PODCAST: Making sense of the Democratic primary field after Mandela Barnes’ campaign launch
Dec 9, 2025, 11:17 AM CST
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“Rational Revolution” is a radio show and podcast on the Civic Media network hosted by Mark Becker, the former chair of the Brown County Republicans who left the party during the Trump Era. The show airs from 2-3 p.m. on Saturdays and 1-2 p.m. on Sundays, and every episode is available as a podcast (here!).
Mark is one of my favorite people to talk about Wisconsin politics with. He’s always insightful and engaging, has a great sense of humor, and brings a unique perspective to the political conversation in Wisconsin.
In this episode, we talked about the race for governor, days after former lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes launched his campaign. Is the field set? Does Barnes walk into this race as the frontrunner? Which campaigns have stood out so far? What’s happening on the Republican side; is Tom Tiffany really the GOP choice? Is a hard-fought, competitive primary a good or bad thing? Much to discuss.
I also shared some news about another potential entry to the race.
Plus: with rumors swirling, we talked about the state of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Listen or stream the full show here.
Note: The first segment of the video features a rant from Becker on his home district representative, Republican Tony Wied.
Find all episodes of “Rational Revolution” archived here and find more Civic Media videos on the YouTube Channel here.
Dan Shafer is a journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. In 2024, he became the Political Editor of Civic Media. He’s written for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Heartland Signal, Belt Magazine, WisPolitics, and Milwaukee Record. He previously worked at Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business Magazine, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine, and BizTimes Milwaukee. He’s won 23 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at @DanRShafer.
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Follow Dan Shafer on Twitter at @DanRShafer and at BlueSky at @danshafer.bsky.social.
