO DONALD
TRUMP'S TROUBLES MAKE IT FOR
SCOTT FITZGERALD TO GO THAT UBER
PARTISAN?
>> WELL, I THINK IF YOU'RE
RUNNING IN A SENSENBRENNER
DISTRICT, THAT IS SO OVER
WHELLINGLY REPUBLICAN THAT YOU
WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE
PRESIDENT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT
THE BASE WANTS.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT DISTRICT
GOING DEMOCRATIC.
MAYBE IF THERE'S A NOAH'S FLOOD,
A POLITICAL FLOOD, THAT MAYBE A
DEMOCRAT WOULD HAVE A CHANCE.
OTHERWISE HE DOESN'T HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT IT.
>> LET ME ABOUT YOU ABOUT THE
GOVERNOR'S VETO POWER.
WE HAVE A LAWSUIT THAT JUST HIT
THE STATE SUPREME COURT TO LIMIT
THE GOVERNOR'S VETO POWER.
WE'VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD
BEFORE, BUT WHAT'S YOUR
PREDICTION ABOUT WHETHER
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS' KEEPS HIS
POWERFUL VETO PEN?
>> I THINK IT'S PRETTY LOW
BECAUSE A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT OR A DECISION BY THE
SUPREME COURT RIGHT NOW WOULD
TEND TO HAVE NOT MUCH INFLUENCE
FOR THE GOVERNOR.
THE SUPREME COURT IS 5-2
CONSERVATIVE.
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, A
GOVERNOR PLAYS NO ROLE.
HE CAN'T VETO A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT.
SO I SUSPECT THAT HE'S GOING TO
LOSE BEFORE THE STATE SUPREME
COURT.
>> SO THERE GOES THE VETO PEN.
>> NOT QUITE, BUT IT WILL BE
LIMITED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
MORDECAI LEE, THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR JOINING