Former Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe told a crowd in Madison that Wisconsin is likely to be the most important place in the world over the next seven months.
Speaking last night at a signing of his new book, “A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump,” Plouffe said the Electoral College map puts Wisconsin in an influential position.
“There are people in all parts of the world, every continent, who are going to be looking very closely at what’s happening here,” Plouffe said at the Madison Public Library event.
He emphasized the importance of maximizing voter turnout in Milwaukee and Dane counties to ensure President Trump loses in November.
But in order to do that, Plouffe said, Dems would have to win over voters who are unlikely to be going to the polls wearing Bernie Sanders shirts or with Joe Biden bumper stickers on their trucks.
“We will likely win this election with people who are pretty apathetic about voting and even apathetic about our candidate,” Plouffe said.
Plouffe encouraged organizers to level with voters and put the next four years in perspective.
“I don’t think our nominee is going to be on Mount Rushmore,” said Plouffe. “It’s going to be hard to get a lot of stuff done. But here’s a couple things they are going to do and, for me, that and getting rid of Trump is enough.”
At the same time, he encouraged organizers to focus on what makes the candidates stand out and worth organizing and voting for.
“Biden’s empathy and goodness is a real asset. I would embrace that he doesn’t talk like a politician,” Plouffe said.
Plouffe also said he could foresee a woman being chosen as a running mate for either Dem presidential candidate. He listed a number of prominent female lawmakers, circling back to Elizabeth Warren twice.
“We have so many talented women,” he said.
