Results of a recent study suggest that reading literary fiction increases empathy, or the ability to understand others’ thoughts and emotions. We find out more. We also take a look at Wisconsin’s historic lighthouses and talk to a reporter about the Republican base and its mixed feelings about Donald Trump, as illustrated by voters in Waukesha County.
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Waukesha County Voters Struggle With Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump
Waukesha County is considered one of the most reliably Republican counties in America. But voters there tell reporters they’re feeling frustrated by the options they have on the ballot for president this fall. We talk to a reporter about the Republican base and its mixed feelings about Donald Trump.
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Reporter: Many Waukesha County Voters Appear Reluctant To Vote For Trump
Waukesha County is considered one of the most reliably Republican counties in America, but voters there say they’re frustrated by the options they have on the ballot for president this fall.
That’s bad news for Republican contender Donald Trump, who already faces a narrow path to winning the White House, said Craig Gilbert, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Washington bureau chief.
“It’s a county that the (Republican) Party relies on for big turnouts and big margins, partly to just offset the big Democratic margins out of Milwaukee and Madison,” Gilbert said. “Elections are to some extent about the swing vote and persuading undecided voters, but they’re also about turning out your own side.”
The combination of voter turnout and big Republican margins made Waukesha County the highest-performing county in the country for Mitt Romney and the GOP in the 2012 presidential election.
“That’s a high bar, and part of the challenge for Donald Trump is to try to replicate that,” Gilbert said.
But even if Trump did approach those numbers, the state still might not turn red, said Gilbert. Back in 2012, President Barack Obama cruised to victory in Wisconsin.
Conservatives in Waukesha have expressed anxiety about voting for Trump in November, said Gilbert. And while the latest polling shows the Republican nominee making inroads in the county, they’re still reluctant.
“And in a place like Waukesha where you have a lot of conservative voters, serious voters, people who are engaged, who follow politics, there is both a reaction against his style and rhetoric and temperament, but also some suspicions and skepticism about his politics and whether he’s a serious conservative or not,” Gilbert said.
It’s pretty clear that the vast majority of Waukesha conservatives won’t be going as far as to vote for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Gilbert said some will hold their nose and vote for Trump, while others will either vote for a third-party candidate, pass over the presidential race and vote for Republicans down the ballot, or stay at home altogether.
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Bringing Wisconsin Lighthouses, And Their Keepers, Back To Life
A Wisconsin man shares the history of Lake Michigan lighthouses–and his reenactments of two of the state’s historical lighthouse keepers at the Baileys Harbor Range Lights and the at Eagle Bluff Lighthouse .
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Study: Literary Fiction Helps You Understand Other People's Feelings
A new study says that reading literary fiction by authors like Harper Lee or Salman Rushdie helps people better understand someone else’s emotions, but genre fiction books, like ones written by Danielle Steel don’t have the same effect. Our guests give us a closer look at the study and give us reading recommendations.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- Rob Ferrett Producer
- Haleema Shah Producer
- Craig Gilbert Guest
- Ed Miller Guest
- David Kidd Guest
- Mark Rotella Guest
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