NOW TURNING TO THE U.S. SENATE
RACE.
>> MANDELA BARNES DANGEROUSLY
LIBERAL ON CRIME.
>> MANDELA BARNES HE STANDS WITH
THEM.
NOT US.
>> MANDELA BARNES NOT JUST A
DEMOCRAT, A DANGEROUS DEMOCRAT.
>> SO DIFFERENT AND DANGEROUS.
WE JUST SAW THE WORDS AND IMAGES
IN CAMPAIGN ADS FOR REPUBLICAN
SENATOR RON JOHNSON THAT ARE
USED TO DESCRIBE HIS DEMOCRATIC
CHALLENGER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
MANDELA BARNES.
MANY OBSERVERS SAY THIS KIND OF
MESSAGING GOES WAY BEYOND BEING
RACIALLY TINGED.
JOHNSON'S CAMPAIGN SAYS IT'S
NOTHING OF THE SORTS.
THAT RON JOHNSON IS TALKING TO
VOTERS ABOUT THE ISSUES
IMPORTANT TO THEM INCLUDING OUT
OF CONTROL CRIME.
HERE TO UNPACK THE DIVISION AND
HOW WISCONSIN VOTERS MAY RESPOND
TO THIS IS JOHN EASON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE
KIND OF MESSAGING THAT WE ARE
SEEING NOW IN THE WISCONSIN U.S.
SENATE RACE?
>> I THINK IT'S REMINISCENT OF
ADS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST.
FROM WILLIE HORTON TO THE GOLD
WATER CAMPAIGN WITH THE LONG
BLACK SHADOW HAND REALLY
REACHING OUT AND SPEAKING ABOUT
CRIME.
AND EQUATING BLACKNESS WITH
CRIME.
>> DO YOU THINK IT GOES BEYOND
THOSE KINDS OF OLDER MESSAGES?
>> I THINK IT'S IRONICALLY RIGHT
ON BRAND.
BUT I THINK GIVEN HOW HYPER
POLARIZED WE ARE TODAY, THERE IS
NO REAL TOWN SQUARE IN AMERICA
THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO HAVE
REAL CHECKS AND BALANCES, THAT
THIS IS JUST RIGHT ON BRAND.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY WORSE.
>> I MEAN THE MESSAGES ARE
CONNECTED TO, ON THE ONE HAND
CRIME RATES, AND ON THE OTHER
HAND, MASS INCARCERATION AND
POLICING REFORM.
BUT YOU HAVE SAID, WHEN YOU HAVE
GENERAL MISINFORMATION AND YOU
THROW RACISM INTO THE MIX,
THAT'S A PRETTY POWERFUL ELIXIR.
HOW SO?
>> RACISM -- THIS COUNTRY HAS A
LONG HISTORY OF THIS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO TRY TO DENY
OR MINIMIZE HOW MUCH RACE OR
RACISM, SPECIFICALLY, MATTERS.
BUT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MUCH,
YOU KNOW, FROM PEOPLE LEAVING
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, WHOLE
CONTINGENCY SWATHS OF PEOPLE
BEING SILOED WITHIN SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS, AND OUR NEWS IS VERY
SEGMENTED.
WHEN YOU ADD RACISM INTO THAT,
YOU ADD -- YOU EVEN FURTHER
DIMINISH THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT
AND YOU FURTHER DEHUMANIZE
PEOPLE.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS TESTING
OF BLACK MEN OF DANGEROUS IS
NORMALIZED IN THE MAJORITY WHITE
WISCONSIN?
>> I THINK IT HAS BEEN
NORMALIZED AND NOT JUST A
MAJORITY WHITE WISCONSIN, BUT
THIS IS NORMALIZED ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
>> SO JOHNSON'S ADS HAVE
COINCIDED WITH HIS RISE IN THE
POLLS.
OVERTAKING BARNES.
ONE PUN DENT TOLD US, WELL, IT
WORKS.
THIS KIND OF ATTACK AD.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY, THOUGH,
ABOUT TODAY'S, KIND OF, SCORCHED
EARTH POLITICS?
>> IT'S NOT SO MUCH IT'S JUST
ABOUT CRIME, IT'S THE FEAR OF
CRIME.
AND THE FEAR OF CRIME WHICH IS
LINKED TO BLACK PEOPLE, WE'VE
SEEN THIS FOREVER, BUT IT SAYS A
LOT ABOUT OUR POLITICS IN TERMS
OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE
FORWARD.
RIGHT?
SO I'M HOPEFUL STILL BECAUSE WE
HAVE SO MANY NEW VOTERS WHO MAY
NOT BE CAPTURED IN THESE POLLS.
WE HAVE SO MANY YOUNG VOTERS WHO
ARE GOING TO PRIMARILY VOTE
DEMOCRATIC, THAT THERE MAY BE
SOME HOPE FOR CHANGING THE TONE
AND TENURE OF OUR POLITICS.
>> YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THESE KIND
OF MESSAGES ARE KIND OF DIRECTED
AT THE OLDER ELECTORATE?
>> THEY DEFINITELY ARE.
I THINK THIS IS SPEAKING TO
PEOPLE WHOSE MINDS ARE ALREADY
MADE UP.
I DON'T THINK THEY WILL SWAY
MANY NEW OR YOUNGER VOTERS WHO,
ESPECIALLY -- EVEN IN RURAL
COMMUNITIES.
I THINK BECAUSE OF HOW WELL
WISCONSIN'S EDUCATION SYSTEM IS
COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY, I'M JUST WAY MORE
HOPEFUL.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE DON'T HAVE
MUCH ROOM.
RIGHT?
TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE DON'T HAVE A BASE TO REALLY
PUSH FORWARD AND PUSH PAST WHERE
WE'VE BEEN.
NOT JUST IN WISCONSIN, BUT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> BUT STILL HOW DIVISIVE IS
THIS IN A STATE ALREADY KEENLY
DIVIDED BY RACE AND POLITICAL
LINES?
>> I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY
DIVISIVE.
I THINK -- BUT THE PEOPLE WHO IT
IS FUELING, THE ADS THAT THE
MARKETS THEY ARE TARGETING, I
THINK EVERYONE'S MIND IS KIND OF
MADE UP ALREADY.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO
SWAY PEOPLE ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER.
I DON'T THINK SOMEONE IS GOING
TO SEE THIS AND SAY THIS IS NEW
INFORMATION OR I HAVE A BRAND
NEW VIEW ON MANDELA BARNES.
>> PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE THEIR
MINDS' MADE UP ALREADY, BUT HOW
HURTFUL IS IT?
>> THIS IS PART OF WHY I'M
HOPEFUL.
YOUNGER VOTERS, IN PARTICULAR,
I'VE SEEN NOT ONLY IN MY
CLASSROOMS BUT IN MENTORING
GRADUATE STUDENTS AS WELL,
YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE
HOPEFUL, YOU WILL SEE THIS IN
THE COMING DAYS AT THANKSGIVING
DINNERS WHEN THEY ARE PUSHING
BACK AGAINST THEIR, YOU KNOW,
THE EXCUSE WE GET TO LET THE OLD
DRUNK UNCLE GO OFF AND RANT
ABOUT WHATEVER HE WANTED.
YOU SEE MORE FRICTION IN
FAMILIES NOW AT HOLIDAYS BECAUSE
YOUNGER PEOPLE AREN'T PUTTING UP
WITH THIS ANYMORE.
>> ALL RIGHT JOHN, THANKS VERY
MUCH.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG