♪♪ >> CATHY: IN THE WAKE OF THE MURDERS OF MELISSA AND MARK HORTMAN AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS OF JOHN AND YVETTE HOFFMAN, MANY MINNESOTANS HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY HOPE OF CIVILITY RETURNING TO POLITICS.

ONE OF THE PEOPLE ASKING THAT QUESTION, AND ANSWERING IT AS WELL THIS WEEK, IS SHANNON WATSON, HEAD OF MAJORITY IN THE MIDDLE, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLY DIFT WEEK FOR ANYONE WHO HAS WORKED AT THE CAPITOL AND JUST GENERALLY AS A MINNESOTAN AND I JUST KEEP HEARING FROM PEOPLE, THEY ARE JUST SHOCKED THAT HAPPENED IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

HOWEVER, I WONDER, MAYBE IT IS US NOW?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS.

THAT BEING SAID, WHEN YOU HAVE A LIST OF LEGISLATORS AS TARGETS, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME OF THAT, THAT HAS COME HOME TO MINNESOTA UNFORTUNATELY.

>> Eric: I WONDER IF THERE'S A BIT OF GENERATION GAP, THAT THE OLDER FOLKS IN POLITICS WHO REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA EXCEPTIONALISM AND WENDY ANDERSON WITH THE FISH AND ALL THAT, THEY DON'T BELIEVE IT CAN HAPPEN HERE, BUT THE YOUNGER PEOPLE IN POLITICS MAY JUST SAY IT'S PART OF THE TICKET TO ADMISSION.

>> I THINK THE SOCIAL MEDIA HAS MADE IT SO MUCH MORE WHERE, YOU KNOW, CONSTITUENTS ARE UPSET OR VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING.

YOU KNOW, THAT STUFF GETS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR STEP VIA YOUR PHONE SO MUCH ORE OFTEN, AND WE ALL ARE SORT OF LIVING OUR LIVES ONLINE.

THAT IT'S EASIER TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BOTH KNOWN AND SORT OF EXPOSED, SO I THINK THAT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.

>> Cathy: I WAS TALKING AS I SAID TO YOU OFF AIR, SENATOR MURPHY WAS ON MPR WITH ME AND SHE FEELS THAT WE'VE CROSSED A LINE HERE WITH THIS HORRIBLE EVENT.

AND SHE WAS DRYING TO FIGURE OUT WILLING -- TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.

SO DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS AT THIS POINT?

>> I DO.

AND I FINALLY -- I FINALLY, LIKE, IN THE GREEN ROOM FIGURED OUT MY ANALOGY.

SO, LIKE, WHEN THERE'S A WILD FIRE, AND PEOPLE LOSE THEIR HOMES, AND THE TV CAMERA COMES, AND INTERVIEWS THE PERSON WHOSE HOUSE HAS BURNED DOWN AND SAID, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU GOING TO REBUILD?

AND THE PERSON SAYS, WELL, YEAH, I THINK SO.

BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW.

IT WOULD BE REALLY UNHELPFUL FOR AN ARCHITECT TO BE STANDING THERE WITH HOUSE PLANS AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW I FEEL.

I'M THE ARCHITECT WITH THE HOUSE PLANS.

AND SO WE DO KNOW SOME THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN HELP.

WE DO HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE ENORMOUSLY RESPECTFUL OF THE PROCESS, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES, AND JUST THE GRIEVING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH.

>> Cathy: HOW ARE YOU DOING?

YOU'RE AT THE CAPITOL ALL THE TIME.

>> I'M OKAY -- I'VE HAD MY HEAD DOWN DOING WORK THIS WEEK AND TRYING TO FOCUS ON THAT AND TRYING TO -- SO MY -- MY DAD WAS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR 37 YEARS, AND MY MOM WAS A JOURNALIST.

SO I COMPARTMENTALIZE PRETTY WELL.

I WENT TO THE CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL AT THE CAPITOL, WHICH WAS SO, SO WELL DONE.

THE NO SIGNS, NO SPEECHES THING MADE THAT JUST AMAZING.

IT FELT LIKE CHURCH TO ME.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE I FELT MY COMPOSURE WAVERING A LITTLE BIT.

>> Eric: ARE THERE GOING TO BE A OT OF RETIREMENTS BEFORE THE 2026 ELECTION?

OR DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGHER TO RECRUIT CANDIDATES?

>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

I DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT.

IT'S -- IT'S MORE REAL NOW.

BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO SOMEONE WE KNOW.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE, THIS IS A CONCERN.

FOR CANDIDATES.

THIS IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION WHEN PEOPLE RUN FOR OFFICE.

I USED TO WORK WITH A LOT OF FIRST-TIME CANDIDATES, PARTICULARLY FIRST-TIME FEMALE CANDIDATES, AND 20 YEARS AGO, WOMEN DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO RUN WHEN THEIR KIDS WERE LITTLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED MOM, THEY NEED TO HELP WITH SOCKS AND SHOES AND BATH TIME AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

WOMEN, THESE DAYS, THAT HAS SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO RUN WHEN -- OBVIOUSLY NOT UNIVERSALLY, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO RUN WHEN THEIR KIDS ARE OLD ENOUGH TO READ SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL THE THREATS AND THE TERRIBLE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THEIR PARENT.

SO I THINK THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE NOTHER ONE OF THOSE, IS YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE SITUATION, YOU KNOW THAT MAYBE IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU.

AND IS IT STILL IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO DO PUBLIC SERVICE OR SERF THIS WAY TO TAKE THAT RISK?

TAKE CALCULATED RISK?

>> Cathy: WE WERE TALKING.

OBVIOUSLY YOU SAW THAT, WITH SENATOR KLOBUCHAR AND REPRESENTATIVE MCCLUNG.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRUE.

WORDS HOLD WEIGHT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Cathy: RIGHT?

AND SO I WONDER HERE, AS YOU KNOW, IN OUR CURRENT POLARIZED POLITICS, WE TEND TO -- NOT WE, SOME PEOPLE TEND TO DEHUMANIZE THE OPPONENT, AND ATTACK THEM.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO TRY TO REPAIR SOME OF THAT?

JUST -- DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS TO EVEN HOW TO START THOSE STEPS?

>> SO JUST THE MAIN ONE IS THAT I DO THINK, LIKE SENATOR KLOBUCHAR SAID, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SORT OF POLICE UR OWN AND TALK TO PEOPLE LIKE ONE ON ONE.

I AM NOT AT ALL SURPRISED THAT IT TOOK HOSE ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS FOR SENATOR LEE TO TAKE THAT POST DOWN, BECAUSE NOW, LIKE YOU GET SO MANY LIKES OR HATES OR WHATEVER ON THE INTERNET, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.

EVEN IF IT'S IN THE THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.

IT MEANS SOMETHING WHEN A COLLEAGUE SAYS, THIS ISN'T -- THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.

SO, LIKE, THOSE ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND THEN THE BIGGEST PIECE IS WHEN YOU'RE CALLING -- INSTEAD OF CALLING SOMEBODY OUT, CALL THEM IN, BECAUSE THE THING THAT MAKES PEOPLE NOT WANT TO SORT OF BACK DOWN OR SORT OF CROSS THE AISLE OR SAY SOMETHING SORT OF AGAINST THEIR OWN TEAM IS THAT PEOPLE WILL TURN AROUND AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK, YOU SAID THIS.

LIKE, WHY WOULD I DO THAT?

>> Eric: CALL OUT -- >> CALL PEOPLE IN, INSTEAD OF CALL PEOPLE OUT.

>> Eric: GOOD ADVICE.

THANKS FOR COMING OVER, SHANNON.

WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE