>> Cathy: SO MUCH POLITICS TO COVER IN OUR LIMITED TIME TONIGHT, SO LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN WITH TONIGHT'S PANEL.

REPUBLICANS UP FIRST TONIGHT.

ANNETTE MEEKS, FORMER CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CANDIDATE WHO NOW HEADS UP THE FREEDOM FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA.

BRIAN MCDANIEL IS A FORMER LEGISLATIVE STAFFER, NOW A LOBBYIST AND STAND-UP COMEDIAN.

DEMOCRATS WITH THEM, ABOU AMARA IS A FORMER LEGISLATIVE STAFFER NOW AN ATTORNEY IN PRIVATE PRACTICE.

AND ROUNDING OUT THE GROUP, SARA LOPEZ, PARTY ACTIVIST AND POLICY DIRECTOR AT UNIDOS MINNESOTA.

WELCOME, ONE AND ALL.

BOY THESE POLLS THAT ARE OUT, BOTH OF THE TWO, THE BIG STATEWIDE RACES FOR GOVERNOR AND U.S.

SENATE ARE, YOU KNOW, NEARLY DEAD HEATS, REAL CLEAR POLITICS MOVE THE MINNESOTA U.S.

SENATE RACE TO A TOSSUP, WHAT IS GOING ON?

BRIAN MCDANIEL.

>> FIRST, I'M WEARING A PURPLE TIE.

>> Cathy: LOOK AT YOU.

>> CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE SENATE REPUBLICANS PASSED AWAY TODAY.

VERY GOOD FRIEND JASON FOSSUM, HE WAS A BIG WINONA STATE BOOSTER SO I'M WEARING PURPLE TODAY TO HONOR HIM.

>> Cathy: VERY GOOD.

>> BUT THE POLLING, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY NUMBERS DON'T LIE.

POLL NUMBERS CAN BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THE PROGRESSION THAT WE'RE SEEING NOT SO MUCH THAT WE KNOW WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THE SENATE RACE IS TIED OR TWO POINTS OR WHETHER, YOU KNOW, KLOBUCHAR IS UP 16 OR 7.

BUT IT SHOWS THAT AS THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE MAKING THEMSELVES KNOWN TO VOTERS THAT THEY ARE WINNING SOME OF HEM OVER.

REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF HEADWINDS AND THIS DOESN'T ELIMINATE THOSE, BUT IT SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ENCOURAGING FOR THEM AT LEAST.

>> I THINK THE TEMPTATION IS -- LET'S LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE PRIMARY, THEY WERE UP BY 20 POINTS.

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE COLLECTION METHODS BECAUSE THEY'RE MISSING THE MOOD OF THE STATE AND SOME THINGS THAT FEEL LIKE A TOSSUP I FEEL LIKE AT LEAST FOR THE RACES PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CAMPAIGN REALLY HARD.

BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW AFTER LIKE THIS RIMARY IF RIDING THE ROLLERCOASTER IS THE BEST IDEA.

>> I WOULD BUILD UPON WHAT BRIAN SAID AND A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO IS WE'RE PLAYING THE GAME DEMOCRATS HAVE PLAYED FOR 20 YEARS, OUTSIDE EXPENDITURES HELPING BOOST WE HAVE RIDICULOUS SPENDING LIMITS THAT LIMIT WHAT CANDIDATES CAN DO LEGALLY SO YOU HAVE OUTSIDE GROUPS THAT TAKE COMMAND OF YOUR CAMPAIGN ND THEY'RE DOING A LOT TO HELP BOOST LISA'S NAME I.D.

BOTH PREPRIMARY AND NOW PRE-GENERAL ELECTION.

AND CERTAINLY THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE BUT IT'S EALLY EITHER WHEN YOU LOOK MONEY IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S RATES WHERE RON CHUTEZ IS BEATING AN EIGHT-YEAR INCUMBENT ATTORNEY GENERAL TODAY.

A SNAPSHOT IN TIME BUT ALSO SHOWS THE POWER OF EXPENDITURES AND HOW POWERFUL THEY ARE IN HELPING.

>> BOU.

>> THIS IS THE FIRST CT, RESET GOING INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION.

REAL CLEAR POLITICS IN 2018 MOVED THE TOP OF THE TICKET TO A TOSSUP.

THAT WAS A DONALD TRUMP MIDTERM ELECTION, STRUCTURALLY IT'S THE SAME.

I THINK THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO COME DOWN TO TWO THINGS, OPERATION METRO SURGE OR FRAUD.

THOSE TWO ISSUES RE GOING TO PERMEATE THE ELECTORATE AND MOBILIZE A DIFFERENT COALITION.

>> NOT AFFORDABILITY?

>> AFFORDABILITY IS OBVIOUSLY THE BACKDROP, THAT'S AT NATIONAL LEVEL.

IF REPUBLICANS WANT TO BE ABLE TO WIN THEY NEED TO TAKE FRAUD GREATER ON THE POLLING SCALE IT IS RIGHT NOW AND OPERATION METRO SURGE, PEGGY FLANAGAN'S CAMPAIGN WAS GROUNDED IN THAT GOING INTO THE RHYMERY, THIS IS GOING TO E THE FIRST GENERAL ELECTION THOSE VOTERS ARE GOING TO BE TURN OUT AND VOTE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP.

>> Cathy: BRIAN.

>> -- OH, SORRY.

>> -- ISN'T SOMETHING THEY'RE FEELING SUPER ADVICE CAL IN THEIR BONES, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR SCHOOLS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALSO CONTESTED THE SAFETY OF LIKE HOSPITALS.

I THINK THAT OPERATION METRO SURGE HAS GIVEN US A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT POLITICAL LANDSCAPE FOR THE STATE.

>> I THINK WHAT ABOU IS SAYING CERTAINLY RINGS TRUE.

WE SAW WITH CRAIG AND FLANAGAN THAT ONE WAS TALKING FRAUD, ONE WAS TALKING METRO SURGE AND ONE OF THEM WON BY 20, SO YOU CAN'T DISCOUNT THAT AT ALL BUT I ALSO THINK THAT TAFOYA HAS TO LOOK AT THAT RACE AND SAY THERE ARE SOME AESTHETIC SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO MODERATE CANDIDATES THERE, CRAIG AND TAFOYA AND YOU CAN'T RUN THE SAME RACE CRAIG RAN BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK.

SO WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM WHAT HAPPENED AND WE HAVE TO BE REAL CAREFUL BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE A SILENT MAJORITY HANGING BACK THERE.

>> Eric: THE FRAUD SEEMS TO BE LANDING, ON'T YOU THINK?

>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, I THINK THE FRAUD ISSUE, AND I WAS IN WALKER LAST WEEKEND, PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE NOT MAD, THEY'RE BAD WORD MAD.

THEY'RE REALLY MAD.

WE DON'T ET THE MONEY BACK, I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU PROSECUTED THEM AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN COLLECT THE MONEY BACK, WE DON'T GET THAT, NO,WARE NOT GOING TO GET THAT MONEY BACK BUT IMPORTANTLY THIS IS GOING TO BE A TURNOUT ELECTION.

PERHAPS THE OPERATION METRO SURGE WILL HELP D.F.L.ERS IN HENNEPIN AND RAMSEY COUNTY BUT I'LL TELL YOU IN GREATER MINNESOTA, IT'S GOING TO BE A TURNOUT AND OUR ELECTION TO LOSE.

>> THE POLLING IS ACTUALLY CLEAR, FRAUD IS UNIVERSALLY NOT ACCEPTED, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, INDEPENDENTS.

OPERATION METRO SURGE UNIQUELY HURTS REPUBLICANS, BRANDED WITH THE DONALD TRUMP WHITE HOUSE AND THIS IS A MIDTERM ELECTION, AGAIN VINDICATION OR NOT ON DONALD TRUMP AND THAT'S WHY OPERATION METRO SURGE MOBILIZES DEMOCRATS IN A WAY THAT IT DOESN'T REPUBLICANS.

>> BUT WITH THE NUMBERS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT I THINK EVERYONE IN MINNESOTA IS MAD AT THE FRAUD, YOU'RE RIGHT.

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.

WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO PLACE THEIR ANGER?

IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S RACE IS THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY TIE IT TO KLOBUCHAR, IT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TO BE TIED TOO MUCH TO FLANAGAN IF SHE DOES HER JOB RIGHT BUT WITH ELLISON RIGHT NOW HE SEEMS TO BE THE ONE WHO'S TAKING THE MOST POINTS HIT.

>> THIS IS ALL HAPPENING WITHIN THE BACKDROP OF AN INCREDIBLY UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE GET NEWS, NATIONAL NEWS, THE SUPREME COURT UPHOLDING THAT VOTE ATTACKS ON VOTING, MEDICAID, THERE'S A WAVE OF CUTS TO SOCIAL SAFETY NETS PEOPLE ARE FEELING.

I FEEL LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF WE HAVE SOME BIG PROBLEMS THERE.

>> AND AGAIN KEITH ELLISON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL I'LL TAKE YOU BACK MEMORY LANE 2018 HE WAS DOWN 8 POINTS TO TIM WALZ, HE ENDED UP WINNING THAT ELECTION.

COALITIONS ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND THE BOTTOM OF THE ICKET BUT DON'T BE CONFUSED, KEITH ELLISON HAS ONE OF THE BEST TURNOUT OPERATIONS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN POLLING I SUSPECT THAT WILL TIGHTEN AS WE GET CLOSER.

>> Eric: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GUN ISSUE?

DURING THE SESSION THAT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS GOING TO BE A HOT ONE FOR CANDIDATES TO DEBATE AND I DON'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT IT.

>> I'M NOT MINIMIZING ANY OF IT BUT WITH BOTH ABORTION AND WITH GUNS PEOPLE AREN'T MOVING.

THEY'VE MADE UP THEIR MINDS, YOU KNOW, GOOD, BAD, INDIFFERENT.

SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT STILL ARE MORE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT WORD BUT MORE IN PLAY THAN THOSE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE JUST SAID I'M THIS OR I'M THAT.

>> WELL, I THINK THE OTHER THING WITH THE GUNS, IT'S THE SAME WITH ABORTION AND ANY OF THOSE SOCIAL ISSUES IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLLING DATA IT'S JUST BARELY BREAKS LOW SINGLE DIGITS.

PEOPLE HAVE POCKETBOOK ISSUES, THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT'S WHERE THE FRAUD ENTERS IN, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN VICTIMIZED TWICE, ONE BY OUR STATE BECOMING A NATIONAL LAUGHINGSTOCK AND NUMBER TWO BY NOBODY CARING ABOUT IT AND TRYING TO GET THAT MONEY BACK.

I THINK THAT REALLY IS A VISCERAL REACTION TO SO MANY VOTERS THAT THEY'RE JUST ANGRY AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IT OUT ON ALL THE SO-CALLED INCUMBENTS, KEITH ELLISON AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHERE AMY HAS THE GREATEST VULNERABILITY IS PEOPLE LOOK AT HER ENDORSING WALZ LAST YEAR AYING HE'D BE A GREAT THIRD TERM GOVERNOR.

>> AND I'M SORRY -- >> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY SO GUNS I THINK ACTUALLY MAY NOT BE A TOP LINE ISSUE ONE, TWO, OR THREE BUT IF YOU SEGMENT OUT AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL SUBURBAN RACES HAS REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN SLIPPING THIS IS THE TYPE OF ISSUE THAT KEEPS DEMOCRATS IN THE FOLD AND REMINDS THEM WHAT'S AT STAKE OUTSIDE OF THE ECONOMY, OUTSIDE OF THE CORRUPTION HAPPENING IN.

A. ISSUES LIKE GUNS IS A REMINDER OF CULTURE ISSUES THAT THE SUBURBAN OTER SHOULD BE MOVING TO THE D.F.L.

>> Cathy: HELP ME OUT WITH THE DATA CENTER ISSUE.

DID U.S.

IT HAVE THE LEGS THAT IT APPEARS IT HAS?

>> OH, YEAH, OH, YEAH.

>> Cathy: INTERESTING BEDFELLOWS.

>> IT'S LIKE GAMBLING, GAMBLING YOU GOT THE FAR LEFT AND THE FAR RIGHT.

DATA CENTERS ARE KIND OF THE SAME WAY AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T MAYBE DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF IT WHO KIND OF DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO THINK, AM I SUPPOSED TO LIKE IT LIKE THIS GUY OR AM I SUPPOSED TO HATE IT.

>> I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS INSIDE OUTSIDE POLITICS, OUTSIDE DYNAMIC WITH THE ELECTORATE BUT THE INSIDE AT THE CAPITOL IS GOING TO BE MORE INTERESTING.

>> IT'S THAT IT'S THE VOICES ON BOTH SIDES ARE JUST A MOB YELLING ND MOST EOPLE ARE IN THE MIDDLE GOING, WAIT, DON'T WE NEED THESE?

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLLING DATA, AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS RISING PROPERTY TAXES, A DATA CENTER TAKES CARE OF THAT AND THEN SOME AND THEY BRING THAT PROSPERITY TO SMALL TOWNS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT COULD REALLY BENEFIT.

>> Eric: SARAH.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO DATA CENTERS EVERYBODY IS INCREDIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEM AND SO MUCH THAT IT'S CREATING AN ENERGIZING JUST LIKE OPERATION METRO SURGE A WHOLE NEW BASE OF VOTERS AND THE WAY THAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN GOING ABOUT IT IS WITHOUT ANY TRANSPARENCY, COMPLETELY DISMISSING THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, HAS THEM IN REAL BAD FOOTING.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH RESOURCES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE TO SUPPORT THEM, ENERGY, WATER, AND THEY REALLY DON'T CREATE THAT MANY JOBS AND ALL THE STUDIES POINT THAT REALLY NOT MAKING THE REVENUE ANY BETTER.

SO, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, ANNETTE.

>> WELL, I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU, THEY DON'T TAKE THAT MANY NATURAL RESOURCES ANYMORE.

THOSE ARE OLD DATA CENTERS, NOW WE HAVE NEW DATA CENTERS BUT I AGREE WITH YOU ON THE TRANSPAREN