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The Role of Presidential Campaign Visits to Wisconsin

DESTINA, FOTOLIA

The presidential campaign trail heats up again in Wisconsin on Friday. Republican Donald Trump, and his vice presidential pick Mike Pence, are holding a rally in Green Bay. Meanwhile, Democrat Hillary Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, will visit Milwaukee.

The last time Wisconsin saw multiple visits from presidential campaigns in a short time period was just before our state's primary in April. It was the only contest in the nation that day, and all the major candidates spent time here. In one of his stops, Donald Trump rallied supporters in Janesville.

"We have over 5,000 people cannot get in. So now does anybody want to leave and give your place to somebody outside? I had a feeling you might be saying that. It's an honor to be here, it's an honor to be with you," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Democrat Hillary Clinton wooed voters in several cities including Green Bay.

"I am very happy to be back in Green Bay, and to have this chance to talk with all of you about what's at stake in this election -- although I think you all know, or you wouldn't be here," Clinton said.

Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine will stop in the state Friday, while Trump and Pence also hit the campaign trail in Wisconsin. Pence was just here last week.

Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin takes note of the visits. He says it appears the candidates consider Wisconsin a potential battleground state.

"When you see campaigns arrive in a state, it's saying that they're willing to put their time and resources into that state, and they don't do that if they think the state is completely one-sided," Franklin says.

"I expect that we'll see quite a few of the candidates and their surrogates from both sides during this election cycle," says Carroll University political science professor, Lilly Goren. She says the campaign stops serve a dual purpose for candidates.

"It's a question of getting the few people who haven't made up their mind already to vote for you, as well as making sure that your base comes out," Goren says.

The visits don't just stand to benefit the candidates, they also provide an advantage to Wisconsin voters. That's according to Milwaukee area state Rep. Daniel Riemer. The Democrat is working for Clinton, yet says active campaigns here from both parties are important.

"You want the people running for the highest office in the land, really the highest office in the world, to focus on the needs of your community and your state," Riemer says.

Yet there's a chance the actual policies in the race will take a back seat today to other issues involving Donald Trump's campaign. His disputes with the parents of a fallen soldier and others have dominated the news, for days.

The conflicts have a Wisconsin connection. House Speaker Paul Ryan has been critical of some of Trump's actions, and Trump has refused to endorse the Wisconsin congressman. Here's Marquette University's Charles Franklin.

"It is hard to talk about his visit without now putting it in the context of his problems with Speaker Ryan, and therefore, that becomes part of the story," Franklin says.

Ryan and the state's other top Republicans, Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, are skipping the Trump rally, a move Franklin calls unusual in an election year. The lawmakers say they already had other plans. Johnson commented at a Milwaukee appearance on Thursday.

"In these campaigns, all these events get brought tougher so quickly and we've got our schedules already set. I'm a business guy, I honor commitments, so we just couldn't make it up there," Johnson said.

When asked about the prior commitments, Johnson said he'll be spending part of the day appearing at rallies in Kenosha with House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Ann-Elise is WUWM's news director.
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