NOW BACK TO PRESIDENTIAL
POLITICS.
ALL EYES ARE ON WISCONSIN THIS
FALL AND PARTICULARLY ON RURAL
WISCONSIN, WHERE A TIGHT
STATEWIDE VOTE COULD BE DECIDED.
WE TRAVELED TO CLARK COUNTY TO
SEE HOW VOTERS THERE WERE
APPROACHING ELECTION DAY.
HERE'S PORTIA YOUNG.
>> AMERICA'S HEARTLAND IS
HISTORICALLY WHERE POLITICAL
CANDIDATES FIND A STRONG
CONSERVATIVE BASE.
RURAL WISCONSIN IS TRADITIONALLY
NO DIFFERENT.
>> WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
CONSERVATIVE AREA.
I CAN'T SEE THAT CHANGING.
>> THAT'S EDITOR OF THE
NEWSPAPER IN LOYAL, A SMALL
DAIRY TOWN IN THE NORTHWEST PART
OF THE STATE.
LOYAL IS ALSO IN CLARK COUNTY,
WHERE THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY
DAIRY COWS AS PEOPLE.
>> HE SAYS FISCAL CONSERVATISM
AND THE AIL ABORTION ISSUE DRIVE THE
VOTE.
THIS IS DEFINITELY REPUBLICAN
TERRITORY NO MATTER WHO THE
CANDIDATE.
HE ACKNOWLEDGES BEING THE ODD
MAN OUT AS A DEMOCRAT.
>> NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO
MEET IN THE MIDDLE OR LISTEN TO
THE OTHER SIDE.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK.
I'M NOT SO SURE A GOOD FRIEND OF
MINE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO CALL ME
AN IDIOT BECAUSE I'M NOT VOTING
FOR TRUMP IN THE FALL.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.
>> HE SAYS COVID-19 ALSO WIDENED
THE DIVIDE, A DIVIDE HE THINKS
BECAME CLEAR FOUR YEARS AGO.
FARMERS, A LARGE POPULATION IN
THIS COUNTY, HAVE TRADITIONALLY
VOTED REPUBLICAN AND HAVE TAKEN
A BIG ECONOMIC HIT OVER THE LAST
FIVE YEARS.
YOUNG DAIRY FARMERS ROBIN AND
CHRIS SAY THEY HAVEN'T MADE UP
THEIR MINDS, BUT UNDERSTAND WHY
THERE IS STILL SO MUCH SUPPORT
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP IN CLARK
COUNTY.
>> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STARTED
HERE IN WISCONSIN.
>> I GUESS WHAT PEOPLE LIKE
ABOUT TRUMP, TOO, HE SAYS HE'S
GOING TO DO SOMETHING, HE DOES
IT, YOU KNOW?
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE AROUND HERE LIKE.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE
AROUND HERE.
PEOPLE ARE TRUE TO THEIR WORD
AROUND HERE.
SO I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH IT.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THE PERSON
REALLY IS UNLESS YOU MEET THEM
FACE-TO-FACE, WHICH IS HARD TO
DO.
>> SOME POLITICAL WRITERS THINK
DONALD TRUMP WINNING RURAL
WISCONSIN MIGHT BE HARDER TO DO
THIS TIME AROUND.
HE WON WISCONSIN FOUR YEARS AGO
IN SMALL TOWNS LIKE LOYAL AND IN
RURAL COUNTIES.
>> THANKS TO PORTIA YOUNG AND
MILWAUKEE PBS FOR THAT REPORT.
AND THAT IS ALL FOR TONIGHT'S
PROGRAM.
I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
>> FOR MORE "HERE AND NOW" 2020
ELECTION COVERAGE, GO TO
pbs.org AND CLICK ON NEWS.
>> FUNDING FOR "HERE AND NOW" IS
PROVIDED BY THE FOCUS FUND FOR
JOURNALISM AND FRIENDS OF PBS
WISCONSIN.