Ben Wikler went from The Daily Show stage with Jon Stewart straight to The Rick Solem Show the next day to help make sense of the wild week in Wisconsin politics.

The former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, who will be in La Crosse on Sunday, gives his take on the recent shakeup in the Democratic primary for governor — from Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropping out to David Crowley re-entering the race — and why Wikler argues this primary shuffle gives voters genuine options rather than a pre-packaged Republican ticket.

Wikler points out Tom Tiffany's extreme voting record in Congress, while detailing why the state party maintains strict primary neutrality and how a surging turnout will carry the eventual Democratic nominee.

The discussion centers on Wikler’s new book, This Is The Plan, which maps out how Democrats successfully unrigged Wisconsin's GOP gerrymander and offers a playbook for national political reform. That conversation will continue in La Crosse this Sunday at the Cappella Performing Arts Center, where he'll join  political analyst Todd Allbaugh for a live Q&A and book signing.

In this interview:

• Governor's Race Shakeup: How Wikler—and his dog Ross—reacted to a wild week in state politics, plus why party bosses no longer handpick primary candidates for Democrats.

• Local Issues & 3rd District: Van Orden’s starring role as a character in This Is The Plan, and the strategy for beating Tom Tiffany in November.

• "Gotham City" Corruption: Campaign finance, Supreme Court ethics, and the playbook for fixing legalized corruption.

• Behind the Scenes at The Daily Show: What it was really like going back-and-forth with Jon Stewart (and competing with his rolling chair).

IF YOU GO

• What: Ben Wikler book tour stop for This Is The Plan: How To End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy

• When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26 (Doors open at 11:30 a.m.)

• Where: Cappella Performing Arts Center (map)

• Details: Free to attend, but registration is required online via Eventbrite. The conversation will feature Wikler joined by political analyst Todd Allbaugh, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Books will be available for purchase on-site through Pearl Street Books.