FREDERICA FREYBERG:

FINALLY TONIGHT, THE HEAT IS ON MID-SUMMER, AND IT IS NOT JUST THE WEATHER. PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS ARE HOTTER THAN HOT RIGHT NOW AND NOT LIKELY TO COOL ANYTIME SOON. HOW DO CONTROVERSIES SWIRLING AROUND THE TOP-OF-THE-TICKET CANDIDATES AFFECT CANDIDATES DOWN-TICKET? WE CHECK IN NOW WITH ELECTIONS EXPERT MICHAEL WAGNER, UW-MADISON PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

MICHAEL WAGNER:

MY PLEASURE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

OBVIOUSLY THE NATION IS KNOCKED BACK ON ITS HEELS, WHAT WITH THE DALLAS SHOOTINGS, AND APPARENTLY THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAVE CANCELLED SOME OF THEIR EVENTS. BUT THE RACE GOES ON. SO LET’S TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF HILLARY CLINTON, NOW EMBROILED IN THIS POST-FBI INVESTIGATION INTO HER EMAIL USE. DESPITE RECOMMENDATION THAT SHE NOT BE INDICTED, HOW BAD IS THIS FOR HER, DO YOU THINK, GOING FORWARD?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

WELL, IT GIVES SOMETHING FOR HER REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS TO PUT IN TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS. THE FBI CALLS HER EXTREMELY CARELESS AND DO YOU WANT AN EXTREMELY CARELESS PRESIDENT. SO I’M SURE WE’LL SEE A LOT OF ADVERTISEMENTS THAT USE THAT PHRASE IN PARTICULAR. AND ALSO SHOW HER SAYING THINGS THAT LATER THE FBI DIRECTOR SAID WERE NOT TRUE. AND SO WE’LL PROBABLY SEE SOME OF THAT GOING FORWARD. BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC FOR HER CAMPAIGN TO GET INDICTED. SHE CAN CONTINUE TO PASS THIS OFF AS A PARTISAN EXERCISE DESPITE WHAT CAME AT HER FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT DONALD TRUMP WHO PERSISTS IN STEPPING IN CONTROVERSIES? IS HE STARTING TO LOOK FOR PRESIDENTIAL TO ESTABLISHMENT GOP DETRACTORS?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

I’M NOT SURE THAT HE IS JUST YET. IT SEEMS EVERY TIME HE DOES WHERE THE FIRST HEADLINE IS TRUMP IS TRYING TO PIVOT TO BECOME MORE PRESIDENTIAL, HE DOES SOMETHING THAT STEPS BACK THE OTHER DIRECTION. HE MAKES A STATEMENT THAT SEEMS PRESIDENTIAL, AND THEN HE SAYS, “SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS SURE GOOD AT KILLING TERRORISTS” OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT KNOCKS OFF THE MESSAGE THAT HE WANTED TO PORTRAY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. SO I DON’T KNOW THAT HE’S MADE THAT PIVOT. AND I THINK THE REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE WHO MET WITH HIM EARLIER THIS WEEK WERE TRYING TO MAKE THAT POINT TO HIM AS WELL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS APPARENT DRAFT WALKER EFFORT ON THE PART OF FORMER TED CRUZ PAC?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

IT’S SORT OF PECULIAR THAT A PAC THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPORTING SOMEONE ELSE IS NOW TRYING TO GET GOVERNOR WALKER TO MAKE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO BE THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE IN A FLOOR FIGHT ESSENTIALLY. GOVERNOR WALKER HAS BEEN LUKEWARM, AT BEST, IN HIS SUPPORT OF DONALD TRUMP. HE’S NOT REALLY WAVERED IN THAT HE SAID HE’LL SUPPORT THE NOMINEE. AT TIMES HE SAID I WANT HIM TO TAKE BACK SOME THINGS HE SAID HERE OR THERE. BUT HE’S NEVER REALLY SAYING, “I SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP.” HE TWEET-DORSED HIM THIS WEEK. NOW THIS GROUP IS TRYING TO GET WALKER TO MAKE HIMSELF TO BE AVAILABLE TO GET DRAFTED. IT’S A STRANGE SITUATION. I THINK IF THE RULES OF THE CONVENTION GET CHANGED AND ALLOW FOLKS TO VOTE THEIR CONSCIENCE, AS GOVERNOR WALKER HAS SAID HE PREFERS, THEN ALL BETS ARE OFF. BUT THAT’S STILL PROBABLY NOT TERRIBLY LIKELY AT THIS POINT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SCOTT WALKER IS SCHEDULED TO SPEAK AT THE CONVENTION. ONE QUESTION I HAVE ABOUT ALL THIS, THE DRAFT WALKER, THE PLATFORM TO SPEAK AT A CONVENTION, WHY DOES A FORMER CANDIDATE WHO PERFORMED SO POORLY CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE POLITICAL LEGS WITHIN THE PARTY?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

WELL, HIS RECORD AS A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNOR ELECTRIFIES CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO THE POINT WHERE HE HAD NATIONAL NETWORK OF PEOPLE GIVING HIM MONEY IN HIS RECALL ELECTION. BECAUSE OF THE LEGISLATION THAT HE HAS SIGNED INTO LAW THAT CONSERVATIVES PREFER, HE’S STILL SOMEONE THEY LOOK AT AS SOMEONE THAT CAN DO GOOD CONSERVATIVE GOVERNANCE FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO HE WAS JUST A VICTIM OF THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES AND THE BLUSTER —

MICHAEL WAGNER:

COULD HAVE BEEN. HE DIDN’T DO WELL IN THE DEBATES AND HE HAD TROUBLE RAISING MONEY BUT HE WAS IN A REALLY CROWDED FIELD WHICH CERTAINLY HURT HIM.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IN THE U.S. SENATE RACE BETWEEN RON JOHNSON AND RUSS FEINGOLD, HOW DELICATE IS IT FOR EACH OF THEM TO HEW TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PRESUMED NOMINEES?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

IT ISN’T I THINK AS IMPORTANT AS IT MIGHT BE IN OTHER KINDS OF YEARS BECAUSE WISCONSIN IS GOING TO BE A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS FOR BOTH FEINGOLD AND FOR SENATOR JOHNSON. IT’S A PLACE WHERE THERE’S GOING TO BE A TON OF MONEY SPENT. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SENSE OF THESE FOLKS’ RECORDS AND IDEAS IN A WAY THEY MIGHT NOT IN OTHER PLACES, WHERE THERE’S LESS ADVERTISING MONEY SPENT ON THE CANDIDATES AND MORE ATTENTION PAID TO THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND YET THEY BOTH PLAN TO SKIP THE CONVENTION. WHAT’S THAT ABOUT?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

I THINK RON JOHNSON IS LIKE MANY REPUBLICANS NOT WILD ABOUT THE FACT THAT DONALD TRUMP IS THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE OF THE PARTY. WISCONSIN IS A PLACE WHERE TED CRUZ WON ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE AND BERNIE SANDERS WON ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. SO THE TWO NOMINEES ARE NOT THE MOST POPULAR AMONGST THE PARTY FAITHFUL IN THE BADGER STATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU SAY THERE WILL BE A LOT OF POLITICAL AD-SPENDING IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.

MICHAEL WAGNER:

CERTAINLY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

DO YOU THINK THAT WILL MAKE UP FOR THE FACT, AND WILL IT BE COMING SOON, THAT PEOPLE WILL GET TO KNOW THESE CANDIDATES BETTER? POLLS SHOW THAT STILL THERE’S THIS REALLY LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW THEM?

MICHAEL WAGNER:

YEAH. I THINK THAT WILL START TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. WE’LL START TO SEE MORE AND MORE ADVERTISING. HILLARY CLINTON HAS DONE SOME ADVERTISING. SHE’S AIRED IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ADS ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER THE LAST MONTH. DONALD TRUMP REALLY HASN’T. BUT I THINK WE’LL START TO SEE FEINGOLD AND JOHNSON ON THE AIR FAIRLY SOON. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND IN A VERY TIGHT RACE. IT’S ONE THE DEMOCRATS REALLY WANT IF THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE BACK THE SENATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WE CAN EXPECT WALL-TO-WALL ADS.

MICHAEL WAGNER:

I THINK OCTOBER ON, IT’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF THAT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

MICHAEL WAGNER, THANKS VERY MUCH.

MICHAEL WAGNER:

MY PLEASURE.