Johnson vs. Barnes — Backstage in Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wis. — This past Friday evening, Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes took the stage at the PBS station in downtown Milwaukee for a televised debate — their first for Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race. NR’s excellent Washington correspondent John McCormack was to be in attendance, so like the opportunistic παράσιτος that I am, I invited myself along to the debate. (You can find John’s coverage of the race here.)

Belatedly, I offer here some color to give an idea of what it’s like behind the scenes at these kinds of things, the off-Broadway version of the glitzy presidential debates you’ll start seeing in, oh, about six minutes:

About the Author

Luther Ray Abel

Luther Ray Abel is an Associate Editor for National Review. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Luther is a proud native of Sheboygan, Wis.

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Milwaukee, Wis. — This past Friday evening, Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes took the stage at the PBS station in downtown Milwaukee for a televised debate — their first for Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race. NR’s excellent Washington correspondent John McCormack was to be in attendance, so like the opportunistic παράσιτος that I am, I invited myself along to the debate. (You can find John’s coverage of the race here.)

Belatedly, I offer here some color to give an idea of what it’s like behind the scenes at these kinds of things, the off-Broadway version of the glitzy presidential debates you’ll start seeing in, oh, about six minutes: