US AND FOR YOUR INSIGHT.
SO TURNING NOW TO FIELD
REPORTING THAT WE HAVE BEEN
BRINGING YOU EVERY WEEK, WE ARE
JUST FOUR WEEKS OUT FROM THE
2022 ELECTIONS, AND YET THE 2020
ELECTION STILL CASTS A LONG
SHADOW OVER THE STATE.
MANY REPUBLICANS ARE STILL
TALKING ABOUT VOTER FRAUD,
LEAVING DEMOCRATS TO WORRY THAT
SWEEPING ELECTION LAW CHANGES
FROM THE GOP WOULD SERVE TO
DISENFRANCHISE WISCONSIN VOTERS.
MORE ON THIS FROM SENIOR
POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ.
>> WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN TWB
W2020.
>> POWERFUL AND RICH FORCES ARE
ALIGNED AGAINST ME.
>> WAS IT RIGGED, WAS IT FIXED?
>> PEOPLE HAVE DEBUNKED DONALD
TRUMP'S CONSPIRACY THEORIES FOR
NEARLY TWO YEARS.
RACHEL RODRIQUEZ HAS HEARD THEM
ALL.
>> EVERY TIME YOU THINK YOU'VE
PUT ONE CONSPIRACY THEORY TO
BED, ONE POPS UP IN ITS PLACE.
>> SHE KNOWS EVERY STEP IN THE
PROCESS.
SO WHEN REPUBLICANS IN THE
LEGISLATURE STARTED HOLDING
INVITATION-ONLY HEARINGS TO GIVE
AN OFFICIAL PLATFORM TO ELECTION
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, SHE
FOLLOWED THEM CLOSELY.
>> IT WAS READILY APPARENT, YOU
KNOW, THAT WITHIN MINUTES, THAT
THE EXPERTS HAD ABSOLUTELY NO
EXPERTISE IN ACTUAL ELECTIONS.
>> RODRIQUEZ STARTED FACT
CHECKING THE HEARINGS OVER
TWITTER.
SOON, SHE WAS BEING RETWEETED BY
THE CHAIR OF THE WISCONSIN
ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
AND GAINED AN AUDIENCE LOOKING
FOR THE TRUTH.
>> I THINK PEOPLE WERE REALLY
LOOKING FOR SORT OF A, YOU KNOW,
THAT OTHER SIDE OF IT, THE
ACTUAL EXPERT SIDE BECAUSE THAT
WASN'T HAPPENING AT THE
HEARINGS.
>> REPUBLICANS HIRED FORMER
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE MICHAEL
GABELMAN TO LEAD AN
INVESTIGATION ON THE 2020
ELECTION.
>> I WILL NOT ANSWER ANY --
>> BUT WHAT HE PRODUCED WAS OPEN
RECORDS VIOLATIONS, A CONTEMPT
OF COURT ORDER AND A MILLION
DOLLAR BILL FOR TAXPAYERS.
>> MICHAEL GABELMAN IS AN
EMBARRASSMENT TO THE STATE.
>> GABLEMAN WAS FIRED AFTER
ENDORSING THE PRIMARY OPPONENT
OF ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS,
THE MAN WHO HIRED HIM.
RODRIQUEZ SAYS THE CUMULATIVE
EFFECT WAS THE TRUTH AROUND
ELECTION CONSPIRACIES STARTED TO
LOOK LIKE PARTISAN POLITICS.
>> WHERE THE PROBLEM IS RIGHT
NOW IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ONE
PARTY, AND IT IS ONE PARTY WHO
IS DRIVING ALL OF THIS
MISINFORMATION AND ALL OF THE
CON SPEAR S AND ALL OF THE
DOUBT, WHEN YOU TAKE THE SIDE OF
ACTUAL FACTS AND TRUTH, WHICH IS
OPPOSITE TO THAT, IT'S GOING TO
LOOK LIKE IT'S ONE PARTY OVER
THE OTHER.
>> I'M GOING TO GET RID OF THE
WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
>> TIM MICHELS IS THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.
AND WHILE HE DOESN'T OUTRIGHT
SAY THE 2020 ELECTION WAS
STOLEN, HE DOES CAMPAIGN WITH
THOSE THAT DO.
AND EVEN SALUTED REPUBLICAN TIM
RAMTHUN, A FULL-ON ELECTION CON
SPEAR CYST WHO WANTED TO SOMEHOW
RECLAIM WISCONSIN'S 2020
ELECTORAL VOTES.
>> I SEE MY FRIEND OUT HERE RAN
A SPIRITED PRIMARY, TIM RAMTHUN,
WAS VERY BIG ON ELECTION
INTEGRITY AS WELL.
>> AT ONE EVENT, MICHELS TOLD A
SUPPORTER IN ORDER TO WIN, HE
HAD TO OVERCOME A CHEATING
PERCENTAGE.
>> WHAT'S THE CHEATING
PERCENTAGE?
PROBABLY A POINT OR TWO, WE'RE
GOING TO COME OUT --
>> TIM MICHELS DID NOT AGREE TO
AN INTERVIEW FOR THIS STORY.
>> FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE
HARBORING THAT BIG LIE, THAT'S
NOT GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY.
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY AT
ALL.
SENATE BILL 292.
NOT APPROVED.
>> DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS VETOED A SERIES OF
REPUBLICAN BILLS THAT WOULD HAVE
CHANGED HOW ELECTIONS ARE RUN IN
WISCONSIN.
>> THERE WE GO, FOLKS.
[APPLAUSE]
>> MICHELS HAS SAID HE WOULD
SIGN THOSE BILLS, AND DEMOCRATS
FEAR AS GOVERNOR, MICHELS COULD
OVERTURN WISCONSIN'S
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL VOTES IN
2024.
>> IF THEY ARE IN POWER AND
TRUMP COMES CALLING, ASKING THEM
TO CHANGE AN ELECTION RESULT,
WE'VE SEEN THAT THEY'RE WILLING
TO DO ANYTHING TO GET TRUMP'S
APPROVAL.
>> BEN WIKLER IS CHAIR OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN.
>> THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MOMENT
IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY
AND IT'S HARD TO THINK OF WORDS
THAT WOULD BE TOO STRONG TO
EXPRESS THE STAKES IN THIS
FALL'S ELECTION.
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
IT, ELECTION INTEGRITY HAS BEEN
A GREAT TOPIC FOR EVERYBODY TO
GET SOME FODDER BOTH WAYS.
>> PAUL FARROW IS THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
WISCONSIN.
>> WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THE 2020
ELECTION, THERE WERE SOME
CHALLENGES.
WE KNOW THERE WERE ISSUES THAT
ARE THERE THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO REGULATE AND HOW TO
MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN
AGAIN.
>> HOW CAN YOU LEAD THE STATE IF
YOU'RE AFRAID TO TELL THE BASE
OF OUR PARTY THE TRUTH?
>> ROHN BISHOP IS THE FORMER
CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
FOND DU LAC COUNTY.
AND HE'S CONCERNED THE GOP'S
OBSESSION WITH 2020 WILL HURT
THEM THIS FALL.
>> REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE LOOKING
AT A TIDAL WAVE ELECTION.
ONE WAY TO SCREW IT UP IS TO
KEEP FOCUSING ON 2020, AND WE
KEEP DOING THAT.
WE JUST CAN'T TURN THE PAGE AND
FOCUS ON 2022.
>> BISHOP WAS ATTACKED BY HIS
OWN PARTY MEMBERS FOR POINTING
OUT TRUMP LOST IN WISCONSIN.
BECAUSE ENOUGH REPUBLICANS
VOTED, BUT NOT FOR TRUMP.
>> THE ELECTION IS NOT STOLEN
WHEN GLENN GROTHMAN IS GETTING
MORE VOTES THAN DONALD TRUMP IN
THE SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT.
THERE WAS JUST A FALL-OFF.
THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO
VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE
PRINCIPLES BUT NOT TRUMP.
>> BISHOP SAYS WHEN MICHELS
CAMPAIGNS WITH MICHAEL GABELMAN
AND TRUMP, HE RISKS ALIENATING
THOSE SAME VOTERS.
>> COMING INTO 2022, TIM MICHELS
HAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET
THOSE 50,000 REPUBLICANS WHO
VOTED REPUBLICAN BUT NOT FOR
DONALD TRUMP.
>> SINCE THE LAST ELECTION,
BISHOP LEFT PARTY POLITICS AND
WAS ELECTED MAYOR OF WAUPUN, A
NON-PARTISAN OFFICE.
>> I JUST REALLY WANT TO FOCUS
ON THIS JOB AND GIVE IT ALL THAT
I HAVE.
>> HE'S STILL A REPUBLICAN, BUT
HE WORRIES OTHERS MIGHT HAVE
LEFT THE PARTY FOR GOOD.
>> BECAUSE OF THE HYPERPARTISAN
NATURE OF IT NEGATIVITY, WE'RE
BUSY ALWAYS TRYING TO KICK
PEOPLE UP.
I'VE BEEN CALLED THAT BY PEOPLE,
BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THE
ELECTION WAS STOLEN.
WELL, IF YOU KICK ME OUT, AND I
DON'T VOTE FOR YOU, YOU'RE IN A
LOT OF TROUBLE.
>> SO WHAT IMPACT WILL THESE
CONSPIRACY THEORIES HAVE ON THIS
ELECTION?
FOR ONE, THERE WILL BE A LOT
MORE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHEN YOU
CAST YOUR BALLOT.
PAUL FARROW SAYS IN 2020,
REPUBLICANS HAD ABOUT 1300
ELECTION OBSERVERS AT THE POLLS
STATEWIDE.
>> WE ARE WELL OVER 5,000 THIS
TIME AROUND.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE EYES THAT
ARE WATCHING THE PROCESS.
TO START THE OTHER ONES UP.GOIN-
>> PEOPLE LIKE CHRISTOPHER
BOSSERT, A REPUBLICAN FROM WEST
BEND.
>> I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
ELECTION INTEGRITY, AND THE BEST
WAY TO RESOLVE THOSE CONCERNS
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IS TO GET
INVOLVED.
SO I CHOSE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY AS A POLL
WORKER.
>> BOSSERT SAYS HE STILL HAS
CONCERNS ABOUT VOTER FRAUD
ELSEWHERE IN WISCONSIN, BUT IS
NO LONGER WORRIED ABOUT THE
DOMINION VOTING MACHINES USED IN
HIS HOMETOWN.
EVEN IF HIS NEIGHBORS ARE
CONVINCED.
>> I HAVE CONSTITUENTS WHO
BELIEVE DOMINION IS A PROBLEM,
AND EVEN THOUGH I'VE TOLD THEM
FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, DOMINION IS
NOT A PROBLEM, THEY STILL
BELIEVE IT.
>> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M
ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE AND NOW."
>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG
AND THEN CLICK ON THE NEWS TAB.
AND TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE
CANDIDATES IN NOVEMBER, VISIT
WISCONSINVOTE.ORG.
JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK AT
7:00 P.M. FOR THE GUBERNATORIAL
DEBATE FOLLOWED BY OUR LIVE
"HERE AND NOW" ANALYSIS.
IT'S ALL RIGHT HERE ON PBS
WISCONSIN.
THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT.
I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.