IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY -- ON THE COAST, BUT CERTAINLY
WOULDN’T PLAY WELL IN THE STATE
OF KENTUCKY.
OF KENTUCKY. >> NO.
>> NO. AND NOW ON TO TRUMP AND HIS
APPROVAL RATINGS WHICH PLAYS
INTO ALL OF THIS AS WELL.
MANY ARE CREDITING PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S RISE IN JOB APPROVAL ON
HOW HE HAS HANDLED THE ECONOMY.
BUT STEVE RATTNER YOU SAY
APPEALING TO THOSE BEING LEFT
BEHIND COULD PRESENT AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS.
TELL US HOW.
>> YEAH, WELL, WHAT I’M SAYING
IN ESSENCE IS THAT THIS ECONOMY
IS NOT WORKING FOR EVERYBODY.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU THREE
EXAMPLES OF GROUPS OF AMERICANS
FOR WHOM THE ECONOMY HASN’T BEEN
WORKING.
WORKING. WE’LL START WITH
AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LOOK AT
THEIR INCOMES AS A PERCENTAGE OF
WHITE INCOMES AND YOU CAN SEE
BACK IN THE 2000, 2002 PERIOD,
AFRICAN-AMERICANS EARNED 80 TO
81% OF WHAT WHITE AMERICANS
EARNED.
EARNED. TODAY, WE’RE DOWN IN THE 76%
RANGE OF WHAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS
EARNED RELATIVE TO WHAT WHITE
AMERICANS EARNED.
AMERICANS EARNED. SO YOU CAN SEE THERE’S BEEN A
STEADY DECLINE IN THE SHARE OF
INCOME THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS
GET RELATIVE TO WHITE AMERICANS.
THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I THINK
MOST OF US THINK SHOULD HAVE
BEEN HAPPENING AND PROBABLY EVEN
MOST OF US THINK WAS HAPPENING.
AND WHAT’S ALSO EXTRAORDINARY IS
THAT TODAY IF YOU ADJUST FOR AGE
AND OCCUPATION AND THINGS LIKE
THAT, AFRICAN-AMERICANS EARNS
16% LESS THAN A COMPARABLE WHITE
AMERICAN IN THE SAME JOB.
YES, AFRICAN-AMERICANS VOTE
DEMOCRATIC, BUT REMEMBER THE
TURNOUT WAS DOWN IN 2016 AFTER
THE OBAMAARY -- OBAMA YEARS AND
THE KEY IS TO GET THEM OUT.
LET’S LOOK AT THOSE WHO ARE LEFT
BEHIND, THOSE IN THE
MANUFACTURING SECTOR AND THIS
CHART FOCUSES ON THE AUTO
SECTOR.
SECTOR. YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE
INFLATION ADJUSTED BASIS,
AUTOWORKERS WAGES PEAKED BACK
HERE IN NOVEMBER OF 2002 AT
ABOUT 31 OR SO DOLLARS AN HOUR.
THEY HAVE LITERALLY GONE DOWN
26% AFTER ADJUSTING FOR
INFLATION TO THIS LEVEL HERE OF
ABOUT $23 AN HOUR.
AND ESSENTIALLY THEY HAVE DONE
NOTHING UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP
NOTWITHSTANDING HIS PROMISE TO
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
PEOPLE IN THIS CATEGORY ARE THE
KINDS OF WHITE WORKING CLASS
AMERICANS THAT WENT OVER TO
TRUMP LAST TIME AND THE FACT
THAT THEIR SITUATION HASN’T
IMPROVED SHOULD BE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE
NEXT ELECTION.
NEXT ELECTION. THEN LASTLY, LET’S LOOK AT
THE -- AT WHAT’S GOING ON IN
RURAL AMERICA.
RURAL AMERICA. BECAUSE AGAIN WITHIN THE OVERALL
IMPROVEMENT IN WAGES, THERE’S A
LOT OF DIVERGENCE.
THIS COMPARES THE WAGES IN NEW
YORK CITY TO THE WAGES IN
MISSISSIPPI AND WHAT’S BEEN
HAPPENING TO THEM.
THE GREEN LINE BEING NEW YORK
CITY AND THE ORANGE LINE IS
MISSISSIPPI.
MISSISSIPPI. AGAIN, REAL WAGES ADJUSTED FOR
INFLATION SO YOU CAN SEE
THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD, THEY
WERE BASICALLY FOLLOWING A
SIMILAR KIND OF TRAJECTORY.
SINCE THE MIDDLE OF 2016 THEY
HAVE DIVERGED SO WAGES IN NEW
YORK CITY ARE NOW UP 5% RELATIVE
TO WHERE THEY WERE IN 2016.
WAGES IN MISSISSIPPI ARE NOW
DOWN 3.3% RELATIVE TO WHERE THEY
WERE IN 2016.
THIS IS A PICTURE THAT IS BEING
REPEATED ALL OVER RURAL AMERICA.
DEMOCRATS ARE NOT GOING TO CARRY
MISSISSIPPI.
MISSISSIPPI. >> WHY?
>> WHY? WHY IN RURAL AMERICA DO THEY
PLUNGE?
PLUNGE? >> BECAUSE THE GOOD JOBS -- THE
NEW JOBS THAT WE HAVE BEEN
CREATING ARE THE SO-CALLED
INTELLECTUAL GROWTH INDUSTRIES.
TECH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
HEALTH CARE.
HEALTH CARE. THOSE ARE CONCENTRATED IN BIG
CITIES.
CITIES. AND SECONDLY, AS YOU KNOW
THERE’S BEEN A TREND AMONG
PARTICULARLY YOUNGER AMERICANS
TO WANT TO BE IN CITIES, TO BE
IN REAL CITIES WHERE A LOT OF
THINGS GOING ON AND RURAL
AMERICA HAS BEEN TOTALLY LEFT
BEHIND AND ACTUALLY TOTALLY LEFT
BEHIND IN THE SOUTH MORE SO EVEN
THAN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
AGAIN, DEMOCRATS PLAY NOT CARRY
THE SOUTH, BUT THERE ARE THE
POCKETS OF VOTERS OUT THERE THAT
DEMOCRATS OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO
GET.
GET. >> GENE ROBINSON, EVEN AS WE
HAVE THIS CONVERSATION THE
PRESIDENT IS TWEETING.
THE TOP LINE VERY GOOD NUMBERS
ON THE ECONOMY, MUCH POTENTIAL
FOR GROWTH.
FOR GROWTH. HE GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT TRADE
DEALS BEING NEGOTIATED AND HOW
HE’S CHANGING OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH COUNTRIES THAT HE SAYS HAVE
TREATED US UNFAIRLY.
HE WILL POINT TO THE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. HE’LL POINT TO THE STOCK MARKET.
A LOT OF FIGURES HE CAN POINT TO
AND SAY LOOK AT HOW WELL WE ARE
DOING, BUT BIG POCKETS OF
AMERICA ARE NOT THRIVING.
>> AND ANYBODY RUNNING AGAINST
HIM, YOU HAVE TO POINT TO THE
NUMBERS, ONE HAS TO HIGHLIGHT
THOSE NUMBERS, THE ONES THAT
STEVE RATTNER JUST SHOWED US.
IN A WAY THAT CONNECTS.
AND SO THAT’S REALLY THE
CHALLENGE FOR DEMOCRATS, FOR
WHOEVER ENDS UP RUNNING AGAINST
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. AND I CALL IT MORE OF A
CHALLENGE THAN A DILEMMA.
BUT YES, THEY WANT TO GET SOME
OF THOSE WHITE WORKING CLASS
VOTERS.
VOTERS. SOME OF THOSE OBAMA/TRUMP VOTERS
BACK AS MANY OF THEM AS THEY
CAN.
CAN. BUT THEY ALSO FACE A PRETTY
BLEAK ELECTION IF THEY CAN’T
FIRE UP AND MOTIVATE AND GET OUT
THE DEMOCRATIC BASE.
I MEAN, THEY JUST HAVE TO GET
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS OUT IN
BIGGER NUMBERS THAN IN 2016.
THEY HAVE TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE
OUT IN BIGGER NUMBERS.
THEY CAN PUT TOGETHER -- PUT THE
OBAMA COALITION BACK TOGETHER
WHICH DID INCLUDE YOUNG PEOPLE
AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS. THEY CAN SEE A MAJORITY THERE.
AND SO IT’S -- THAT’S GOING TO
BE THE CHALLENGE I THINK FOR THE
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE. AND JUST TO EMPHASIZE ONE OTHER
POINT.
POINT. AS DAVE WASSERMAN SAID IT WILL
BE A NOMINEE.
IT WILL NOT BE A DISEMBODIED SET
OF POLICIES.
OF POLICIES. OR A PLATFORM.
A PLATFORM DOESN’T WIN THE
PRESIDENCY, BUT A CANDIDATE
DOES.
DOES. SO IT HAS TO BE A CANDIDATE WHO
EMBODIES AND EXPRESSES THE KIND
OF HOPES AND DREAMS AND
ASPIRATIONS AND ANGER OF ENOUGH
VOTERS TO WIN.
>> AND EDDIE, THE PRESIDENT WILL
REBUT WHAT WE SAW IN THE FIRST
CHART ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS
AND SAYING THAT
AFRICAN-AMERICANS CURRENTLY OR
HAVE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS
ANYWAY HAD THE LOWEST
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN HISTORY,
BUT IT’S STILL ALMOST DOUBLE THE
NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. HE WILL ALSO TRY TO MAKE AN
ARGUMENT THAT IT’S UNDOCUMENTED
IMGRANTS, NOT ILLEGAL ALIENS,
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE
IN SOME WAYS THE REASON FOR WAGE
STAGNATION.
STAGNATION. FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT’S
HAPPENING IN BLACK COMMUNITIES.
I THINK WE DON’T NEED TO FALL
FOR IT THAT OLD OKEY-DOKE.
PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO THROW
OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL IS THE
FALSE OPPOSITION.
FALSE OPPOSITION. I HEAR WHAT DAVID IS SAYING BUT
WE NEED TO REJECT THE FALSE
OPPOSITION BETWEEN WHITE WORKERS
AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN WORKS AND
IF THE DEMOCRATS PUT FORWARD AN
AGENDA, AN AGENDA THAT SPEAKS TO
THE KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES THAT
CUT ACROSS RACE, THAT WE DON’T
IN SOME WAYS PAY HOMAGE TO THIS
OLD KIND OF LOGIC THAT IS
DEFINED THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE,
WHERE WE PLAY TO THESE RACIAL
SENTIMENTS BUT REALLY SPEAK TO
THE ISSUES THAT CUT ACROSS RACE,
THEN THE DEMOCRATS WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL.
SUCCESSFUL. BUT IF THEY TRY TO BE REPUBLICAN
LIGHT ONCE AGAIN, THE BASE WILL
NOT TURN OUT, JOE.
THEY WILL NOT TURN OUT.
IF IT’S REPUBLICAN LIGHT AGAIN.
>> BUT EDDIE, UNDERSTAND IF YOU
TAKE AWAY HEALTH INSURANCE FROM
155 MILLION AMERICANS, THE
MAJORITY OF WHICH -- YOU CAN
LOOK AT PEW RESEARCH THAT SAYS A
MAJORITY OF THOSE 155 MILLION
AMERICANS LIKE THEIR HEALTH
INSURANCE PLANS.
INSURANCE PLANS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY FROM
THEM, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH WHITE OR BLACK OR HISPANIC
OR ASIAN-AMERICAN.
OR ASIAN-AMERICAN. THAT IS THE KITCHEN TABLE.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MEDICARE FOR
ALL.
ALL. WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT IF
IT’S IN A PURE FORM IS TAKING
AWAY PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE
PLANS FROM ALL AMERICANS
REGARDLESS OF RACE.
155 MILLION AMERICANS WHO LIKE
IT, THAT’S WHERE DEMOCRATS --
SOME MIGHT SAY, NEED TO TREAD
CAREFULLY.
CAREFULLY. >> JOE, I HEAR WHAT YOU’RE
SAYING BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS
REALLY QUICKLY.
REALLY QUICKLY. IN 1980 WHEN -- 1979 WHEN RONALD
REAGAN WAS RUNNING AND PEOPLE,
GEORGE BUSH HE HAD VOODOO
ECONOMICS, HE WOULD LEAD US INTO
THE THIRD WORLD WAR WHEN ALL OF
THOSE FOLKS WERE THE IDEOLOGUES
WITHIN THE REAGAN REVOLUTION AND
LISTENING TO PEOPLE SAYING THIS
WOULD DESTROY THE ECONOMY,
DESTROY AMERICA THEY DIDN’T PAY
ATTENTION TO THEM.
SO I’M GOING TO SAY TO THOSE
DEMOCRATS WE LOVE YOU, JOE
SCARBOROUGH.
SCARBOROUGH. DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO YOU.
JUST SIMPLY PUT FORWARD THAT
AGENDA TO CHANGE THE CENTER OF
GRAVITY OF THE COUNTRY AND WATCH
WHAT HAPPENS.
WHAT HAPPENS. >> PAY NO ATTENTION.
RUN FOR THAT CLIFF AND JUMP OFF
AND FLAP YOUR ARMS REALLY FAST.
>> JUST CALLED US DODO BIRDS.
>> I WILL SAY DEMOCRATS FOR
THOSE WHO SHOULDN’T LISTEN TO
ME, THAT’S FINE.
I MEAN, I DO CARE BECAUSE
OBVIOUSLY I MADE IT VERY CLEAR,
I DON’T WANT TRUMP TO GET
RE-ELECTED BUT YOU DIDN’T LISTEN
TO ME IN 2016, DID YOU?
IN FACT YOU MOCKED ME.
YOU SAID A LOT OF NASTY THINGS
ABOUT ME WHEN I TOLD YOU DONALD
TRUMP COULD WIN.
COULD GET TO 270.
OH, MY GOD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
SEE THE PRESS CLIPPINGS THEN?
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, EDDIE, MAYBE
A FEW SHOULD LISTEN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> UP TO YOU.
HEY, DAVE, SO LET ME ASK YOU
THIS QUESTION.
THIS QUESTION. YOU LOOK AT 2018, THERE WERE
SOME POCKETS THAT I FOUND
ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING.
ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. MY OLD FRIEND PETE SESSIONS LOST
HIS RACE IN SUBURBAN DALLAS.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT
COMING TWO YEARS BEFORE.
ARE YOU SEEING ANY TRENDS POST
2018 THAT ARE SURPRISING YOU
LIKE THAT OR ANYTHING THAT YOU
SAW AFTER HAVING A YEAR TO POUR
OVER ALL OF THOSE RESULTS THAT
ARE MAKING YOU LOOK AT SAY
MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN,
MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, PENNSYLVANIA, NORTH CAROLINA,
FLORIDA, ANY DIFFERENTLY OR
GEORGIA?
GEORGIA? DO DEMOCRATS FINALLY HAVE A
CHANCE IN GEORGIA?
>> YEAH, JOE, LOOK, DEMOCRATS
ARE DOING BETTER AND BETTER
EVERYWHERE THERE’S A WHOLE FOODS
MARKET AND STAG NATING WHERE
THERE’S A CRACKER BARREL OR
DOLLAR GENERAL.
DOLLAR GENERAL. IF YOU THINK OF KENTUCKY WHO’S
IN THE ELECTORATE?
IT’S RURAL VOTERS AND
AUTOWORKERS AND THE DANGER FOR
AMY McGRATH SHE’S GOING TO DRAW
MONEY AWAY FROM SENATE RACES
THAT ARE ACTUALLY WINNABLE.
LOOK, SHE RAN FOR CONGRESS IN
2018 IN A FAIRLY RURAL DISTRICT,
YES, IT HAS LEXINGTON IN IT.
SHE MADE IT COMPETITIVE.
BUT SHE STILL LOST BY A FEW
POINTS IN A DISTRICT THAT WENT
FOR DONALD TRUMP BY 15.
WELL, KENTUCKY IS A STATE WENT
FOR TRUMP BY 30 POINTS.
DEMOCRATS AND NO OFFENSE TO
McGRATH, ARE FUNDAMENTALLY
UNELECTABLE AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL, STATEWIDE, IN KENTUCKY.
SO THEY HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN
MIND WHEN THEY’RE TARGETING
STATES AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE
TO FIND A MESSAGE THAT CAN HOLD
ON TO THE STATES THAT STILL ARE
WINNABLE AT THE PRESIDENTIAL
LEVEL LIKE PENNSYLVANIA,
MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN.
I WOULD THROW IN ARIZONA AND
NORTH CAROLINA AS POTENTIALLY
DECISIVE STATES.
DECISIVE STATES. >> ALL RIGHT.
DAVE WASSERMAN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR BEING ON THIS MORNING.
>>> STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING
JOE," PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS OFTEN
CLAIMED THAT HE’S BROUGHT
AMERICA’S COAL INDUSTRY BACK TO
LIFE.
LIFE. BUT A GROWING NUMBER OF THE
COUNTRY’S COAL MINERS APPARENTLY
DON’T FEEL THE SAME WAY.
NBC NEWS’ HEIDI PRZYBYLA HAS THE