>> THANKS, FRED.
>> AMID THE FLURRY OF ACTIVITY
AT THE CAPITOL WAS A RALLY FROM
FAR RIGHT REPUBLICANS.
THE GROUP ONCE AGAIN PETITIONING
TO OVERTURN WISCONSIN'S
ELECTORAL VOTES FOR TRUMP.
ON GROUNDS THAT THE ELECTION WAS
ADMINISTERED ILLEGALLY.
A CHARGE THAT HAS LONG BEEN
ISCREDITED AFTER NUMEROUS
LAWSUITS, AUDITS AND
INVESTIGATIONS.
REPRESENTATIVE TIMOTHY RAMTHUN,
WHO JUST ANNOUNCED HIS RUN FOR
GOVERNOR, AND JANEL BRANDTJEN,
CHAIR ON CAMPAIGNS AND LEK
SHOELECTIONS, PUSHED FOR A
RESOLUTION TO RECLAIM
WISCONSIN'S 10 ELECTORS.
>> I'M NOT A CONSPIRACY
THEORIST.
I'M INTO TRUTH, I WANT JUSTICE
AND CLOSURE ON THE DETAILS OF
MECHANICS OF AWR PROCESS.
OUR PROCESS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO'S ON THE
BALLOT, IS IT BEING COUNTED
PROPERLY.
>> THIS ADVERTISED FOR SPECIFIC
GROUPS TO BE REPRESENTED, NOT
ALL VOTERS.
IS THAT THE JOB OF A
MUNICIPALITY TO ONLY REACH OUT
TO SPECIFIC GROUPS?
AND NOT ALL GROUPS AS VOTERS?
YOU ARE NOT CRAZY.
>> THIS MOVE ON THE PART OF
SPECIFIC LAWMAKERS COMES DESPITE
THE LEGISLATURE'S NON-PARTISAN
LEGAL COUNSEL SAYING, SUCH
ACTION VIOLATES THE WISCONSIN
CONSTITUTION.
HOW DOES A POLITICIAN LIKE
TIMOTHY RAMTHUN RESONATE WITH
WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN VOTERS, AND
WHERE IS THE PARTY HEADED?
WE TURN TO MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE,
PAUL NOLLETTE, WITH THOSE
QUESTIONS, AND THANKS FOR BEING
HERE.
>> HI.
GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> SO WHAT KIND OF REPUBLICANS
ARE SETTING THE AGENDA RIGHT NOW
IN WISCONSIN?
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW, IT REALLY IS
A BATTLE, I THINK, BETWEEN THE
MORE MAINSTREAM REPUBLICANS,
MANY OF THE LEADERS IN THE STATE
LEGISLATURE, AS WELL AS THE
CLOSEST ALLIES TO FORMER
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.
AND THAT BATTLE IS REALLY, I
THINK, ONE OF THOSE BIG BATTLE
GROUNDS, ANYWAYS, OVER THIS
QUESTION ABOUT THE 2020
ELECTION, AND VOTING RIGHTS.
AND SO SOME OF WHAT THE MORE
CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE
REPUBLICANS AT THE STATE LEVEL
ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS THIS
QUESTION OF THE ELECTION, AND
THE 2020 ELECTION, ALMOST IN A
SINGLE ISSUE WAY.
>> SO WHICH FACTION OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, THEN, IN
WISCONSIN DO YOU THINK MOST
RESONATES WITH VOTERS?
>> WELL, I THINK THE
CONSERVATIVE SIDE DEFINITELY HAS
A NUMBER OF ADHERENCE.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY
ON THE MORE PRO-TRUMP SIDE OF
THE PARTY, AND CERTAINLY DONALD
TRUMP REMAINS A POPULAR FIGURE
WITHIN THE CONTEMPORARY
REPUBLICAN PARTY, BOTH
NATIONWIDE AND HERE IN
WISCONSIN.
I DO THINK, THOUGH, THAT IN
TERMS OF POLICY, LOOKING AT HOW
THINGS ARE ACTUALLY GOING, THE
SOMEWHAT MORE ESTABLISHMENT OR
MAINSTREAM, WHATEVER WORD WE
WANT TO EU WHO USE, WHO ARE PUG
BACK ON THE MORE EXTREME
CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND CLAIMS
ABOUT THE 20 2020 ELECTION, SO R
THOSE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN IN
CONTROL.
WE'VE SEEN THE WISCONSIN
LEGISLATURE CARRY ON A VERY LONG
INVESTIGATION OF THE 2020
ELECTION, BUT SO FAR THOSE CALLS
TO ACTUALLY DECERTIFY THE
ELECTION, TO PULL BACK ELECTORAL
VOTES FROM JOE BIDEN IN
WISCONSIN, THOSE SO FAR HAVE NOT
GONE ANYWHERE.
>> DO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR
GOVERNOR HAVE TO TRY TO BE THE
TRUMP-IEST TO WIN?
>> IT'S A BALANCE, IT'S REALLY A
BALANCE, AND A TIGHTROPE, I
THINK, FOR PEOPLE LIKE REBECCA
KLEEFISCH, FOR INSTANCE, WHO I
THINK PROBABLY ENTERS AS THE
FAVORITE IN THE RACE ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE, AND I THINK THE
PRO-TRUMP ENERGY, I MEAN, THESE
ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY
FIRED UP TO VOTE, THEY'RE READY
TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY IN AUGUST
AND THEN IN THE GENERAL ELECTION
THIS NOVEMBER, BUT ULTIMATELY, I
THINK THEY ARE STILL LIKELY A
MINORITY ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE,
IN TERMS OF EMBRACING THE MORE
EXTREME VERSIONS OF THE
CONSPIRACY THEORIES TO SAY NOT
ONLY WAS THERE FRAUD AND THIS
ELECTION STOLEN FROM US, BUT, IN
FACT, WE NEED TO REVERSE THE
ELECTION IN FAVOR OF JOE BIDEN.
>> IN YOUR BELIEF, IS THE FERVOR
OVER THESE INVESTIGATIONS INTO
THE 2020 ELECTION GENUINE, OR IS
IT KIND OF POLITICAL FODDER TO
FIRE UP THE BASE?
>> WELL, IT'S A DIFFICULT
QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO
GET INTO EVERYBODY'S MIND ABOUT
HOW THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS.
I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A
GENUINE BELIEF ON A NUMBER OF
TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND REPUBLICANS
IN THE STATE THAT THERE WAS
FISHY BUSINESS, EVEN THOUGH
THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY EVIDENCE,
REALLY WHATSOEVER, TO JUSTIFY
THOSE CLAIMS.
I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THE
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN THE
STATE HAS TO NAVIGATE THIS
DIFFICULTY OF HAVING MOST OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY STILL ALLIED,
VERY MUCH SO, WITH DONALD TRUMP
AND HIS CLAIMS ABOUT A
FRAUDULENT ELECTION, BUT ALSO
TRYING TO GOVERN IN SOME SENSE
AND NOT TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO
WIN IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.
AND TO APPEAL TO SOME VOTERS WHO
MIGHT BE WILLING TO VOTE FOR
REPUBLICANS BUT NOT WILLING TO
VOTE FOR THE MOST EXTREME
CONSPIRACY THEORIES.
SO IT'S REALLY A BALANCING ACT
THAT A LOT OF THESE OFFICIALS
ARE TRYING TO MANEUVER RIGHT
NOW.
>> WHAT WOULD COOL OR HEAT UP
THE DOMINANCE OF DONALD TRUMP IN
WISCONSIN ELECTORAL POLITICS IN
YOUR MIND?
>> WELL, IT WILL BE INTERESTING
TO SEE WHAT DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF
DOES, AND HOW INVOLVED HE GETS
IN THE WISCONSIN RACES.
WE'VE SEEN HIM QUITE WILLING TO
ENDORSE CANDIDATES WHO ARE LOYAL
TO HIM AND LOYAL TO THIS IDEA
THAT THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN AND
THAT THERE WAS MASSIVE FRAUD.
SO THE EXTENT TO WHICH TRUMP
KIND OF OFFICIALLY MAKES AN
ENDORSEMENT IN THIS RACE AND
TRIES TO GET INVOLVED WITH
SPEECHES AND SO FORTH, I THINK
COULD REALLY RAISE THE
TEMPERATURE, AND IN MANY WAYS
RAISE THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR
REPUBLICANS ON THE MORE
ESTABLISHMENT MAINSTREAM SIDE TO
TRY TO TURN AWAY FROM THESE
ISSUES AND RELITIGATING THE 2020
ELECTION INSTEAD OF ISSUES THAT
THEY DO WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON,
LIKE INFLATION, JOBS, OTHER
ISSUES THAT RESONATE WITH THE
MAJORITY OF WISCONSINITES.
>> WE'VE SEEN THIS ELECTION
CYCLE, THESE KIND OF FRACTIOUS
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.
DOES THIS MARK A SHIFT IN
POLITICAL ACTIVITY?
>> YEAH, WELL, I THINK WE'VE
SEEN A LOT MORE ATTENTION ON
LOCAL RACES.
AS YOU MENTIONED, SCHOOL BOARDS
ALSO, YOU KNOW, SECRETARY OF
STATE RACES, AND OTHER RACES
BELOW THE MARQUEE RACES, THE
SENATE RACES, THE GOVERNORS'
RACES THAT TEND TO GET A LOT OF
THE ATTENTION, AND WE SEE
REPUBLICANS AND KIND OF
PRO-TRUMP REPUBLICANS REALLY
TARGET THESE RACES HERE IN
WISCONSIN AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY
IN A WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY
NECESSARILY SEEN BEFORE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A NEW TYPE OF
POLITICAL ORGANIZING, AND IN A
WAY THAT I DO THINK HAS SOME
REAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR DEMOCRACY
HERE IN WISCONSIN AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
PROFESSOR WE NEED TO LEAVE IT
THERE, BUT THANKS VERY MUCH.
REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
THANK YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT.