Here & Now

UWSP Political Scientist Examines 2016 Election Season

Frederica Freyberg:

Well, of all of the people who can hear political messaging in the media and on the trail and cut through the clutter, our next guest gives us an expert’s edge. Chair of the UW-Steven’s Point political science department, professor John Blakeman. Professor, thanks very much for being here.

John Blakeman:

Thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

Well so answer this question of media bias helping rig the election according to the Trump campaign, what is your reaction to this talk of this election being rigged?

John Blakeman:

Well from the standpoint of media bias, I don’t know. I certainly I think the media has been a little more accommodating to the Clinton campaign than the Trump campaign perhaps, but the media cannot rig an election in and of itself. And when Trump goes on to talk about rigging an election, I think he’s also talking about the process which has sort of a deeper, darker issue associated with it.

Frederica Freyberg:

So how resonant in these hearts is that idea of conspiracy along with the vitriol that kind of necessarily comes with it?

John Blakeman:

Right, well, you know the 50% of Trump supporters buy the rigged election argument right now, and Trump isn’t the first candidate to make it. John McCain made it back in 2008, but he quickly backtracked from it whereas it seems now to be a very solid part of Trump’s campaign message.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now you were telling me about something you called rural rage at work in Wisconsin. How does that manifest in this election?

John Blakeman:

Well, in Wisconsin, interestingly if you look for instance at the most recent Marquette poll, which does divide people up according to whether they live in an urban suburban or rural area, rural voters actually don’t differ too much on economic issues, on other policies, is where they really differ is on immigration, and so perhaps Trump’s message on immigration is appealing to people in more rural areas, and driving a kind of angst or rage that will prompt them to vote.

Frederica Freyberg:

Is it your sense that voters in rural areas are the candidates for these voters are tapping into the so-called politics of resentment?

John Blakeman:

Yeah, I think there is a lot to the politics of resentment but I think in Wisconsin a lot of the politics of resentment are really state level issues that have to do with higher education or the role of the DNR in regulating the deer herd, and these really aren’t national issues and Trump of course is not going to address any of that.

Frederica Freyberg:

What kind of position does Trump put down ballot Republican candidates in, especially in this part of the state where he won the primary in the third and seventh congressional district?

John Blakeman:

Well, Ron Kind in the third hasn’t had a challenger, so I guess there’s no down ballot issue there unless a lot of people write in someone else, which could happen. In the seventh district Sean Duffy is a two-term incumbent now. He’s been very successful getting votes, winning elections I should say. I don’t really see that down ballot issues in the seventh are going to be much of an issue at all.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right, well thank you very much for joining us John Blakeman.

John Blakeman: