SCOTT WALKER:

IT’S SAD TO THINK RIGHT NOW BUT PROBABLY THE RUSSIAN AND CHINESE GOVERNMENT KNOW MORE ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON’S EMAIL SERVER THAN DO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER GETS IN A SHOT AT LAST NIGHT’S PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DEBATE. I’M FREDERICA FREYBERG. WE’LL SCORE THE DEBATE AND PREDICT THE BOUNCE IN THE POLLS WITH MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY POLLSTER CHARLES FRANKLIN. ALSO TONIGHT BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE OVER PRESIDENT’S OBAMA NEW EMISSION CONTROL STANDARDS. AND A NEW APPROACH TO CLOGGING THE SO-CALLED BRAIN DRAIN IN WISCONSIN. BUT FIRST, THE FIREWORKS BLASTED THROUGHOUT LAST NIGHT’S GOP DEBATE IN CLEVELAND AT LEAST BETWEEN SOME OF THE CANDIDATES. GOVERNOR WALKER STAYED MOSTLY WITHIN HIS TALKING POINTS THROUGHOUT AND IN HIS CLOSING STATEMENTS, EVEN BOASTED ABOUT HIS LACK OF BOMBAST.

SCOTT WALKER:

I’M A GUY WITH A WIFE AND TWO KIDS AND A HARLEY. ONE ARTICLE CALLED ME AGGRESSIVELY NORMAL. I RAN FOR GOVERNOR BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED ABOUT MY KIDS’ FUTURE. THEN I TOOK ON THE BIG GOVERNMENT UNION BOSSES AND WE WON. THEY TRIED TO RECALL ME AND WE WON. THEY TARGETED US AGAIN AND WE WON. WE BALANCED THE BUDGET, CUT TAXES AND TURNED OUR STATE AROUND WITH BIG, BOLD REFORMS. IT WASN’T TOO LATE FOR WISCONSIN AND IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR AMERICA. THAT’S WHY I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THAT WAS SCOTT WALKER’S CLOSING STATEMENT LAST NIGHT. WE TURN NOW TO ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST RESPECTED POLLSTERS AND POLITICAL ANALYSTS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY POLL, CHARLES FRANKLIN. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO I HEARD ONE FOX NEWS PUNDIT AFTERWARDS SAY THAT SCOTT WALKER’S OVERALL PERFORMANCE WAS AGGRESSIVELY NORMAL. IS THAT GOOD OR BAD FOR SCOTT WALKER?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

IN ONE SENSE IN THE DEBATE, THE FIRST RULE IS DO NO HARM. DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT REALLY DAMAGES YOU. AND CERTAINLY I DON’T THINK WE SAW A MISTAKE ON HIS PART. HE DID STICK, AS YOU SAID, VERY CLOSELY TO HIS TALKING POINTS. EVEN THAT CLOSING STATEMENT, YOU CAN HEAR THE LINES THAT ARE CUT FROM HIS STANDARD STUMP SPEECH. SO IF HIS GOAL WAS TO CONTROL HIS MESSAGE AND TO STAY ON HIS MESSAGE, HE CERTAINLY ACHIEVED THAT. BUT IN THE PROCESS, HE WENT SHORT. HE GOT JUST A LITTLE OVER FIVE MINUTES OF TOTAL TIME WHEREAS MOST OF THE CANDIDATES WERE AT SIX OR SEVEN OR EVEN A LITTLE MORE AND HE DID THAT BECAUSE HE DIDN’T USE UP ALL THE TIME THAT HE HAD AVAILABLE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WOULD YOU REGARD THAT AS A MISTAKE ON HIS PART OR SOMETHING HE MEANT TO DO?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

I THINK IT WAS INTENTIONAL. WE HEARD–THERE WAS AT LEAST A LITTLE REPORTING THAT HE WAS TRYING TO CONDENSE HIS ANSWERS SOME IN PREPARATION. I THINK THE CAMPAIGN SAID THAT. HE SUCCEEDED IN DOING THAT AND HE SUCCEEDED IN STICKING CLOSE TO HIS MESSAGE. THE ONE CRITICISM I’VE SEEN IN THE DAY AFTER COVERAGE IS THAT IT CAME ACROSS TO AT LEAST SOME PEOPLE AS BEING PROGRAMMED AND SO TIGHTLY CONTROLLED THAT IT DIDN’T REVEAL MUCH ABOUT HIM. STILL, I THINK THE CAMPAIGN WOULD LOOK ON THIS AS A SUCCESS. THEY MADE THE POINTS THEY WANTED TO MAKE. THEY DIDN’T GET CAUGHT WITH A QUESTION THEY WEREN’T PREPARED TO DEAL WITH.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

DOES HE GET A PASS KIND OF THOUGH, BECAUSE HE IS POLLING SO WELL IN IOWA, WHEREAS A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT SAY WELL THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE HE DID EXACTLY WHAT HE SET OUT TO DO. WHEREAS IF HE WEREN’T POLLING SO WELL PEOPLE MIGHT SAY HEY, HE’S NOT REALLY READY FOR PRIME TIME?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

I THINK THAT WHAT WE SAW WITH THE CANDIDATES WHO WERE DOWN IN THE BOTTOM TIER OF THAT TOP 10 WAS MORE OF THE AGGRESSION CAME FROM THEM, FROM RAND PAUL, FROM CHRIS CHRISTIE, FROM MIKE HUCKABEE, FOR EXAMPLE. THEY WERE MORE OUTSPOKEN BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GRAB THE SPOTLIGHT. FOR GOVERNOR WALKER WITH HIS LEAD IN IOWA STILL AND IN THE TOP THREE OR FOUR IN NATIONAL POLLING, IN MOST NATIONAL POLLS, COULD AFFORD TO HAVE THIS LOW KEY PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, I DID NOTICE THAT JEB BUSH IN PARTICULAR AND MARCO RUBIO USED THEIR TIME ON MULTIPLE QUESTIONS TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THEIR RECORDS IN OFFICE. BECAUSE WALKER STUCK TO HIS POINT, HE DIDN’T HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL TIME TALKING ABOUT HIS ACHIEVEMENTS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

I DID NOTICE THAT SCOTT WALKER FOCUSED ON HILLARY CLINTON IT SEEMS MORE THAN THE OTHER CANDIDATES DID. KIND OF ALREADY TAKING ON THIS ROLE OF THE NOMINEE.

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

I THINK THAT THAT WAS SMART ON HIS PART. THAT CLINTON AS THE TARGET WAS IMPORTANT. AND THE ONE TIME WALKER BROKE INTO THE CONVERSATION WAS TO RAISE A CRITICISM OF HILLARY CLINTON.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WHO IN YOUR MIND WON THIS THING?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS NOT A CLEAR WINNER IN THAT TOP TEN DEBATE. WINNERS ARE VERY MUCH IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT LIKE A COLLEGE DEBATE WHERE WE HAVE A FORMAL SCORING SYSTEM FOR WHO DID WELL. I DIDN’T SEE ANYBODY REALLY BREAK OUT INTO A HUGE SUCCESS. BUT I DIDN’T SEE ANY HUGE FAILS. I THINK RAND PAUL PERHAPS HAD A MORE DIFFICULT NIGHT. HE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MORE COMBATIVE CANDIDATES. I DO THINK THIS, THAT THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF THE QUESTIONS FROM THE REPORTERS WERE PERHAPS MORE POINTED AT TRUMP AND MORE THE CHALLENGE DIDN’T COME AS MUCH FROM THE OTHER CANDIDATES AS FROM THE REPORTERS WITH TRUMP WHEREAS SEVERAL OF THE QUESTIONS WALKER WAS ASKED, HE’A BEEN ASKED A THOUSAND TIMES AND THEREFORE AGAIN IT WAS HARDLY SURPRISING HE WAS PREPARED TO ANSWER THEM.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW IMPORTANT IS WHAT YOU REFER TO AS THE POST DEBATE BUZZ?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

I THINK IT’S QUITE IMPORTANT AND ACTUALLY IF THERE IS A WINNER LAST NIGHT IT MIGHT WELL BE CARLY FIORINA FROM THE UNDERCARD, FROM THE FIRST DEBATE, BECAUSE THE POST DEBATE BUZZ HAS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON HER FROM THAT FIRST DEBATE. I DON’T THINK THAT ELEVATES HER NECESSARILY INTO THE TOP TEN, TOP TIER, BUT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ESSENTIALLY AT LEAST FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND REPORTING COMMENTARY, A REAL CONSENSUS THAT SHE STOOD OUT IN THE FIRST DEBATE AND I DON’T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT CONSENSUS FROM THE TOP TEN DEBATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHEN DO WE START SEEING THE POLLING THAT IS GOING TO DETERMINE KIND OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE POST THIS DEBATE?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

MY GUESS WOULD BE WE SEE POLLS THAT GO IN THE FIELD AS EARLY AS TONIGHT AND THEREFORE ARE AVAILABLE VERY EARLY NEXT WEEK. OR PERHAPS THAT GIVE THE WEEKEND TO GO BEFORE THEY START POLLING NEXT WEEK. SO I WOULD THINK BY THE MIDDLE TO THE END OF NEXT WEEK WE’LL SEE SEVERAL POST DEBATE POLLS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW CRAZY IS IT FOR POLLSTERS AND REALLY EVERYBODY ELSE THAT THERE ARE 17 CANDIDATES STILL VYING FOR THIS NOMINATION?

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

WELL, IT’S OUTRAGEOUS, I’LL TELL YOU IT’S OUTRAGEOUS. THERE’RE SO MANY. AND THIS WAS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR THE DEBATE. IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE 17. BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CUT SOMEWHERE. IN FACT, THERE ARE OVER 500 CANDIDATES REGISTERED WITH THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW. SO SOME CUT-OFF HAS TO BE MADE. HOW ARBITRARY IT IS, IS IT 10th PLACE IN THE POLLS OR IS WHAT SOME NEWS EXECUTIVE DECIDES IS A CUT-OFF, THAT’S A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM. BUT I THINK WE SAW LAST NIGHT THAT IN TWO HOURS, GOVERNOR WALKER ANSWERED LESS THAN SIX MINUTES OF QUESTIONS, MOST OF THE OTHERS ANSWERED LESS THAN SEVEN MINUTES OF QUESTIONS. WE ARE STILL SEEING A VERY LIMITED VOLUME OF COMMENT. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE THEY COVERED A LOT OF AREAS. ALMOST EVERYBODY GOT A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT EQUALLY, THOUGH THEY DIDN’T USE THE TIME UP. AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DEBATES YET TO GO. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF WORRYING ABOUT THE CANDIDATES, NOT THE END.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

CHARLES FRANKLIN, THANKS VERY MUCH.

CHARLES FRANKLIN:

THANK YOU.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE TODAY HAD REACTION TO SCOTT WALKER’S DEBATE PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT. AS TO THE GOVERNOR’S RESPONSE TO A FOREIGN POLICY QUESTION WHEN HE RIFFED ON HILLARY CLINTON’S EMAILS, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JON ERPENBACH HAD THIS TO SAY.

JON ERPENBACH:

OUT OF ALL THE 10 CANDIDATES STANDING UP THEIR LAST NIGHT, THE LAST ONE WHO HAS ANY CREDIBILITY ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE IS SCOTT WALKER. HE CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON USING A PRIVATE EMAIL SERVER WHEN HE HAD ONE SET UP FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES TEN FEET FROM HIS OFFICE WHILE HE WAS COUNTY EXECUTIVE. SO WHATEVER THE GOVERNOR HAS TO SAY ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE SHOULD BE FALLING ON DEAF EARS BECAUSE HE HAS ABSOLUTELY ZERO CREDIBILITY ON IT.