Previewing tonight’s debate…

Earlier in the week a reporter asked me a series of questions about tonight’s GOP Debate. Here is what I sent her in response…

Trump will consume all of the oxygen in the room, and will be rewarded with a majority of the post-debate press coverage no matter what actually happens Thursday. With Trump in the debate, the regular expectations of debate decorum are out the window. That’s in part why the media loves Trump and gives him so much coverage. It will be interesting to see if any of the competitors try to mix it up with Walker, or if they ignore him. Trump has tried to say that Wisconsin is a mess, but his reliance on failed, generalized lefty talking points hasn’t hurt Walker. Perhaps Trump or others seize on specifics to which Walker would feel compelled to react. How he responds is important.

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The Wheelercast 7/17/2017

Tuesday could see a huge development in the State Budget drama. Wisconsin lawmakers are also working on an incentive package to try to lure Foxconn’s proposed new plant. State Representative Samantha Kerkman took to social media to help her constituents during and in the aftermath of the flood. All this and more in this jam-packed…

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Don’t blame the lobbyists…

That being said, the public is growing weary over the behind-closed-doors aspect of governing. Public discourse is the life-blood of a healthy democracy. When the public believes lawmakers are led by lobbyists, (or the oft-used ‘special interests’ ) faith in government plummets. I believe that’s why approval ratings for all levels of government are at record lows right now.

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The Wheelercast Episode #11

Action at the Capitol is picking up. Gwyn Guenther joins me to update us on efforts to lift the mining moratorium, attempts to move some state government functions out of the City of Madison, and she brings us the latest on the State Budget votes in the Joint Finance Committee.

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