🇺🇸BRIAN FRALEY🧀

Which could explain why party insiders turned to Crowley and not Barnes when Rodriguez imploded, even though Barnes was still in and had consistently polled better.

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@WisconsinArgus I think all the candidates besides hong were looking past 2026. They know it’s over barring an epic meltdown. They were all jockeying for something else.

It should be extensive. Debates can’t win you a race. But they can cost you a race. You prepare and if you do it correctly the prep helps you become a better candidate. Debates themselves are odd. People don’t speak in soundbites in real life. But the discipline of debate prep forces candidates to hone their message, understand their policies and streamline their pitch to voters. It also makes them better interview subjects, better fundraisers, etc.

Barnes shows his hurt feeling and takes the biggest swipe of the night. Indirectly. Passively… at Crowley. Odd strategy.

And based on last night’s debate performances, all the candidates were privy to private polling that mirrors these results.

@joeminocqua Ideologically you may be right. I argue she is not the weakest in the general because she’s the only D with a legitimate ground game. I think Barnes is far weaker.

This helps dispel notion that moderate Ds will abandon her in general. Some will, but Dems always come home and create a concrete floor in the high 40s. The reason she is the weakest DEM candidate in the general is because it will be swing voters who are repelled.

New Marquette Law School poll on Dem primary for gov July 22-27 Hong: 38% Barnes: 16% Crowley: 7% Brennan: 2% Roys: 2% Undecided: 34% 1/2 undecideds this late stay home. Nobody catches Hong. Unless she hired Rodriquez’s treasurer/manager/accountant?

Hong pulls away in Wisconsin Democratic Primary. Leads with base by a ton. Nearly tied with moderates/conservative Ds when leaners included. Given makeup of Primary electorate and her infrastructure to harvest support, this appears all but over.

@achergosky When you are in first, coming out of a debate relatively unscathed is a significant win.

Hong is unquestionably the winner of the debate imo. When you're the frontrunner, the goal is to get through the debate unscathed. That's what happened for her. No other candidate went after Hong, even though this seemed to me like a do-or-die moment for the non-Hong candidates.

@DanRShafer That was my take. Amazed nobody swung at the leader. Heck Barnes chipped at Crowley. Twice! But a Dem friend of mine texted me mid debate. The only candidate she’d ever seen speak was Barnes. She was wholly unimpressed with Hong. So, 🤷🏻‍♂️

The new poll today suggested this is Hong's race to lose. I didn't see a single thing in that debate suggesting she did anything to lose the race. I don't think she even fielded any specific criticism from any other candidate.

Moderators were strong. Barnes showed more focus tonight than he had in past year on campaign. Roys took up space and time. Crowley didn’t do much better Brennan did fine. But didn’t directly contrast vs the leader. Nobody did. Hong wasn’t stellar. But she won the night.

Barnes with a strong closing statement.

@yount1130 20 minutes in and nobody has laid a finger on Hong.

17 minutes in and not a single question or answer during the debate on schools or property taxes. Only about Madison's shooting. Guess what is important to Dems

Madison would not invest in technology like body worn cameras. But they’re not anti technology just because it is expensive. For example, they purchased a Pierce Volterra electric pumper fire truck priced at a premium over non electric models…

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@JamesLarkin007 @mattsmith_news @GerronJordan Oh, I don’t think they’re weak. And unlike some past moderators they won’t try to make the night about themselves. They won’t eat up half the time posing a question. It’s just tougher to be direct and probing and move the event along when there are two hands on the wheel.

@Dailytakes Weak Moderators in @mattsmith_news and @GerronJordan won’t help either..

Five person debates are dumb. Debates with more than one moderator are also less than ideal. What happens at tonight’s 4x1 effort to gang up on the front runner won’t be that important. Most voters won’t watch. What’s significant will be the coverage of the event and if @FrancescaHongWI’s opponents can weaponize 1 or 2 moments to stop her momentum.

@JeffPawlinski Ha! That’s great.

@Dailytakes If I early vote today but then don’t like how my candidate performs, can I spoil my ballot and re-vote? 😂