JIM: THIS WEEK, A PULL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND.

BREAKDOWN AND ANALYSIS.

THE HOME STRETCH TO CD1.

WILL DEBATES MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?

ANNOUNCER: A LIVELY EXPERIME NT IS UNDERWRITTEN BY -- >> FOR OVER 30 YEARS, A LIVELY EXPERIMENT PROVIDED INSIGHT INTO THE POLITICAL ISSUES FACING RHODE ISLANDERS.

JIM: A PANEL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE.

ADAM MYERS, EMILY LYNCH AND WENDY SCHILLER.

HELLO AND WELCOME.

I'’M JIM HUMMEL.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

HOW DO RHODE ISLANDERS FEEL ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE?

URI POLLED 500.

THIS WEEK, WE GO INSIDE THE NUMBERS.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

EMILY, YOU WERE IN THIS INITIATIVE.

THIS HASN'’T BEEN DONE FOR A WHILE.

EMILY: LEADERSHIP AT HARRINGTON SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, SOCIAL SCIENCES INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION POLICY CAME TOGETHER AND DECIDED THERE WAS NEED FOR PUBLIC OPINION POLLING FOR RHODE ISLANDERS.

I WAS HAPPY TO BE PART OF THE TEAM OF FACULTY THAT WORKED ON CONSTRUCTING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.

STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO TAKE PART.

WE HOPE TO HAVE MORE INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE.

JIM: IT OCCURRED TO ME, 61% FOLLOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN GOVERNMENT/PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

EMILY: THAT'’S A GOOD INDICATION RHODE ISLANDERS ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE.

THEY WOULD LIKE TO PAY ATTENTION TO POLITICS.

THERE IS CONCERN RHODE ISLANDERS MAY NOT FEEL THEY UNDERSTAND POLITICAL ISSUES AT HAND, WHICH WE MEASURED BY POLITICAL EFFICACY QUESTIONS.

JIM: WE ARE PLUGGED IN.

WHAT YOU THINK?

ADAM: ABOUT WHAT I EXPECTED.

I NOTICED ELSEWHERE FEW RHODE ISLANDERS ARE POLITICALLY ACTIVE ASIDE FROM VOTING.

IT'’S ABOUT 10% ALL TOLD OF RHODE ISLANDERS ARE CONSIDERED POLITICAL ADVOCATES/ACTIVISTS.

MOST PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE NOT THAT ENGAGED.

THAT IS WHERE THE BULK OF THE STATE IS.

JIM: HAS THAT CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

WENDY: COMPETITION MAKES A BIG INTEREST IN GENERATING EXCITEMENT.

WE DON'’T HAVE A STRONG TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IN RHODE ISLAND.

CD2, MORE RECENTLY BUT IN THE OLD DAYS, CD1 WAS COMPETITIVE.

WE HAD REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS NOT THAT LONG AGO.

WHEN THERE IS MORE COMPETITION, PEOPLE PAY MORE ATTENTION GENERALLY.

JIM: COUPLE GRAPHICS.

CORRUPTION IN RHODE ISLAND GOVERNMENT.

28% SAID ALL OR MOST ARE CORRUPT.

2.4% SAID NONE.

EMILY: SOMETHING THIS DOESN'’T SHOW IS THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BASED ON PARTISANSHIP.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT DATA, THERE'’S A DIFFERENCE WHERE DEMOCRATS FEEL MORE LIKE THERE IS LESS CORRUPTION THAN REPUBLICANS.

WE SEE THAT WITH QUESTIONS RELATED TO CORRUPTION AS WELL AS MORE TRUST QUESTIONS.

THIS DESERVES ATTENTION WHERE WE NEED TO UNPACK THIS FURTHER.

WHAT AREAS ARE RHODE ISLANDERS CONCERNED ABOUT?

THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT ELECTIONS AND IF RHODE ISLANDERS FEEL THEY ARE FAIR.

THAT WAS GENERALLY POSITIVE.

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, DIFFERENT AREAS, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHERE RHODE ISLANDERS PERCEIVE CORRUPTION.

WENDY: THE ACTIVITIES NELLY DID AND GREG, HAS BEEN GOING EVERY WEEK TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, TO EXPLAIN VOTING AND WHAT WE ARE DOING AND HOW IT WORKS.

MORE TRANSPORTATION COMING FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE'’S OFFICE WILL HELP DEVELOP TRUST.

HAVING BEEN IN RHODE ISLAND 30 YEARS, WHICH I'’M PROUD OF.

JIM: YOU'’VE BEEN HERE A WHILE.

WENDY: I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD NUMBER, 28% SAID ALL OR MOST CORRUPT.

THAT NUMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HIGHER.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD NUMBER.

JIM: A SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE WENT TO JAIL.

WENDY: THE MAYOR WENT TO JAIL.

JIM: A GOVERNOR FOR RACKETEERING.

ADAM: I AGREE WITH WENDY.

I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT PERCENTAGE TO BE HIGHER.

WE HAVEN'’T HAD BLOCKBUSTER SCANDALS IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.

WE'’VE HAD A DRIP OF OTHER SMALLER SCANDALS.

RHODE ISLAND'’S REPUTATION IN THE REGION IS A STATE WHERE CORRUPTION IS HIGH.

I WAS REASSURED ACTUALLY.

I'’M NOT SAYING THE REPUTATION IS DESERVED.

IT EXISTS.

RHODE ISLANDERS APPARENTLY DO NOT THINK IT IS THAT BIG OF A PROBLEM.

THAT IS GENERALLY A GOOD THING.

WHERE PEOPLE THINK THEIR GOVERNMENT IS CORRUPT, THEY WILL HAVE LESS TRUST AND LACK OF TRUST IN GOVERNMENT CREATES OTHER POLITICAL PROBLEMS.

JIM: HAVING SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY LIFE LIVING HERE AND WORKING HERE -- RHODE ISLANDERS, NOT THAT THEY DELIGHT, THERE IS AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX BUT ALSO, HE WAS TAKING A BRIBE.

THE SHOCK FACTOR WORE OFF MANY YEARS AGO.

WENDY: EFFORTS TO MAKE GOVERNMENT CLEANER, MORE TRANSPARENT, CERTAINLY, LINCOLN CHAFEE, ALLMAN RAN CLEAN ELECTIONS.

THE KEY, THE GOVERNOR HAS HAD SOME FLIPS, BUT HE HAS COMMITTED TO RUNNING A CLEAN ADMINISTRATION.

HAVING THAT PUBLIC COMMITMENT AT THE GOVERNORS LEVEL CHANGES THE TONE OVER TIME.

EMILY: IT'’S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO GATHER DATA LIKE THIS TO SEE HOW CORRUPTION, PERCEPTIONS OF CORRUPTION CHANGE OVER TIME.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT TO HAVE THAT 10 YEARS AGO.

JIM: YOU ARE THE NEW BASELINE NOW.

10 YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL GO BACK.

BACK IN"23 I REMEMBER -- LET'’S LOOK AT TRUST IN RHODE ISLAND GOVERNMENT.

THE FLIPSIDE -- THE SUPREME COURT, 58.5% HAVE TRUST IN THE RHODE ISLAND SUPREME COURT, 49.5% IN THE GOVERNOR, 48% THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

ADAM: I THINK THE REASON TRUST IN THE SUPREME COURT IS SO HIGH IS BECAUSE THE PUBLIC DON'’T KNOW WHAT THE HECK THEY ARE DOING.

I ASSUME THEY WOULD TRUST IN THE SUPREME COURT, THEY WOULD BE LOWER AMONG RHODE ISLANDERS.

THE MORE, AN INSTITUTION IS IN THE NEWS THE LESS VOTERS TRUSTED.

I DON'’T THINK THE RHODE ISLAND TO BRING COURT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS MUCH LATELY.

YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS ARE GREAT BUT THEY COULD BE WORSE.

WENDY: THEY COULD BE WORSE.

JIM: I THOUGHT THEY WERE PRETTY GOOD.

EMILY: I THOUGHT THE SAME.

I LOOKED AT GALLUP POLLS FOR NATIONAL DATA, THESE ARE ABOUT 10 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN HOW AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT THE FEDERAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.

THAT'’S A GOOD INDICATION.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

WE TEND TO SEE THAT IN PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS.

YOU ARE GOING TO TRUST MORE THE GOVERNMENT CLOSEST TO YOU MORE SO THAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

WE ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT, ASKING TRUST IN FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL CAME OUT ON TOP.

WENDY: STATE GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN CONGRESS IN MOST CASES.

YOU HAVE TO GET THE BUDGET DONE.

YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ROADS.

JIM: YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

WENDY: AS THE SUPREME COURT OF THE U.S. PUSHES MORE THINGS BACK TO STATES AND AS CONGRESS TRIES TO PUSH MORE, HAVING MORE FAITH IN STATE GOVERNMENT IS BETTER FOR DEMOCRACY RIGHT NOW GIVEN THE TREND.

JIM: THE GOVERNOR, ALMOST 50% TRUST.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A SPECIFIC PERSON.

MCKEE, THE INCUMBENT, 27% APPROVE OF WHAT HE'’S DOING, 27.5% DISAPPROVE AND 33%, NEITHER.

IS THERE A DISCONNECT OR IS IT A FACT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC PERSON?

EMILY: I THINK GIVING THAT'’S SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL A RATING WILL HAVE FLUCTUATIONS AS TO HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN GENERAL.

AS FOR THE MCKEE APPROVAL RATING, IT WAS INTERESTING, HOW THERE WAS A LARGE PERCENTAGE THAT NEITHER GAVE APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVED OF HIM.

THAT'’S INTERESTING.

IF WE LOOK AT NATIONAL POLLS, A LOT OF THE TIMES THE WAY IT IS SET UP, YOU HAVE THE RESPONSE OPTIONS OF APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE.

THIS IS GIVING US MORE SPECIFIC LEVEL UNDERSTANDING -- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

HAVE THEY NOT FORMED AN OPINION OF HIM?

ARE THEY UNSURE?

JIM: MOST POLLS, 4% OF PEOPLE KNEW WHO THE GOVERNER IS.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

WHERE DO THEY LIVE?

JOSEPH CARTY DIDN'’T RUN FOR CONGRESS.

DO YOU KNOW WHO THE HOUSE SPEAKER IS?

EMILY: THAT IS OFTEN DONE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE POLLS TO GAUGE POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE.

JIM: POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE HERE.

[LAUGHTER] EMILY: EXACTLY.

AS SPEAKER, HE HAS A LOT OF POWER.

FOR RHODE ISLANDERS NOT TO RECOGNIZE WHO THOSE LEADERS ARE, THAT WAS DISCONCERTING.

NOT SURPRISING.

JIM: WHAT ABOUT THAT?

ADAM: I WOULD SAY THE MCKEE APPROVAL RATING RESULTS ARE STRIKING.

FIRST OF ALL, 33% NEITHER.

ANOTHER 13% ANSWERED, DO NOT KNOW.

IT IS CLOSE TO 50%.

JIM: HE'’S IN THE NEWS EVERY DAY!

ADAM: THAT IS REMARKABLE.

THE RELATIVELY LOW APPROVAL RATING IS REMARKABLE GIVEN THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING IT'’S A GOOD TIME TO BE GOVERNOR IN AMERICA NOW.

THE ECONOMY IS DOING PRETTY WELL.

INFLATION IS DOWN.

JOB GROWTH IS HIGH.

STATES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE.

JIM: THE MONEY HASN'’T RUN OUT YET.

ADAM: IF YOU COMPARE HIS APPROVAL RATING TO THOSE OF ALL THE OTHER NEW ENGLAND GOVERNORS, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, HIS ARE FAR LOWER.

EVERY OTHER NEW ENGLAND GOVERNOR RIGHT NOW HAS AN APPROVAL RATING ABOVE 50%.

SOMETHING IS GOING ON WITH GOVERNOR MCKEE THAT IS WORTH EXPLORING.

WENDY: A BIG DIFFERENCE IN HOW MUCH COVERAGE.

WHEN HE WAS RUNNING, HE WAS EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.

AS GOVERNOR, HE'’S BEEN LOW-KEY ON THAT LEVEL.

CD1 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY SOAKED UP SO MUCH ATTENTION IN THE SUMMER.

HE STAYED OUT OF THAT.

IF HE HAD ENDORSED, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.

ONCE THE ELECTION WAS COMING UP FOR CD1, GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMES BACK TO SESSION IN SPRING, I WONDER HOW THOSE NO OPINION NUMBERS WILL SHIFT, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY DO.

JIM: A LOT OF THE DRIP DRIP DRIP WHEN HE HAD THE PROBLEM WITH THE CHIEF OF STAFF AND A COUPLE OTHER SCANDALS.

ADAM: THAT'’S RIGHT.

MY GUESS IS THERE ARE A LOT OF VOTERS WHO HAVE A NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF HIM BECAUSE OF THAT DRIP.

THEY CAN'’T DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS ABOUT.

IT WOULDN'’T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE ILO SCANDAL OR THE TRIP TO PHILADELPHIA IN THE SUMMER BUT THEY KNOW THINGS HAVEN'’T BEEN QUITE RIGHT AND IT IS AFFECTING THE OVERALL PERCEPTION.

JIM: YOU ARE REFRESHING MY MEMORY.

I FORGOT ABOUT THAT.

PHILADELPHIA.

FINAL THOUGHTS?

EMILY: WE MAY SEE AN OPENING AS WE SAW IN THE BOSTON GLOBE PIECE ON PETER NERONHA, OF INTEREST IN RUNNING AGAINST MCKEE.

WENDY: IT'’S TOUGH.

PETER NERONHA HAS DONE A LOT.

IT DEPENDS TWO YEARS FROM NOW ON THE ECONOMY IN RHODE ISLAND, OUR LEVEL OF CRIME.

PETER NERONHA WILL RUN ON THAT.

PUSHING MCKEE BY SAYING I MIGHT BE RUNNING PROBABLY BENEFITS MCKEE, WHO WILL GET MORE ACTIVE AND GET OUT THERE ON HIS GAME.

PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE HIM IN THE PRIMARY.

ANY COMPETITION WITHIN THE PARTY OR BETWEEN PARTIES -- WE GET BETTER THINGS OUT OF POLITICIANS.

JIM: HELENA FOLKS GAVE HIM A RUN FOR HIS MONEY.

THEY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY.

LET'’S STAY WITH PETER NERONHA.

THE BOSTON GLOBE, PETER NERONHA IS TERM LIMITED.

AT THE END OF HIS SECOND TERM, CAN'’T RUN AGAIN, HE SAID THIS IS THE ONLY JOB I WANT TO DO.

HE HAS BEEN MR. SOCIAL MEDIA.

TWITTER.

HE'’S SAYING A LOT OF THINGS OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE AG'’S OFFICE.

THEY FINALLY GOT HIM TO SAY, MAYBE CONSIDER.

DID THIS APPRISE YOU?

-- SURPRISE YOU?

ADAM: WE KNEW THIS WAS IN THE OFFING.

YOU DON'’T ALL OF A SUDDEN INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE AT THAT LEVEL AND HAVE PEOPLE ASSUME NOTHING IS GOING ON.

HE'’S GOING TO BE A CREDIBLE CANDIDATE.

LOOKS LIKE HELENA WILL RUN AGAIN AS WELL.

THIS SETS UP A POSSIBILITY, MCKEE COULD SQUEAK BY IN A CROWDED PRIMARY, EVEN IF A MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATIC VOTERS DON'’T WANT HIM TO BE THE NOMINEE IN '’26.

WENDY: THE FOLKS CANDIDACY IS INTERESTING.

JIM: WILL SHE RUN?

WENDY: THEY'’VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES, CLOSING THINGS HERE AND THERE.

IT IS STRUGGLING MORE THAN PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WOULD.

I THINK SHE IS STILL HEAVILY TIED TO CVS.

IF THEY HAVE TO MAKE CUTS OR CHANGES IN RHODE ISLAND, I DON'’T KNOW IF IT IS A BRICK BUT IT HURTS HER LITTLE.

WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

TO KNOCK OFF AND INCUMBENT IS TOUGH WHEN THINGS ARE GOOD.

IT WILL BE A MIDTERM CYCLE.

TURN TIMES WILL BE LOWER THAN.

JIM: YOU HAVE TO FIGURE IN THE OUT YEARS, ARPA MONEY, BY THE TIME THE ELECTION COMES, WE ARE BACK INTO HEAVY DEFICITS.

EMILY: WE TALK ABOUT PETER NERONHA IN OUR BOOK WE COLLABORATED ON.

AS AG, HE WAS TRANSFORMATIVE IN FOCUSING, NOT JUST ON CRIMINAL ISSUES BUT ON CIVIL ISSUES AND ADVOCACY AND HAS BEEN PUSHING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND HEALTH CARE ISSUES.

HE'’S WILLING.

HE SAYS IT HIMSELF, TO TAKE A STAND, AND BE CRITICIZED FOR IT TOO.

I THINK THIS ISN'’T A SURPRISE.

JIM: HE SAYS HE'’S WORRIED ABOUT CLIMATE AND HEALTH CARE.

HE PUT THE KIBOSH ON THE MERGER.

INTERESTING TO SEE.

WENDY: THAT MERGER NOW, BROWN HAS REACHED A DIFFERENT KIND OF AGREEMENT WITH LIFESPAN.

JIM: IT'’S NOT LIFESPAN AND CARE NEW ENGLAND.

WENDY: THERE IS SOME EFFORT TO STILL CONSOLIDATE THE SYSTEMS.

IN COMBINATION WITH THE STATE ASSEMBLY, GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHICH PASSED STRONG LAWS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND GUNS IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, HE'’S BEEN AGGRESSIVE ABOUT ENFORCING.

THAT IS SOMETHING HE WILL TOUT.

JIM: ONE FINAL THING.

DESIRED STATE SPENDING INCREASES.

70% FOR EDUCATION, 69% FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES, 64% FOR HEALTH CARE, 64% FOR HOUSING.

THAT'’S PROBABLY NOT A SURPRISE.

WE ALREADY SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN THESE AREAS.

IS THAT A REFLECTION OF PEOPLE'’S DISSATISFACTION WITH THE RESULTS?

EMILY: I THINK MAY NOT NECESSARILY DISSATISFACTION BUT THERE IS INTEREST IN IMPROVING EDUCATION, ROADS AND BRIDGES.

THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS IN RHODE ISLAND.

IN CAUTION, THERE ARE MANY WAYS IN WHICH YOU COULD GAUGE PUBLIC OPINION ON HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT SPENDING.

WE COULD ASK THEM TO RANK THESE.

WE DIDN'’T DO THAT.

WE COULD DO HYPOTHETICALS.

HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO ALLOCATE?

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE WOULD REALLY BE ABLE TO SEE HOW RHODE ISLANDERS FEEL ABOUT THESE ISSUES.

THIS IS BASED ON A QUESTION ASKED IN THE AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTIONS STUDIES POLL.

THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SEE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL ABOUT HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT EDUCATION AND FEDERAL HIGHWAYS.

ADAM: TO PIGGYBACK, FISCAL POLICY IS ALL ABOUT TRADE-OFFS.

IF YOU INCREASE SPENDING IN ONE AREA, YOU HAVE TO CUT ELSEWHERE OR RAISE TAXES.

THIS POLL DID NOT GET AT THOSE TRADE-OFFS.

IT'’S EASY TO SAY I WANT MORE MONEY ON EDUCATION AND SO FORTH BUT WHEN YOU PRESENT THE TRADE-OFFS INVOLVED, IT IS LIKELY THE VIEWS WILL BE DIFFERENT.

70% FEEL MORE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT ON EDUCATION REFLECTS CONCERNS ABOUT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS IN THE STATE.

WENDY: WHAT'’S INTERESTING ABOUT THESE RESULTS, RHODE ISLAND IS A BLUE STATE, THIS IS WHY WE THINK ABOUT DEFICITS AT STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL -- THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AS CONSERVATIVE ON SPENDING AS HAS BEEN IN MY LIFETIME, THEY NEVER CUT THE BUDGET.

CONGRESS NEVER FIGURES IT OUT.

MOST AMERICANS WANT MONEY SPENT ON THESE THINGS AND THEY ARE EXPENSIVE.

THIS TELLS US ABOUT STATE AND NATIONAL POLITICS.

IT'’S VERY DIFFICULT, ONCE GOVERNMENT SPENDS MONEY IN AN AREA, TO CUT BACK ON THOSE EXPENDITURES.

JIM: RHODE ISLAND'’S PROBLEM OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN THE PROPERTY TAX.

WENDY: AND PROVIDENCE.

JIM: PROVIDENCE.

WHAT I'’M SAYING IS IN OTHER STATES, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE STATE AID.

CD1, EMILY THANK YOU FOR THAT, SEE MORE OF THAT ONLINE, CD1 RACE, WE ARE ALMOST AT THE END OF THE SHOW, THIS IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.

INDICATIVE OF HOW THE RACE HAS GONE.

DEBATE FRIDAY MORNING, CHANNEL 10 AND CHANNEL 12, IT HAS BEEN A SNOOZER.

THE POLL WAS INTERESTING.

ADAM: YEAH.

I DON'’T THINK THE OUTCOME -- JIM: THOSE 15% AREN'’T GOING TO BE RUNNING TOWARD LEONARD?

ADAM: I DON'’T THINK SO.

I HAVEN'’T SEEN ANY REASON TO BELIEVE SINCE THE PRIMARY THAT THE DYNAMICS HAVE CHANGED.

I WATCHED LAST NIGHT.

I DON'’T THINK LEONARD LANDED ANY KNOCKOUT BLOWS.

JIM: ONE THING THAT WAS PROBLEMATIC FOR HIM, HE SAID I DON'’T APPROVE OF A BAN OF ANY WEAPONS OF ANY TYPE, RIGHT AFTER THE MAINE SHOOTING.

ADAM: IF YOU ARE TRYING TO WIN IN A BLUE DISTRICT AFTER A MASS SHOOTING LIKE THAT, I DON'’T THINK THAT IS SOMETHING YOU SAY.

I DON'’T IMAGINE THAT WILL INGRATIATE HIM TO THE BARRINGTON SUBURBANITES WHO CARE ABOUT GUN CONTROL ISSUES.

WENDY: THIS DISTRICT WAS PACKED WITH DEMOCRATS IN 2012 WHEN THEY REDISTRICTED.

IT IS MORE LIBERAL THAN CD2.

GABE AMO HAS COME UNDER FIRE FOR NOT DEBATING ENOUGH.

YOU CAN ARGUE THAT IS TRUE.

HE HAD TO PUSH HIMSELF INTO THE PRIMARY DEBATES.

THERE WAS A LOT OF THEM.

A LOT OF INFO ABOUT HIM IN THE PRIMARY CAMPAIGN.

JIM: I WILL TAKE ISSUE.

HE SAID PEOPLE KNOW WHERE I STAND.

IT IS AUGUST.

HE WAS TALKING TO A SMALLER GROUP.

PEOPLE DIDN'’T KNOW WHO YOU WERE FIVE MONTHS AGO.

I THINK HE'’S A GOOD CANDIDATE, HE WILL PROBABLY BE A GOOD CONGRESSMAN.

THIS WHOLE DEAL OF EVERYONE KNOWS MY POSITION?

WENDY: I ALWAYS LIKE MORE DEBATES RATHER THAN FEWER.

LEONARD, THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY IS TOO CONSERVATIVE FOR RHODE ISLAND.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIKE TRUMP.

THE PARTY IS TOO CONSERVATIVE.

IF YOU ARE OUT THERE ALL THE TIME, YOU GET TRAPPED IN THOSE STATEMENTS.

THAT DOESN'’T HELP.

EMILY: IN THE DEBATE LAST NIGHT, LEONARD SHOWED HE IS MUCH MORE MODERATE THAN WHAT WE WOULD SEE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL OF A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS.

THE BIG DIFFERENCE WAS THE GUN ISSUE.

HIS OPINION ON GUNS.

GABE AMO DID A NICE JOB OF ATTACHING LEONARD TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN EVEN IF LEONARD SAID HE IS BIPARTISAN, BUT THE FACT HE WOULD BE A PART OF THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE, THAT IS A CONCERN FOR DEMOCRATS.

JIM: OUTRAGE AND KUDOS.

I WAS GOING TO SAY PROFESSOR.

PROFESSOR NUMBER ONE?

WENDY: LAWS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THEY ARE IMPLEMENTED WELL.

IN MAINE, THE GAPS OF HOW GUN PROHIBITIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DISTURBED, MENTALLY ILL, COMMITTED TO WARNINGS, THAT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS IMPLEMENTED.

IT'’S A DANGEROUS JOB FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO IMPLEMENT THESE GUN LAWS AND ARRESTS.

IT IS DANGEROUS.

WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT.

THEY DROPPED THE BALL IN MAINE.

THEY NEEDED TO GO FURTHER THAN THEY DID AT THE STATE POLICE LEVEL.

THEY DIDN'’T DO IT.

I FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN RHODE ISLAND THAN I DO IN MAINE.

JIM: ADAM?

ADAM: KUDOS TO OUR FORMER GOVERNOR, GETTING A LOT OF NATIONAL ATTENTION THIS WEEK.

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS ABOUT TO UNVEIL HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER ON AI.

APPARENTLY, NOW THE SECRETARY OF CONGRESS IS HIS POINT PERSON WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON AI RELATED ISSUES.

IT IS CLEAR THE PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM TRUST HER.

SHE IS RAISING OUR STATE'’S PROFILE NATIONALLY.

JIM: WHAT DO YOU SEE IN HER FUTURE, PROFESSOR MYERS?

ADAM: IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO PREDICT THE LANDSCAPE OF NATIONAL POLITICS, FOUR, EIGHT, 12 YEARS FROM NOW.

SHE'’S IN THE MIX.

EMILY: KUDOS FOR THE RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC EXPENDITURE COUNCIL AND VARIOUS CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ACROSS THE STATE.

THEY ARE COMING TOGETHER TO TRY TO DO THEIR OWN PART IN APPROVING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN RHODE ISLAND.

THIS WAS COVERED BY DAN MCGOWAN THIS WEEK.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING.

POWERWE WERE LOOKING AT EDUCATION.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.

JIM: EXECUTIVE DECISION.

WE CAN'’T NOT TALK ABOUT NATIONAL STUFF.

STAY TUNED.

WE HAVEN'’T DONE THIS FOR A WHILE.

THE ONLINE BONUS SEGMENT.

EXTRA 10 MINUTES OF ANALYSIS FROM THE BEST IN THE STATE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN WASHINGTON.

FOR THE REST OF YOU, WE ARE ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA.

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AND WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST.

TAKE US ALONG WITH YOU.

STICK WITH US FOR LIVELY EXTRA.

FOR THE REST OF YOU, COME BACK NEXT WEEK.

WE WILL HAVE THE RESULTS OF CD1 AND WHATEVER ELSE IS GOING ON.

COME BACK, A LIVELY EXPERIMENT CONTINUES.

♪ [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.

VISIT NCICAP.ORG] ANNOUNCER: A LIVELY EXPERIMENT IS GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY -- >> HI.

FOR OVER 30 YEARS, A LIVELY EXPERIMENT PROVIDES INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS TO THE POLITICAL ISSUES FACING RHODE ISLANDERS.