BEEN CALLING THIS THE
UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTION.
SO WHAT WAS IT LIKE ON THE
GROUND IN MILWAUKEE?
"HERE AND NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL
REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ WAS THERE
ALL WEEK AND BRINGS US THIS
REPORT.
>> MONDAY MORNING WAS THE DAY
MILWAUKEE WAS WAITING FOR.
AN ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD
REGISTERED ZERO DAYS UNTIL THE
START OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
CONVENTION.
THE EVENT THAT WOULD CERTIFY
MILWAUKEE AS A PEER TO OTHER
MAJOR CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
>> GOOD MORNING, WISCONSIN
DEMOCRATS.
>> TECHNICALLY, MILWAUKEE WAS
STILL THE HOST CITY, EVEN IF
CONCERNS OVER THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC MEANT THE WISCONSIN
DELEGATE BREAKFAST TOOK PLACE
ONLINE.
>> WE ARE ALSO GATHERED
VIRTUALLY BECAUSE OF AN
UNFOLDING TRAGEDY RIGHT NOW, A
TRAGEDY, FRANKLY, THAT WE CAN
LAY AT THE FEET OF THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> SPEAKERS TRIED TO PUT ON A
BRAVE FACE.
>> THIS IS TRULY AN EXCITING
MOMENT.
>> TRYING TO MAKE SURE VIRTUAL
EXPERIENCE COULD STILL BE A
SHARED EXPERIENCE.
>> I'VE STILL GOT MY BREAKFAST
WITH ME TODAY, EGG MCMUFFIN.
>> REPUBLICANS TRIED TO
CAPITALIZE ON THE ABSENCE OF THE
DEMOCRATS, WITH DONALD TRUMP
FLIEG
FLYING INTO OSHKOSH AND FLAUNT
WISCONSIN'S MASK ORDER.
>> SO WE'LL CALL IT A PEACEFUL
PROTEST.
THAT WAY WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE
WANT.
>> THE WOMEN FOR TRUMP BUS TOUR
HIT SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN ASKING
VOTERS TO VALUE BEING THERE OVER
BEING SAFE.
>> WE THOUGHT JOE BIDEN WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE IN WISCONSIN.
>> WHERE'S JOE?
[APPLAUSE]
>> THEY EVEN RENTED A BILLBOARD
RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EMPTY
FISERV FORUM.
BUT THERE WASN'T ANYBODY TO SEE
IT.
>> HEY, HEY, HO, HO, GOT TO GO.
>> ONLY A HANDFUL OF PROTESTORS
SHOWED UP.
>> CORPORATE MON MONOPOLIES.
>> TOM BARRETT SAID ABSOLUTELY
NO REASON TO STAY AWAY FROM
DOWNTOWN OTHER THAN COVID-19.
>> CO-OWNER OF BUCK BRADLEY'S
SALOON.
>> WELL, IT WAS QUITE A BLOW.
WE ENDED UP HAVING SEVERAL
BOOKINGS WHICH ENDED UP
CANCELLING.
THESE PARTIES WERE GOING TO BE
MID FIVE FIGURES.
SO OF COURSE THAT HURT.
BUT WE'VE BEEN SHUT DOWN FOR
THREE MONTHS ALSO.
>> THE CONVENTION PROGRAM WAS SO
WORLDLY THAT WISCONSIN SPEAKERS
HAD TO REMIND PEOPLE THEY WERE
STILL THE HOST.
>> WISCONSIN.
>> WELCOME BACK TO MILWAUKEE,
WISCONSIN, A GREAT CITY ON
NATIVE LAND ON A GREAT LAKE.
IT'S THE PLACE WHERE I WAS BORN
AND RAISED RIGHT IN THE HEART OF
53206 ZIP CODE.
>> THE CONVENTION ENDED WITH JOE
BIDEN ACCEPTING THE NOMINATION
FROM DELAWARE WITHOUT EVEN
MENTIONING MILWAUKEE OR
WISCONSIN.
>> THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS
YOU AND MAY GOD PROTECT OUR
TROOPS.
>> ZAC SCHULTZ JOINS US
POST-CONVENTION IN MILWAUKEE.
ZAC, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> MY PLEASURE, FRED.
>> SO THE FACT THAT MILWAUKEE
WAS CHOSEN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION WAS A VERY BIG DEAL
IN THIS STATE.
BUT WHAT IN THE END DO YOU THINK
ABOUT WHETHER GIVEN ITS VIRTUAL
FOOTPRINT THE NATIONAL AUDIENCE
COULD EVEN TELL ITS OFFICIAL
LOCATION, MUCH LESS KIND OF A
SHOWCASING OF THE CITY?
>> YEAH.
THERE DEFINITELY WAS A LACK OF
FOCUS ON MILWAUKEE.
THERE WEREN'T ANY OF THE FLASHY
THINGS SHOWING THE SKYLINE OR
ANY OF THE INTRO GRAPHICS COMING
BACK TALKING ABOUT WELCOME BACK
TO MILWAUKEE THAT YOU HEAR IN
OTHER CONVENTION PROGRAMS.
THE NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE SEEMED
TO BE THAT WAS OKAY, THAT THE
VIRTUAL FORMAT BROUGHT IN THE
WHOLE COUNTRY AT THE SAME TIME
INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON ONE AREA.
CLEARLY THE PEOPLE HERE IN
MILWAUKEE AND WISCONSIN WOULD
HAVE LIKED THE REVERSE, BUT I
THINK THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY
HAD TO BRING THE ATTENTION TO
THEMSELVES WHEN IT WAS THEIR
OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THEM THAT
WISCONSIN AND MILWAUKEE WERE THE
HOST PLACES.
>> DONALD TRUMP AND MIKE PENCE
WERE BOTH IN WISCONSIN THIS
WEEK.
DID THEY STEAL ANY OF THE
SPOTLIGHT FROM JOE BIDEN AND
KAMALA HARRIS WHO IN FACT DID
NOT COME TO STATE?
>> WELL, THERE WAS CERTAINLY
LOCAL MEDIA ATTENTION PLACED ON
THOSE VISITS.
WE CERTAINLY FOLLOWED UP ON
THAT.
BUT IN THE END, THE CONVENTION
MOSTLY TOOK PLACE DURING THE
EVENING AND FROM THE VIEWERS'
PERSPECTIVE, FROM A NATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S NOT WHEN THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS ON THE
GROUND.
SO YOU COULD QUESTION WHETHER
THEY WERE ABLE TO STEAL SOME OF
THAT ATTENTION.
THE EVENINGS REALLY BELONGED TO
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
CONVENTION, WHAT PEOPLE WERE
WATCHING AND TALKING ABOUT.
>> ONE THING THAT WAS POSITIVE
WAS THAT THE POLICE PRESENCE
DIDN'T NEED TO BE MASSIVE.
>> YEAH.
THERE WAS DEFINITELY A LACK OF
POLICE PRESENCE DOWN HERE, AND
THAT WAS PROBABLY A GOOD THING.
THE MAYOR ACTUALLY COMMENTED
THAT THERE WERE NO MAJOR
DISTURBANCES.
THERE WERE SOME SMALL LIMITED
PROTESTS, BUT NO ARRESTS THAT WE
HAVE HEARD ABOUT.
SO IT WAS A HAPPY THING THAT THE
CITY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
ALL THE CONFLICT THAT WE'VE SEEN
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND OTHER
MAJOR CITIES COMING HERE.
THERE WAS CONCERN IN THE RUN-UP
TO THIS OF WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE
ENOUGH POLICE PRESENCE IN
MILWAUKEE TO HANDLE THAT.
>> OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE IN THE CITY
FELT THE LOSS OF OPPORTUNITY,
PARTICULARLY BUSINESSES.
BUT IT WASN'T JUST BUSINESSES
THAT LOST OUT.
>> NO.
THERE WAS A SENSE OF CIVIC PRIDE
THAT WAS LOST.
PEOPLE REALLY WANTED TO SEE
MILWAUKEE AND WISCONSIN PUT ON
THE MAP.
WE SPOKE TO CONGRESSWOMAN GWEN
MOORE ABOUT THAT VERY ISSUE.
>> TONIGHT WE ARE GATHERED TO
RECLAIM THE SOUL OF AMERICA.
>> THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION,
CONGRESSWOMAN GWEN MOORE WAS ONE
OF THE FIRST SPEAKERS MONDAY
NIGHT.
>> TODAY WE GATHER VIRTUALLY.
HOWEVER, WE GATHER UNIFIED IN
SPIRIT, UNIFIED IN OUR VALUES
AND PURPOSE.
>> SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE ONLY
SPEAKERS ACTUALLY IN MILWAUKEE.
>> OH, I SURE WISH YOU ALL WERE
HERE IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE.
>> SEEING THE DNC GO VIRTUAL WAS
A CRUSHING BLOW TO THE CITY.
>> AND AS WE ALL RECOGNIZE, IT'S
NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE THOUGHT IT
WAS GOING TO BE.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DEAL
WITH IT.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF
DISAPPOINTMENT, A LOT OF
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT'S NOT
GOING TO OWE CURL.
>> BUT NEXT TO THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC CRY TIS
AND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTEST, A CONVENTION IS NOT THE
DEFINING ISSUE FOR MILWAUKEE'S
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
>> WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO
SEEING BIDEN IN PERSON.
IT WOULD HAVE BOOSTED MORALE.
>> DEBRA WILKERSON WAS WAITING
FOR AN APPOINTMENT AT THE HUMAN
SERVICES BUILDING JUST A FEW
BLOCKS FROM THE CONVENTION
CENTER.
SHE SAID THEY DON'T NEED A
CONVENTION TO REMIND THEM WHAT'S
AT STAKE THIS FALL.
>> WE ARE GOING TO VOTE.
>> THE EFFECTS OF THE
CORONAVIRUS ON JOBS AND THE
STATE'S DELAYS IN PROCESSING
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ARE THE
BIGGEST CONCERNS FOR EVERYBODY
IN THIS LINE.
>> UNEMPLOYMENT IS VERY
IMPORTANT HERE.
VERY IMPORTANT.
THE DNC CONVENTION, NICE IF IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE.
BUT UNEMPLOYMENT.
>> MILWAUKEE IS THE PLACE THAT I
LOVE.
AND IT'S THE PLACE THAT HAS HAD
ALL OF THOSE CHALLENGES AND
PROBLEMS.
>> THE DNC WAS SUPPOSED TO TURN
THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE CITY.
>> WISCONSIN AND MILWAUKEE, THIS
WAS A MICROCOSM OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
>> GWEN MOORE KNEW THAT MEANT
HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD STORIES AND
THE INEQUITIES.
>> PRE-COVID IT WAS DESIGNATED
AS ONE OF THE WORST PLACES FOR A
BLACK CHILD TO GROW UP BECAUSE
OF THE POVERTY.
>> MARC LEVINE IS WITH THE
UW-MILWAUKEE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
HIS LATEST STUDY SHOWS NO LARGE
AMERICAN CITY RANKS WORSE ACROSS
THE BOARD ON INDICATORS OF BLACK
COMMUNITY WELL-BEING THAN
MILWAUKEE.
>> WE HAVE GOT THE MOST
IMPOVERISHED AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY IN THE COUNTRY AND
IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BECOME
INCREASINGLY IMPOVERISHED.
>> THIS IS A CITY WHERE BLOOD
WAS SHED FOR LABOR RIGHTS.
>> MOORE HOPED THAT SPOTLIGHT OF
THE DNC WOULD OPEN THE EYES OF
THE NATION TO THE CHALLENGES IN
MILWAUKEE.
>> THESE ISSUES ARE NOT NEW TO
MILWAUKEE AND THE STRUGGLE IS
NOT NEW TO MILWAUKEE.
>> INSTEAD, COVID-19 HAS SHOWN
THOSE INEQUITIES EXIST ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY AND MOORE SAYS THE
TIME HAS COME FOR THE NATION TO
ADDRESS THEM.
>> WE HAVE PUBLIC SENTIMENT
AROUND COPING WITH RACISM, WITH
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, AROUND
INEQUALITY, AROUND HEALTH CARE
FOR EVERYONE, AROUND CLIMATE
CHANGE.
>> GWEN MOORE SAYS THE LESSON TO
LEARN FROM ALL OF THIS IS FOR
PEOPLE TO TAKE MATTERS INTO
THEIR OWN HANDS.
THEYSHE SEES THAT IN THE PROTESTS.
>> SO THIS NEXT GENERATION IS
FIGHTING FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF
LIFE FOR -- YOU KNOW, I'M JUST
READY TO SEE THEM COME ONLINE
AND DO IT.
>> SHE EVEN SEES THAT IN THE
DEMOCRATS' APPROACH TO A VIRTUAL
CONVENTION.
>> I AM NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE
FOR THIS BEING A DIFFERENT
CONVENTION.
>> MOORE SAYS THE SILVER LINING
TO THE MILWAUKEE DNC IS YOU
DON'T HAVE TO BE THERE TO GET
INVOLVED.
SHE SAYS COVID GAVE THEM LEMONS.
>> BUT WE HAVE MADE GALLONS AND
BUCKETS AND BUCKETS OF LEMONADE
OUT OF IT.
>> I LOVE YOU ALL.
>> I LOVE YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THAT'S A STORY WORTH TELLING
TO THE NATION.
>> WE GET TO TELL THAT STORY,
RIGHT HERE IN SOME