>>> WELCOME BACK. TONIGHT, IN "2020 VISION," THERE
IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE
TRAFFIC JAM OF DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON ROAD
THEY HOPE LEADS THEM TO THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. AND SOME CANDIDATES ARE ALREADY
STARTING TO STAKE OUT THEIR
POTENTIAL LANES.
POTENTIAL LANES. SAY MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR
ELIZABETH WARREN SEEMS TO BE
TRYING TO ESTABLISH HERSELF AS A
CORRUPTION CRUSADER.
CORRUPTION CRUSADER. HERE HE IS LAST NIGHT WITH
RACHEL MADDO.W.
RACHEL MADDO.W. >> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A SYSTEM
THAT IS CORRUPT.
IT GETS A LITTLE BIT CORRUPT AND
IT GETS A LITTLE MORE CORRUPT
AND IT GETS A LITTLE MORE
CORRUPT.
CORRUPT. NOW THEY’RE WALLOWING IN THE
CORRUPTION.
CORRUPTION. >> AND WARREN ISN’T THE ONLY
ONE.
ONE. WASHINGTON GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE
IS STEERING HIM TOWARDS A LANE
WE’RE CALLING THE CLIMATE
CHANGER.
CHANGER. >> CLIMATE CHANGE WILL NO LONGER
BE ON THE BACKBURNER.
IT IS A CENTRAL MESSAGE.
EVERY DEMOCRAT RUNNING ANYWHERE
IN AMERICA NEEDS TO MAKE IT IS A
CENTRAL MESSAGE, BECAUSE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE WITH US.
>> FINALLY, FORMER VIRGINIA
GOVERNOR TERRY McAULIFFE IS
POSITIONING HIMSELF IN WHAT
WE’RE CALLING THE MIDDLEMAN
LANE.
LANE. HE URGED DEMOCRATS TO AVOID
MAKING PROMISES THAT SOUND
APPEALING, LIKE FREE COLLEGE,
THAT ARE EXPENSIVE, AND MAY BE
IMPOSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT.
JOINING ME NOW IS CARNEL
BELCHER, AND OUR PANEL IS BACK.
CARNELL, DO YOU THINK THAT
SOMEBODY HAS TO TAKE A LANE AND
REALLY RUN WITH IT, SIMPLE,
CLEAR, STRAIGHTFORWARD MESSAGE,
DO THEY HAVE TO STRADDLE A BUNCH
OF LANES?
OF LANES? HOW DO YOU GET INTO A RACE THIS
CROWDED?
CROWDED? >> WELL, I’VE DONE A LOT OF
DEMOCRATIC PRY ICIC PRIMARIES, A
YOU LOOK AT SUCH A CROWDED
FIELD, GETTING SPECIFIC INTO A
LANE IS PROBABLY A GOOD STRATEGY
EARLY ON.
EARLY ON. I MEAN, LOOK.
WITH 15 OR 16 OR SO PEOPLE
RUNNING AND SOLID CANDIDATES
RUNNING, A CANDIDATE MIGHT GET
20%, 25%.
20%, 25%. SO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE
LANES, ARE THERE 25%, 30% OF
VOTERS WHO WILL -- WHO WILL
MOBILIZE AROUND YOU BECAUSE OF A
CLIMATE CHANGE?
CLIMATE CHANGE? ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE
25%, 30% OF VOTERS WHO WILL
MOBILIZE YOUcAULIFFE IS
BETTING ON, AS A MAN IN THE
MIDDLE LANE?
MIDDLE LANE? THE CONTOURS OF THIS ELECTION
HAVE NOT COMPLETELY UNFOLDED,
BUT FROM AN EARLY STRATEGIC
STANDPOINT, I THINK A LOT OF THE
CANDIDATES ARE BETTING THAT, YOU
KNOW, I WILL LAND ON A SPECIFIC
LANE, AND THERE’S ENOUGH VOTERS
IN THAT LANE TO PUSH ME THROUGH
A CROWDED PRIMARY.
AT LEAST THE FIRST COUPLE OF
STATES.
STATES. >> SO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT
THEN, CORNELL, AND LET’S SAY
YOU’RE ONE OF THE MANY, SEVERAL,
AT LEAST, WHO WANT TO BE THE
LEADER IN CLIMATE CHANGE, DOES
TIMING MATTER?
TIMING MATTER? DOES IT HELP YOU TO GET OUT
FIRST?
FIRST? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE’S BEEN
A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT
THIS.
THIS. LISTEN, FOR THE BIG NAMES, AND
SOME OF US WERE SURPRISED ABOUT
ELIZABETH WARREN JUMPING OUT.
FOR THE BIG NAMES, YOU WANT A
SHORTER CONTEST.
SHORTER CONTEST. FOR THE BIDENS, THE ELIZABETH
WARRENS.
WARRENS. SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET IN
LATER.
LATER. BUT FOR SOME OF THE CANDIDATES
WITH LESS NAME IDENTIFICATION,
THEY WANT A LONGER PRIMARY
PROCESS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO
BUILD NAME IDENTIFICATION.
THEY GET BETTER ON THE STUMP,
THEY CAN RAISE MORE MONEY.
IF YOU’RE A JOE BIDEN, BERNIE
SANDERS, YOU KNOW, THE
CALCULATION IS, YOU CAN GET IN
LATER BECAUSE YOU WANT A SHORTER
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. BUT FOR SOME OF THESE CANDIDATES
WITH LESS NAME IDENTIFICATION,