The week-long Democratic National Convention in Chicago was a high-energy affair culminating in Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the nomination as candidate for President. Here & Now expanded coverage included response and reaction came from Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler and Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair Brian Schimming. Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee described the Harris platform as women-focused. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is running for reelection, discussed campaigning during the convention. Wisconsin native and The Lincoln Project senior advisor Trygve Olson described why the state is so evenly split politically. Political panelists Republican Bill McCoshen and Scot Ross wrapped up Here & Now convention coverage with their analysis of the latest election developments.
 

Ben Wikler
Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin

• The energy was high at the DNC in Chicago, which culminated with the formal nomination Vice President Kamala Harris. Wikler described the experience and the campaign going forward.
• Wikler: “You can think of this convention as almost like a bolt of lightning that went directly into a weathervane connected to a giant battery, and that battery now has to power us to zoom through the next 73 days. We have this tiny window of time to take everything that we learned over this last week about who Kamala Harris is — the daughter of the middle class, daughter of immigrants who loves this country so much and has seen what it can do, the opportunity that it can offer, and wants it to offer that opportunity to everyone. Of Tim Walz, who embodies, his small town’s value for being a good neighbor, for looking after everyone, and for, as a coach, making sure people know that they have the power to make things better.”

Brian Schimming
Chair, Republican Party of Wisconsin

• Reports filed with the federal government by political campaigns, parties and other organizations show fundraising for Democratic candidates is swamping that for Republican candidates. Schimming downplayed the role of money.
• Schimming: “What’s interesting about that is they shop their money advantage all the time. And yet in 2022, while we fell short in the governor’s race, they dumped $100 million in against Ron Johnson and lost. They lost a congressional seat in western Wisconsin they dumped millions into. They lost seats in the Assembly, in the Senate, in courthouses in this past April, they lost on the two ‘Zuckerbucks’ referenda, and the Democrat mayor of Wausau lost. So, they they talk a big game about money, and they outspent us four to one in Wausau. They talk a big game about money, but they keep losing, in these critical contests.”

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore
D-Milwaukee

• The Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, took time out of the DNC in Chicago to rally at the Fiserv Center in Milwaukee during convention week. Moore said that’s proof of the importance of that city and Wisconsin to the race.
• Moore: “I think that Kamala Harris and then the DNC made it perfectly clear that Milwaukee was important. They started their tour, I think, in Pennsylvania. And instead of bypassing Milwaukee and heading straight to Chicago for the convention, they made sure that they filled up the very same stadium where Donald Trump and the RNC had been a month prior. Filled it up, as well as having all of the delegates nationwide be in Chicago at the United Center. So, I do think that Milwaukeeans love to be asked for their vote. They love to be respected for their vote. And the fact that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz took time away from the main stage, as it were, in Chicago, to come to Milwaukee, really was rewarded with a packed stadium in Milwaukee. It was absolutely thrilling.”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
D-Wisconsin

• Baldwin is running for reelection against Republican challenger Eric Hovde. She spoke at the convention on its final night, but earlier during convention week, she also spent her time campaigning in Wisconsin.
• Baldwin: “I’m engaged in what we’re calling the ‘In Your Corner’ tour and going to every corner of the state — really wanted to take the energy that we were watching at the convention, but bring it to the grassroots of the state. And as you know, when I travel, I don’t just go to blue counties. I’m going to red counties — deep red counties. I’m going to rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas — but really to meet people where they are and bring the energy that we’re all feeling to our communities across the state.”

Trygve Olson
Senior advisor, The Lincoln Project

• Olson is a Wisconsin native and was a long-time advisor to Republican politicians and conservative causes. He said he is still a conservative, but broke with the party of Trump and is now a senior advisor at The Lincoln Project. He described how Wisconsin is so divided politically – so purple.
• Olson: “My buddies are all still up in River Falls, and a lot of them voted for Tony Evers and Ron Johnson. A lot of them voted for Trump in ’16 and voted for Biden in ’20. And, a lot of them will vote for Tammy Baldwin. For some of them, Tammy Baldwin was the first Democrat they ever voted for. They tend to be traditionally more to the right of center. They don’t like a lot of government interference in their lives. They don’t want government telling them what kind of shotgun they’re going to own, although more recently post-Dobbs, quite frankly, the ones who have daughters, don’t want something from the state Legislature telling their daughters what they can and can’t do. So I just think it’s the nature of Wisconsin.”

Bill McCoshen and Scot Ross
Republican and Democratic political analysts

• McCoshen & Ross provided political analysis through the Democratic National Convention with Here & Now senior political reporter Zac Schultz, having conversations on Aug. 19, Aug. 20, Aug. 21 and Aug. 22, following their similar conversations during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. They reacted to the final night of the DNC speech by the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Ross: “Kamala Harris needed to give the remarks of her career. And instead, she gave the inauguration speech for the ages. I mean, I don’t think we’ve ever seen so much enthusiasm. I actually talked to somebody who had been in conventions since 1984 — they said they’ve never heard a reaction quite like that. You know, what we get with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is the most experienced, most energetic, most qualified ticket in American presidential history in our 248 years.
• McCoshen: “I saw it a little bit different. I think we all agree that the vibe down there, the energy Monday through Wednesday was off the charts and I was starting to get worried about that as a Republican. And so the expectation for Harris was extremely high. I don’t think she met the mark. … There was a lot of style this week, there wasn’t a lot of substance”

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