RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT FROM THE
SAME PARTY.
THAT WAS THEN.
IT'S A CROWDED FIELD NOW.
JOE BIDEN WITH 19 OTHERS IN THE
RACE MUDDY THE WATERS OR
DISTINGUISH HIMSELF WITH SOME OF
THOSE COMMENTS?
LET'S GET THE READ FROM STEVE
FORBES, NATHAN RUBEN AND KAT
TIMPF.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS A VERY
DARK AND OMINOUS MESSAGE.
HE'S CONNECTED WITH OBAMA
BECAUSE HE WAS HIS VICE
PRESIDENT.
BUT OBAMA SAID HOPE AND CHANGE,
THIS IS MORE FEAR AND DREAD.
OBAMA HAD A MESSAGE OF IMAGINE
WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE
IF WE COULD HAVE IF I WERE
PRESIDENT.
THIS IS HIM SAYING THERE WON'T
BE A FUTURE IF ME OR A DEMOCRAT
IS NOT PRESIDENT.
THAT IS INTERESTING TO ME
BECAUSE IN 2016, THE DEMOCRATS,
HILLARY CLINTON AND HER CAMPAIGN
MADE THINGS ABOUT ATTACKING
TRUMP AND THE DOOM AND GLOOM
SITUATION IF TRUMP WERE TO BE
ELECTED.
THEY DIDN'T WIN.
IT SEEMS LIKE JOE BIDEN'S
ANNOUNCEMENT WAS DOING THE SAME
THING.
>> Neil: WE SHOULD STRESS, THERE
WERE SOME UPLIFTING PIECES OF
VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHS IN THAT
PIECE.
BUT IT'S COMING OUT THE GATES,
NATHAN, THE VICE PRESIDENT AT
THE TIME WAS VERY CRITICAL OF
TRUMP'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS AND
SEEMED DARK.
IT SEEMED TO BE A CLUMSY WAY TO
GET OFF.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> YOU'RE RIGHT TO POINT OUT
THAT HISTORICALLY PAST
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAVE
CHOSEN OPTIMISM.
LIKE YOU SAID, THEY WERE
SUCCESSFUL.
I ALSO THINK JOE BIDEN HAS A
POINT WHEN HE'S TRYING TO PAINT
SUCH A BLEAK PICTURE OF THE
CURRENT STATE OF POLITICS.
YOU LOOK WHAT'S GOING ON IN
TERMS OF JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE,
CONGRESSIONAL CHECKS AND
BALANCES, THE IDEA THAT CONGRESS
SHOULD HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THIS CURRENT
ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T BELIEVE
IN THOSE ITEMS --
>> Neil: IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO.
THE MESSAGE ALONE, RONALD REAGAN
WEPT AFTER JIMMY CARTER AND HIS
STEWARDSHIP OF THE ECONOMY AND
MALAISE THING.
BUT THERE IN THE STATUE OF
LIBERTY ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN THE
CAMPAIGN KICKED OFF, HE SAY I
THINK WE CAN RETURN TO HIGHER
ANGELS AND ALL THAT.
SHOULD THAT HAVE BEEN THE THEME
HERE FOR DOES IT DIFFER ON THE
TIMES?
>> BIDEN MADE A HUGE MISTAKE.
IT'S A CLASSIC CASE.
HE'S RUNNING FOUR YEARS TOO
LATE.
IF THEY RAN IN 2016, BOTH WOULD
HAVE HAD A SHOT NOT ONLY WINNING
THE NOMINATION BUT BIDEN WINNING
THE GENERAL ELECTION.
PEOPLE WANT TO HOPE FOR THE
FUTURE.
THEY THINK THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
UP TO THE OFFICE AND ALL THAT
KIND OF THING.
BUT BIDEN IS BEING THE SENIOR
CANDIDATE WHEN THE SENIOR
CANDIDATE IS THERE SHOULD SAY
I'VE SEEN A LOT, WE'RE GOING TO
COME OUT OF IT.
HERE'S HOW.
>> Neil: AND GALVANIZING THE
BASE TO NATHAN'S POINT.
THIS HITS HOME WITH THEM.
SATISFACTION WITH TRUMP AND
STEWARDSHIP AND THIS WILL BE A
DIFFERENT GUY IN CHARGE.
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
YOU SEE ARTICLES ABOUT PEOPLE
STRESSED OUT OR STRUGGLING WITH
ANXIETY WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT
THE FACT THAT TRUMP IS
PRESIDENT.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT KIND OF
THING WITH ANY OTHER PRESIDENT
BEFORE WHERE IT'S PEOPLE ARE
SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO
THERAPISTS BECAUSE OF WHO THE
PRESIDENT IS.
BUT I STILL THINK THAT IT SHOULD
HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE
INSPIRATIONAL AND TRYING TO
INSPIRE PEOPLE NAN TRYING TO
MAKE PEOPLE AFRAID.
WHICH IS CLEARLY WHAT HE WAS
GOING FOR.
IF DEMOCRATS DON'T WIN THE
FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY IS
FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED.
THAT'S AN EXTREME THING TO SAY.
>> Neil: IT'S INTERESTING THAT
WE'RE ALSO LEARNING THAT BIDEN
TODAY HAD CALLED ANITA HILL WHO
HAD CHARGES AGAINST CLARENCE
CHARGES TO SAY THAT HE REGRETTED
HOW SHE HAD TO ENDURE THE
CLARENCE THOMAS HEARING.
HE'S TRYING TO MAKE RIGHT FROM
PAST INCIDENTS THAT ARE
CONTROVERSIAL WITH THE ME TOO
MOVEMENT.
IS THAT GOING TO WORK?
IS THIS TONE TO SAY THIS GUY,
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS A PROBLEM,
I'M NOT GOING TO BE THAT
PROBLEM, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE A
MISTAKE OR ARE WE GETTING TOO
CONVOLUTED HERE?
>> ONE OF THE ASSETS THAT THE
OBAMA CAMPAIGN LOOKED AT WAS HIS
LONG HISTORY IN CONGRESS AND THE
SENATE.
BUT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE A
LIABILITY.
LOOK AT THE 1991 ANITA HILL
HEARINGS, THE 1994 CRIME BILL,
1996 WHEN HE VOTED AGAINST SAME
SEX MARRIAGE, THE BASE OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY ARE LOOKING AT
HIS HISTORY AND SAYING, WAIT A
SECOND.
IS THAT WHO I WANT TO LEAD US
INTO THE FUTURE?
>> Trace: DOES THAT RULE OUT
WHITE MALES?
OLDER WHITE MALES.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT RULES OUT
WHITE MALES.
PETE BUTTIGIEG IS STRIKING AN
OPTIMISTIC TONE IN THAT
GENERATIONAL DIVIDE WHERE HE
SAYS I CAN LEAD US INTO A NEW
PROGRESSIVE ERA.
THAT HAS A LOT OF CLOUT WITH A
LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> Neil: YOU THINK ABOUT IT,
IT'S NOT AS IF PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS AN OPTIMIST.
HE SPENDS TIME GRILLING HIS
OPPONENTS AND SAYING WHAT HE DID
TODAY ABOUT EVEN JOE BIDEN.
THAT'S HARDLY POSITIVE OR EVEN
PRESIDENTIAL.
>> PETER WAS ATTACKING AN
OPPONENT.
DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE
SLUGGISHNESS OF THE PAST TEN
YEARS OR --
>> Neil: THE PERSONAL SWIPES
HAVE ANY POINT IN THE CAMPAIGN?
>> I THINK ANYTHING CAN BE
OVERDONE.
IN TERMS OF BIDEN THOUGH, GIVEN
HIS AGE, HE'S GOT TO TURN THAT
INTO AN ASSET.
THAT'S WHERE HE HAS TO MAKE THE
CASE, WHY AM I BETTER THAN THESE
OTHERS?
YOUNG PEOPLE, OPTIMISTIC PEOPLE.
WHAT DO I BRING TO THE TABLE?
OTHER THAN I'VE BEEN AROUND
AWHILE THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU
TRUST ME.
>> Neil: IS IT BIDEN'S
NOMINATION TO LOSE?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK IT'S REALLY HARD TO
TELL AT THE BEGINNING.
HE DOES HAVE A LARGER SHARE OF
THE VOTES IN POLLS.
THAT SHARE SHRINKS WHEN THERE'S
AN UNDECIDED OPTION ADDED.
A LOT OF THE POLLS WITH THE
LEAD, THERE'S AN UNDECIDED
OPTION.
COULD BE NAME RECOGNITION.
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S HIS TO
LOSE.
HE NEEDS TO PROVE HIMSELF.
THIS IS A PRIMARY, NOT A
GENERAL.
>> Neil: YOU'RE RIGHT.
>> BECAUSE OF THE REPRESENTATION
THEY HAVE ON DELEGATES, EVERYONE
WILL BE A FACTOR IN THAT
CONVENTION.
UNLESS HE WINS AT THE BEGINNING,
HE WILL GET CRUSHED AT THE
CONVENTION.
HE WILL NEVER SURVIVE.
>> Neil: AND IT COULD BE
MULTIPLE VOTES, NOT FIRST