>>> DONALD TRUMP IS ONLY PRESIDENT, IS THE ONLY PRESIDENT
WHO’S DECIDED NOT TO REPRESENT
THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO DONALD TRUMP
IS.
IS. AND I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE IN
HOPE.
HOPE. THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE.
WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW WHO WE
ARE.
ARE. >> JOE BIDEN TODAY HOLDING HIS
FIRST OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN RALLY,
SPEAKING IN PENNSYLVANIA,
HITTING TRUMP FOR LIES AND
MAKING A LARGE PITCH ON THE
ECONOMY, SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT
THE MIDDLE CLASS.
>> THE COUNTRY WASN’T BUILT BY
WALL STREET BANGKERS, CEOs AND
HEDGE FUND MANAGERS.
IT WAS BUILT BY YOU.
THE MIDDLE CLASS IS HURTING.
IT’S HURTING NOW.
IT’S WELL PAST TIME THAT THE
MINIMUM WAGE ACTUALLY BE A
MINIMUM OF $15.
>> BIDEN ALSO GETTING THE
DORMANT OF THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST
FIREFIGHTERS UNION, AND EARLY
PRIMARY POLLING HAS HIM AT THE
HEAD OF THE PACK.
YET CHECK HIM OUT.
THE MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATIC
VOTERS, 54% ARE STILL UNDECIDED.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING.
THEY HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT A
WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE.
TODAY I SPOKE TO FORMER RNC
CHAIR MICHAEL STEELE WHO SAID
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS HAVE A SIMPLE
CHOICE IN THIS PRIMARY.
>> DO YOU WANT TO BE WIN?
>> JOINING ME CRISTINA BELTRAN
AND FORMER INTERNET DIRECTOR FOR
HILLARY CLINTON’S 2008 CAMPAIGN
PETER DOW, AUTHOR THE AUTHOR OF
DIGITAL CIVIL WAR, CONFRONTING
THE FAR RIGHT MENACE.
CRISTINA, WHEN I LOOK AT JOE
BIDEN AND HIS MESSAGE TODAY, HE
WENT STRAIGHT AFTER TRUMP WHERE
IT HURTS, THE ECONOMY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WON ON A
POPULIST ECONOMIC MESSAGE,
SAYING TO THE COUNTRY THE
ECONOMY DOESN’T WORK SO MANY OF
YOU, I’M HERE TO SOLVE THAT.
THEN HE WINS.
NOW HE HAS COMPLETELY FLIPPED
THE SCRIPT.
THE SCRIPT. AND WITH THE SAME EXACT ECONOMY,
EVEN A MORE EXAGGERATED ONE, HE
NOW CALLS IT GREAT EVERY DAY OF
THE WEEK, AND DOESN’T REALLY GET
CHALLENGED ON IT.
WHEN HE SPOKE IN WISCONSIN, HE
DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY.
HE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THE FOXCONN
PLANT, BECAUSE ALL THOSE BIG
PLANS AREN’T WORKING FOR THOSE
VOTERS.
VOTERS. JOE BIDEN HITTING THEM IN THE
RIGHT PLACE?
RIGHT PLACE? >> I THINK IT’S A PRETTY
EFFECTIVE MOVE AT THIS POINT.
CERTAINLY, AND IT’S BOTHERING
TRUMP WHICH IS INTERESTING.
IT’S FUN TO WATCH TRUMP.
WHAT HE ALWAYS OFTEN DOES IS HE
ARTICULATES THIS IMAGE WELL THE
STOCK MARKET IS DOING GREAT.
BUT THE STOCK MARKET, THERE IS
SUCH A DISSONANCE NOW BETWEEN
WHAT THE STOCK MARKET IS DOING
AND WHAT REAL REGULAR AMERICANS
ARE FEELING.
ARE FEELING. I THINK THE INTERESTING QUESTION
FOR BIDEN IS GOING TO BE GIVEN
HIS LONG HISTORY, PEOPLE USED TO
CALL HIM THE SENATOR FROM MBMA.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS
ABOUT JOE BIDEN, HE SORT OF
EMBODIES THE LAST 40 YEARS OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S POLITICS.
HE IS SORT OF A PLACE HOLDER FOR
A WHOLE SET OF DEBATES ABOUT
WHERE DOES THE PARTY WANT TO GO?
DOES IT WANT TO GO IN A MORE
LEFT DIRECTION?
LEFT DIRECTION? DOES IT WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO KEEP AND MAINTAIN WHITE
VOTERS WHILE GROWING ITS YOUNG
ELECTORATE, THE MULTIRACIAL
ELECTORATE.
ELECTORATE. HE’S HAD REALLY INTERESTING,
WHAT HE SAYS AND HIS OWN HISTORY
ARE GOING TO BE IN A DIALOGUE
WITH EACH OTHER IN A REALLY
INTERESTING WAY.
INTERESTING WAY. >> THIS TAKES YOU RIGHT BACK TO
WHAT MICHAEL STEELE SAID TODAY
TO DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.
DO YOU WANT TO BE WOKE OR DO YOU
WANT TO WIN?
IF YOU WATCH FOX NEWS AT NIGHT,
THEY’RE NOT TALKING SO MUCH
ABOUT JOE BIDEN.
THEY’RE NOT TALKING SO MUCH
ABOUT PETE BUTTIGIEG.
THEY ARE PAINTING A PICTURE THAT
THE DEMOCRATS ARE THE FAR, FAR
LEFT.
LEFT. AND THE CHOICE IS CAPITALISM AS
IT STANDS OR SOCIALISM.
THAT IS WHAT JOE BIDEN’S MESSAGE
IS.
IS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATIC
ELECTORATE, WHAT DIRECTION DO
YOU NEED TO HEAD?
WOKE OR WIN?
>> SEE?
>> SEE? I WANT TO REJECT THAT ENTIRE
FALSE DICHOTOMY.
FALSE DICHOTOMY. IF YOU THINK OF WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE FAR LEFT, YOU WANT UNIVERSAL
HEALTH CARE, YOU WANT FEWER
SHOOTINGS IN SCHOOLS, YOU WANT
PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A
LIVING WANG, AFFORDABLE COLLEGE.
IF YOU TALK ABOUT FAR RIGHT,
IT’S BIGOTRY, IT’S RACISM, IT’S
NEO-NAZIS MARCHING.
NEO-NAZIS MARCHING. THIS WHOLE NOTION WE HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT WHETHER DEMOCRATS
ARE MOVING TO THE LEFT.
LET’S ASK WHY REPUBLICANS ARE
MOVING SO FAR TO THE RIGHT,
WHICH THEY.
WHICH THEY. >> BUT DO YOU HAVE TO ASK THAT
QUESTION UNTIL YOU GET TO THE
GENERAL?
GENERAL? WHILE YOU’RE IN THE PRIMARY, HOW
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. IS IT?
IS IT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT DEMOCRATS
ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH REGARD TO
JOE BIDEN’S CONDUCT, HE DID
APOLOGIZE TO ANITA HILL.
CLEARLY THAT’S BECOME A HOT
TOPIC FOR DEMOCRATS.
BUT IF JOE BIDEN OR ANY OTHER
CANDIDATE ON THE LEFT MAKES
THEIR WAY TO THE GENERAL, NO
REPUBLICAN WOULD EVER BRING THE
SUBJECT UP GIVEN WHO PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS AND WHAT HE HIMSELF HAS
DONE.
DONE. >> RIGHT, RIGHT.
I THINK WE CAN’T REALLY HAVE
THIS ARGUMENT ON WHAT THE SIDE
OF TRUMP IS.
THE RIGHT IS GOING TO PIN
WHOEVER GETS THIS NOMINATION AS
A SOCIALIST, AS FAR-LEFT
RADICAL.
RADICAL. THE ATTACK ON WHOEVER GETS THIS
GIG IS GOING TO BE FAIRLY
HOSTILE AND AGGRESSIVE, AND SO I
THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WHAT THERE IS HAPPENING RIGHT
NOW, I THINK IT’S REALLY HEALTHY
FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO HAVE
A REAL RECKONING TO WHERE DO WE
WANT TO GO?
WHAT IS OUR RELATIONSHIP TO
DEMOCRACY AND CAPITALISM?
HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THESE
QUESTIONS OF RACIAL JUSTICE?
WHAT IS OUR HISTORY WITH THE
BANKS, WITH CORPORATE POWER,
WITH POLICING.
WITH POLICING. THOSE ARE -- WE SHOULDN’T BE
AFRAID TO HAVE REAL
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE -- I
MEAN, THAT’S WHAT PRIMARIES ARE
FOR.
FOR. TO HAVE SERIOUS ARGUMENTS ABOUT
THE DIRECTION OF A POLITICAL
PARTY.
PARTY. I DON’T THINK IT SHOULD BE
FRAMED IN THIS SORT OF WELL,
IT’S IDENTITY OR THE MAINSTREAM
THAT ISN’T REALLY WHAT’S
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. WE’RE HAVING A REALLY SERIOUS
CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE HAVE WE
BEEN, WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO.
I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS FOR
BIDEN AND TRUMP IS IT GOING TO
BECOME TOO MUCH ABOUT BIDEN AND
TRUMP VERSUS US?
IT’S GOING TO BE ABOUT THE
FUTURE, ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S GOING
TO BE INTERESTING FOR BIDE DONE,
BECAUSE HE LITERALLY DOES EMBODY
THE LAST 40 YEARS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ARE WE GOING
TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAGIARISM,
ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ANITA
HILL AND THE CRIME BILL?
OR ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
WHERE WE WANT TO GO, AND IS HE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE
CONVERSATION TO THE FUTURE AND
REMIND PEOPLE I WAS OBAMA’S
WINGMAN.
WINGMAN. HOW IS HE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
FORGE THAT COMBINATION IN
CONVERSATION?
CONVERSATION? >> IF WE GO THROUGH THAT,
EVERYTHING JOE BIDEN OR ANYONE
ELSE WHO IS RUNNING WHO IS AN
ELECTED OFFICIAL, IF WE GO
THROUGH EVERY DECISION, EVERY
VOTE, EVERYTHING WE SAID OVER
THE LAST 40 YEARS, ISN’T THAT
GOING TO TAKE US RIGHT BACK TO
THE LAST ELECTION, WHERE
PRESIDENT TRUMP DIDN’T HAVE TO
ANSWER FOR ANY OF THAT BECAUSE
PEOPLE JUST SAID WELL, HE WAS A
PRIVATE CITIZEN, AND WE WENT
THROUGH EVERYTHING HILLARY
CLINTON DID.
CLINTON DID. SO IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN IN THE
NEXT ELECTION, DOESN’T THAT SAY
MAN, EXPERIENCE, THAT’S A
NEGATIVE THING?
NEGATIVE THING? >> THE WAY I SEE IT IS WE HAVE
SO MANY FALSE DICHOTOMIES
THROUGHOUT.
THROUGHOUT. ONE OF THEM, FOR EXAMPLE, IS
GOING AFTER TRUMP IS DIFFERENT
THAN PUSHING ISSUES.
GOING AFTER DEMOCRATS FOR
DEMOCRATS, LEFTISTS IS GOING TO
DEFEND THE RULE OF LAW.
AND THAT’S JUST AS IMPORTANT AS
PROMOTING POLICIES TOO.
ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY
STEPHANIE IS LEADERS LEAD.
MORAL LEADERS LEAD.
THEY MOVE THE ELECTORATE WITH
THEM.
THEM. AND ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS I’VE
HAD, I’M A DEMOCRAT, BUT THE
COMPLAINTS I’VE HAD AGAINST
DEMOCRATS IS YOU POLL AND YOU
PANDER, AND THAT IS NOT A WAY TO
LEAD.
LEAD. YOU CAN MOVE THE PUBLIC TOWARD
DEMOCRATIC AND PROGRESSIVE
ISSUES IF YOU HAVE COURAGE.
>> I DON’T HAVE TO EXPAND THE
TERRAIN OF THE SAYABLE.
ONCE YOU ACTUALLY START TALKING
ABOUT ISSUES, THE PUBLIC IS A
DYNAMIC INSTITUTION.
DYNAMIC INSTITUTION. THE PUBLIC IS DYNAMIC.
IT’S NOT THIS STATIC THING.
AND THE POLLING AND PANDERING
AND KEEPING YOUR FINGER UP FOR
THE WIN DOESN’T ACKNOWLEDGE THE
WAY LEADERSHIP ALWAYS DOES SHIFT
THE DEBATE AND EXPAND THE
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. WE ALSO NEED TO EXPAND THE
ELECTORATE.
ELECTORATE. WE NEED THE GROW THE VOTING.
WE SHOULDN’T JUST BE TALKING
ABOUT THE FISH THAT WE CAN
CATCH.
CATCH. WE HAVE TO GROW THE AMOUNT, WE
HAVE TO GROW THE FISH.
>> HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE POLL
AND PANDER TENDENCY AT A TIME
WHEN WE LIVE IN SOCIAL MEDIA?
WHEN THERE WAS A "NEW YORK
TIMES" POLL OUT THIS MONTH THAT
THE ACTUAL DEMOCRATIC
ELECTORATE, WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT
THEY NEED IS FAR DIFFERENT THAN
WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA WOULD TELL
YOU.
YOU. >> I’LL GIVE YOU A PERFECT
EXAMPLE IS IMPEACHMENT.
I’VE ARGUED VERY FORCEFULLY IF
ANY PRESIDENT SHOULD EVER BE
IMPEACHED IT’S DONALD TRUMP.
BUT PUBLIC POLLING IS DICEY.
IT’S NOT 100%.
MY ARGUMENT IS LOOK, YOU DON’T
ALWAYS LEAD BY FOLLOWING POLLS.
YOU DON’T LEAD BY WHAT THE
PUBLIC WANTS, AND YOU CERTAINLY
DON’T LEAD BY WHAT HAPPENS ON
TWITTER.
TWITTER. >> YOU DO IT ETHICALLY RIGHT AND
LEGALLY RIGHT.
LEGALLY RIGHT. >> WHEN WE ASK THE PUBLIC, WE’RE
NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION.
THEY’RE SAYING THEY DON’T WANT
IMPEACHMENT BECAUSE THEY’RE
GIVEN THE OPTION DO YOU WANT HIM
IMPEACHED OR DO YOU WANT PEOPLE
TO WORK ON POLICIES THAT WILL
HELP YOU LIVE A BETTER LIFE?
>> THANK YOU.
THE FRAMING IS SO CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. IF YOU LOOK ABOUT JUST ABOUT
EVER MAJOR DEBATE, AND I TALK
ABOUT IT IN MY BOOK COMING OUT
TO TOMORROW, AND THANK YOU FOR
SHOWING TO IT THE AUDIENCE, THE
PROBLEM HERE IS WE TALK ABOUT
ISSUES THAT ARE ALL ON THE FAR
RIGHT’S TURF.
RIGHT’S TURF. WE TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
WE TALK ABOUT SHOULD WE BE
CAGING BABIES?
CAGING BABIES? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TEACHER SBABO
WE BE ARMING TEACHERS?
EVERYBODY WANTS CLEAN AIR AND
WATER.
WATER. NOBODY WANTS KIDS TO BE SHOT IN
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS. THESE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC
ISSUES ARE SOLID AND STRONG AND
HAVE LARGE MAJORITIES THAT FAVOR
THEM.
THEM. BUT DEMOCRATS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO
TOO OFTEN.
TOO OFTEN. NOT ALL DEMOCRATS.
I DON’T WANT TO PAINT WITH A
SWEEPING BRUSH.
SWEEPING BRUSH. BUT THEY HAVE TO MOVE OW TO MOVE
THAT CONVERSATION BACK TO COMMON
SENSE.
SENSE. >> THERE IS A KIND OF CONSUMER
LOGIC WHEN WE TALK TO VOTERS.
YOU WANTED TO ENGAGE IN CIVIC
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. AND I THINK THE OTHER THING, AND
THIS IS WHY A REALLY GOOD
HEALTHY PRIMARY IS IMPORTANT IS
THERE IS A DEBATE IN THE PARTY
OF WHETHER OR NOT WE’RE ABOUT
RESTORATION AND KIND OF GETTING
BACK TO NORMAL, OR WHETHER THERE
IS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY
BROKEN IN OUR POLITICS AND
BROKEN IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE A REAL
CONVERSATION, WHAT DO WE NEED TO
FIX, WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED TO
REPAIR?
REPAIR? WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED TO DEAL
WITH?
WITH? AND THOSE SHIFT THE DEBATE.
IT’S ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WHAT
WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY BROKEN,