Who Did — or Didn't — Watch the 2024 RNC Around Wisconsin?

Frederica Freyberg:
Did Wisconsinites tune in to the convention? Special projects journalist Murv Seymour went to west central Wisconsin this week to gauge voter interest.

Murv Seymour:
Hundreds of miles from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, patriotism runs high in the La Crosse area. You can tell by the American flag that waves throughout this community in front of homes and on the streets.

Woman:
To be the next vice president of the United States.

Murv Seymour:
With the convention so far away, we had to wonder

Speaker at convention:
Drill, baby, drill.

Michael Eve:
Honestly, I think it’s overkill on the TV.

Murv Seymour:
is anybody out there watching? We made stops at a local park where people told us off camera they know nothing about a convention and didn’t care. Later, they said they identify as Democrats. Just up the road at Viterbo Sports Complex, it’s Little League night. We spoke with just about everyone in the stands behind home plate and along third base line. Many admit they’re Republican and they don’t overly care about the convention and they don’t care to say so on television.

TV Announcer:
Night two of the RNC. Speeches tonight from primary rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.

Murv Seymour:
Like everyone else around here, talk of the Republican National Convention tops the local news. Surely a supporter with signs of who they support as nominee will talk. After a knock on the door, they told us, “No thank you. We’re not interested.” Back in La Crosse, across the tracks, below Grandad’s Bluff near Forest Hills Golf Course, right on Main Street, we find Dominic Roswell at Bluffside Tavern, having a drink with a friend. Bluffside has been around for a long time, a really long time. Dominic grew up here. When it comes to voting, he considers himself part of a key voting demographic: the independent voter. When it comes to watching the Republican convention…

Dominic Roswell:
It appeals mostly to the base. I think really that’s where the target audience is is strengthening the base. I don’t know if the independents like me really care much about it.

Murv Seymour:
So no intention at all of keeping up with any of it this week?

Dominic Roswell:
Only because it’s in Wisconsin and everything that’s happened recently with the assassination attempt on Trump.

Murv Seymour:
Way up on Grandad’s Bluff, you can enjoy a $1 million view for free or an enhanced one for less than a dollar.

Michael Eve:
I hope there’s a lot of hoopla for the Republican Party. I myself, I’m not decided yet on who I want to vote for.

Murv Seymour:
We found a viewpoint with granddad Michael Eve, who admits to watching some of the Republican convention. He says he enjoys watching the political analysis more.

Michael Eve:
Because, I mean, these guys, these politicians just go on and on and on and say what you want to hear. And then, reporters in a nutshell say, well, this is what the guy said, you know. So why should I watch hours of them?

Murv Seymour:
Michael and Dominic don’t know each other, but both have the same view on talking politics these days.

Michael Eve:
What turns into like, a nice discussion all of a sudden turns into psssh, you know. They’re at each other’s throat and they don’t talk to each other again, and it’s really not worth it.

Dominic Roswell:
I’m old enough to remember where you could go to parties and be of different political affiliations, and you could still exist at a party and converse with each other. It doesn’t seem that case anymore. People just don’t want to talk about — They, in fact, if they find out that you’re of another party affiliation, you won’t get invited to the party.

Murv Seymour:
Welcome to Fathead Steve’s in downtown La Crosse. We were there during prime-time coverage of the convention and at other bars. What’s showing on TV at Fathead Steve’s? Not the convention.

Ariel Malvitt:
Politics and religion are two topics that just — the conversation can’t be had.

Murv Seymour:
Bartender Ariel Malvitt says from her experience, politics and drinks don’t mix well.

Ariel Malvitt:
It gets a little escalated and it divides people immediately, right? It’s one side or the other. So it’s not, it’s not a healthy conversation at the bar at least.

Murv Seymour:
And from what we could tell, in some cases, outside the bar either. Reporting for “Here & Now,” I’m Murv Seymour.