>> DURING MIDTERM ELECTIONS,
VICTORY OFTEN COMES DOWN TO
ONE THING:
WHICH PARTY DOES A BETTER JOB
OF GETTING THEIR VOTERS TO THE
POLLS.
OR TURN OUT.
THIS FALL, DEMOCRATS ARE
HOPING THE ISSUE OF ABORTION
WILL NOT ONLY ENERGIZE THEIR
BASE, BUT PULL IN SWING VOTERS
WHO MAY HAVE VOTED REPUBLICAN
IN THE PAST.
WHEN ROE V. WADE WAS STILL THE
LAW OF THE LAND.
"HERE AND NOW" SENIOR
POLITICAL REPORTER, ZAC
SCHULTZ HAS THE STORY.
[CHANTING]
WHEN THE UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT OVERTURNED ROE VS WADE,
THEY OVERTURNED THE
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT FOR WOMEN
TO SEEK AN ABORTION.
BUT THEY ALSO OVERTURNED
DECADES OF CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
ON JUST HOW MUCH THE ISSUE OF
ABORTION CAN IMPACT AN
ELECTION.
[CHANTING]
>> IT WAS THIS KIND OF CRAZY
JAW-DROPPING MOMENT OF, LIKE,
OH, MY GOD,THEY DID IT.
>> AMAYA BARKER IS A VOLUNTEER
FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD
ADVOCATES OF WISCONSIN.
THE ORGANIZING ARM OF PLANNED
PARENTHOOD.
SHE SAYS THERE WAS AN
IMMEDIATE SURGE IN THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE LOOKING TO GET
INVOLVED.
>> I'VE SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE
BEING LIKE, WOW, I ACTUALLY
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING NOW ABOUT
THIS.
SARAH BERNDSEN SIGNED UP, AND
HER FIRST EVENT WAS THE
BAYVIEW BASH IN MILWAUKEE,
WHERE THE POINT WAS TO REMIND
PEOPLE PLANNED PARENTHOOD WAS
STILL OPEN PROVIDING
HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
JUST NOT ABORTIONS.
>> IT'S BEEN A REALLY POSITIVE
REACTION.
WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE COMING UP
REALLY APPRECIATIVE THAT WE'RE
OUT HERE PROVIDING
INFORMATION.
WHILE THEIR STAND DIDN'T
ADVOCATE FOR ANY POLITICAL
CANDIDATES.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF
MILWAUKEE COUNTY WAS NEXT
DOOR.
AND ABORTION RIGHTS WERE FRONT
AND CENTER.
>> FOR MANY, MANY VOTERS,
ESPECIALLY WOMEN ACROSS THE
STATE, IT HAS BEEN SOMETHING
THAT HAS GALVANIZED A LEVEL OF
KIND OF POLITICAL OUTRAGE AND
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE THAT WILL
RESHAPE THIS ELECTION THIS
FALL.
BEN WIKLER IS THE CHAIR OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN.
HE THINKS ABORTION WILL SWING
VOTES EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST
MILWAUKEE AND MADISON.
IF YOU KNOCK ON DOORS IN RURAL
WISCONSIN, IN SUBURBS, IN
CITIES ALIKE, THERE ARE PEOPLE
EVEN WHO VOTED REPUBLICAN
BEFORE WHO THINK THIS IS MUCH
TOO FAR.
I WAS VERY SHOCKED BY THE JUST
THE SHEER RESPONSE THAT PEOPLE
HAD IN THIS AREA.
JESSA MICHIE IS A DIGITAL
ORGANIZER FOR PLANNED
PARENTHOOD ADVOCATES BASED IN
STEVENS POINT IN CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.
SHE SAYS THEY WERE OVERWHELMED
AT FIRST BY THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T
DONE THIS BEFORE, THIS REALLY
ACTIVATED A LOT OF FOLKS WHO
WERE BRAND NEW TO IT.
THE FOCUS NOW IS TRANSLATING
THAT ENERGY INTO TURNOUT.
WE'RE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON
VOTING.
GETTING OUT THE VOTE IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE
CAN DO AT THIS POINT IN
WISCONSIN.
>> THESE ARE OUR MATERIALS.
AS, SEE,
THIS IS FOCUSING N OUR
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD ADVOCATES
ISN'T THE ONLY GROUP TALKING
ABOUT ABORTION WITH VOTERS.
>>GRACIE SKOGMAN IS THE
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR FOR
PRO-LIFE WISCONSIN.
>> THE GOAL IS THAT WE CAN GO
TO ANY VOTER, REGARDLESS OF
WHERE THEY STAND, AND GIVE
THEM SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE
ULTIMATELY WILL ENCOURAGE THEM
TO SUPPORT PRO-LIFE
CANDIDATES.
SKOGMAN SAYS THE CASE THAT
OVERTURNED ROE, DOBBS VS
JACKSON, WAS A VICTORY.
BUT NOT THE END OF THE DEBATE.
>> WE'VE WE'VE SEEN THAT
PEOPLE ARE, OF COURSE, ARE
REJOICING AND HAPPY, BUT THEN
THEY THINK THAT IT'S TIME TO
GO HOME AND STOP TALKING ABOUT
THIS.
BUT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT NOW
THAN EVER BEFORE.
SHE SAYS IT CAN BE A DELICATE
CONVERSATION.
I WENT EARLIER THIS WEEK AND
PEOPLE WERE NOT SO RECEPTIVE.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY
EMOTIONAL AND POLARIZING ISSUE
RIGHT ON ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE.
PRO-LIFE WISCONSIN WOULD LIKE
TO SHIFT THE CONVERSATION TO
WHAT COMES NEXT.
SPECIFICALLY, WHETHER A
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND
LEGISLATURE WILL PROVIDE STATE
FUNDING TO PREGNANCY RESOURCE
CENTERS.
THE NON-PROFITS THAT OFTEN
OPEN UP ACROSS THE STREET FROM
ABORTION CLINICS AND COUNSEL
PREGNANT WOMEN AWAY FROM
ABORTION.
>> I THINK OUR BEST WAY TO
MOVE FORWARD IS ON THE
UNIFYING ISSUE OF PREGNANCY
RESOURCE CENTERS, HAVING
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PAID
FAMILY LEAVE.
THESE ARE BIPARTISAN ISSUES.
>> JESSA MICHIE SAYS VOTERS
AREN'T QUITE READY TO MOVE ON.
>> I DEFINITELY THINK THAT
PEOPLE STILL HAVE MORE TO SAY
AND A LOT MORE FEELINGS ABOUT
LOSING THAT ACCESS TO CARE.
I DON'T THINK THAT FOLKS ARE
READY TO MOVE ON AT ALL.
I THINK THAT THEY'RE MORE
ANGRY ABOUT THIS AND MORE
ENERGIZED THAN THEY WERE
BEFORE.
>> HE SAID IT'S, QUOTE, NOT
UNREASONABLE FOR THE STATE
GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE RAPE
VICTIMS TO GIVE BIRTH.
>> DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS IS HOPING TO CAPITALIZE
ON THAT ENERGY.
HE'S BEEN RUNNING ADS HITTING
HIS OPPONENT, REPUBLICAN TIM
MICHELS, ON ABORTION.
>> TIM MICHELS IS WAY TOO
RADICAL FOR WISCONSIN.
>> DO I THINK IT'S AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE RACE?
YES.
LOOK AT WHERE MY OPPONENT IS
ON THIS AND ON THAT ISSUE.
SO DO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
A FACTOR?
YES, ABSOLUTELY.
>> ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ATTACK
THAT'S OUT THERE ON REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATES HAS TO DO WITH
DOBBS.
>> PAUL FARROW IS THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
WISCONSIN.
HE SAYS THE EVERS ADS ARE OVER
THE TOP.
I THINK OUR CONVERSATION OF
MAKING SURE THE HEALTH OF THE
WOMAN AND HEALTH OF THE CHILD
IS JUST AS IMPORTANT, IS KIND
OF TAMPERING DOWN WHAT THE
LEFT IS SAYING, THAT WE'RE
TRYING TO CRIMINALIZE WOMEN
LEFT AND RIGHT.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS AND THE LEFT
HAVE SPENT TENS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS MISCHARACTERIZING MY
POSITION, CALLING ME A
RADICAL.
I AM PRO-LIFE AND I MAKE NO
APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHO THE REAL
RADICAL IS.
THE REAL RADICAL IS GOVERNOR
EVERS.
>> TIM MICHELS DID NOT AGREE
TO AN INTERVIEW FOR THIS
STORY, BUT HAS HAD TROUBLE
BEING CONSISTENT IN HIS
POSITION ON ABORTION.
WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF
ROE-V-WADE, WISCONSIN REVERTED
BACK TO AN 1849 LAW ON
ABORTION THAT ONLY PROVIDES
EXCEPTIONS IF TWO DOCTORS FEEL
IT IS NEEDED TO SAVE THE LIFE
OF THE MOTHER.
MICHELS ORIGINALLY CAMPAIGNED
ON HIS SUPPORT FOR THAT LAW.
BUT HAS SINCE SAID HE WOULD
SUPPORT A BILL THAT PROVIDES
EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE AND
INCEST.
>> I'VE SAID IF A BILL IS PUT
BEFORE ME FROM THE
LEGISLATURE, WHICH IS A DIRECT
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE,
AND IT HAS AN EXCEPTION IN IT
FOR RAPE AND INCEST, THAT I
WOULD SIGN THAT BILL.
A FEW DAYS LATER, MICHELS
ADDED ANOTHER CHANGE.
>> I WILL NEVER ARREST A
DOCTOR, AS THEY'RE SAYING.
I'M A REASONABLE GUY.
>> HOWEVER, UNDER THE 1849
LAW, DOCTORS PROVIDING AN
ABORTION CAN BE ARRESTED, AND
HIS CAMPAIGN HAD TO CLARIFY
THAT MICHELS JUST WOULDN'T BE
THE ONE DOING THE ARRESTING.
SAYING, “THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEYS SHOULD ENFORCE ALL
LAWS.
THE GOVERNOR IS AN EXECUTIVE.
HE'S NOT A DA OR BEAT COP
ARRESTING ANYONE.”
>> EVERS DOESN'T BUY IT.
>> THERE'S NO WAY I BELIEVE IT
AND NO WAY PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN
BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
THIS HARD CORE SOMETHING
THAT'S PART OF YOUR INSIDE
POSITION THAT RAPE OR INCEST
IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU
SHOULD EXCLUDE FROM THIS LAW.
NEVER.
THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR ME
BECAUSE OF MY CONVICTIONS.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE
NEXT DAY YOU SAY, WELL, I
GUESS I DON'T HAVE ANY
CONVICTIONS.
MICHIE SAYS MICHELS IS
MUDDYING THE WATER.
>> THAT'S THE INTENTION, I
THINK, IN A LOT OF CASES IS TO
JUST SORT OF MUDDLE THE ISSUE
AND CONFUSE PEOPLE.
>> HOWEVER, GRACIE SKOGMAN IS
CLEAR ON WHERE PRO-LIFE
WISCONSIN STANDS.
>> OUR POSITION IS WE ARE NOT
IN FAVOR OF ADDING A RAPE AND
INCEST EXCEPTION.
MY ONLY CONCERN IS, LET'S SAY
THERE'S A RAPE CASE.
EVEN IF THEIR VOTERS AT THE
DOORS HAVE A DIFFERENT
OPINION.
>> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M
ZAC SCHULTZ, FOR HERE AND NOW.